Our story
A small family shop from Hawaii — built on integrity, quality, and ohana.
IslandTAT started in 2004 on a single one-color silkscreen press. Two decades later we're a small, family-owned shop still doing what we've always done — printing shirts we're proud to put our name on, for people we trust.
Where it started
From a one-color silkscreen press to a small shop built on quality.
Back in 2004, I taught myself silkscreen on a small one-color press. I learned to burn screens, hand-draw art on paper, transfer it to screen, and later vectorize it. Every step of the process, I learned by doing.
Over the years, I dealt with printing shops that didn't come through on time, that had an excuse for every mistake, and that let quality slide — crooked prints, off color, always someone else's job feeling more important than mine.
That's not how we run IslandTAT. We're a family business from Hawaii. We keep our shop small on purpose so we can protect the quality and precision that make a shirt worth wearing.
What we stand for
No awards on the wall — just how we work.
These are the values we hold ourselves to on every job.
Integrity
We stand by everything we print. If it's not right, it's not out the door.
Quality & precision
Straight prints, accurate color, and finished pieces we're proud to put our name on.
Family-owned
A family business from Hawaii — real people, real relationships, and a real point of contact.
Small by design
We stay small on purpose. Fewer jobs, more attention, better shirts.
Rooted in Polynesia
Started the Polynesian tattoo clothing trend in 2003 — the story is stitched into how we work.
Ohana first
The people we work with become ohana. Trust and long relationships over volume.
The craft behind the shop
The bar we hold ourselves to comes from tattoo work.
The owner of IslandTAT is a working tattoo artist. He's the personal tattoo artist for the King of Polynesia and has tattooed clients including Ray Lewis and Jidenna.
Tattooing doesn't allow do-overs. That same standard — clean lines, straight placement, color that reads right — is what we bring to every shirt we run.
The road here
From a Hawaii garage to 250+ retailers worldwide.
2003
Polynesian tattoo clothing takes shape
Started the Polynesian tattoo clothing trend and brought it to Hawaii before the broader Polynesian and tribal tattoo boom.
2004
Self-taught silkscreen roots
Began on a small one-color silkscreen press — teaching myself to burn screens, hand-draw art, transfer to screen, and later vectorize.
2009
First into No Fear in the mall
Became the first Polynesian tattoo clothing brand into No Fear in the mall, opening the door to mainstream retail.
Then
Into every major Hawaii retailer
Grew into HIC, T&C, and every major Hawaii surf shop — the anchor stores of island streetwear.
250+
Retailers across the globe
Expanded to over 250 retailers worldwide — France, Tahiti, Guam, Puerto Rico, and beyond.
Now
Perfecting the craft — local, small, ohana
Focused on producing dependable, high-quality shirts locally in San Diego, staying small on purpose, and taking care of ohana.
Join our ohana
Want to work with a shop that treats your order like it matters?
We build long relationships with people and organizations we trust. If you'd like to join our ohana and start a project, reach out and tell us what you're working on — we'll take it from there.
Lemon Grove, CA — serving San Diego County with shipping available