l o c a l b u s i n e s s
Need Help with a Custom Print? Just Ask Johnny. b y J e s s i c a H o l t h a u s B a d o u r
J ohnny Shine, that is, Shine Print and Design, opened in its newest Santa Rosa Beach location Dec. 2019. But Shine’s been working on custom print and design since 2009. Literally starting in his garage more than a decade ago, it all began with a small investment to buy the equip- ment, and a friend from Gainesville who sporadically drove to crash at Johnny’s while the duo banged out any recent printing jobs they picked up. Shine landed in design after trying his hand at managing a local Starbucks— realizing the corporate workplace wasn’t where he wanted to spend his days. “At that point, I was prepared to do
As a person in recovery, Shine believes in second chances and taking a leap of faith. When he walked away from the steady job to work at Shine Print and Design full-time, everything fell into place. “I wish I had done it years before! The business was here, I was just scared to take that leap,” he says. “Ev-
ery time I move into a bigger space or get better equipment, the business is al- ways here to support it.”
That business started bursting at the seams once Shine had time to answer calls and emails (“in a timely fashion”). As things progressed, equipment was upgraded, more staff came on board, and he moved into the current large space. With Shine Print and Design in its newest spot since before the pan- demic, his entrepreneurial spirit used the down time in early 2020 to add embroidery to the line-up of services. “We had the time to get the new equipment and learn that side of the business. It’s been great—we haven’t done much promotion besides word-of-mouth, and embroidery jobs keep coming in,” he says. Something you might be surprised to learn is Shine’s not a “beach person”. The St. Louis, Missouri, native came to 30-A in 2005 for a one-year deal after high school. “It was never going to be permanent here. Then I met my wife, and it became permanent,” he says with a smile. “This area is so beautiful, safe, and clean. With young kids [6 and 8], it’s a great place to raise a family.” Shine Print and Design operates “roughly” 9-5 weekdays. Visit in person at the Cobia Building, 316 S Co. Hwy. 83 in Santa Rosa Beach, or shineprints.com, call (850) 396-1836, or email hello@shineprints.com. Connect socially (and find design inspiration) on Facebook and Instagram (@shine_printing).
anything on my own... I’m not naturally artistic; I love music and art but I’m terrible at them,” Shine says with a laugh. “This gives me an outlet for creativity, bringing other people’s artwork to life on a garment or poster.” Whether you need custom shirts, hats, or bags for your team or customers; something special for an upcoming event; or anything in between, Shine Print and Design has got your back. With services for personal, promotional, and complete branding projects, the company aims for quick turnaround time, quality products and competitive pricing—not to mention some stellar customer service. A self-taught designer, Shine learned Photoshop® and Adobe Illustrator®, watching plenty of tutorials and (just as importantly) understanding his own limitations. “Depending on what people want, sometimes I can’t do everything [for a project]; if that happens, we have external recommendations to bring projects to where they need to be,” he describes. While Shine started out with small indie lines and bands, they print for many different companies today, including growing regional brands like Coastal Hippie. If you’re looking for testimonials, ask around—customers include a plethora of 30-A staples; Yolo Board, Seaside retail, Raw and Juicy, Central Square Records, Sundog Books, Amavida, and more. And chances are, Shine will return the favor.
Justin Bystol, Robby Fagan, and Johnny Shine
“I worked at Amavida for several years and I got to know lots of local business owners. I’m not salesy by nature, but I’d
mention this job to people if they were looking for shirts for their staff—which brought in lots of orders,” Shine explains. “My boss taught me a lot about this business; spend your money locally as much as possible, and support the businesses who support you. For example, if we print shirts for a restaurant and we’re getting ready for a holiday party, hey, let’s have it there. I think that’s one of the coolest things about this area.” Amavida was Johnny’s steady paycheck that helped him bridge printing from “side gig” to full- time endeavor. Because even after orders started rolling in, he took his time jumping in completely. “I spent a few years trying to do both—basically working all day at the print shop, getting the kids from pre-K, bringing them to the shop and giving them to the wife when she got off work at 5,” he says. “Then I’d run to Amavida and work until midnight.”
T H E T H I R T Y - A R E V I E W | M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 2 | 15
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs