Published at 3:34:23 PM, 10/6/2022
Modified: 10/6/2022, 3:30:07 PM
SOUTH DEERFIELD — While Dead Eye Prints, a company that produces customized T-shirts, posters and patches out of Alex Noonan’s basement, may look modest from the outside, Noonan went through a lot to get here.
Noonan started her company in 2017, making T-shirts out of her apartment’s kitchen in Hadley. She first discovered screen printing in college at New Hampshire Institute of Art and fell in love.
Noonan was tired of her job as a technie and wanted to work full-time in her printing business. She quit her job in tech and decided to start her own business, based from her South Deerfield home.
Part of Noonan’s career change involved saving up to buy an expensive piece of equipment called a direct-to-garment printer, or DTG.
“Buying this meant I could never turn down an order,” Noonan said, elaborating that her DTG can print infinite colors and on a variety of products including hats and shoes.
Noonan stated that she loves screen printing, however the process is time-consuming and leaves a lot of room for error.
“Screen printing is time-consuming and frustrating,” she said.
Also, Noonan worked in New England for several printing companies before she opened Dead Eye Prints. Most of these were run by men. In addition to the fact that she didn’t enjoy working under male bosses she was inspired to start her own company. She hopes to one day run a shop with employees where she may cultivate a less stressful work environment than the ones she’s experienced, and where she can offer classes to share her skills with others.
Western Massachusetts residents have embraced her “leap of faith,” Noonan said.
“There is excitement and appreciation to have a local artist doing this work,” she said. “When you order from large companies, you have no clue what the quality will be.”
She said that her equipment is of high quality and that she puts a lot effort into every product she makes.
“I’m an artist,” she said. “I want stuff to look good.”
Noonan says her work is distinctive because people can come and share their ideas with her. She will also work with customers in collaboration to design T-shirts. No minimum order requirements are required, unlike some printing companies.
For more information, visit deadeyeprints.com.
Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or [email protected].