Houseboats is right around the corner, which means a flurry of HB2K12 tank tops needs to be made. Newly opened Aggie Threads is seeking to satisfy any Houseboat shirt needs this year, along with any other custom shirt orders on campus.
The new shop, located in the Memorial Union (MU) next to Campus Copies/Classical Notes, is the newest branch of ASUCD’s Campus Copies/Classical Notes. Aggie Threads specializes in printing unlimited colors on shirt orders ranging from one to a few hundred.
“I actually pitched the idea in my interview for Classical Notes Director,” said fifth-year Classical Notes/Campus Copies and Aggie Threads director Ryan Hagens.
After Hagens got the job he got together with former ASUCD Controller Don Ho and senior Eddie Hu to start up the new division.
“It’s a method that prints the ink directly onto the shirt, rather than setting it on with something else,” said Ho speaking of the type of shirt-printing machine the group decided upon. “We were thinking originally about doing a screen printing machine but then we saw that the direct garment printing was much more efficient.”
The group prides itself on customer interaction with the employees that is not available with any online retailer.
“We can sit down and go through a design and actually print off a proof on a shirt, and if you like it we can print 50 more,” said Hagens. “We can do it so fast. Our turnaround time is quick, one week.”
A former ASUCD controller, Don Ho helped lobby ASUCD for funding the new start-up. Senate Bill 28 gave the group $35,195.97 from Senate Capital Reserves, which they used to buy the printing machine that they ordered at the beginning of last quarter. Problems with backordering delayed the printer and the opening of the shop.
The group hopes to have a greater presence on campus than just a supply-structured business.
“We want to form an artist collective down the road,” said Hu. “We want to have competitions and help artists promote their own brand.”
Aggie Threads is excited to start serving ASUCD and UC Davis’ shirt needs.
“A lot of ASUCD units make T-shirts,” said Ho, “We wanted to minimize the externalities and make it internal.”
MAX GARRITY RUSSER can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
