The Ann Arbor T-shirt Company is composed dozens of artists, screen printers, art techs, logistics professionals, embroiderers, and support staff, all operating out of Ann Arbor, Michigan (about 40 miles west of Detroit). We give our employees subsidized healthcare, a 401k match, company soccer and kickball teams, catered employee lunches, and quarterly company parties around town. While we believe in treating our employees with respect as a matter of course, it makes business sense, too. Happy people make better shirts - cooler art, better prints, more exacting quality control, etc. From top to bottom, our people are proud of the product we produce, and can't wait to share it with you. If you ever find yourself in Ann Arbor, stop in for some coffee and a tour - we'd love to show you how we make our stuff! Adolphe Millot 1800s Nouveau Larousse Illustre Insect Illustrations Some vintage late 1800s French Encyclopedia bug art in an expertly applied and cured screen print on a soft, silky heather grey men's t-shirt. Printed with pride and gratitude in Ann Arbor, Michigan. So what went into this? Our illustrators and designers create the artwork Art techs convert the art into component screens (which were made of silk in the old days, hence "screen printing" or "silk screening") Skilled screen printers and their apprentices apply ink through the screens. We use top of the line M&R carousel presses manufactured in Illinois Our warehouse team checks quality, bags, and boxes the apparel for shipment to fulfillment centers across the country Where is my shirt made? When you buy one of our shirts, your money is flying all around the country. The percentages vary between products as input prices fluctuate (and a small percent of our catalogue is fully imported), but for the most part, it looks something like this: Ann Arbor, MI - Design, Printing, & Production- 35%Seattle, WA - Advertising & Platform Fees - 22%Cincinnati, OH - Apparel Distributor - 6%Atlanta, GA - Shipping & Logistics - 4%Roselle, IL - Printing Presses & Equipment - 4%Texas & Southwest US - Cotton Farming - 4%Toluca, Mexico - Fabric Sewing - 3%Pineville, NC - Screen Printing Inks - 1% Screen printing is like cooking: it's not rocket science, but it's really easy to screw up if you cut corners or use sub-par ingredients. That's why we... Hire, train, and retain skilled professionals We have internal apprentice and educational programs that result in screen printing professionals with a thorough understanding of how ink chemistry, curing heats, and apparel fibers all interplay. Getting the combinations wrong can result in crooked prints, faded inks, or scratchy shirt fabric. Use top notch inks We pay a bit more for top shelf inks because they are worth it! QCM inks are better for the environment (one of the first ink companies to go phthalate free), more vibrant, and last longer than the cheap stuff. Invest in the best equipment Our screen printing presses and support equipment are engineered and manufactured by M&R in Roselle, Illinois. Having the best tools allow our printers to move faster with less waste, allowing us to create high quality products at a lower cost, which we pass to you!
