Change Maker of the Month: 🔥Ramona Press🔥
03.20.24
The portrait and art print photos are credited to Harmon Li. All other photos are credited to Tony Perez of Ramona Press.
Join us as we sit down with Tony Perez, owner and operator of Ramona Press, a renowned design studio and screen printer based in Austin, Texas.Â
In this conversation, we'll explore the initiatives Ramona Press has implemented to reduce waste, what it's like owning both a design studio and printshop, and the role ECOBAGS plays in their sustainable journey.
ECOBAGS: How did you initially become interested in incorporating sustainability into your business, was there a specific event or realization that sparked this?
Tony:
My first job in the industry was at a high volume, lower quality production shop and it just struck me how contrasted it felt to my fine art education. The art of printmaking is what drew me to the industry in the first place so that job didn’t last long. I got my own shop going, and gravitated towards higher end blanks and well executed design as I was developing my business.
Screenprinting wasn’t production for me, it was another way to create art.
Finding companies like ECOBAGS that are high end products with sustainability in mind feels even more aligned, because it means making art in this way doesn’t have to add more waste to the planet.
ECOBAGS: Can you tell us a bit about Ramona Press and your mission to unite fine art and production screen printing?
How do you approach the process differently than most to create a curated final product?
Tony: When I first started Ramona Press I didn’t want people to find us through googling “screen printing,” like that production shop I had worked at.
I’ve always wanted the focus to be more about aligned details and understanding my clients brands, matching them with the best products, color combinations, and making a creative impact with their products.
ECOBAGS: Besides using ECOBAGS Products for some of your projects, how else does Ramona Press incorporate sustainability into their practices?
Ramona Press:
I’ve always believed in spending little more and getting a quality product that will last. All of the products we offer and recommend are higher quality with the hopes that customers appreciate that quality and use these products longer than the average printed product.
Also, although I enjoy the look of fully branded packaging, I’ve been working to achieve this look while still reusing packaging as much as possible. I have branded Ramona Press tape that we’ll sometimes use, rather than using brand new boxes that would create more cardboard waste.
ECOBAGS: Ramona Press has worked with a diverse range of companies and individuals from motels, salons, and coffee houses.
Could you share a particularly memorable project that you felt really brought out your company’s strengths?
Tony: Each project is well curated based on the client artwork and needs to determine what we can offer and what will be the best fit. Everything that comes through the studio is still really exciting to me because of that curation.
That being said, I really enjoyed working on this years' Hotel San Jose’s “South By San Jose” merchandise for SXSW. It was their 25th Anniversary of the event and we sourced, printed, and delivered 7 designs with almost 1000 pieces on various blanks.
We were obviously on a bit of a deadline and we delivered without any hiccups and I’m really proud of that partnership and the work we were able to deliver.
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ECOBAGS: It’s been 11 years since Ramona Press first made their mark.
What would you share with your past self that you wish you had known starting out as a small business owner in the screen printing and design industry?
Tony: I would tell myself to focus on what I enjoy doing in and out of Ramona Press. Every printshop is different just like every person and every business is different, which means I can run RP the way that feels right to me.
For a long time I felt I needed to do things a certain way or like other shops out there, but around the 6 year mark, I started to really grow after committing to my way for Ramona Press and letting go of the idea of trying to do it like anybody else.
Ramona Press is one of our favorite examples that creativity and sustainability go hand in hand, and that small, purpose-driven businesses are the way of the future.
We love supporting businesses like Ramona Press, who amplify our collective effort towards a greener future and support other small businesses making an impact in their communities.
