Images: Top – Shop front livery by ‘Denial’, 2nd row L to R : The old shop front, New door (welcome), Poster for ‘Denial’
Get some Brand – Find a new religion … 2016
Religion by association – check out our new Temple of print. A wall of colour by ‘Denial’ and a tribute to the High Priests of Pop Art of Warhol and Lichtenstein. Daniel (AKA Denial) was in town for a series of Ben Frost curated exhibitions in Surry Hills, of which we printed a 4 colour poster for him (available at Stupid Krap) and he painted our shop front out of appreciation. It reminds me of touring Buhdist Monks – spreading the chill – Karmic spray cans …. creating literally, a shrine to street art.
As for new religion – this is our first newsletter of 2016 and the essence of how we are approaching the new year is in the below ‘quote’ – It’s reflecting on what and why we are doing whatever it is we do (in our case design and print) and the brands we are working on and with.
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority,
it is time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain
In perspective – in the T-shirt Promo industry, it’s easy to outsource – it’s easy to print plastisol inks as opposed to waterbased & it’s easy to just do T-shirts as there is relatively little that changes day to day in a t-shirt factory. But we just aren’t into (or ever have been) printing for money as a trade off for art but we are interested in doing both. It’s a lifestyle choice about authenticity and it’s about hand printing, imagination, execution, value and quality of the print. We’ll handprint posters, boxes or yardages and we’ll print the everyday band merch or coffee shop uniform too. The difference is we print it so it works in it’s new environment at a professional level where the fabric / cut / brand / ink / design has been taken into account. Where the value is measured in long tern wear, delivered ideas, colours that speak and brands that breathe.
It’s worth noting In Australia right now, we have this new innovative landscape (how true that is remains to be seen politically but how real or deep it is – is really up to us), business owners I’ve talked to are confident that it’s a good period coming under Malcom Turnbull (… and yes, there is always the other side). Regardless of your politics, he has set the scene for new tech and new Australian owned industries, he’s even backing the CSIRO – which doesn’t sound like a Liberal Government at all. As car plants shut and everyone settles into thinking importing sub standard product from 3rd world countries is cool, even while it lasts one season and becomes landfill, the reality is we have to create value to sell into an international market whatever that is and therefore like no time in history we need people starting things and really doing things well that will compete on a world stage – we need entrepreneurs. Passionate entrepreneurs with ideas and follow through.
Entrepreneurialism is the new church – people go to markets instead of Woolworths, the next car makers are search engines, Tesla is back – Apple is the biggest Company in the world – Disruptive is the new cool and Air BnB and UBER …. are the new religion.
Confidence is the first key – once you have that, people want innovation to the point where a product makes them look innovative or interesting by association – then they want a relationship – so it’s trust on a major scale. Exactly as someone buys a T-shirt from you and your brand – it must reflect the personality, style and quality of the customer. For them to embrace your brand. They want to believe.
Design your brand from the outset. The brand is about your life, design it so it supports your lifestyle from the outset. Who is your target market – what do they want?
Why?
Why the brand talk? Arcade is morphing? Diverse print + Design Driven!
Arcade have spent a years doing exhibitions getting people exposed to audiences and teaching screen printing so they could create their own products … all the time in the background working as commercial printers. Now we consult but don’t do classes. Now we are focusing more on the people building brands and execution of brilliant print and design with an eye to good brand communications.
Arcade are career printers with diverse print experience from screen to offset and career designers with broad brand and design experience behind us from illustration, film, interiors, furnishings to fashion be it catwalks or street.
This year we welcome Charlie Nivision to the team as a powerhouse for 2016. Holding a BA in Graphic Design and dedicated to print and paint he is our new Design guy and pre-press / printer being the perfect compliment to Ross Laidlaw as full on hand screen print of everything from T-shirts to wine boxes to table runners or yardage. ie. Arcade is about Graphic execution across multiple substrates, fabrics and products from pre-made embellishment to custom cut & make.
We recommend classes with ‘Bobbin & Ink’ or ‘The Rizzeria’ in Sydney or ‘Kick and Screen’ in Melbourne and you can buy Permaset Inks from Wilflex (Near Sydenham Railway Station) or online or instore at Permaset in Brookvale or smaller pots at challenging prices at art stores everywhere.
But more importantly for Arcade moving forward check out some of Charlie Nivisons work. Charlie is also known as ‘Silly Pear’ and is the founder of TC.
@sillypear
@thisisnottc
