Live event printing turns merch into an experience: guests watch a custom piece get made and walk away wearing it, usually in about two minutes. Here is the flow at a typical Chicago event.
Before the event
You send your logo or artwork; we proof it and prep screens or transfers ahead of time. We confirm garments, sizes, and which stations fit your run-of-show. Nothing is rushed on the day.
On site
- Load-in & setup - presses, ink, blanks, tables, and crew arrive and set up around a roughly 10x10 footprint per station with standard power.
- Guests choose - a size, garment, design, or patch. Choice is what makes them care about the piece.
- We print live - each press turns out up to 60 pieces an hour; a standard two-press setup clears 100+ an hour at full tilt.
- They wear it out - a finished, custom piece, warm off the platen.
What the venue provides
Roughly a 10x10 area per station, two standard 120V circuits, a level floor, and a queue path that does not block doors. Indoors or outdoors both work with the right plan. See venue requirements.
Picking a method
High volume favors screen printing; full-color or short runs favor DTF; a hat bar or embroidery adds a premium build. Read how live printing works or tell us about your Chicago event.
Chicago proof
Local proof before the presses roll in
For Chicago, the page you are reading is planned around real venue constraints, not a generic merch table. We map the nearest load-in, the available power, the line path, and the point where guests choose garments before they reach the press. That planning is what keeps the station looking sharp at McCormick Place, a The Loop private event, or a smaller activation near Navy Pier — Festival Hall.
Merch Troop is based in Fullerton and travels with the same live-event production kit: presses, flash dryers, heat presses, blanks, folding tables, signage, and trained printers. A standard station needs roughly 10x10 ft and two 120V circuits, and a two-press setup can clear 100+ shirts per hour when the design menu is simple.