Houston Print is where color and creativity collide. Located where word-of-mouth still outshines a flashy storefront, this family-owned shop is approaching its 25th year of turning bold designs into shirts, hats, totes and wearable statements that speak louder than they look. Along the way, Houston Print has perfected a printing style that looks sensational, feels just right in the hand, and never reads like generic advertising.
The story of the people behind it explains the company’s level of standard. Owners Sergio and Fatima Hernandez came to the printing space from engineering, shaped by years of hands-on field work in Dubai. They learned to diagnose machines, stay calm under pressure, and treat every technical challenge like a puzzle to solve.
Now, Houston Print is known for its screen printing, embroidery, promotional items like koozies and stickers, and Direct to Film (DTF) gang-sheet printing, which has become central to its offerings. DTF is a revolution in accessibility. Instead of cutting and layering vinyl colors, DTF prints full-color artwork onto a special clear film using CMYK inks and an adhesive powder. That sheet is then heat-pressed onto fabric. Done right, the result is vivid, supple, and durable.
“DTF is a fantastic option for everyone, and is used by some of the top clothing and athletic brands,” says Fatima. “It makes high-quality prints accessible to everyone, from someone wanting to make their own products or gifts, to business owners of all sizes, from startups, mom and pop shops, and more. All that’s required is a heat press.” New revolution in the textile industry in the USA.
Customers simply order online through the Houston Print website, which arranges the designs onto gang sheets to save space and materials before printing. Clients use a heat press to apply the transfers at their own pace. This makes the service ideal for fledgling brands testing designs, small runs for merch, or companies that want brand consistency without inventory risk.
“We invested a lot to find the right film, the right adhesive, and the right inks,” Sergio says. “We talked to multiple suppliers, tried dozens of rolls, and we kept the ones that behaved like cloth: flexible, breathable, and color-true. We’ve got a little graveyard of supplies that didn’t make the cut.”
That attention to materials shows. Houston Print’s DTF products are consistently described as having a soft, almost integrated feel. The transfer doesn’t feel like a plastic sticker. It becomes part of the cloth’s drape. Colors read bright without being garish, and the prints don’t crack or peel after a few washes.
“A poorly executed shirt isn’t just a bad shirt. It’s a lost customer and a story of trust not kept,” Fatima states. With such a philosophy, it’s hardly surprising that the shop’s clientele includes local startups testing market-fit through DTF single runs, regional school districts ordering uniforms by the hundreds, and corporate customers who need dependable, on-brand merch.
Community is the other half of Houston Print’s identity. While the machinery whirrs, the shop hums with relationships. It has longstanding ties to schools, first responder departments, hospitals, and local businesses. Some customers have been with the company for over 20 years, growing with the business through ownership changes and industry shifts.
Employees at Houston Print actually care about the work they produce and have a keen eye for detail. Their insistence on doing anything less than perfect has become like an unadvertised guarantee. “We’re not just vendors. We’re neighbors,” Fatima says. “When a school calls, we feel that. When a firefighter asks for their uniform to be customized, it’s personal. Color and joy are how we greet people, but trust is what keeps them coming back.”
On the cusp of Houston Print’s 25th year, the company isn’t resting on a legacy. It’s refining processes and telling its story louder. What Houston Print delivers is more than ink on fabric. It’s confidence, community, and a commitment to quality.
