Did you know that T-shirts are an American invention? And the printed T-shirt doubly so? Or that the first known example of using a printed T-shirt as an outer garment is in The Wizard of Oz? Or that the term ‘T-shirt’ comes from the novel “This Side of Paradise,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald? Screen-printed T-shirts are embedded in American culture to the extent that everyone owns at least one and many of us will, at some point, want to have a custom run made for a team or a business or even a family reunion. But how does that process even begin?
My suggestion would be to take a drive down to Roeder Avenue in Bellingham to talk with Becky Kurle at Liet Unlimited. Nestled in a pretty new building between Waypoint Park and the marina, with a beautiful view of the bay, Kurle and her business partner Taylor James have been ubiquitously influencing Bellingham’s style for 16 years. The current Hardware Sales merchandise? They designed and printed it. The 2024 Ski to Sea design? That’s Liet Unlimited too. And those are just the ones that Kurle designed. The business also serves as a production facility for major local and regional companies.
“I can go anywhere in town and see a shirt that we made,” says James. “Usually, four or five of them. SSC, the Food Co-op. So many mountain bike companies…”
At Liet you can either bring your own logo or speak with Kurle about what you’d like to have made. Both the consultation and most design services are complimentary with your print order. After that, you choose your T-shirt style from sample garments they have on-site.
Yes, you read that correctly: you can touch, examine, and thoroughly scrutinize these shirts before you pay to have a hundred of them made.
The vetting process for these is rigorous. After getting a sample, James prints a design on it and then washes it 30 times to see if the garment holds up.
“We won’t let our customers buy a T-shirt that is poor quality,” Kurle adds. “Because Taylor and I test the shirts out, I can trust that I’m recommending the best-quality garments to meet our customer’s needs.”
Once you’ve finalized the design and chosen your T-shirt style, your order goes in the queue—as of this writing, turnaround time is about six to eight weeks—and that’s it. It’s that simple. Liet will print as few as 12 or as many as 3000 shirts right here in town—possibly on equipment that was manufactured right here in the Pacific Northwest.
Kurle and James met at Whatcom Community College. Each wanted to start their own clothing line, Starliet Unlimited and Liet Unlimited respectively. When James got the opportunity to purchase a Seattle made Printa 770, the pair sold everything (including their beloved mountain bikes), bought the machine, put it in the kitchen of their home, and started producing shirts for local companies immediately.
“We focus on controlling the cost of production so that we can manufacture the T-shirts at a price point that is resell able for our customers,” James says.
“Screen printed T-shirts give people a way to show their identity in a way that others recognize as well as support their favorite brands. As a marketing tool they [are] a must-have item,” Kurle adds. “We make marketing and brand development quick and easy so that its within reach of small, local, and independent businesses… just like us.” 1225 Roeder Ave., Ste. 104, Bellingham, 360.620.1101, lietunlimited.com