Conversations with Davis Harding

Today we’d like to introduce you to Davis Harding.

Hi Davis; so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started screen-printing when I was sixteen years old. I was in graphic design in school and was gifted an intro-level screen printing kit. I fell in love with it. I started making my designs and upgraded to my first 4-color screen press. For some years, I printed out of my dad’s garage, making shirts for family, friends, friends’ bands, their friend’s bands, and a few other odd jobs. I printed as a hobby for another 10 years until purchasing a house in 2021. I began getting into rock climbing and realized there wasn’t any graphic apparel for climbers. Knowing that I wanted to start my brand and having printed much in the past, I started looking for a 6-color manual press to put on my patio.

I found Weedman Printing Company off 7th St and Dunlap. They were selling all the equipment in their warehouse and closing up shop. I purchased and brought my press home, and Dynamic Apparel was born. After weeks of printing on my patio, a few failed attempts to create an enclosed patio, and going back down to the shop for more odds and ends printing supplies, I finally asked the Weedmans, “What would you like for all the equipment? What if I move into the warehouse?” Shortly after, I was in a full print warehouse with much professional equipment. Being a printer for many years, I learned many chemicals are involved in cleaning and reclaiming screens, and the inks aren’t exactly eco-friendly. I started to look for ways to keep pollutants to a minimum and build my business green. Thankfully I am not the only one thinking this way. My shop uses all green cleaning products and invests in equipment to keep the oil-based inks and photo emulsions out of the wastewater supply. We are following our predecessor’s legacy and print for Union Locals nationwide, local businesses, and those looking to start and grow their brands. It has been a journey and a pleasure to put in the effort and see the business grow. We look forward to being at the forefront of helping make the apparel industry a better, greener, and less wasteful industry. We are looking to partner with recyclers and up cyclers to donate the shirts we utilize to test jobs before starting. Dynamic Apparel is so much more than a brand and print shop. We are a team of people looking to help better our community and support the communities around us.

We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey from garage to patio to print shop has had some struggles. Back in the day, printing in my dad’s garage, the equipment used for drying and curing the ink was very high temperature, and there needed to be little airflow between the dryer and shirt. It was hot and sweaty in there. Once making it to the patio, there was an issue of space and trying to keep the equipment safe and dry. The print shop itself has been the biggest struggle. When we moved in, the warehouse was not in good shape, and it took quite a bit of time to repair and restore. Once back to its original luster, we started to ramp up production. Printing is an exact process. From printing the films to making the screen stencils to aligning the print job on the press to printing 100, 500, and 1000 shirts and making sure every single one is the exact must be precise, and one small mistake can throw a monkey wrench in the whole job. Some jobs require specialty colors. Mixing ink for hours to match the exact color only to make the final print product look slightly different. We are having a screen rip or the stencil getting pin holes in the middle of a job and placing a shirt slightly askew on the pallets only to find out after the job is done that you messed up. There are many struggles in printing, and the best way we’ve come to combat them is to take the time to do it correctly and be precise.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Dynamic Apparel started many years ago when I was in high school. I used to like drawing this water drop with a shiny detail. I dabbled with a few other designs and made a couple of shirts for myself. Some years later, I began rock climbing. As I got more into climbing, I learned there are static and dynamic movements. Dynamic Apparel was reborn. I started designing with climbers in mind. Some designs include “Clips and Ropes excite me!”, the Dynamic Dino as dynamic moves are often referred to as dinos, and the Static fill line of designs featuring, Static, Dynamic, Movement, and Tension. The creative side of printing excites me. People always want something new and different. They may have their designs already made, and I love to see what they have created, or they may have an idea, and I love bringing those visions into reality. We want to be known for helping others create clothing and designs that leave an impression and last a lifetime. We are proud to be on our way to a certified green business and helping reshape the apparel industry with greener and cleaner processes.

Any big plans?
Our plans for the future are to continue to produce high-quality clothing for businesses and brands alike. We look forward to being at the forefront of changing the screen-printing industry and helping reduce the waste and pollution created. We are always looking for new and better ways to keep pollutants out of our water systems and deviate from harmful chemicals used to clean inks and emulsions. Some of the changes we have coming up include investing in a filtration system to remove oil-based inks and emulsions from the water used to clean and reclaim screens before it enters our wastewater systems, connecting with up-cycling companies to find ways to reuse our test print shirts’ materials in new and innovative ways and with local suppliers that focus on green cleaning products and green business practices.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dynamicapparel.co 

Image Credits
Kaylee Cabrera