Paha enjoys printing on a plethora of mediums from custom apparel to salvaged lumber—and it is our ability to work on many different surfaces that gives us our unique appeal. Below is a listing of basic services—keep in mind that we are by no means restricted to the following items.

For customer printing purposes, we offer two different kinds of inks—water based and plastisol—though we are slowly phasing out plastisol entirely. For our own production we prefer to print on environmentally conscious textiles with water-based inks. Here’s the method to the madness:

Why water-based inks?

The soft hand of water-based inks is what initially lured us in, however we believe that the environmental impact produced from printing with water based inks is less than the impact imposed when printing with plastisol inks. Plastisol inks contain PVC (polyvinyl chloride)—one of the most hazardous of plastic components—and is not only composed of toxic chemicals, but may also release carcinogens into the air. While we still work with it, this is not a product we care to be working with on a daily basis. The majority of screen printing shops use plastisol and very infrequently use water based inks, however we enjoy working with water-based inks because we are able to use less invasive cleaning products, provide a higher quality product, and reduce our impact more than plastisol allows.

Why organic cotton over traditional cotton?

Conventional cotton uses harsh chemicals during its growth and production. Organic cotton means that no toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are used. Without the use of pesticides, even the act of growing organic cotton is better than conventional cotton because the fertilizers and pest repellents that are used will help maintain the health of the soil rather than debilitate it. Another great thing about organic cotton? No genetically engineered seed can be used for its cultivation.

What makes bamboo so great?

Bamboo is an up and coming fabric for several reasons. In the ‘green world’ bamboo is one of the most sustainable and renewable resources available to us today. Bamboo requires only about 1/3 of the water to grow than cotton and has no natural pests, meaning less pesticide use. Aside from the sustainability of bamboo, when it comes to function and form bamboo is high on the textile ladder. Since bamboo’s fibers are round the feel of bamboo is oftentimes more soft than organic cotton and is great to wear next to skin. Bamboo carries naturally occurring anti-microbial and thermal regulating properties, making it a great fabric for those living active lives. Because of its anti-microbial properties bamboo is a fabric (like wool) that does not hold scent—but wool haters fear not, those round fibers of bamboo will not make you itchy.