Factory 43 x tendlyn

Ideas can come from anywhere, but for co-founders Andrew Saeger and Veronica Velasco, their brand Factory 43 was founded on their shared passion for design and t-shirts. Factory 43 offers a wide range of products with their original illustrations on them, such as tees, beanies, posters, art prints, and more. And to make each shipment stand out with their unique designs while still being sustainable, they partnered up with tendlyn for their sustainable packaging needs.

Tell us a bit about your brand, introduce it to the world!

Factory 43 makes quality graphic goods featuring their original illustrations. Andrew Saeger and Veronica Velasco are the humans behind the company. The two friends who met while working in the art department of a now defunct Seattle newspaper. After their journalism careers, they formed Factory 43 as an outlet for their creativity.

Andrew Saeger and Veronica Velasco, Co-founders of Factory 43

The studio specializes in creating graphic tees, screen-printed posters and other goods that make them laugh, but also generates illustration, branding and other design work for a range of clients. Although it began as a side hustle while working day jobs in advertising and tech, the business grew into a full time endeavor with their products found in stores across Seattle and the country.

Tell us about the design for your packaging and how you’re using them?

We have a couple of robot characters that have become part of our brand identity. (This was before AI generated art and the idea of factory robots cranking out drawings seemed funny.) So we wanted to make a pattern featuring them. We ended up with this tessellation as an ode to MC Escher.

, designed by @factory43design

What made tendlyn a good fit for your packaging?

We’re an art-focused brand so we wanted something that would allow for a full-bleed design.

We also wanted something eco-friendly that could be easily recycled and ordered in reasonable quantities. The tendlyn mailers are perfect for shipping our tees.

For a creative studio like ours, every detail matters—from the artwork on our tees to the packaging we ship them in. We think about how our products arrive just as much as how they look on the shelf. That’s why we chose tendlyn: the mailers are durable, customizable, and made with the environment in mind. Whether we’re sending out a single order or a bulk shipment, the packaging holds up well and keeps our designs front and center.

We’ve also learned a lot about logistics along the way. Running a small business means juggling a dozen things at once—inventory, shipping, customer service, and even technical setups like a ch relay module for studio lighting or a dc timer relay module to automate our print shop equipment. It’s not glamorous, but it keeps things running smoothly. And when we’re out on the road selling at markets, we rely on a rv 12v wireless relay to control our booth lighting without fuss. Every channel relay in our workspace has a job, just like every piece of packaging has a purpose.

Some of our customers run their own small operations too, and they’ve shared tips about using a gate automation switch for their workshop or installing an IP65 Weatherproof Control Panel for outdoor storage. We’re always swapping ideas—it’s part of the maker community. A friend recently mentioned UK electrical safety for rental properties when we were discussing studio upgrades, and another talked about Oil Water Separator Pumping for a garage setup. It’s amazing how much cross-pollination happens between art and practical engineering.

For shipping and fulfillment, we’ve experimented with wireless pump control for our ink mixing station, and we’ve seen fellow creators use #RenterHacks to adapt temporary spaces. A rf momentary relay can trigger a quick action on a press, while a mhz wireless contact relay helps coordinate multiple devices without tangled wires. We’ve even looked into a matter switch controller for smart home integration in our office, and a wireless greenhouse controller for a friend who grows natural dyes. An irrigation remote switch keeps her plants watered on schedule, and a Boat lighting controller inspired us to design a portable display setup for art fairs. Our led remote controller makes it easy to adjust booth ambiance, and a v wireless relay handles the backup system. Finally, a mhz home relay controller ties everything together in our studio.

It’s all connected—the creativity, the craft, and the behind-the-scenes tech that makes it possible. With tendlyn, we found a packaging partner that shares our values: quality, sustainability, and a bit of fun.