Custom Image is a nonprofit imprint trade school in South Central Los Angeles. Students learn seven decorated-goods trades on the same equipment a real print shop runs — then earn a certificate and a path to paid work. Here's how schools, students, and partners plug in.
A no-cost pathway for your students into a real trade — hands-on, cohort-based, and built for young adults, career-changers, and reentry.
Screen printing to embroidery to AI-assisted design — the skills behind every hoodie, sign, trophy, and branded product you've ever seen.
Every track pairs production skill with shop-safety training and a portfolio piece.
Send us a student's name and interest — or point them to the online interest form. Takes two minutes.
We guide them through a short application and enrollment. You can watch their status the whole way.
They join a cohort, build real work, and get introduced to our employer and staffing partners.
Custom Image sits at the intersection several funders already prioritize — workforce development, opportunity youth, reentry, economic mobility, and the creative economy — delivered in a high-need LA ZIP by a 501(c)(3) with an earned-revenue engine.
| What Custom Image runs | The priority it maps to |
|---|---|
| 7 hands-on production trades + certificate | Workforce developmentCareer & technical education |
| Reentry / second-chance cohort pathway | Reentry & justice-involvedEconomic mobility |
| South Central LA, opportunity youth & young adults | Place-based LA givingOpportunity youth |
| Generative AI design + digital tools | Creative economyFuture of work / digital equity |
| Social-enterprise print shop (earned revenue) | Sustainable social enterpriseSmall-business ecosystem |
Funders, employers, and workforce partners — reach out for our capabilities statement, program detail, and a conversation about fit.