In Episode 284 of Shirt Show, Dylan sits down with Chantel and Andrew Boyd of Boyd Creative, a fast-growing Iowa print shop known for high-detail work and a niche that has helped them scale from a basement setup to a full automatic shop. Boyd Creative built their success by choosing quality over quantity, leaning into the tattoo industry, and creating a studio-style production experience that reflects the way artists work.
From Garage to Automatic: Boyd Creative’s Journey
The Boyds’ story starts like many print shops do, with a basement, a manual press, and a whole lot of grit. Andrew grew up around screen printing and spent years bouncing between shops across Iowa. That experience gave him a rare perspective into different workflows, cultures, and everything that makes a shop function well.
When the world shut down in 2020, the Boyds doubled down on a dream they had carried for years. They bought the best manual they could afford, started printing for friends in the tattoo community, and eventually leveled up into an auto once demand outgrew the garage. Today, their studio operates with the mindset of a tattoo shop: focused, intentional, and dedicated to giving every client’s art the attention it deserves.
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Niching Down and Owning an Industry
Boyd Creative didn’t just find a niche. They committed to it. Their print style, attention to detail, and Andrew’s background in art made the tattoo world a natural fit. What started as printing merch for local artists has now grown into a network of tattooers across the country who trust the Boyds to bring their art to life on apparel.
Instead of chasing volume, they choose to run one or two jobs per day and treat each print like a commissioned piece. That mindset has become their differentiator and their growth engine.
- Artists trust them with complex work. Faces, gradients, and high-detail illustrations are their specialty.
- They give back to the industry. Every year at their local tattoo convention, they commission a local artist, print custom shirts, and give them away to tattooers.
- They operate like a studio, not a factory. Every job gets space, time, and intention.
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Preparing for the Unthinkable
One of the most powerful parts of this episode is the Boyds’ honesty around burnout, balance, and the weight of running a small shop. Chantel shares openly about living with a chronic illness and how that has shaped the way they build their business. Andrew talks about years spent working in shops where he felt stuck, tired, and disconnected from the craft he loved.
The Boyds redesigned their shop and their workflow around sustainability, not speed. That includes:
- Staying lean until the business can support more staff
- Building systems that protect burnout instead of feeding it
- Choosing hardware upgrades that reduce physical strain, like lasers, exposure units, and eventually an autocoder
- Taking time for hobbies, family, and mental health
This episode is a reminder that your shop’s trajectory does not have to mirror anyone else’s. Growth can be slow, intentional, and deeply meaningful.
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Creativity, Community, and the Power of Print
Whether they’re doing product photography for clients, helping tattooers develop merch lines, or printing shirts that look more like art prints than apparel, the Boyds bring creativity to everything they do. Their shop has become a place where artists feel understood, supported, and celebrated.
It’s a model that proves you can build a successful print shop not by following the traditional high-volume blueprint, but by deeply serving a specific community and obsessing over quality.
Why Printers Should Listen
If you’ve ever dealt with burnout, questioned your shop’s direction, or wondered whether niching down is worth the risk, this episode offers clarity. Boyd Creative proves that you can build a sustainable business by focusing on the work that energizes you and the customers who value what you do best.
They also remind us why community matters, both inside the industry and beyond it. From tattoo conventions to family time to connecting with other print shops, it’s the relationships that keep them inspired and moving forward.