A historic day in DPRINT’s 78-year history!
Today is the most historic day in DPRINT’s 78-year history as we launch our print-on-demand web site myDprint.com.
Perhaps you don’t know our story?
In 1939, just as the Great Depression was beginning to fade, Leroy J. Douglass took a chance and opened a small sign shop near Lakeland, Florida.
Hand-lettered signs were the fare of the day, and Leroy built a solid customer base for his signs and billboards. Never one to settle for the known, Leroy and his handful of skilled artisans began experimenting with screen-printing – the “high-tech” process of the era. Initially addressing the task of marking gas water heaters, Leroy pioneered the screen printing of decalcomanias (water-slide decals) and became known for his “Can Do!” attitude, a characteristic of the company’s team to this day.
Leroy was succeeded by his artistic protégé, Tom Kaiser, who incorporated the fledgling screen printing division in 1964 and built it on honesty, integrity, and putting customers first. Tom’s daughter Lisa Kaiser Hickey took over her father’s role as President and CEO in 1983 and as its third artist-owner in 1996. Lisa mentored many upcoming women leaders over her first fifteen years of leadership, but she is proudest of her daughter, Lane Hickey Wiggins, who succeeded her as President and CEO in late 2012.
The challenges were many. From its inception, screen printing involved a lot of technical know-how and a little bit of luck. Sunny days meant faster drying times and capable hands meant better efficiency and artistry. As new materials and technology became available, we were among the first to deploy and perfect them. Curing inks through ultra-violet light made the drying process instantaneous, making products more efficient to produce. By 1990, the company was among the first in the industry to move into digital design and print technologies and had won over sixty awards for innovation and design.
As we aged, we got better. We were the first screen printing contractor to NASA, a relationship we have maintained for over three decades. We became a Top 50 screen printer to the U.S. Government Printing (now Publishing) Office. We led our community in social responsibility and helped found and fund Kids Tag Art, a program to provide supplemental income to public schools through the sales of kid-designed license tags. Unsurprisingly, when the screen printing industry as a whole embraced sustainability as a best business practice the company known for “Can Do!” became Florida’s first green-certified digital and screen printing facility. We were an early adopter of the UPS Carbon Neutral shipping service. Now a 57-year member of SGIA (Specialty Graphic Imaging Association) and also of PDAA (Professional Decal Applicators Association), we now appreciate the investment of time, know-how and especially “Can Do!” that has led us to the threshold of pervasive digital innovation.
We never forget that for over 70 years our name has been synonymous with the top ten percent of screen printers worldwide, but we are so much more! As a graphics communication company, we are focused on innovation, creativity and durability. Our “Can Do!” vision is fresh and timely for today’s marketplace just as it was in Leroy’s day. We’ve added more product lines while adopting a more simple name, DPRINT (“D” for all things PRINT). We’ve moved our entire infrastructure to the cloud, and that means we’ve given you a lot more access and control over your product. As a Google Apps Workplace, we can talk and collaborate with you in real time. In addition to our extremely popular Facebook page SignSmilesbyDprint, you can follow us on the most popular social media channels Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Instagram.
Our web site myDprint.com gives you the tools to do things your way. You will find that all of our print-on-demand products will be priced UNDER the market yet still come with our legendary “Can-Do!” service 24/7 . You’ll be able to choose from over 340 decals, posters, banners, signs and wall art graphics and design exactly what you desire. You can upload your own designs or stock photography and/or choose from over 100 fonts and 10,000 clipart images. We have added a new platform for designing vehicle wraps at https://wrapdesignstudio.com/DPRINT.
MyDprint.com features an impressive shopping cart and access to our knowledge base of videos and blogs for the latest in how-to, go-to and DO! Have fun whizzing through our DIY design platform, and use a tip or two from the pros at Dprint. When you buy your products, you’ll already know just what to expect, and won’t have to wait for a proof.
What else can you expect from us? Well, you can be sure it will be leading-edge and environmentally friendly! It all comes back to “Can Do!” Now, you can too!
