BARREL MAKER: You’ve worked in several different capacities from Printer to Darkroom to Art. What are some highlights from various departments?
DAN: Working in every department of a print shop has definitely been a challenge but I think that comes with the territory. Screen-printing in itself has the tendency to draw a crowd of people who are constantly trying to test the boundaries of what is possible within the medium. Each part of the process plays such a huge role in the outcome of the final product. Having a solid foundation in all of them just made sense.
When it comes to printing, my favorite part is probably the initial setup phase. Making sure that the print looks the best it possibly can before the production run starts is like solving a puzzle and sometimes gives you the same satisfaction as finally solving that rubik’s cube without taking the stickers off. Dialing in squeegee durometer, ink choice, pressure, speed, and angle all in a limited time frame and trying to improve on every job you have is what really makes this position great. That challenge is always present and every day is unique because you don’t know what type of job you will be printing next. At the same time, printing has some of my least favorite aspects of the entire process. It’s hot, dirty, and sometimes back breaking (especially for someone as tall as I am). Loading thousands upon thousands of the same thing can definitely become a bit dull at times.
Having enjoyed the initial setup phase of printing is what led to wanting to know more about the darkroom. This position is where I really locked in and started to analyze how the process works and where improvements can be made for future prints. I think one of the highlights of the darkroom can also be one of the lows depending on the type of person you are. Most of the time spent working in this position is spent in solitude. Unless you are making mistakes you aren’t in constant communication with the rest of the shop. This is nice because it allows you to really focus on what your task at hand is, which is improving screen quality and making sure that your part of the process isn’t causing problems in production.
Which brings us to the art department! I’m fairly new to this role in the shop and have still been working out a few kinks in my process and workflow here. One of the highlights here is pretty obvious. You get to work in a temperature controlled room and have clean clothes! Besides that, the art department shares the same puzzle analogy as actually printing. I enjoy taking a piece of customer provided art and figuring out how we are going to print it. Deciding what type of process to use, what types of ink to use for a particular garment, and what dimensions will fit in a particular area that will give the closest result on press to what the client is imagining, because seeing it on a screen can be really difficult sometimes. However, when the finished product looks like what you and the client were trying to achieve, it’s a great feeling.
This is also one of Dan’s highlights:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeqSe6MF05o/
BM: How many tattoos do you have Dan?
DAN: I don’t know how many tattoos I have. My legs are finally almost completely filled up though!
BM: That answer is not good enough for us though. Can you guess?
DAN: Ok probably at least twenty.
BM: How have you personally balanced taking the time to technically learn the various roles while also staying on top of your day to day workload?
DAN: The question is kind of a strange one. I don’t think I ever really thought about it that way. For me, it has always been one of those sink or swim moments, and luckily I’ve managed to keep my head afloat. The first shop I worked at out of school was very cutthroat, and I wasn’t given any alternative other than to learn quickly and proficiently or else I wouldn’t have a job. I think that mentality has helped and carried over across the board. You don’t really have a choice other than to figure it out. Especially in an industry with as much competition and constant evolution as decorated merchandise, you have to be focused on constantly improving your work or get left behind. On that note, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Ron Swanson: “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing”.
BM: Inspiring. And after a long day of work at Barrel Maker what’s your favorite beer to drink?
DAN: All beer.
BM: Ok but..
DAN: Favorite beer depends on the season. I usually stick to the hoppier variety but won’t turn down a Tecate and lime to go with some Al Pastor tacos. Hop Nosh by Uinta Brewing is the best IPA ever made though.
BM: Thanks for your time Dan, and for making us hungry and also thirsty now too.