Q. Where can I get a Pomplamoose shirt?

Follow this magical link.

Q. Where are you guys located?

A. 1716 Allied Street
Charlottesville, Va 22903

Q. Who..prints all your shirts? Comes up with the designs? Runs the store?Ships the shirts? Manages the website? Took all your photos? Built all your cool pipe and pine shelving in your storefront? Chooses the shirts you print on and the companies you work with? Runs your booth at craft fairs, fesitvals, and artisan bazaars?

A. We do it all! (Except the designs from our Invited Artist series which are the beautiful creations of the artists we're working with)

Q. How many people work for A Mystery In Common?

A. Two. Tristan & Grace. That's it. For now.

Q. Can I come work for you?

A. Sure. Maybe...

Q. How much would you pay?

A. As much free advice and life experience as you can absorb PLUS $0/hr tax free!

Q. Should I send you unsolicited advise/artwork/ideas I think are awesome?

A. I guess if you can't help yourself but we can't promise to respond/read/use all of them.

Q. Can you print on shirt/bag/pillowcase I already own?

A. If there you're in the Charlottesville area and can drop it off at the store and there is a certain design you want on it (example: My Little Acorn) we can throw it on the press the next time we do a run of that design but we can't give any guarantee on the color or timeline of the print. It starts at $35/item, regardless of size. If you're out of town or overseas and really, really, really want us to print on something in particular send us an email and let's see what we can do.

Q. I have a picture/drawing/design I'd like on a shirt, can you print it for me?

A. Our minimum order for specialty prints is 60 items. We do everything by hand with quality materials so it is much more expensive to pay us to do it than to get it printed by an online company or a mass printer with an automatic press. If you want to drop big money on eco-friendly, handmade items then send us an email!

Q. You didn't write me back and my feelings are kind of hurt now.

A. We're sorry. Turn that frown up side down. We seriously try to respond to every single email we get with an honest to goodness original response but sometimes they slip through to cracks. Our goal is to always write back anyone who takes the time to write us, but as we get busier it takes longer. We appreciate you taking the time and energy to contact us so don't despair!

Q. I'm imagining a giant stamp or a shiny magic button you press to put the image on the shirt, what exactly is silkscreening?

A. Silkscreening or Screen Printing, in it's barest form is a really delicate stencil. 

Here is a favorite video of ours to help show the process of coating the screen with emulsion, printing the positive of the design, exposing the screen, washing out the screen, drying it, taping the screen up, mixing the ink, aligning the screen in the press, printing, washing out the screen, getting the second screen for the second color ready, aligning the first print to the second.... It's a process... that we love.  

Q. Do you use sweatshop labor?

A. We joke that we are our own sweatshop. But seriously, we only get our shirts/paper from companies who practice fair labor and environmental awareness. Here are some links to check out if you want more info: Alternative Apparel,  American Apparel, Econscious, French Paper.

Q. Do you use a manual or automatic press?

A. Manual for both shirts and posters!

Q. What kind of inks do you use?

A. We only use water based inks. Unlike traditional plastisol inks they are much safer for the environment, us and you! Water based inks do create extra challenges in the process of silk screening. They dry extremely quickly in the screen and tend to have a shorter shelf life but we feel they give our shirts a softer hand and our hearts a warmer sense of goodness. 

Q. What do you do with left over ink after a print run?

A. We either mix it into a new batch of ink for another print or use it to print our wrapping paper! And I bet you wondered why they were so darn colorful.

Q. My package came wrapped in this awesome recycled paper with crazy prints on it, what's up with that?

A. We like to wrap all our shirts in wrapping paper. We either use the left over ink from different test runs to print our official 'wrapping paper' design or we use sheets of test prints from various print runs. Because water based inks dry so fast in the screen we have to keep the ink flowing and so we throw down some nice recycled paper and print away. We've had people use them as posters, frame them over their fireplace and cut them up into their own works of art! We're just happy to put them to use and we're glad you like them.

Q. Do you filter your waste water?

A. We have a Blackline Manufacturing Filter One which filters down to the 2 micron level. 

Q. What kind of chemicals do you use to clean your screens? Are they toxic?

A. We use soy & citrus based screen cleaners. Combined with our awesome filter that makes our washout process drain safe!

Q. Are there any other colors, sizes or styles than the ones for sale on the Pomplamoose page? I thought I saw a different one somewhere...

A. The first round of Pomplamoose shirts were really awesome. Unfortunately the company that actually manufactures the physical shirts discontinued those colors (Chili & Sandstone) so they ended up being an unintentional limited edition. The only available Pomplamoose shirts (as of December 2010) are a unisex crew neck, blue water based ink on green organic cotton. 

Q. Can I just buy a Pomplamoose shirt directly from you guys?

A. Nope. We really respect Jack & Nataly and we honor the agreement we have them so you have to buy it through their website . It helps support them and us (plus it's an awesome shirt) so it's win-win-win-win!