Makeshift Print Collective

The Makeshift Print Collective*

A membership-supported screen-printing studio dedicated to the production of handmade goods.

Problem

Recently, perhaps due to the economic climate, there has been a steady rise in the popularity of handmade products, from clothing to art prints. Websites like Etsy, which allow users to open up their own shops selling handmade goods, confirm that there is a vested interest  both in handcrafting and purchasing handcrafted goods.  

  Screen-printing plays a large part in the handcrafting of many of these goods, though in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, amongst the numerous traditional printmaking studios, few offer instruction or facilities for screen-printing.

Approach

The solution for this problem was to develop the Makeshift Print Collective, a space for artists, designers, or anyone interested in craft to learn about or experiment with hand screen-printing.

  The name 'Makeshift' refers to the often rudimentary printing setups that hand screen-printing uses, though it can also refer to the idea of 'making a shift' in thinking about making people realize that they can make things on their own.

  For its initial launch, direct mailers were developed containing info on courses and the studio in a way that reflected the screen-printing process as well as used the USP, “Make Something.” A teaser ad campaign was also developed, communicating both the screen-printing process and the USP in a way that would peak interest for the end-user.

  After the initial launch, member work was used to advertise for the Makeshift on die-cut posters which give the impression of a print freshly pulled off of the press.

  Stationery and ink packaging was also developed to reflect the Makeshift's brand. Wherever possible (Business Card and Course Booklet for example), old screen-printed press sheets would be used to cut costs, but more importantly to get something hand-printed into the hands of the audience as soon as possible. Also, the Makeshift buys ink in bulk and packages it with its own labels, increasing brand consistency while giving members a labeling system that is clear about colour bias, ink type, and usage.

*Student Work