From Nurse to Print Visionary: The Remarkable Story of Arnold Prints®' Rise in Screen Printing and Embroidery
The Side Gig That Started It All
Arnold Prints has been in the apparel business since 2013. After Kevin settled roots down in the Loxahatchee area of Palm Beach County, Arnold Prints was born. Kevin, being an Emergency Department Nurse, was looking for a side gig and he found it one day when his past business partner needed to print shirts. The problem faced was a screen printer flaked out on the job and Kevin's partner was almost out of money. His partner had pre-sold shirts to JFK Medical Center and had no way to print them.
Kevin, being the intuitive guy he was, said, "hold on; I will figure it out". Kevin started to think back to the early high school days where he screen printed in high school and looked for similar processes. He found a little machine called a Silhouette Cameo and started to use heat transfer vinyl, later known as HTV. At this time Kevin was way ahead of the so-called Cricut Moms era. Kevin used his knowledge of Photoshop and the Cameo software to cut the vinyl to heat transfer onto the shirts. He was able to successfully complete his partner's job and a new apparel company was born.
Grimm Apparel, ER LIFE, and Going Legit
After that first job Kevin and his partner decided to get into the apparel space for fitness. A brand called Grimm Apparel was made utilizing a Grim Reaper as its main logo. They were very into fitness and started selling at local gyms. Soon after that Kevin researched business standards and best practices. This led to the formation of ACDP aka Arnold Custom Design & Prints LLC. This opened many new doors and allowed tax benefits like purchasing goods wholesale.
Kevin then thought about creating a brand that would enrich the ER Nurse culture. At that time Salt Life was very well known, so he created a spin-off: ER LIFE. He created a QRS-type logo with ER and LIFE on the side. He then took the HTV technique previously used and made his first Chaos V-Fib design and wore it to work. All his colleagues loved it and asked where he got it from. He told them he made it and people instantly started placing orders. This then led to other hospitals wanting to use the design for EMS or Nurses Week. Kevin then upgraded to screen printing to meet the demand and cut down on the prep work HTV required. This led to a whole new gamut in business.
Growing a Real Print Shop in Loxahatchee
Arnold Prints was now a print shop company with side apparel brands under the umbrella. Kevin split from his old partnerships and began working on his own brands and new print business in Loxahatchee. Arnold Prints was now able to offer premium screen print services in Palm Beach County and also to other residents local in Loxahatchee. An Etsy shop was created where one-offs were sold along with the ER LIFE brand.
Arnold Prints became known locally and expanded from wide format printing, HTV, sublimation, screen printing, and DTG (Direct to Garment) printing in its infancy. From this point around 2014-2015 Arnold Prints was doing banners, vehicle wraps, fishing shirts, and hats with HTV. Kevin started to print for locals in the down time of business and helped local shops like Frigate Gear, Mudneck / Lox Life, Fast Prints, and many more local shops. This was perfect because if they did not offer a service, Arnold Prints did. Not only helping Arnold Prints grow, but local shops as well. This would continue for years to come.
Embroidery Second to None
In 2015 Kevin purchased his first embroidery machine and was one of the only shops in the area to provide commercial high quality embroidery. Arnold Prints specialized — and still does — in 3D puff embroidery and hats that are second to none. Our embroidered hats have been seen on BET, strongman competitions, and around the world. Arnold Prints started doing hat embroidery because no one was able to do it with quality and 3D design. After buying multiple machines and learning, the process has been perfected and is now offered as a consulting business in apparel. Arnold Prints worked with local companies like Farah Ink, Wild Prints, and many more on their embroidery needs providing contract work.
Kevin was still working 3 days a week at the local ER in Wellington at that time and was printing on the off days. He started designing prints and embroidery for jackets. Over the past eight years hundreds of jackets have been sold to Emergency Departments all across America. Kevin made a few upgrades to help out, including purchasing better screen printing equipment and a conveyor dryer to speed the process up. Arnold Prints helped a few small apparel brands get going and even created their websites at that time. This was the big break — seeing that this could generate a profit.
The Breakout Year
In 2021, our strongest year yet, we expanded drastically. We now have two 6-head best-in-industry embroidery machines, automatic screen print press, manual screen print press, CO2 laser, fiber laser, vinyl cutters, and some of the best photography and video equipment in the area. We have worked with several brands and done private labeling, increasing their sales. Arnold Prints does consulting for branding, website design, and e-commerce. This has not only helped the print shop grow in Loxahatchee, but expand throughout the world. Kevin has become known for 3D puff hat embroidery and for guiding new apparel brands to success. Arnold Prints® believes in guiding our customers to increase their brand awareness and sales with the use of premium apparel.
Where We Are Today
That side gig is now a full production shop in Westlake, FL, serving all of Palm Beach County and shipping worldwide. The Silhouette Cameo gave way to M&R automatic screen printing presses, and the service list kept growing: DTF transfers and gang sheets, world-class custom embroidery from flats to caps and 3D puff, laser engraving, stickers, decals, vehicle lettering, and wide format printing. The same rule from the Frigate Gear days still applies — if you need it embellished, we either do it in-house or we know how to get it done right.
And the ER mindset never left. Nursing taught Kevin to work fast, stay calm under pressure, and get it right the first time — which is exactly how we run the press room today. We take a personalized approach to every job, whether it's 24 shirts for a Wellington gym or a contract run for another shop.
FAQ
When did Arnold Prints start?
In 2013, when Kevin — then a working ER nurse — rescued a flaked-out shirt order with a Silhouette Cameo and heat transfer vinyl. The LLC (Arnold Custom Design & Prints) followed soon after.
Where is Arnold Prints located now?
We print from Westlake, FL and serve all of Palm Beach County — Loxahatchee, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Jupiter, Boca Raton — with fast worldwide shipping.
What services does Arnold Prints offer today?
Screen printing on automatic M&R presses, DTF transfers, custom embroidery including 3D puff caps, laser engraving, stickers and decals, vehicle lettering, and wide format printing — plus branding and apparel consulting.
Do you still do contract printing for other shops?
Yes. Helping other local shops has been part of our story since day one — see our contract screen printing and embroidery program.
GET A QUOTE: Ready to put 13 years of shop history behind your next order? Send your project through our business quote form or call (561) 323-7573 — Arnold Prints®, Westlake FL, printing for Palm Beach County and shipping worldwide.
