For those of us in the decorated apparel business, a cap is a lot more than just a cap. This is true whether your specialty is embroidery or heat pressing. For those who aren’t, one look at the heft and endless selection available in any headwear manufacturer’s 2023...
Dustin Shrader
Dustin Shrader's Latest Posts
Embroidering to Scale
Seemingly ubiquitous as a cliché (e.g., the dawn of time), embroidery possesses a rich, ancient-like history. A timeless classic, the art can be traced back to the Cro-Magnon days, roughly around 30,000 B.C. Derived from the French term broderie, meaning...
Flying High
A love for aviation took Rocky Smith on a lifelong journey from pilot to apparel decorating specialist. Smith, who earned his private pilot’s license in 2001, has had a lifelong love of airplanes—World War II planes especially. Unfortunately, the week Smith was...
Deep Dive into Effectiveness
When it comes to your shop, what are you most effective at doing? Here’s what I mean. Let’s say you place two social media marketing posts on Instagram to boost sales. One of them gets several hundred likes and dozens of comments. The second one translates into over...
Staying Ahead of the Game
Today’s athletic teamwear is a fusion of fashion and function. Comfort reigned supreme at the height of the pandemic, and there are carryovers from that lifestyle for today’s brands. People are, of course, also demanding performance out of their athleticwear,...
BELLA+CANVAS Expands Distribution Operation
BELLA+CANVAS, Los Angeles, has opened two new, larger distribution facilities, expanding its footprint to better serve its community of customers and creators across the industry. These new facilities—located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and North East, Maryland— will help...
Citadel Brands Announces New CEO
Citadel Brands, Kingstree, South Carolina, has appointed Michael R. Hoffman as its new chief executive officer. Hoffman holds 30 years of industry experience, serving in senior leadership positions at several renowned organizations including, Fruit of the Loom and...
Next Level Apparel Expands Globally
Next Level Apparel (NLA), Los Angeles, recently announced the acquisition of Germany-based Stedman GmbH, a designer, manufacturer and supplier of premium casual and sportswear blank apparel for the printwear industry. “The team at Stedman is excited to join ranks with...
Online Design Studios Implements T-Shirt Design Platform
In a new educational video “Why Your Shop Needs a Design Studio” Online Design Studios breaks down its Shirt Designs Online platform by providing a real-world scenario detailing the process of a customer visiting your website with a shirt-design idea. Shirt Designs...
SanMar Announces Vice President of Logistics
SanMar Corp., Issaquah, Washington, has announced John Janson as Vice President, Global Logistics. The move marks a notable investment in the company’s leadership of its global and domestic supply network. Janson, a longtime SanMar leader who elevated the company’s...
Stealth Success
Rich Khun is a man of many talents. He began his career in 2004 as a graphic designer, creating among other things, CD covers, nightclub flyers and billboard designs. At one point, he even added videography to his repertoire. A decade later, Khun started a clothing...
Decorating Methods Up Top
My career started in the imprinted sportswear industry selling both screen-print and heat-transfer equipment for embellishing caps. My job included testing various methods for decorating headwear. Little did I know that 38 years later I would still be involved in...















