Kate Bell stands in front of her High Tide Printing Co. storefront in Wiscasset. Bell opened the screenprinting shop in mid-June. (Frida Hennig photo)
Wiscasset resident Kate Bell has opened a new screenprinting business, High Tide Printing Co., located on Railroad Avenue in Wiscasset. The storefront opened its doors in mid-June, and offers a variety of designs, along with custom orders.
Bell, who was born and raised in Caribou, came across her passion for screenprinting by accident. She began working in 2011 with a retail job at Cool As A Moose in Brunswick, and later transferred to its sister company, Art Forms, which is a screenprinting company.
“I had no idea what screenprinting was, never knew how a shirt was made, and I just kind of got thrown into it … I fell in love with it,” Bell said of her first interaction with the process of screenprinting, which was in 2011.
After realizing her interest for the art form, Bell attended graduate school at Central Maine Community College, graduating in 2016 with a degree in graphic design. Bell, who has spent the last eight years printing in her basement, finally decided to start a storefront so that she could pursue screenprinting full time.
High Tide Printing Co.’s prime location on the Sheepscot River was a drawing point for Bell when searching for a location, along with the fact that her family has lived in Wiscasset for four years.
Bell had plans to move into 6 Railroad Ave prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the lockdowns slowed everything down. When the building’s owner contacted Bell to see if she was still interested, she had to jump at the chance, she said.
Since opening the storefront, High Tide Printing Co. produced a lot of custom orders, especially for other businesses.
“Other businesses are starting to hear about me, so I’ve been doing those shirts,” Bell said.
While custom orders often come from businesses, Bell is confident in her abilities and hopes to branch out when it comes to jobs.
“I would say no job is too small. I like helping out people whether it’s five shirts or 200,” she said.
Customers looking for custom orders from High Tide Printing Co. often contact Bell through social media or just stop by the storefront to place their order.
Bell also sells her own designs at the storefront, often in the form of shirts or sweatshirts. Many of the designs feature nature scenes inspired by Maine’s natural beauty, like mountains drawn by Bell’s father-in-law, which is one of her favorite designs.
Bell’s process when it comes to screenprinting alternates between at home and at the store. She usually burns her screen at home in a dark room, using UV light to expose them. Then, she brings the screens to the storefront, where she has a printing press.
Bell’s press can hold six screens at the same time, which is helpful when doing a job involving multiple colors. She also cures the ink with a machine called a flash unit.
Bell is also passionate about teaching others the art of screenprinting, as many don’t know about it, she said.
“If someone comes in and wants to know the process, I am more than happy to show it to them, whether I’m in the middle of printing something or not, I don’t mind flipping on the switch and showing them how it works,” said Bell.
Bell, who is currently the only High Tide Printing Co. employee, hopes to expand at some point into a larger screenprinting company.
“My first goal was to do this. This was like a life’s dream for me. My dream location, on the water, in a town that I love and am growing my family in,” she said. “Something that I had always told people is that I wanted to do this because of my kids, I wanted to show them that you should follow your dreams and at least try it … I want to be a good role model to them.”
High Tide Printing Co. is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call at 540-6641 or find High Tide Printing Co. on Facebook or Instagram.
Kate Bell works at the printing press at High Tide Printing Co. at 6 Railroad Ave. in Wiscasset. Bell does her own designs and also takes custom orders. (Frida Hennig photo)
