Do you, yes YOU, want to help me start on my post-academia dreams? Do you have a need for stickers, signage, prints, banners, or tabletop maps?
Why don’t we help each other out?
BEHOLD: the Roland VersaSTUDIO BN2-30! See how it both prints AND die-cuts stickers? See how it prints CMYK AND white ink? GLORIOUS. It will print on paper, vinyl, window cling film, heat transfer vinyl, magnets, flesh—wait, maybe not that last one.
What do I get out of this?
Stuff! Things! Accolades! You’ll get your choice of sticker bundles, art prints, or a battlemap to help fuel this dream of mine. You can add multiple levels of support if you want multiple rewards, or you can add a single reward level and an additional amount. No matter what level you support me at, thank you. You’re awesome.
What will this project cover?
The project goal amount is to cover the cost of the machine, consumables like ink and substrates, and maintenance items (replacement parts, cleaning supplies, waste disposal).
Why?
There are a whole bunch of reasons that I want to do this.
- Help You: One of my favorite things that I’ve discovered about myself over the last few years is that I really, really enjoy helping other creative folks. I have found myself in the unique position of straddling both traditional, hands-on art and manufacturing while also understanding technology and computers. Being able to translate in either direction has been invaluable, and I want to continue that through showing creative folks more about what goes into making print-on-demand products for sale.
- Upgrade: Many of the tools that I use in my artistic career have been used into the dirt, worked beyond the point of repair, then replaced with something better. This meets the same goal (and then some), as my Silhouette vinyl cutter died in the beginning of 2024.
- Revenue Source: Those student loans are going to come due sooner than I want, and this is very much a case of “creating the job that I want”, instead of “waiting to hear back from a recruiter or HR on a job that doesn’t actually exist” (or aging out of the job market, or being too ethical for capitalism). This probably makes me a bit of a weirdo, but a manufacturing-style task feels soothing, because it is automatically a task that I don’t have to take home with me. Boundaries are hard in creative fields, and it’s easy to lose that work-life balance. Doing this kind of work allows me to focus on the physicality of the work while another part of my brain tackles creative problems (if you know what a “beer bug” in programming is, same idea).
- Nerd: Look, I am a nerd about a lot of things, but graphic design really is my passion. I was the kid that got a book on typography and layout from the Scholastic Book Fair. In third grade.
So basically, you want to become another sticker-printing vendor?
To start? Pretty much, yeah. A good-quality commercial printer opens up a lot of different venues to make things (my raison d’être, I feel), not just stickers.
Why don’t I use [VENDOR NAME] instead?
I mean, you could. If you’re a business owner, you have to shop where it makes the most business sense to you. If you’re local to me, local is always better. If you want somebody with a lot of experience in the field who actually enjoys the process of making things, and someone who’s willing to print just one thing for you, then you’re in the right spot.
Why don’t you just buy it yourself?
Because after the last seven years, between losing my home and studio, a pandemic, school, losing my home again, trying to work and go to school, moving across country twice, school, and the current administration, my funds are absolute trash. Pretty much every resource that I have is beyond tapped out.
Why aren’t you running it on GFM/Kickstarter/etc.?
Because I don’t want to pay their transaction fees, and I have this crowdfunding plugin for my site.
When?
I don’t have a set end time for this particular project, but I would love to get this shiny new tool set up and running by February 2026.
Who the eff are you?
Eyyyy! *finger guns* Read all about me. I promise I’m not a werewolf.