The Process Matters — Why We Make Everything In-House

There’s a difference between making merch and making something real.

A lot of brands upload a design to a production service, choose a random garment from a dropdown, and let a warehouse handle the rest. They never see the product, never touch it, never feel it.

That’s not what we do here.

Every piece under ICANTFINDMIKEY and Forward Thinking Studio is designed, printed, inspected, and packed by hand — by me, by Amber, and by the people close to us.
No POD shortcuts. No third-party fulfillment. No mass production.

Just a small crew making small-batch pieces with intention.

Hands-On From Start to Finish

Everything we create goes through a slow, thoughtful, fully in-house process — from the first spark of an idea to the moment it ships out the door.

1. The Design Phase

Designs start as raw thoughts — rediscovered files, late-night conversations, sketches, overthinking spirals, and ideas we couldn’t shake.
Amber and I refine each concept until the tone, story, and execution feel aligned.

Nothing is rushed.
Nothing is templated.
Every design exists for a reason.

2. Printing: Choosing the Technique That Fits the Idea

While screen printing is our foundation, we’re not confined to a single method.
Different ideas ask for different executions, and we lean into exploring those limits.

Screen Printing

Our bread and butter.
Hand-pulled ink, burned screens, controlled pressure and angles — a tactile, durable finish you can feel.
It gives the work a presence, a weight, something you can’t replicate with shortcuts.

DTG (Direct-to-Garment)

Used when the artwork needs gradients, subtle tones, fine details, or photographic elements.
We run these prints ourselves too, treating them with the same level of care as our screen-printed pieces.

Hybrid & Experimental Techniques

Sometimes we mix methods:

• Screen-printed underbases

• Layered textures

• Digital + plastisol combinations

• Artist-driven experiments

We choose the method based on what the idea deserves — not what’s easiest.

3. Built on Quality You Can Feel

Every piece begins with garments that already feel right — substantial, structured, and made to hold up over time.
We obsess over durability, texture, weight, and how a shirt moves and drapes when you actually wear it.

We test how each fabric reacts to ink, curing, washing, and everyday life.
If it warps, fades weird, or breaks down too quickly, it doesn’t make the cut.

Only shirts that feel intentional from day one become part of our drops.

4. Human-Led Quality Control

Before anything ships:

• We check every print

• Inspect every detail

• Reject anything that doesn’t meet our standards

• Fold, pack, and label each order ourselves

It takes longer.
It’s slower.
But that’s the point.

Why We Do It This Way

Because intention shows.
Because handmade things carry a different energy.
Because small-batch production lets us explore creatively without limits.
Because every piece that leaves the studio has a story behind it — not just a SKU.

We’re not here to mass-produce.
We’re here to make things that feel personal, thoughtful, and built to last.

If you own one of our pieces, you’re wearing something that passed through our hands — not a factory line.
Made with care.
Made with intention.
Made by us.

And that’s exactly how it’ll stay.