A Screen Specialty Shop tour

The crew at Screen Specialty Shop has created bike industry decals for almost 30 years now. Under the guidance of owner Gary Prange and his wife Deb, SSSink also has also supplied decals for baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, hockey sticks, bows and arrows and various other sporting goods.

The company started in Wisconsin, but moved to West Jefferson, NC more than 20 years ago. Screen Specialty Shop is now located in a log cabin in a very beautiful setting next to the New River and close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Eastern Continental Divide.

As many bike brands moved manufacturing to overseas, Screen Specialty Shop has gotten smaller, but many new smaller Handmade North American brands have given Prange a fresh new group of clients. But SSSink sells to the industry only and does not sell decals to the public.

We stopped by today to see what exactly happens behind the walls of the log cabin.

All images are © Herbert Krabel

No doubt who resides here.

This log cabin used to house an antique shop and a canoe rental facility. The lower floor though is quite a bit larger.

Gary Prange talks about the history of Screen Specialty as he stands in front of the decaled mirror he brought from Wisconsin 21 years ago.

Production artist Scott Lewis working on Lynskey Helix OS graphics.

An interesting screen saver comes up when Lewis is occupied elsewhere.

Gary Prange takes a closer look at a work in progress.

Going over decals for Hoyt bows.

Yes, we are familiar with this brand too.

Shop dogs Sandy and Annie get to enjoy some time outside behind the shop along the New River. That previous canoe rental shop location makes more sense now too.

Litespeed decals of various years can be bought through the Litespeed site and will ship from here.

A layer of film for Wheelbuilder disc covers.

Pre-press operator Billy Joyce cleans screens once the specific job is done.

Plotter/printer Ryan Segraves is very focused here.

Looking over his shoulders we notice him working Reynolds disc decals.

Printer John Herbert uses a large squeegee to apply a white layer on the hand press.

A few steps over is one of two automated presses.

Deb Prange sets up a set of Serotta decals on that automated press. Black, and silver done and now it is time for white.

For Billy Joyce today there seems to be no rest from cleaning, but that isn't all he does.

Only a few miles from the Eastern Continental Divide.

With stunning views all around.