Today we’d like to introduce you to Edmund Stanback.
Hi Edmund, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In 2015, I came home after being incarcerated for three and a half years. One of the first things I wanted to do was rebuild the relationship and bond I had with my children. During my incarceration, I had a lot of time to reflect, and I came to understand that life isn’t just about money. Time, love, presence, and being there for the people you care about are far more valuable. When I came home, I wanted to create something that could bring my family together while also creating financial stability. That vision led me to start a printing company. I initially believed that my children would be a part of the business, but as they became adults, they began building lives of their own. I found myself trying to figure out how to make the business work on my own. I had already invested thousands of dollars into equipment, and because of the way I was raised, once I commit myself to something, I feel obligated to see it through—no matter how long it takes.
I started working out of a basement, and eventually I moved into a workshop in Chester, Pennsylvania, believing that being around other entrepreneurs and like-minded people would help me grow. Unfortunately, things didn’t go the way I expected. I was still trying to figure out the business while operating it more like a side hustle, and I didn’t yet understand what it took to build a sustainable company. During that time, I experienced setbacks, accumulated debt, and made mistakes because I was learning everything the hard way. Eventually, a childhood friend of mine, Kyle Washington, became my partner. Kyle believed in me when things weren’t going well, and I’m grateful that he never gave up on me. He also had a vision for fashion and a clothing brand called Sinful Winners, while I had the technical side of printing. He learned how to operate and master the embroidery equipment, while I became extremely knowledgeable about the printing machinery, particularly DTG technology. I learned how to maintain, troubleshoot, clean, and repair the equipment, and those experiences taught us that our strengths complemented each other. We continued pushing forward, even when Chester wasn’t working for us. We eventually realized we needed greater visibility, more foot traffic, and a stronger online presence.
After leaving Chester, we went back to operating from our homes while trying to build some traction. Eventually, an opportunity came when a friend offered us a storefront at 7417 West Chester Pike in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. We took a leap of faith and opened the storefront, believing that the location and increased visibility could help us grow. But once again, I found myself frustrated because the business wasn’t producing the way I wanted it to. Our overhead was becoming difficult to manage, and I was spending more money than I was bringing in. I knew we needed a system, but the problem was that I didn’t actually understand what a business system looked like. Years earlier, I had a mentor in the printing industry who told me that every successful business needs a system. I could see that his business operated differently, but I never fully understood the individual components that made it work. That lesson stayed with me, and eventually, during one of the most frustrating periods of my journey, I found myself awake around 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning searching YouTube for answers and trying to figure out what we were missing.
That night, I remembered my former mentor’s assistant. I went through old emails, found her contact information, and eventually reached out to her through Facebook. To my surprise, she responded almost immediately. I explained to her exactly where I was—I was still trying to build my printing company, I had a storefront, I was struggling financially, and, most importantly, I didn’t fully understand what I was doing. I told her that I didn’t just need a few hours of help; I needed someone to walk me through the process of creating a real system and help me understand how that system worked inside a business. She agreed to help, and I honestly believe she was a gift from God because she came into my life at exactly the right time. Within a week, I began seeing a difference. I started understanding the importance of systems, social media, Google, the internet, and the different components required to operate a successful business. Looking back, I realize that every setback, every mistake, every dollar I lost, and every time I wanted to quit was part of my education. Today, Active Motion Printing has a storefront, a vision, a system that I’m continuing to build, and a tremendous amount of potential. I’m not where I ultimately want to be yet, but I’m no longer just trying to figure out how to survive. Now I understand what I’m building, why I’m building it, and what it will take to get there.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. Financially, it has been a difficult journey, especially learning how to manage the business, understand our finances, and navigate the challenges of funding things out of our own pockets. We also had to teach ourselves how to build effective systems, choose the right programs, use social media and the internet to our advantage, and reach a larger audience through marketing. Unfortunately, these were things no one took the time to explain to us, so much of our growth came through trial and error, persistence, and learning from our experiences.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We are a small, family-owned printing company with the vision and potential to grow into a recognizable brand. We specialize in DTF printing and embroidery, while also offering blank garments to meet a variety of customer needs. We are especially known for our DTF game-day sheets, which have become one of our standout services. What sets us apart is our commitment to convenience and customer service, including same-day and on-the-spot service. Most importantly, we are proud of our resilience and the fact that we continue to grow, learn, and build toward our long-term vision.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can work with us in a few ways. The most direct is placing an order — we do same-day DTF printing and embroidery with no minimums, so whether it’s one shirt or a bulk run, we can usually turn it around fast. That’s Active Motion Printing, located at 7417 West Chester Pike in Upper Darby Township, and you can reach us at (484) 609-8412 or through our website www.activemotionprinting.com. We’re open Monday through Friday, 10 to 6 pm and on Saturday, 10 – 5 pm.
I’m also always open to collaborating with local designers and artists — especially around original, Philly-inspired sports designs. We’re intentional about staying away from official team logos and instead creating our own artwork that still captures that hometown pride.
And honestly, the simplest way people can support us right now is by leaving a review or sharing us with someone who needs custom apparel. We relaunched in 2026 after closing during the pandemic, so word of mouth and local visibility make a real difference for us.
Pricing:
- Home of the $10 Graphic Shirts
- $4 Name Embroidery
- $5 Foot Gangsheet
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.activemotionprinting.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/activemotionprinting
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61591105932446
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/active-motion-printing-upper-darby-township
