SMPLFD

What SMPLFD does

SMPLFD is a privately held Detroit-based custom apparel and streetwear company founded in 2004, operating two interrelated divisions: SMPLFD Printing Co., a B2B custom screen printing, embroidery, and decoration services shop, and SMPLFD Clothing, a DTC retail apparel line. The printing division's core technical offering combines plastisol and water-based screen printing (spot, half-tone, simulated process, CMYK, vintage, puff, metallic, glitter, reflective), Tajima embroidery (flat, 3D puff, metallic, reflective), and water-based Direct-to-Film (DTF) transfers, supported by a zero-spoilage guarantee backed by ordering ~2% extra garments per run. Adjacent services include custom embroidered/PVC/chenille/leather patches, woven and screen-printed clothing labels, finishing (fold & bag, hang tags, inside labels), product photography, graphic design at $50+/hour, and a white-label warehousing & fulfillment service integrated with client webstores.

The company runs a hybrid go-to-market: a DTC e-commerce storefront plus a brick-and-mortar retail location at 2905 Beaufait Street in Detroit's Islandview neighborhood sell SMPLFD-branded streetwear ($16.95 socks to $80 polar fleece hoodies), while the printing business is acquired through JotForm quote forms, a commissioned New Business Development Sales Rep, social media prospecting, cold outreach, and event presence, with pipeline tracked in Printavo CRM. Revenue streams are diversified across one-time retail unit sales, transaction-fee custom printing/embroidery, managed services (warehousing & fulfillment), and pre-packaged promotional bundles (e.g., 50 shirts for $500). Customer concentration is intentionally diversified across ~22 named logos spanning Detroit restaurants (Slows BBQ, Green Dot Stables, Selden Standard), fashion brands (StockX, Shinola, 032c), sports (Detroit Lions, Detroit City F.C.), cultural institutions (Detroit Institute of Arts, MOCAD, The Wright Museum, Michigan Central), and events (Paxahau/Movement Festival), with average turnaround of 10-15 business days on custom orders.

Name

SMPLFD

Legal name

SMPLFD

Website

https://smplfd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SMPLFD is a Detroit-based, privately held custom apparel company founded in 2004, operating a B2B screen printing/embroidery/DTF print shop alongside a DTC streetwear clothing line for brands, restaurants, sports teams, artists, and cultural institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Apparel Printing and Decoration

NAICS

Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Printing and Related Support Activities (323), Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (except Contractors) (315250)

SIC

Commercial Printing (2750), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Printing Operations (Rotary/Flat/Digital/Sublimation) (IMAOACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sportswear Customization & Printing Retail (CRAMACAK), Contract / Private Label Cut & Sew Manufacturing (OEM/ODM) (IMAOAEAM)

Keywords

• Custom screen printing
• Custom embroidery services
• Apparel decoration
• Promotional merchandise
• Streetwear clothing

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Apparel Sales: Direct-to-consumer sale of SMPLFD-branded streetwear, up-cycled vintage items, and originally designed garments through the company's e-commerce storefront. Products include t-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies, pants, hats, socks, and accessories. Individual unit prices range from $16.95 to $80. Revenue is one-time per transaction with no subscription component.
2. Custom Screen Printing Services: B2B custom screen printing for third-party clients (businesses, organizations, events). Pricing is per unit based on garment choice, number of colors, number of print locations, and quantity. Minimum order quantities start at 25 units. Additional revenue from design services ($50+/hour), rush job fees (20-50% uplift), and customer-provided garment surcharges.
3. Custom Embroidery Services: B2B embroidery services priced per unit based on stitch count, with bulk discounts for larger orders. Minimum 12 pieces per design. Supports flat, 3D puff, metallic, and reflective thread styles.
4. Additional Customization Services: Additional services including Direct-to-Film transfers (10pc minimum), custom patches (50pc minimum), woven labels (100pc minimum), printed inside tags, fold & bagging, hang tags, product photography, graphic design, and promo products (mugs, pens, stickers, lighters).
5. Warehousing & Fulfillment: Monthly storage fee (space occupied in warehouse) plus fulfillment fee per order, per item, plus shipping. Recommended prerequisite of at least 30 online orders per month. Includes white-label packaging and webstore integration.
6. Printing Promotions: Pre-packaged promotional deals at fixed price points for bulk orders: 50-shirt promo ($500), 100-shirt promo ($800), 25 crewnecks ($475), 25 hoodies ($550), 24 cuff beanies ($336), 24 dad hats ($360), 50 natural totes ($450).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SMPLFD operates two divisions: a B2B custom apparel printing and embroidery services business (SMPLFD Printing Co.) and a direct-to-consumer retail clothing line (SMPLFD Clothing). The printing division provides screen printing, embroidery, Direct-to-Film transfers, custom patches, woven labels, finishing, design, and white-label warehousing/fulfillment to businesses and organizations. The retail division sells SMPLFD-branded streetwear, up-cycled vintage, and originally designed garments through its e-commerce store and Detroit retail shop.

Product overview

SMPLFD is a Detroit-based screen printing, embroidery, and custom apparel company founded in 2004, operating two divisions: SMPLFD Clothing (retail apparel) and SMPLFD Printing Co. (custom printing services). The retail division sells SMPLFD-branded streetwear and up-cycled vintage garments including t-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies, headwear, accessories, and pants through their e-commerce site and physical Detroit location. The printing division offers screen printing, embroidery, and Direct-to-Film (DTF) transfer services as core products, complemented by custom patches, woven labels, warehouse & fulfillment, graphic design services, finishing services (folding, bagging, hang tags), and blank garment sourcing. The company also operates a Printing Promos sub-brand offering bulk promotional packages with discounted per-unit pricing. They serve a diverse client base ranging from local Detroit businesses to national brands including StockX, Detroit Lions, Shinola, and Michigan Central.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Screen Printing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Internal spoilage target under 2% — clients always receive full quantity ordered or full credit
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Printful: Printful is a large-scale on-demand printing and fulfillment platform serving e-commerce brands globally with screen printing, DTG, embroidery, and warehousing. Comparable to SMPLFD's combined decoration-plus-fulfillment offering, though Printful operates at much greater scale with a digital-first model.
• Vistaprint: Vistaprint (Cimpress) is a large-scale commercial printing and promotional products platform offering apparel, signage, and marketing materials to SMBs. Comparable to SMPLFD's broader promotional products and printed merchandise offering, though Vistaprint competes primarily on price and self-service rather than craft quality.

Emerging players

• Broken Arrow Wear: Broken Arrow Wear is a boutique screen printing and embroidery shop that emphasizes premium small-batch work, custom patches, and brand-focused finishing services. Comparable to SMPLFD's quality-over-quantity positioning in the craft-decoration niche.
• Supply Co (Krochet Kids) / Kotn: Kotn is a DTC apparel brand operating its own retail and e-commerce storefront with vertically integrated production and a strong place-based identity (Egyptian cotton). Comparable to SMPLFD's DTC streetwear division in combining a directly sold branded apparel line with a strong cultural provenance story.
• Apliiq: Apliiq is a custom apparel manufacturer and print-on-demand provider offering private label, screen printing, embroidery, and fulfillment services for brands. Comparable to SMPLFD's full-service approach to building branded apparel programs, with overlap on private labeling and fulfillment.

Others

• Printavo: Printavo is a CRM and shop-management software platform purpose-built for custom apparel printing businesses; SMPLFD uses Printavo internally. It is a technology enabler and ecosystem participant for the same custom-printing category SMPLFD operates in.

Direct peers

• CustomInk: CustomInk is a national direct-to-consumer and B2B custom apparel platform offering screen printing and embroidery for groups, teams, and brands. It is a direct peer to SMPLFD's Printing Co. division, with a comparable core offering (custom decorated apparel with online quoting and minimum orders) but at significantly larger national scale.
• RushOrderTees: RushOrderTees is a Philadelphia-based custom screen printing and embroidery shop focused on small-to-medium batch orders with rapid turnaround. Closely comparable to SMPLFD's Printing Co. — similar decoration services, similar minimum-order structure, and similar positioning around speed and quality.
• Underground Printing: Underground Printing/Underground Shirts is a Michigan-based custom apparel printer operating retail locations alongside a printing services business, including its own branded apparel. Strongly comparable to SMPLFD's hybrid retail + custom printing model in the same regional market.

Regional players

• Detroit Print Shop: Detroit Print Shop is a local Detroit/Michigan commercial print and apparel decoration provider serving businesses and organizations. Comparable to SMPLFD's printing services within the same Detroit regional market, though typically focused on broader commercial print rather than apparel specialization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/smplfdprinting
• Xx.com/smplfd
• Facebookfacebook.com/smplfdclothing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smplfd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SMPLFD