DapperInk.com Official Blog

Find the Perfect Gift

mmoreau — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:43:05 +0000

Still struggling for good V-day gift ideas? We’ve got you covered. Come by Dapper Ink to browse our great selection of gifts. We’re located at 207 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville, SC 29609. Got questions about anything? Contact info@dapperink.com. And check out other great gifts at madebyparachute.com.

Better Together – a Valentine’s Tee

mmoreau — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:23:05 +0000

They don’t match identically, but lets be honest, thats what the awkward couples do.
The designers for Parachute Clothing came up with a stylish way to match without matching.
Nice idea for a clever Valentine’s Day gift if you ask me. Click on the picture below to get one(or both)!

Long Live Vintage

mmoreau — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:43:06 +0000

You may already be aware of Fossil’s Long Live Vintage movement. Here is an insightful video showing the creation of some of the visual elements. Note the real-life application of screen printing. Lucky us, we get to work in this timeless medium every day.

Parachute’s Christmas Sale

mmoreau — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:53:25 +0000

As many of you know, we’ve recently started a new retail brand called Parachute. For a long time we’ve wanted to promote our own line simple but well-designed tees. To kick-off our grand opening, we’re having an amazing Christmas sale. Visit our new website and finish all your Christmas shopping with our $7 tee shirts. madebyparachute.com

Jump for Joy! This is a Christmas Event you won’t want to miss!

mmoreau — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:22:13 +0000

Quotes and Ribbons.

mmoreau — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:43:44 +0000

We were asked to design and produce Christmas ornaments as a fundraiser for a theatre in Chicago. Overshadowed is one of the many ministries that we enjoy working with across the states. Check out what they’re all about at www.overshadowedproductions.com This has been a great opportunity for us to try new screen printing methods. Check out the tiny work we did on this decorative ribbon. These photos were shot in our own Dapper Ink Store. And yes, we did the pottery in house too!

Tetris. MoMA style.

mmoreau — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:54:55 +0000

Ink-splattered skin and clothing were well worth the sacrifice to see hundreds of preserved bubbles lying all over the stone floor, drying, waiting to be incorporated into a massive piece of art. Although, it’s hard to tell from the videos, this piece is approximately 7 feet tall and about 6 feet wide. Considering each card is about 4×6 inches, well, that’s a lot of little cards.
Not long into the process, standing some 12 feet in the air on a ladder, I realized this is going to be the ultimate game of Tetris. You know you loved that game. I still have my Gameboy version. In fact, I still have my Gameboy. Maybe I need to break out AA batteries and see if that greenish screen will still turn on…. Original Tetris Theme ….but I digress.

Hours of teetering on a tall ladder, reaching for just the right size paper and t-pins, the installation started to come together. Dapper Ink was kind enough to supply me with endless supplies of liquids and food to keep me moving. This retail space is going to be one you don’t want to miss, believe me. I’d dare say, Dapper Ink is changing the perception of the t-shirt industry.

-Rebecca Primm

The Best in Charlotte

mmoreau — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:17:16 +0000

Of course, I’m being a bit biased here. I am a self-proclaimed “art snob”, but completely in that good way, of course. I’ll be your official Dapper Ink guide to the new retail space for the next few posts…or guest blogger as some like to call it.
When I was called by Dapper Ink to design and create an installation for their new retail space, my mind started to spin with ideas. As an artist, I was thrilled with the idea of creating a large piece of art. So rare is the chance to get a commission on that scale!

The concept was strong: Mid Century feel…kind of like a gentleman’s library…you know, smoking jacket, pipe, old books…but with a modern twist.

After several phone conferences, sketching and pulling reference photos, I traveled down to Greenville from Charlotte to begin this exciting project. Sometimes as an artist, you have these moments….moments where you have to decide between your gut and your head….your formal training and your instinct. Upon arrival and first hand viewing of the space, I still felt confident with the direction of piece. It was a vintage Rolodex that halted my thinking with a screeching stop and began the spinning in a whole new direction.

Locked away in the corners of my mind was this idea….just waiting for the chance to be unlocked and created. Although I couldn’t have the Rolodex, a much better find came from Shinola. (Surely, you’ve been there right? Incredible. Put that on your immediate todo list.)

This rare, exciting better-than-the-rolodex find was a file full of vintage dental records. Not what you were expecting, I know. But mini manila file envelope filled with records, xrays, letters and bills proved to be a treasure that sprung this hidden away idea back into life. Scrap the original idea.

The video explains the beginnings of this project. Please be aware that my face is not bruised, nor does my assistant have giant freckles. We are just covered in ink. Enjoy. And please stop back again to see the continuations of this exciting custom art installation.

-Rebecca Primm

Opening this November

mmoreau — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 03:32:58 +0000

As you may already know, we are excited about opening our first store front this November. Only a lucky few have seen the behind-the-scenes printshop where we operate now. After 4 years of running our press in a cramped workspace with 80’s carpet and ink on the ceiling (who knows how it got there), this upgrade cannot come a day too soon. I’ve assembled a list of how things will be different – check it out!

HUM DRUM CURRENT CONDITIONS

Square footage of working space: About 650 square feet of ink-stained carpet

Bathrooms: Just one, but we use it as a darkroom. So do what you have to do, just don’t turn the lights on.

Neighbors: Outdoor Neighborhood Dog Kennel

Decor: Drywall and 8′ popcorn ceiling. Off-white paint colors. And lets not forget the wicker ceiling fan.

Coolness Factor: Rock climbing holds and mini fridge (These are the redeeming factors).

NEW AND IMPROVED!

Square footage of working space: About 1,750 with 650 dedicated to trendy retail and modern offices.

Bathrooms: Just one, but no darkroom this time. Includes drinking fountain!

Neighbors: Henry’s Smokehouse (believe it!), and there are rumors that Jack’s Cosmic Dog is considering the space next door.

Decor: 3 beautiful bays of pre-cast 15′ Concrete Ceiling and repurposed wood floors from old buildings of Greenville’s past!

Coolness Factor: Concrete desks, trendy retail and showroom, central sound system, proximity to downtown, and of course rock climbing holds and mini fridge (These will be relocated). We will also have a comfy area to meet with clients. Perhaps later we’ll add a juice bar and a bouncy castle in the back…

Currently we are about half-way done with construction and hoping to get occupancy by the end of the month. Check up frequently because we will be announcing our grand opening soon. I hope you can all find a way to visit us soon!

If any are interested in lending a helping hand, we’d love your help! Just drop a line to info@dapperink.com. In the meantime, check out these pictures of what we’re working on. Below is a group of pictures showing how the space looked like when we got it. Under that is a set of “so far” pictures. Enjoy!

Refurbished Design

mmoreau — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:03:23 +0000

When we first met with the Upstate Boyscouts of America staff at the beginning of the year, we had no clue just how extensive our work for them would be. The design and apparel for the Boyscouts local camp, Camp Old Indian, was in serious need of an update. Naturally we jumped at the chance to provide their staff with over a dozen different products ranging from tee shirts to fleece vests to weatherproof jackets.

In the midst of our extensive research into their logo and and identity, we turned up this vintage Camp Old Indian graphic. This became the inspiration for one of our favorite designs of the summer.

Within a couple of days of playing with the design, we happily presented them with this new design to wear around the campsite.

We’re looking forward to working with them again, and we’ve already begun assembling ideas for the next season!