At Fingers Duke, we collaborate with artists across the Pacific Northwest to bring art to life as merch and apparel. We see screen printing as one of the most approachable and affordable ways to distribute art. Wearable, affordable art is what we do. We’re not charging hundreds or thousands of dollars for prints; we’re not selling one-of-a-kind original works; we’re working hand in hand with real artists to produce merch that our customers can wear, hang on their walls, and enjoy without missing a car payment. So, where does AI fit in? It doesn’t.
Convenience at What Cost
Artificial intelligence promises convenience above all else. Why spend your time on pesky merch designs when AI can handle it? The answer is simple— it’s our livelihood. Design isn't just one step in producing a shirt or poster: it’s the creative core. So, you reach out and ask if we’ll print your AI art; we will politely decline. Instead, we’ll offer to design original art for your merch or product. Original art that’s made by local artists, not an amalgamation of slop found on the internet.
AI Art is Theft
We understand the temptation of convenience and admit that AI is getting better, but it’s no replacement for real human creativity. In fact, AI art is theft. When you enter a design prompt into ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or any other sleekly branded bot, you are not igniting an engine of creativity that will render original work. Rather, you’re instructing the AI to scrape and crawl through the entire internet, find similar art to your request, and pull design attributes from creators from all over the world, without their permission. AI art may look like real, human-made art, and that’s the point; it is bits and pieces of other people’s work mashed together. When you use AI art, you’re ripping off artists everywhere.
Artist Supporting Artists
We’re committed to showcasing the talents of local artists in the Pacific Northwest. We collaborate with dozens of artists to create screen-printed T-shirts, art prints, and accessories that are truly one of a kind. Our goal has been to support local art and artists in any way we can, and that’s become increasingly important as AI threatens the livelihoods of working artists everywhere. A portion of each Fingers Duke shirt and print sale goes directly to the contributing artist or designer. Our artists maintain 100% ownership of their art and designs, and we credit and promote them whenever possible.
Whether you’re looking for custom merch for your small business or event, or shopping for apparel from our selection of artist-designed, screen-printed shirts, we ensure that each piece of art you receive is 100% AI-free. We get it; AI is part of daily life now, but it should never be part of the artistic process. When you shop at Fingers Duke, you can be sure that everything we sell is made by creative humans for humans. In today’s world, cut the guesswork and support real artists when you shop.
