The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
SPECIAL EFFECTS LIVING UP TO NAME
Custom printing shop owner says ‘If it can be printed, I can print it’
Special Effects Custom Printing in Wellington allows customers to print limitless designs on multiple different surfaces
“I came out to Wellington in 1980, but I did not set out to start up a print shop,” said Christine Goran, owner of the business located at 101 W. Herrick Ave. in downtown Wellington. “I had a few businesses.
“My first business was a small retail shop in this same location. That eventually turned into an arcade. I had that for a while, and then I had Country Kitchen that sold bulk foods when they became popular.
“I then did chocolates along with the bulk foods. Later, when I met my husband (Jerry), we bought a convenience store in LaGrange that had evolved from a video store.”
Goran said her time owning the convenience store was when she started doing printing on the side.
“I then moved the video store back here to Wellington,”
she said. “The printing really evolved out of that.
“Sometimes, when you are in a small town, you have to offer something unique or multiple things and you have to multitask. Now, it’s primarily a print shop. It’s also a thrift shop, but I’m looking to clear the thrift items out and make this solely a print shop so customers can come in and print their own designs.”
Goran said she prints everything and anything.
“We print business cards, banners, T-shirts, custom mugs, yard signs, quilts, sweatshirts and pretty much anything,” she said.
“If it can be printed, I can print it. I say I can put anything on anything.”
Goran said Special Effects is extremely competitive with pricing.
“I’m one person operating the shop, I don’t have to stick to a price,” she said. “So, if you come to me and say you found a place where you can get all of your business cards done for $49, then I’ll tell you that the price here is $45.
“I’m not going to lose a job for a few bucks. I tell people to get their best price and come to me.”
Goran said her business, ironically, was not affected by the novel coronavirus.
“It actually, I have to admit, it didn’t really affect my business,” she said. “I’m small enough that nobody told me I had to close.
“It’s just me here, so as far as social distancing, we already practice that. There is never more than two or three people in here at a time and folks can call (440-647-1515) and order that way.”
Goran said her shop is unique in how it retains different designs for clients.
“I don’t screen on shirts directly,” she said. “I use screen printed transfers that are virtually the same.
“So, for small businesses that order shirts and find out later that they want to order more, I can keep the design here, pull up the transfer and print some more shirts as needed.”
Special Effects is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Customers also can check out the shop’s Facebook page for more information.