Candi Factory started out in 2001 as the brainchild of Candice Levine, who was searching for the perfect pair of women's underwear. Unable to find what she was looking for, and with a Degree in Fashion Design from the renowned Parsons School of Design in NYC, Candice set out to create them herself. The result is fun and fabulous underwear that come in a range of quirky prints, while keeping comfort and quality at the forefront of the brand. Candi Factory soon followed up with men's briefs, and has expanded to include a range of printed women's clothing, all the while keeping their witty and colourful design attitude. With the Toronto One of a Kind Show around the corner, where Candi Factory has become a show staple, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to pick Candice's brain on everything from her design process to how she prepares for the OOAK show. Check it out! Where did the idea for The Candi Factory come from? I went to Parsons School of Design, started making and selling hand-dyed, hand-painted, hemp clothing.  One day I made underwear in hemp, not a great idea.  Then realized if I made them in better fabric I’d be onto something. The Candi Factory is rife with fun and witty graphics that you design yourself. What is your design process like? Where do you get your inspiration? I like bright, but simple things, like stripes and dots.  As for the prints and text, it has to make me laugh.  Sometimes the fabric dictates the rest of the piece, sometimes I have an idea and find the fabric to go with it. You are a staple at the One of a Kind Show in Toronto and your booth is always booming. How do you prepare for the show? Months of and months of work.  Including dreaming of booth display in my sleep, literally.  I plan my pieces, order fabric, make the patterns, samples, then have them sewn and printed. I build/add to the booth, make signage, postcards, hangtags, etc. Do you find that you have a lot of return customers? How do you keep them coming back? Lots of people have been shopping with me for years.  You have to keep the designs similar enough to have a certain feel, but different enough to be new.  Above all else you need great quality. All of your garments are locally cut-and-sewn. Any advice on how to find a good contractor? I’ve had 3 different sewing contractors close down on me because of all the manufacturing going overseas.  It’s hard to find a company that does the quality you want and can understand your process as a small business. There are no real resources to find contractors, just word of mouth. What have been your biggest obstacles as a small business owner? Fabric delivery is often a challenge.  Finding the right balance between selling retail and wholesale is tough. What would you say is the most important thing to keep in mind when starting your own brand? Be original. You’ve been coming to Astro for years, and we’re always really excited to see what you bring for us to print each time. What keeps you coming back?  Awesome customer service!       A very big thank you to Candice Levine for sharing her wisdom on small business ownership. Check out everything Candi Factory has to offer here. Article By Emma Hanninen  ...

14 March, 2016 /

Astro offers several different 'finishing touches' that you can add to your garment to really customize your order, and personalized labels are one way to do this! Need more information? Look no further, we have everything you need to know about printed labels below. What Are Personalized Printed Labels? When you choose the blank shirt that you want your designs printed on they will arrive with a woven label sewn into the back neck on the inside of the shirt (ex. Gildan, Fruit of the Loom etc). We remove that woven label and print a label of your choosing on the inside of the shirt, like so: Why Use Them? 1)Printing your own labels on the inside of your garments is an awesome way to further customize your order while creating an even more retail-ready product. Not only that, but labels really help create and re-enforce your brand identity. Instead of a customer seeing a Gildan or American Apparel label on your garment when they pick it up, your label is printed on the inside, making it easier for clients to see, recognize, and remember. It can also help your product look more professional and, let's face it, legit to potential clients, even if you're just starting out. 2) Personalized woven labels need to be ordered in large numbers to keep costs low, and then there is the additional cost of having them sewn into the garment, causing costs to add up really quickly. With printed labels, you're only paying for the labels as you need them, instead of having to buy a thousand or so upfront, keeping your costs down! 3)No scratchy tags in the back of your neck! Let's be honest, we've all been the victim of tags that are a little irritating or just won't stop sticking up the back of your t-shirt. Printed labels are essentially no-feel, offering your customer a much more comfortable, tag-free shirt. What Information Should I Include On My Labels? This is a really great question! To start off, your brand name or logo should aways appear on your label along with the size of the garment, fabric content, and country of origin; these are all things your customers (and customs, if you ship your items to different countries) will need to know. It's always advisable to include washing instructions as well, so your customers is informed on how best to care for your garment. Another fun thing to include is your company website or instagram/twitter handles, which is a great idea if you're hoping to have your customers share pictures of themselves wearing your product! How Many Colours Am I Limited To? Keep it simple, labels are small! One colour please! I Want My Labels Printed In Bright Red, Can You Do That? Yes, we can. Do we advise it? Not really. In the past, we have found that when using colours that are too bright/ dark when printing garment labels, they can bleed through the back of the shirt, and it doesn't look great.We normally print in a medium grey colour; it shows up on light and dark shirts without bleeding through. Alright! So now you know all about printed labels. Click here get a quote or to inquire for more information! Article by Emma Hanninen  ...

29 February, 2016 /

Here at Astro we find ourselves very fortunate to work with some of the most creative and successful people in the business. Many of them are small businesses who have printed with us since the beginning, and we've been able to watch them flourish and grow over time. It's pretty awesome. Explorer's Press is one of those companies. Founded by artist/designer Brendan Megannety in 2012, it's become a truly successful  Canadian independant brand. Explorer's press aims to 'help you personalize the everyday', with a wide array of products from pins to tshirts to backpacks, designed by Megannety himself, or through collabs with other artists. We asked to pick Megannety's brain a little bit to find out what has and hasn't worked for him, what his process is like, and what kind of advise he can offer anyone who is starting out. Luckily, he was able to take some time out of his busy schedule to oblige us,  because his answers are worth their weight in gold! This really is a 'must read' for anyone who is hoping to try their luck at starting their own Clothing/ Accessories brand. Check it out! Explorer’s Press is a great example of a successful small business, something many of our clients are looking to achieve for themselves. It can be a lengthy process of trial and error. How did you start out? I guess I kind of just fell in to creating a brand. I was doing more fine art stuff - showing photos and painting, self publishing books and making prints. I ended up making a few 1” buttons and a patch to throw in with a zine and someone put the patch on tumblr and it kind of blew up from there.  What was the first item you designed/released for Explorer’s Press? The black and white “Set No Path - Never Lose Your Way” patch. There seems to be great brands that are in the same vein, offering similar gear, popping up all over the place. As awesome and strong as this homegrown community is getting, what do you feel sets you apart from your competitors? I feel like a lot of current independent brands just design stuff that riffs off of pop culture - Simpsons, Seinfeld, whatever. All of my designs are totally original top to bottom, and a lot of them are based around slogans that I think up. I’d like to think that sets Explorer’s apart from a lot of other brands. I don’t really like the term “competitor” because if you’re on your own and doing your own thing, thats rad and I’m happy for you - just try and keep it original. You have customers that span the globe, thanks to technology. Did you find it difficult to get your name out there and build your online presence? Any tips or tricks? I really don’t know how my following got so big. Having good product is obviously #1 - you could have the best product shots, look books, and whatever but if your product sucks nobody is going to want to look at it. We use a lot of customer generated content on Instagramm etc. these days and its super nice to see the how the customer styles the product and getting to interact with them is super fun. As the designer, you must have ideas for new product lined up. How do you decide what to release next? No rhyme or reason. Design 3 things or 10 and when they all land in the studio then we release them. Focusing on accessories has been great because you don’t have to release in seasons if you don’t feel like it. I just do whatever I want, I guess. What has been your largest obstacle to date? Trying to navigate the tricky Canadian postal system has been tough. Getting the rates down so you aren’t over or under charging is really important. I used to go to the post office with 150-300 packages weekly. Now I have it all streamlined so that everything is labeled at the studio and it gets picked up on a daily basis. It took a lot of trial and error but I think its more or less figured out! You started Explorer’s Press in Toronto, but then made the move to Vancouver. What keeps you coming back to Astro? I really respect the work ethic of the owner’s at Astro (Mike and JD). I worked at Astro for about a year before Explorer’s Press became my full time job. The dudes were in the shop printing along side us every day and I’m happy to call them my friends. I saw first hand how seriously everyone takes print quality. I never have to worry about getting crappy shirts that I don’t feel comfortable selling. I’m stoked to support a smaller print shop and it keeps me in touch with the guys, which rules. Most of our clients have a pretty limited budget when they’re first starting out, and there are so many options when it comes to screen printing. How many shirts? How many colours in the design? What brand of shirt? How do you find you get the most bang for your buck? I’ve always printed on Fruit Of The Loom 3930R shirts because they take the print the best. Our dark shirts are printed discharge and they turn out very nice, plus I like the fit. Most of our prints are 1 colour because I like simple, bold designs. How many shirts is a tough one, but I’d say in terms of a size break down, I always do twice as many medium and large shirts as I do small and XL. If you can spring for it, printed inner labels are a great way to finish off a garment and really make it look professional.  Do you have any sage words of wisdom for anyone who is looking to start their own brand? Worry more about your designs than how many people follow your company on Instagram. If you have cool stuff, people will notice it. Do what you want. Be original. Get a good desk chair. Structure your life as if you were working for someone else. Set an alarm to wake up at a reasonable hour and get your ass to work.  What's next for Explorer's Press? Who knows.  Big Thanks to Brendan Megannety of Explorer's Press. Make sure to check them out at explorerspress.com. Article By Emma Hanninen...

03 February, 2016 /

Looking to print something special on your next run of shirts? Maybe you have a design or detail that you want to really POP! Astro has many specialty print finishes to choose from that can up your design game. Here are some examples of some of our specialty finishes, along with what they are and how they are achieved. FOIL Looking for a way to make your shirts pop? Foil printing is a two part process that involves printing a layer of adhesive on the garment, curing it like normal ink and then heat pressing a sheet of foil onto the image where it sticks to the areas that have adhesive. We carry gold, silver, green, bronze, black, red, blue, pink, purple and rainbow foil. Try to find that variety at another print shop! This premium finish is definitely one of our specialties. PUFF You’ve probably seen this one before; it’s a fun finish add into any design! Puff is an additive that is mixed into plastisol ink, causing it to expand and ‘puff’ up as it is cured in the dryer (think expanding foam insulation). Puff print can add dimension and visual interest to your design, or just certain parts of it. HIGH DENSITY High density ink is similar to puff ink but, while puff ink results in softened and rounded edges, high density is a raised print that results in hard, sharp edges. Just like puff it adds an interesting, tactile, element to any design. High density printing is finicky and very precise, so many screen printing shops do not offer this option. We love it though, so don’t be afraid to use it in your design! CRYSTALINA Yup, it’s just as fancy as it sounds! Crystalina is a glitter that is added to a clear base and is then printed on to a shirt just like any other ink would be. The cool thing with crystalina is that it can be printed on it’s own with it’s transparent base, or it can be printed over a base colour. Either way it adds some serious sparkle to your design! METALLIC INK Metallic ink is a plastisol ink with small sparkles pre-mixed into it to give it a metallic-like finish when printed. This finish is definitely more toned down the the crystalina, sort of like a metallic finish on a car. Fun Fact: We've affectionately dubbed our metallic gold, 'Drake Gold'. GLOW IN THE DARK This one is pretty self-explanatory. Screen printed on to shirts, the ink is charged by exposure to light and then, well, glows in the dark! ...

26 January, 2016 /

It's the Holidays and we're all wrapped up (pun intended) in the season of giving to our loved ones. With all of our near and dear in our thoughts, it's easy to forget there are lots of people out there in this big world of ours that not only need help at this time of year, but every other day of the year too. Whether you're a shopper or small business owner, I urge you to take a few minutes out of your hectic ramp-up to the Holidays and check out a company called Sevenly. With a business model focused on giving back (they donate $7 of each t-shirt sale on their website to the charity they are partnered with,which changes on a weekly basis) they are a solid example of how any company can contribute more, especially during the Holiday season. Though Sevenly uses this platform 365 days a year, the idea can easily be incorporated by any business on a smaller scale any time of the year. You can tailor the idea to your own business  however you like and raise money and awareness for charitable causes, while making it an easy and ideal way for customers to donate while purchasing gifts for family and friends. To find out more about Sevenly, check out this article we found on TechCrunch. Last, but not least, have a safe and happy Holiday! -The Astro Fam...

22 December, 2015 /

When you are sending file for print, all files must be at least 300 dpi or Vector Format. Always design your art to the final print dimensions you require. Providing low-res art will result in a low-res looking print. Always feel free to contact our art department for tips and tricks. If you are not sure what size you want your graphic to be? Measure your favourite t-shirt to get dimensions you already like....

10 November, 2015 /