Local print shop creates merchandise for SBC restaurants,
companies
Nic Calder doesn’t have posters up on the walls of his
workspace. He doesn’t have pictures of family members, or a
favorite pet. He has T-shirts, jackets and tank tops. All the items
hung on the wall of his workshop on Cienega Road are things he’s
silk screened or embroidered for his company, Cold Mountain
Prints.
Local print shop creates merchandise for SBC restaurants, companies
Nic Calder doesn’t have posters up on the walls of his workspace. He doesn’t have pictures of family members, or a favorite pet. He has T-shirts, jackets and tank tops. All the items hung on the wall of his workshop on Cienega Road are things he’s silk screened or embroidered for his company, Cold Mountain Prints.
On a recent afternoon, he showed how quickly he could take a plain tan baseball cap and transform it into a keepsake by embroidering a company logo on it.
Calder, who has been working in silkscreen and embroidery for nearly three years, splits his time between his workshop in San Benito and a location out of the county.
“I started in town in my mom’s garage and living room,” he said.
Boxes of clothing soon filled the room and took over. Now he has a small workshop and warehouse along the wine trail.
He keeps plenty of stock on hand, such as crew neck T-shirts and baseball caps. Calder works with many specialty manufacturers, as well, and has catalogues for everything from chef’s apparel to sports uniforms. One way he gets new business is to do a sample hat with a company’s logo and name. He then shows up at their doorstep and makes a sales pitch.
“We’ll be busing hats around soon,” said Maria Calder, Nic’s mother.
Calder’s work is easy to spot. He created a gift box for DeRose Vineyards. He silk-screened T-shirts for 5150 Tequila, the Cantina and Leal Vineyards. He embroidered hats for Corbin.
Most people approach Calder with an idea, especially company owners who already have a logo.
“I meet with people to get what they really want,” he said.
And if someone comes up with an idea that won’t work, he comes up with an alternative to it that works for the customer.
Calder offers his customers a low price, compared to do-it-yourself T-shirt kits or Web sites that will customize items. A basic baseball hat with embroidery goes for $5, while a higher end flex-fit hat would cost $11. The prices for other merchandise varies as does the time a job will take for completion.
“It does depend on the order,” Calder said. “If we have 1,000 shirts to do that might take 10 to 14 days. But other things customers might come in and they can get it the same day. Embroidery is done quickly.”
Silk screening takes longer because he has to work with clients to decide on an image, and then burn the screens.
Paul Lacorte had T-shirts printed at Calder’s shop.
“I’ve been friends with him for a long time,” Lacorte said. “I always had the idea that I wanted to start a clothing company. I wanted to do ‘Life Happens,’ but it was never really a reality until he started his silkscreen.”
Calder made a sample print for Lacorte
“I was really stoked,” he said. “I ordered some stuff and he helped me out a lot.”
Though Lacorte keeps his orders low and sells his clothing mostly through word of mouth, he said most print shops would have required him to make much larger orders to get a good price per item.
“He gives me a good deal for making small amounts,” Lacorte said.
Another plus is seeing the silkscreen or embroidery in action.
“Anyone can come in and be right there and watch the whole process,” he said.
The two worked together putting out a big order right before the July Hollister Motorcycle Rally, where Calder had a vendor booth.
“I spent hours working with him,” Lacorte said. “I’m the one that helped him do all the big projects. It was intense before the rally…staying up all night and all day.”
Calder said the booth at the rally helped him get the word out about his company.
“We gave out a lot of catalogues,” he said.
Between his out-of-town shop and the San Benito office, Calder estimated he works as many as 100 hours a week, including drive time between the two locations.
“I just want to get it going,” he said, of his reason for working such long hours. “Just getting it going to a large production.”
For more information on Cold Mountain Prints, visit www.coldmountainprints.com or call 637-9855.
