General Inquiries
For all inquiries, hit us up at:
Please be patient regarding responses. I’m inundated with e-mail and do my best to stay on top of all the stuff. And I get way too many sweaty “following up” messages checking whether or not I got your message from two hours before. I got the email, okay? In fact, I’ve gotten every email all the way back to 1995. But maybe I was doing other things like working, sitting in Portland traffic, playing my guitar or eating a sandwich? Patience, people, patience. Thank you from all of us at the DDC.
DDC World Wide Web
DDC Social Meeds
DDC Coordinates
DDC Factory Floor:
Draplin Design Co.
2946 NE 67th Avenue
Portland, OR 97213
This is not a public place. We work in our backyard. No solicitors. No cold calls. If you are a buddy passing through Portland, from the road or from way back, and want to come by the shop, hit us up above. Please be respectful of our time, space and home compound. The reason we have to write this shit is because we’ve had a couple folks show up out of the blue, walk right in and scare the shit out of us. One guy, smelling of booze, was eerily pushy and I had to threaten him to beat feet. Shamed, he did. Not cool.
DDC Staff
Aaron James Draplin
Graphic Designer,
Web Site Filler-Upper,
Gas Pig Driver
& Cardboard
Cutter-Downer
Leigh McKolay
Merch Mistress &
Social Media Strategy
Jacob Ashley
Design & Allaroundness
Brian Gonzales
Web
Development
Leah Draplin
Protector
of Our Nails
Evan Rose
Project
Manager
Oliver Ashley
Sometimes Rakes
the Lawn
DDC Past Employees
Cameron Barrett
Web Development
Built my first, second, third and almost fourth website!
Eric Lovejoy
Graphic Design & Safeway Runs
The sweetest of the bunch. Loved him so much, I cooked him and ate him.
Dale Allen Dixon
Shipping Dept. & Junkin’
Fired for mouthing off, among other multiple infractions, kerfuffles and donnybrooks.
Mark Phillips
Graphic Design, Junkin’ &
Dangerous Record Collecting
One too many Guy Fieri references put me over the edge and I fired the bastard.
Andrew Forgash
Don’t Really Know What He Did
Elbowed me in the mouth this one time and that was it. Builds motorcycles now or some shit.
Martie Flores
Graphic Design
Worked for me for 17 hours. Fired him for smiling too much. Big talent!
Cory Loven
DDC Book Design Assistance
Fired him for being too nice. Litigation pending.
Hank Brentlinger
Graphic Design & Van Loading
Still on “active duty” for the DDC, until he’s BUT ONE PIXEL OFF, if you know what I’m saying.
DDC Disclaimer
We reserve the right to promptly hang up on all unwelcome calls, so be warned. Same goes for visits. Don’t be too surprised if you get a big, rattling door slammed in yer face if you show up unannounced or without an invite. We put a lot of trust into our neighborhood, in Portland and the world at large. Let’s keep shit mellow, okay?
And let it be known my buddy often parks his fleet of Dobermans in the backyard from time to time, and they are always hungry for any fence jumpers, criminals and door-to-door encyclopedia salesman. Something to think about.
DDC FAQ
“Can I interview you for my student project?”
Sure, but just know, I’m busy as hell. I do my very best to accommodate all you little pukes. Hit me up here, and keep it short and sweet. Usually it’s about an 8-10 question limit, and I start to burn out. AND, OF COURSE: To the kid who’s cutting and pasting some 28-question email their instructor is forcing them to participate in, stop and check yourself. Here’s the deal: So many of these things? You can tell you guys simply hijacked the previous set of questions from the kid before you. Think about what you are asking us. Make it interesting. Get weird with it? If I can’t answer it, or squirm reading it, I’ll let you know. Just don’t waste my time with the same old “What advice can you offer students entering the design world” questions. See below for that one.
“Can I send you my portfolio?”
DO NOT send me 43mb attachment PDFs. That’s a surefire way to make people remember you for having no idea what the hell you are doing. If you are going to send in your portfolio, make sure it’s a Dropbox/Cloud link, so you aren’t clogging up my bandwidth. And, due to the volume of stuff that comes in, I’ll do my best to check it out and offer up some feedback or comments. But if you don’t hear back from me, don’t be bummed. I get so many things, there’s no way to attack them all. My apologies.
“What advice can you offer students
entering the design world?”
Keep it fun. Make design your hobby. The rest will fall in line.
“What’s up with your wikipedia page?”
Pretty cool, right? I met a gaggle of Wikipedia folks in San Francisco at a Mule Gallery pop-up we were doing, shook some hands, took a quick shot and woke up to my very own Wikipedia page! Wow! Check it out here: Aaron James Draplin
“What is Draplindustries?”
That was my moniker from the start, up until 2004 when I refined things down to “Draplin Design Co.” In the ’90s, I was as susceptible to the trends of the time as the next person. Badmotorfinger, Bloodsugarsexmagic, Greenapplequickstep and so on. You can merge “Draplin” and “Industries” into “Draplindustries.” Clever, right? Not really. Should’ve just kept it as “Draplin Industries.” But as a fan of the mighty House Industries, I respectfully kept my distance.
“What inspires you?”
Legos, old logos, fall foliage, Carhartt clothing, Mom, missing the shit out of my Dad, Leigh, water decals, going junking, road trips, old patches, skateboarding, snowboarding, things made in America, Field Notes, Filson bags, traveling, booking/prepping/slaying speaking gigs, my nephew Oliver, getting away with it all, saving loot, collecting records, Martin guitars, Fender Jazzmaster electric guitars, old signs, goopy neon, dead logos, smart tattoos, Levi 501s, growing up, beards, a cold Coke, America, President Obama, orange stuff, DDC merch, thick lines, Sasquatch lore, Saul Bass, Paul Rand, Stefan Kanchev, Wally Olins, arrows, pepperoni pizza, bacon, egg & cheese bagels, Caesar salad, black t-shirts, metal toolboxes, Saucony Jazz shoes, wiener dogs, getting cosmic, existentialism and just about anything that gets close to Creme Brûlée.
“Where can I buy your book?!”
That’s an easy one! Click this link to buy it direct from the DDC and get it signed to you!
“Are you guys hiring?”
No. And we don’t really take on interns. And hell, we prob’ly should, but in all honesty, I can barely keep my shit together, much less handle some kid staring me down for the next job to do. I’ve been in that spot, and it was a lot of work to keep them busy. I’m a one-man band design-wise, and that’s a little monster I created, have to feed and am pretty proud of.
“Can I interview you?”
There isn’t a magazine, blog or newspaper that we are afraid of. We’ve had a hell of a run with this stuff and love sharing our half-wit sentiments on, well, everything we’re so lucky to do. Hit us up here! You can see some of our greatest hits over here in our Press section.
“Will you come speak at our school?”
You bet! With over 560 shows under my belt, there aren’t many places I haven’t been able to slather with my little speaking fiasco. I’ve been everywhere and am constantly adding new shows to the tour. Contact me here, and let’s have a chat about your school, conference or event. We’ll go anywhere!
“Are you taking on new work?”
Not right now. When you add Field Notes, DDC Merch, our tour schedule and everythingelseness, well, you get an idea of how much is on our plate at any given time. When things are too wild, we have to prioritize the time we have to get our biggest obligations covered.
“How do you get all of this stuff done?”
I work my ass off.
“What are your rates? How much
does a logo cost?”
I’ve been known to do jobs for the big bucks…and do jobs where I get paid a burrito. Really, it depends on the people behind the product, their spirit and how much fun it’ll be. And, whether or not I can slay it for them efficiently. No, there isn’t some sheet with how much an inch logo is versus a two-inch logo. It all depends on the client, timing, budget, clout, spirit and just how much some scrub band can cough up for a record design.
“Did you get my e-mail?”
I’ve gotten EVERY email. We’re buried by this stuff. And each year, more and more stuff shows up in our Inbox. Vicious spam, work inquiries and folks who want to connect. And just know, I appreciate all the project offers and people reaching out. It’s the incessant back-and-forth that is wearing me down. Let’s keep it to a minimum and give each other the room to live our lives and enjoy our day-to-day battles, both on the job and off. What’s the best way to communicate effectively and concisely? Our two cents would be something along the lines of: short, sweet missives with good grammar, punctuation and spirit.
Domestic
Shipping FAQ
The same information can be found on our Support page
in the upper right corner of this page, too.
Order Status:
Where is my order?
We use the USPS for all shipping. You received an email with tracking when your order was shipped. If you cannot find this email, please check your SPAM/Junk folder. Sometimes the USPS tracking can take a few hours/days to update. If your package hasn’t arrived after 10 business days, write us at help@draplin.com.
What shipping service do you use?
As of right now, we use the USPS. We DO NOT use DHL or UPS.
How fast can I get my shipment?
We offer USPS Priority shipping most of the time. If it is available, you will see it as an option when you checkout.
About Your Poster Order:
What if my poster is damaged upon arrival?
We cannot offer refunds on posters for any reason outside of damage, theft or being lost. If your item is damaged in transit, please send us photo proof and we can ship out another or refund your purchase. If you believe your item to be lost or stolen, please write us after 10 business days at help@draplin.com.
Why can’t I return or exchange a poster?
Our posters are screenprinted, and made of paper and ink. They are delicate by nature and require care in their handling. We ship them in extra-durable tubes, protected by Kraft paper. The rolling and unrolling required to ship them back and forth has a high likelihood for damage. This is why we cannot offer refunds or exchanges on posters.
How do I take my poster out of the poster tube?
First, find a flat, uncluttered surface. Start by removing the plastic puck on one end. If your poster is not at the edge of the tube, turn it over and tap lightly to bring the paper to the edge. Then, put two fingers in the tube and gently tighten the paper to make it smaller than the tube. When wound just tight enough, the poster will slide right out of the tube. Lay the kraft paper-wrapped poster onto the table, careful of the edges, and carefully unroll it.
Exchanges:
Can I exchange my order?
01. The item you return to us cannot be worn, washed or used.
02. We do not accept exchanges on posters.
03. Send us an email to help@draplin.com to let us know what you would like instead.
04. You will also have to pay for shipping again to get the new item to you.
05. We will let you know the cost and how to pay in our response to your email.
Please send exchanges to:
Draplin Design Co.
2946 NE 67th Avenue
Portland, OR 97213
Returns:
Can I return my order?
01. If you want to return an item, please send it to the address below in the same box it was shipped in.
02. We do not cover shipping on returns.
03. Once we receive your item, we can refund your purchase (minus the cost of shipping).
Please send returns to:
Draplin Design Co.
2946 NE 67th Avenue
Portland, OR 97213
Refunds:
What do I do if my item was damaged?
If your item is damaged in transit, please send us photo proof and we can ship out another, or refund your purchase. If you believe your item to be lost or stolen, please write us after 10 business days at help@draplin.com.
What if I just don’t want the item?
The item you return to us cannot be worn, washed or used. Once we receive your item, we can refund your purchase (minus the cost of shipping).
Please send the item
you’d like refunded to:
Draplin Design Co.
2946 NE 67th Avenue
Portland, OR 97213
International
Shipping FAQ
The same information can be found on our Support page
in the upper right corner of this page, too.
Order Status:
Where is my order?
When your order is shipped, you will receive tracking. Most international orders can take up to several weeks to arrive. If your order seems severely delayed, it is likely held in customs due to customs fees being due.
Once your order leaves the USA we aren’t able to contact your local post office. Again, if there is a delay in receiving your package(s), it will be up to you to contact your local post office for additional tracking and locating your package. If you cannot locate your tracking email, please check your SPAM/Junk folder.
Sometimes the USPS stops providing tracking on their website once it leaves the USA. You can track your package using “Global Post International.”
We cannot track your orders for you or contact your local post office or customs for you.
Why do I owe additional shipping fees?
Our shipping is weight-based, and tiered. Sometimes the calculation is inaccurate, and there will be additional shipping required. For example, Iif there are multiple packages in one order, you will possibly owe more shipping fees. If this is the case, we will reach out to you by email.
Can I use other shipping services?
As of right now, we only use the USPS for shipping for both domestic and international orders. We DO NOT use DHL or UPS. Our apologies.
Exchanges, Returns
and Refunds:
Before ordering, please read our exchanges, returns and refund DDC policy:
Order at your own risk. What does this mean? Because international shipping is so expensive, we cannot offer any refunds, returns or exchanges. This is a gentle warning on our policy. It is just too hard to manage. Lost, damaged, stolen, or misplaced items can be refunded with proof. A photo of damage, for example.
If you need assistance, contact us at: help@draplin.com.