Meet Gustavo Caal of Inspriation Print

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gustavo Caal.

Gustavo, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Screen printing started as a passion project for me. I created my own T-shirt line called CAAL—Color An Absurd Life—where I would take everyday objects, nature, and creatures and reinterpret them through graphic design, adding color and my own perspective to give them new life. When the economy took a hit, I had to pivot. To stay afloat, I started taking on screen printing
jobs for other businesses. That’s when things really began to evolve. One of the biggest opportunities was printing for Coca Cola Latin Nation Live, where I got hands-on experience printing on everything from apparel to coolers and even furniture. It pushed me creatively and technically in ways I hadn’t experienced before. From there, it naturally grew into a business. I was
able to keep doing what I loved—designing and creating—while also learning the ins and outs of
sourcing materials, working with vendors, and building something from the ground up.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest challenges was jumping straight into running a business right after school. I studied at Pasadena City College, where I took a screen printing course—starting with fine art poster making and eventually moving into their textile program—and also took night classes at ArtCenter. Even with that foundation, I never had the opportunity to work in the industry or learn through a traditional job or internship. Because of that, I had to build everything from the ground up
and essentially reverse engineer my business through trial and error.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Inspriation Print?
My business, Inspiration Print, focuses on screen printing for creatives, brands, and organizations of all kinds—artists, clothing lines, schools, churches, and anyone looking to bring their ideas to life through merchandise. At the core, we’re about more than just printing. We’re about creating. What really sets us apart is how far we’re willing to push the craft. Right now, we’re expanding into costume and fabric work, using high-density screen printing to build texture and structure directly onto materials. It’s a more advanced approach that allows us to create something that feels closer to design and fabrication than traditional printing. We take a lot of pride in our quality and attention to detail, and we’re confident in the direction we’re heading—especially as we continue to push toward working with larger studios and more complex creative projects.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People can work with us by reaching out for custom screen printing, creative projects, or collaborative ideas. We’re always open to partnering with brands, artists, and organizations who want to bring something unique to life. As a small, Pasadena-based business, local support means everything to us. We truly believe in supporting our community—I make it a point to support other local businesses, whether that’s grabbing coffee from a neighborhood shop or working with other
small brands. We’re also currently looking to collaborate with local pattern makers and sewers as
we expand into custom costume and fabric work. Building those local connections is really
important to us, and we’d love to grow alongside other creatives in the area.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.inspirationprint.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/inspirationprints/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/inspiration-print-pasadena-2

Image Credits
Photo have been taken by Gustavo Caal
Art is by Gustavo Caal