What Search Press does

Search Press is a UK-based book publisher founded in 1970 and headquartered in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, operating as Search Press Ltd. The company specialises in highly illustrated, practical art and craft books serving beginners through to professional artists and crafters, organised across twelve subject categories including Practical Art, Textile Crafts, Needlecraft & Embroidery, Papercraft, Knitting & Crochet, Jewellery Making, Sewing/Patchwork & Quilting, Sugarcraft & Cake Decorating, Pottery & Ceramics, Woodworking, General Crafts, and Journalling & Lettering.

The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer and B2B model. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time book sales via three regional e-commerce sites (searchpress.com for UK/global, searchpressusa.com for North America, searchpress.com.au for Australia), supplemented by a dedicated trade/wholesale site (trade.searchpress.com) serving retailers, art schools, and institutional buyers. Beyond its own imprint, Search Press distributes titles from over 100 partner publishers — including Dover Publications, David & Charles, Abrams, C&T Publishing, and Quarto — and has extended into adjacent physical products (kraft-tex, Craft Kits, craft-related software, gift items) and digital ecosystem properties (Bookmarked, 20 to Make, Half Yard Pattern Shop, Search Press School). The company self-describes as the leading UK art and craft book publisher and operates with a 99% same-day or next-day dispatch SLA. Headcount is reported at 11–50 employees, and no AI, API, or proprietary technology platform is disclosed.

Name

Search Press

Legal name

Search Press Ltd.

Website

https://searchpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Search Press is a UK-based, privately held art and craft book publisher founded in 1970, selling its own imprint titles and distributing over 100 partner publishers to consumers and trade buyers across the UK, North America, and Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Craft Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA), Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Art book publishing
• Craft instructional books
• Textile arts publishing
• Illustrated how-to books
• Creative hobby publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tunbridge Wells

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Book Sales (Retail): Sale of art and craft books directly to consumers through e-commerce websites. Books are sold on a one-time purchase basis with prices ranging from £0.99 to over £200 depending on format and publisher. The company stocks titles from multiple publishers as well as their own Search Press publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Search Press publishes and sells highly illustrated, practical instructional books on art and crafts under its own imprint, covering twelve subject categories from beginner to professional skill levels. The company also distributes titles from over 100 partner publishers including Dover Publications, David & Charles, Abrams, and C&T Publishing, and offers ancillary specialty products such as kraft-tex material, craft kits, half-yard sewing patterns, gift vouchers, and craft-related software.

Product overview

Search Press is a UK-based book publisher specializing in highly illustrated, practical art and craft books serving beginners through to professional artists and crafters. The company operates a multi-imprint publishing model, publishing books under its own Search Press imprint alongside distributing titles from over 100 partner publishers including David & Charles, Abrams, C&T Publishing, and Dover Publications. Their core product offering spans twelve subject categories: Practical Art, Textile Crafts, Needlecraft & Embroidery, Papercraft, Knitting & Crochet, Jewellery Making, Sewing/Patchwork & Quilting, Sugarcraft & Cake Decorating, Pottery & Ceramics, Woodworking, General Crafts, and Journalling & Lettering. Beyond publishing, the company also offers specialty products including kraft-tex (paper-backed vinyl for crafts), Craft Kits, a Half Yard Pattern Shop, Gift Vouchers, Gift and Non-craft items, and Software. Search Press serves international markets through regional websites for North America (searchpressusa.com) and Australia (searchpress.com.au), with orders typically dispatched within 24 hours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bookmarked: A sister website offering curated craft-related content and community features.
• 20 to Make
• Half Yard Pattern Shop
• Search Press School

Products and services

• Search Press Imprint Books Search Press's own imprint publishes highly illustrated, practical instructional books on art and crafts across twelve subject categories (Practical Art, Textile Crafts, Needlecraft & Embroidery, Papercraft, Knitting & Crochet, Jewellery Making, Sewing/Patchwork & Quilting, Sugarcraft & Cake Decorating, Pottery & Ceramics, Woodworking, General Crafts, and Journalling & Lettering) aimed at beginners through professional artists and crafters.
• Distributed Publisher Titles Third-party art, craft, and related books distributed by Search Press through its e-commerce sites and trade portal on behalf of partner publishers, giving customers access to a broad aggregated catalogue alongside Search Press's own titles.
• kraft-tex Specialty paper-backed vinyl craft material sold by Search Press for bag making, book binding, and mixed-media projects.
• Craft Kits Pre-packaged craft project kits bundling materials and instructions for specific projects, sold alongside Search Press books.
• Half Yard Pattern Shop Pattern shop selling sewing and quilting patterns designed around the Half Yard series, each pattern using approximately half a yard of fabric.
• Gift Vouchers Purchasable gift vouchers letting recipients choose their own art and craft books from Search Press's catalogue.
• Gift and Non-craft Items Non-craft gift items offered alongside art and craft books on the Search Press website.
• Craft Software Craft-related software products sold through Search Press's website.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Dover PublicationsminorOthersSearch Press distributes and sells books published by Dover Publications alongside their own titles. Dover offers extensive backlist titles including Dover Fine Art, Dover Architecture, Children's Activity Books, and various craft-related publications that complement Search Press's core catalogue.
• SSE (Renewable Energy Provider)minorOthersSearch Press's website is hosted on a data centre partnered with SSE, a 100% renewable energy company, as part of their sustainability commitment.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• David & Charles: UK-based craft, textile, and hobby book publisher with overlapping title categories (knitting, sewing, woodworking, crafts). Already appears in Search Press's own distribution ecosystem, indicating highly comparable catalogue and audience.
• Quarry Books: Imprint under Quarto Group publishing illustrated craft and creative instructional books. Closely comparable in editorial format (highly illustrated, project-driven) and audience (hobby artists and makers).
• Walter Foster Publishing: Long-established art-instruction book publisher (drawing, painting, mixed media). Directly comparable on instructional art-book format and beginner-to-intermediate craft learner audience.
• C&T Publishing: Specialist quilting, sewing and fiber arts book and pattern publisher. Comparable niche focus on needlecraft/textile crafts and on instructional format with patterns and projects, mirroring Search Press's textile categories.
• Interweave Press: Fiber arts and craft publisher (knitting, crochet, weaving, embroidery). Direct overlap with Search Press's knitting/crochet and needlecraft categories and similar step-by-step instructional content style.
• Stackpole Books: Independent US publisher with strong craft and hobby lists (woodworking, knitting, outdoors crafts). Comparable in scale and craft-hobby positioning to Search Press.

Regional players

• Pavilion Books: UK-based illustrated trade publisher with strong craft, art and lifestyle lists. Directly comparable in craft coverage and UK trade footprint but anchored to UK retail channels rather than Search Press's DTC-led international model.
• Quadrille Publishing: UK illustrated trade publisher covering food, craft, design and lifestyle. Overlaps with Search Press in craft and lifestyle book categories; comparable illustrated trade format but broader lifestyle scope.

Broad incumbents

• Chronicle Books: Larger independent US publisher with craft, art, journaling and activity titles. Comparable on illustrated craft and creative-product retail, but operates at much broader scale across gift/stationery categories.

Others

• Dover Publications: US reprint and craft publisher with extensive backlist across coloring, fine art, crafts and children's activity. Listed as a Search Press distribution partner, making it both a comparable craft publisher and a key supplier relationship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SearchPress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Search Press