This year marks 20 years of our print shop. To kick off a year of celebration, we’re looking back how it began and the milestones that shaped us along the way.
It all started in 2005, with a small screen printing press in a townhouse basement, pumping out custom t-shirts for musicians, businesses, and non-profits across Canada. We cut our teeth on quick turnaround orders for touring bands in need of merch on the fly. Hard work and long hours were essential to keep the press rolling. From that relentless grind, the Hardpressed name emerged, reflecting the grit of the craft and the dedication to our community. After countless night shifts, we took a leap and left behind our little home based setup for an underground print studio at the Two Twenty.
It felt like putting down real roots; the hustle was starting to pay off.
In between work orders, we produced a few limited edition shop designs and before we knew it our print shop evolved into a brand of its own. Shoutout to anyone who remembers the Waskesiu Elk, Neighbourhood tees, bright blue Saskatoon tees, or Underground Print Studio Tiger and Mule tees from the early days. Determined to do business differently, we set out to build a supportive workplace for our small team, centered around creativity, collaboration, and community impact - values that are still at the heart and soul of our operations to this day.
Though we didn’t know it then, our next move would be the one to kickstart our success…
Stay tuned for part two.
