Deluxe Printing

[CSA graphics]

There is a sleepy town in rural Alabama that boasts a population of only 255. It is home to one of the best silkscreen print shops in the country. Scott Peek of Standard Deluxe invited us down for the nickel and dime tour. What we got was some down-home cooking, southern sweet tea and a group of warm individuals that take pride in mastering the craft of print.

[click for photo gallery]

The town of Waverly has only a handful of buildings in its "business district", and Standard Deluxe occupies them all. We met the guys of SD down at South by Southwest this year, who had a booth on the convention floor showcasing their posters, tshirts and flyers, all printed by hand the old fashion way. Craft is what it's about. Down a dirt road off the main drag is a an old barn which houses the core of the operation. The crew sweats in the Alabama heat as they prep screens and oversee print runs. Modest Mouse is there too on the stereo. Most of the staff comes from Auburn's art programs, which is about twelve miles from Waverly down Hwy. 280.

A few years ago, 280, which ran through the town, was expanded from a two-lane to a four-lane. The county decided to redirect the new route outside of Waverly. The silence that came from the lack of rigs blaring through their small town was not overlooked. They gave birth to "The Old 280 Boogie." This year marked the fourth annual celebration, filled with local music, cake walks, horseshoes and mule buggy rides.

The High Corner Co-Op, only open on Saturdays, shows local artists and sells Standard deluxe t-shirts. There's even a Waverly hot sauce for sale. The spirit of the small town is also the identity of Standard Deluxe. To experience the town is to know the company and the people, who are fun, caring and have lovely accents.

See some images from our trip.

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Comments

[Naz]

A nice entry, strikes a real mood and the photos are great - I love seeing how creative people work, especially in their environment.

[BradK]

Had a chance to meet them at the HOW conf in San Diego; Nice people, great work; very cool to see the inside of their shop.