Born and raised in South San Jose, Drew Scicluna found his way into the printing business at an early age. During high school and a few graphic design classes, Scicluna fell in love with graphics work; so by the time he was a senior, Scicluna had taken every design class offered. He already had a foot in the industry, though, as a few years earlier he happened upon a printing company and asked for a job. He started as a grunt at a company called Screen Designs, but he was hooked. A decade or so later, Scicluna and a few friends started a company called Serious Imaging. That eventually fizzled out, and Scicluna hopped around design jobs for another decade before gaining the skills and experience to open his own shop. Thus, Authentic Imprints was born, and recently, they celebrated their three-year anniversary. There, Scicluna oversees all types of printing, particularly with water-based inks, creating unique and fantastic designs on T-shirts, banners, and other products for their customers. As for the future, he hopes to broaden how Authentic Imprints can help the community, but in the meantime, Scicluna is happy where he is. Even after 30 years of being in the industry, Scicluna still looks forward to going into the shop each day.

“If you go into nine out of 10 printing shops, they are usually pretty dirty and grungy and can be off-putting to prospective customers. At Authentic Imprints, we didn’t want that. We hit our deadlines as best as we can, and due to our 10- or 12-color printing techniques, we can provide unique designs for our customers. Being in Silicon Valley, we wanted to have the look of a reputable place, and the South Bay has treated us well. Everybody needs uniforms, banners, or business cards, so it’s just a matter of being creative and a step ahead of everyone else, and the customers come to us.”