Andy’s Signage founder signs off
After 35 years of service to Whanganui Andy Deighton calls time
Screen printer with a wealth of experience calls it a day Screen printing for the first Rugby World Cup has been a highlight for Andy Deighton, owner of Andy’s Signage in Whanganui, who has closed his doors after 35 years of service.
He started his business in 1989, outgrowing his first location in Drews Ave in his first year and buying where he is now, 23 Drews Ave. He’s had three name changes since — first it was Andy’s Screenprint, then Andy’s Screenprint & Signs, and finally Andy’s Signage.
“Initially the work was mainly screen printing T-shirts for clubs and schools,” said Andy.
“Commercial clients included Aitchison Industries [farm machinery] where I printed vinyl stickers. Hannahs shoe store and the factory in Whanganui was another client. Asics rugby boots required me to print a logo on fabric on leather, totalling 236,000 pieces.
“Digital printing came on the scene and made life so much easier, as compared to making screens for each colour for a job. Now, vinyl can be printed on directly with a digital printer,” he said.
Andy started his trade in 1970 at Marton Textiles, doing screen printing as a hand, ending up as foreman with 14 staff. “We had four tables, 36 yards long.,” said Andy.
“We would print lengths of material and stack them to dry overnight, to be made on-site into T-shirts, tea towels, table cloths and wall hangings for tourists. I spent eight years there. Printing on wool
“I then joined a Marton company printing on to wool — we were the only ones in New Zealand doing this, it was leading-edge technology at the time. I designed our own printing machine with the owner, using a sixpiece carousel printing on wool.
“With knitting machines on-site, we would knit a jersey and then print it on both sides. We had vats for washing the wool and I was mixing the inks by sight, rather than by weight. I worked there for three years.
“Whanganui Wool Mills became my next job for three years when I started screen printing from home in a garage. Then I worked for Whanganui Sign Co as a screen printer for three years producing road signs.
“I wanted to branch out on my own, my mother invested $10,000 for me to start my own business, now Andy’s Signage. There’s so much that has changed now, with rules and regulations for putting up signs with scaffolding.
“We used to make all the positives with an overhead projector, developed in baths, then used a process camera. Before water-based ink was used, we used to use white spiritbased inks. Now we use plastisol ink, which uses heat to dry. The clients I served were mainly in Whanganui, with some in Palmerston North.
“I enjoyed working with people and seeing them happy with the printed result. I’ve met so many people over the years and made a lot of friends.
“As I have closed the business and leased the building to Sustainable Whanganui Trust and Green Bikes, I have to sell all my production equipment: Carousel, heat press, darkroom equipment, laminator and digital printer. I’ll show someone how to screen print if they buy the equipment.”
He is grateful to the Whanganui community for their support over all
the years he has been in business.
Andy will be spending time riding his motorbikes in the future, having ridden in the South Island on gravel roads at Molesworth Station. He intends to go on two motorcycle rallies north of Auckland in March.
He has been involved in motorsport all his life and met a lot of people through that, having owned a few rally cars, and driven in rally sprints.
He rolled an MX5 twice in a Taranaki car rally. He volunteers for car clubs as a Motorsport New Zealand steward.
A former member of Daybreak Rotary in Whanganui, a few years ago he organised pouring a concrete floor for the shelter at Hipango Park on the banks of the Whanganui River near its first rapid. He used a helicopter to drop in the material.