Sockprints Go HARD in Mississippi

As each pair of sockprints makes its way around the world we love hearing stories from our customers about the purpose of their orders and where the socks eventually land.  After printing two large orders for Jason Thompson from Fahrenheit Creative Group, we wanted to learn more about the socks we printed for the Go HARD campaign in Mississippi.  Jason shared with us that the Go HARD campaign supports students in middle school and high school stay in school and graduate.  HARD stands for:  Heart, Attitude, Resilience and Dedication.  The custom printed socks with the Go HARD logo are given to students at the campaign’s campus events to educate and drive home facts like, every 26 seconds a student drops out of school.  Go HARD is making a difference in Mississippi education and sockprints is thrilled to be a part of it! 

Thank you Jason for sharing your sockprints story with us and best wishes with the Go HARD campaign!  

 

  

Go HARD on campus events encourage students to graduate from high school.

 

5 Tips for Creating Phenomenal Photo Socks!

1.  Use clear and crisp photos. A blurry photo on paper or on your computer screen will also print that way on socks.  Remember that we’re printing on a soft surface so some variation will apply.

2.  Avoid dark photos and photos with dark shadows.  Some of the best photos we’ve printed on socks are those with contrasting colors.  Here’s a pet photo we printed on some crew socks.  Notice how the dog stands out from the blue ocean background.   

 

3.  Crop your photos to accentuate the image.  Cropping your photos allows you to eliminate things in the background that can distract your eye from the main feature of the image.  Also remember that the print area on our no-show and crew socks is 3.25” x 4”, and 3.25” x 5.5” on our sporty knee highs. 

 

4.  Use Photoshop or other programs to enhance your image.  If you don’t have a program on your computer, try a website like www.picmonkey.com.  You can crop, brighten, and make other edits too.


5.  Be creative!  Once you’ve uploaded your photo using the sockprints design too, you can add a caption, title, border or filter to your photos.  Try different fonts and experiment with assorted features that allow you to make your custom socks one-of-a kind! 

Need inspiration for your custom photo socks?  Check us out and follow us on Pinterest and take a peek at some of our related blog posts. 

 www.pinterest.com/sockprints

 

Pet Inspired Socks - Photos

Get Crafty 
 

The 13-year-old Boy Sockprints Test

At sockprints we are constantly working to improve our products by testing and researching new markets, conducting test prints, offering new styles and more.  Our latest successful test results came from a group of 13 year old boys at a birthday party.

Our community has a new indoor trampoline park and my son couldn’t wait to have his 13^th birthday party there with his friends.  Not knowing much about the venue I called ahead and asked what the participants wore on their feet to jump.  I was told that they wear shoes that they get there and that the boys need to wear socks.  And just like that, I knew what the party favor was going to be!  Yep, how could a sockprints mom give any other party favor?

My son has seen all sorts of socks that we’ve printed and when I asked him how he felt about giving his friends some sockprints, his only concern was that we didn’t print some girly, pink, or bright colors or designs on the socks.  We came up with these socks to give the boys and the feedback I’ve gotten from some of the moms was that they are a hit!  One of the toughest crowds to please gave us the thumbs up!

Here’s a conversation on the car ride home one of the moms shared with me via email putting a BIG smile on my face!    

Luke:  WOW, I love these!  No one ever made me socks before! I wish my mom could make socks!  I love these!  Do you think she can put a logo on it?  These are great! I wish my mom could make socks!

Jonny:  Dude, Hayley can put anything on a sock.

Luke:  Jonny, are you gonna wear your socks to school tomorrow?  I think I'm gonna wear my socks, I love these socks!

Jonny:  Dude, did you feel how soft they are? You can put them on your hands and use them as mittens, except they don't have the thumby things.

Luke:  If I can tie them together I can wear it as a sweat band for soccer...

Jonny:  EWWW.... 

If we can please this crowd, give us a shot for your next party favor, gift or other fun occasion!

Happy Birthday Chase!

 

Ink

While I’ve never had the “urge”, or probably better stated, “courage” to get a tattoo I’ve always been fascinated by those who have them.  Some tattoos are elaborate with intricate details and colors while others are a simple word or symbol.  All carry significant meaning to the adorned.

I’ve had a few friends get tattoos over the past couple of years and they absolutely love them!  One of my soccer mom friends has three linking hearts on her ankle… one heart for each of her children.  Another friend has the Angel of New Orleans tattoo. 

I love the artwork and creativity behind tattoos, but honestly, I don’t have the guts to get one.  Just so I’m not feeling left out of the tattoo group, I’ve decided that I’m fortunate to have another blank canvas to decorate… yep, socks!  Now I can use those cool tattoo designs I’ve been eye-ing to create some custom socks!  For me, this is the perfect solution.  One day, I can put a design on some no show socks to decorate the top of my feet, another day I can decorate my ankle on some crew socks, and if I’m feeling really crazy I can decorate the entire side of my calf on some knee highs!  Now we are talking!

At Sockprints we’re inspired by a vast array of artwork and we love the creative designs that people come up with to create their custom socks.  Some customers use our design gallery as a starting point to select an image to personalize.  Just like tattoos, some of our in-house designs are extremely detailed with lots of colors while others are simple and waiting for decoration. 

We’ve made it easy for customers to browse our art collection by categories and themes.  If you’re looking for an image to create socks for “him” click on “Guy Design Ideas” or if you’re looking for a way to send a message, click on “Talking Socks.”  There are several other categories and we’re always adding new artwork and categories so check out the design gallery frequently!

  

Take a peek at some of our other blog posts and like us on facebook.

You Had Me At Customize

The One That Got Away

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words - and more!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a picture on a pair of socks must be worth two thousand! Why? Great pictures always have a story behind it, and people love to share the details - that is
easily a thousand, right? A one-of-a-kind pair of socks with pictures printed on them is certainly worth at least another thousand words, maybe more!

Pictures are some of the most frequent uploads we see at sockprints.com. One of the nicest comments we have heard so far is when socks are given as a gift, not only do the socks become THE favorite pair in the sock drawer, but whenever the recipient wears them, they think of the person who gave them the socks and the story or event behind the image. More "Happy Soles", we love it!

With the popularity and ease of digital cameras, everyone has a great supply of photos. And with the simple use of a scanner, old photos are easy to upload too!

Here are some tips for creating great photo socks:

• Avoid photos with shadows or dark colors
• Use crisp, clear photos
• Crop your photos to accentuate the image
• Use Photoshop or other programs to brighten your image
• Remember that we’re printing on a soft surface, not paper so some variation is expected
• Your photos are the best! We cannot print copyrighted or licensed images.

Check out some related posts:

Now that I'm a Pet Owner

You had me at Customize

Black and White

New Year's Resolution Socks

A few New Year’s Eves ago, I made a resolution to never make resolutions again. It’s the only New Year’s resolution that has ever stuck with me. Resolutions seem daunting and overwhelming so instead, I write a list of goals each year that I hope to accomplish. Resolutions and goals are probably the exact same thing, but goals sound better to me so I write down the typical goals like everyone else (exercise more, healthy eating) and then I add a couple others (read more books, get monthly massages). Looking for inspiration for some new goals for 2011, I Google searched New Year’s Resolutions and found the most common resolutions are:

• Spend more time with family & friends
  
• Exercise – get fit
  
• Lose weight
  
• Quit smoking
  
• Enjoy life
  
• Drink less alcohol
  
• Get out of debt – manage finances
  
• Learn something new
  
• Help others (volunteer)
  
• Get organized
  
• Get a better job
  
• Get an education
  
• Travel
  

If you need some help sticking to your New Year’s resolutions, we’ve come up with a fun solution for you. Try listing your goals on a pair of socks! Whether your list is short or long, we have the sock style to fit your needs. You don’t have to carry around your list of resolutions on a piece of paper or type it in your smart phone, because you can wear your list! Gently pull up your pant leg for a reminder of what you want to accomplish. This may sound like a silly idea, but hey – we make custom socks so you can create whatever you want on them!

Best wishes for a prosperous New Year!

Now that I'm a pet owner...

Animal lovers are known to do some pretty crazy things in the name of love for their pets, and never in a million years would I have believed that I would join the ranks! My 10-year-old son and I rescued a kitten at a local shelter last October and I have to say that I’ve completely fallen in love with our newest, furry, family member. I’ve officially become a proud pet owner and have to confess that while experimenting with some designs on socks, I printed our cat’s picture on a pair of no show socks! I’m still a shy about printing and wearing a “I ♥ Cameron” plus his photo on a t-shirt, but hey can’t a girl have some fun with some custom printed socks? Crazy or not, I love looking down at my feet and seeing Cameron’s photo. I just smile when I see that little guy…

Celebrating Graduations

What would a graduation celebration be without a cake?
Here are just a few examples we found of some interesting graduation cakes.....perhaps one will inspire you!

    

It might seem silly and a bit odd to talk about socks here, but now it seems normal to us being that you can customize our socks for any occasion including graduations!  Like a cake, you can print a personal message or custom image on a pair of socks, just don't try eating them!
 

  

Happy Graduation to the Class of 2010!

The Top 5 Reasons to Custom Print Socks

1. Because We Can -  Up until now the only way customize socks was to knit in a design, add a direct embroidery, or silk-screening.  All these options are fine, but usually require a minimum order in the dozens and a set up fee.  We designed a way to print socks on an apparel printer that prints 2 or 3 pairs of socks at one time. No big minimums and no set up fees – that works for us!

2. Socks are Hot - You can see them on all the Spring 2011 fashion runways and trend magazines. Everyone is wearing them – why not put a design on your own?

3. A Great Way to be Creative - We know there are many talented people who are always looking for new ways to show off their designs and express themselves – the AnaJet apparel printer we use has an incredible color range and the detail is amazing.  

4. Be an Early Adapter - Of course socks have been around for a long time, but until now printed socks were not an option.  It’s a new idea with so many ways to use them – we have filled orders from high school sport teams to socks promoting a personal trainer.  We can go on and on, but you get the idea…..

5. Good for the Sole - Most people wear socks everyday.  Create some special pairs for yourself and others – it’s a fresh, fun, and unique way to personalize socks at sockprints.com!

What are Kick "A#$" Sport Socks?

As sockprints develops our sock customizing e-boutique, we love the response and reaction we are getting when people see the printed socks. All kinds of ideas start coming out of them, and who would have thought anyone would get excited about socks? It really is a great way to print all kinds of designs, and we use the same type of special printer used for other apparel items, so we can get amazing detail on the socks.

A couple weeks ago we decided to start developing collections of ready-to-sell printed socks that are unique, meaningful,and a little "out of the box". The first selection is geared toward a group we know very well - teen girls who play competitive sports. These athletes are fun loving, smart, and experiencing so many life lessons while being part of a team. We also know firsthand they can have an attitude which actually works well when playing a competitive sport.

Our Kick "A#$" sport socks originated as a recent request from our teen athletes who have a passion for their sport of choice (soccer, basketball, volleyball, and softball) and wanted fun socks to wear to practice and hanging out with friends. When a discussion came up about what is really said to each other in the game day huddle the overwhelming response was, "Let's go kick A--". Naturally we thought it wouldn't be appropriate to spell out certain words on the socks, but have left little to the imagination.

These knee high sport socks are available as a two pair set along with a friendlier "peace, love" design for $22.00/set, and through the month of May you can take an additional 20% off as special introduction to our new product line.

When we showed the printed socks to the girls, we got the squeal of approval. Check them out at http://www.sockprints.com