The Earl Hays Press

What The Earl Hays Press does

The Earl Hays Press is a Hollywood-based prop manufacturing company that produces printed inserts and physical props for the motion picture and television industry. Founded in 1915 by Earl Hays and currently in its third generation of family ownership, the company manufactures newspapers, magazines, books, license plates, driver's licenses, passports, credit cards, product packaging, and signage used as on-screen props. Operations run from a single facility in Sun Valley, California, employing 1-10 people.

The company's core capability combines modern digital printing with period-appropriate equipment, including platen presses still in regular use, enabling historically accurate prop production for any era. The business operates a dual model: a catalog business with over 25,000 pre-designed stock items available for quick fulfillment, and a custom design service where an in-house art department creates bespoke graphics and packaging from scratch or from client-provided files. Notable proprietary intellectual property includes the Morley Cigarettes brand, a fictional tobacco label created in the 1960s that has become a recurring prop across productions including The X-Files, Lost, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and The Twilight Zone.

Revenue is generated through one-off project sales to film studios and production companies, with pricing opaque and negotiated directly via email or phone. The customer base is concentrated in major Hollywood studios and streaming networks — Netflix, Disney, HBO, Warner Bros., Paramount, Amazon Studios, ABC, NBC, Marvel, Hulu, FX, and Legendary Entertainment. The company relies primarily on earned media coverage and brand recognition rather than active outbound marketing, and operates with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional ownership.

Name

The Earl Hays Press

Legal name

The Earl Hays Press

Website

https://theearlhayspress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Earl Hays Press is a third-generation, family-owned Hollywood prop manufacturer founded in 1915. It produces printed props — newspapers, packaging, signage, IDs — for major film studios and streaming networks, anchored by a 25,000-item catalog.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Printed Prop Manufacturing

NAICS

Paper Manufacturing (322)

SIC

Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Prop Storage, Warehousing & Asset Management (MPADAIAM)

Keywords

• Printed film props
• Prop manufacturing
• Entertainment printing services
• Custom prop design
• Period prop printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sun Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Prop Sales (Catalog): Sale of pre-designed stock printed items including newspapers, magazines, books, license plates, driver's licenses, passports, credit cards, product packaging, and signage. Products are available from an existing catalog of over 25,000 items.
2. Custom Design and Printing: Custom design and printing services where the art department creates bespoke graphics and packaging based on client specifications for unique prop requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Earl Hays Press manufactures and supplies printed props for film and television productions, offering a catalog of over 25,000 pre-designed stock items including newspapers, magazines, books, license plates, driver's licenses, passports, credit cards, product packaging, and signage. The company also provides custom design and printing services through its in-house art department, capable of producing both contemporary and period-appropriate items. Founded in 1915, it is one of the oldest continuously operating prop houses in Hollywood and serves major studios and streaming networks.

Product overview

The Earl Hays Press is a prop house company that manufactures printed props for the entertainment industry. Founded in 1915 and now in its third generation of family ownership, the company offers thousands of pre-designed printed items including newspapers, magazines, product labels, packaging, signage, and documents. The product portfolio spans multiple categories including Publications (magazines, newspapers, books, comic books), Art & Entertainment (movie posters, music posters), Labels & Packaging (food, beverages, alcohol, tobacco, personal products), Signage & Posters (market, office, school, public signage), and Cards & Documents (credit cards, greeting cards, IDs, gambling items). The company also offers custom design and printing services through its art department. Notable among their products is the Morley Cigarettes fictional brand, created in the 1960s, which has become a recognizable prop appearing across multiple major TV shows and films. The company operates from Sun Valley, California and serves major entertainment studios including Netflix, HBO, Disney, Amazon Studios, ABC, NBC, Marvel, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Hulu, and FX.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Publications Props Printed media props including magazines, newspapers, tabloids, books, and comic books for use in film and television productions.
• Art & Entertainment Props Movie and music-related printed props including posters and entertainment materials for film and television sets.
• Labels & Packaging Props Product labels and packaging for food, cosmetics, beverages, alcohol, and tobacco items used as props in production.
• Signage & Posters Props Market, office, school, and public signage as well as advertisements and posters for production sets.
• Cards & Documents Props Printed document props including credit cards, greeting cards, flyers, stickers, and gambling items such as lottery tickets and scratchers.
• Morley Cigarettes Fictional Brand Fictional cigarette brand created in the 1960s used as a recurring prop across numerous TV shows and films including The X-Files, Lost, The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad, providing productions a legally safe alternative to real tobacco brands.
• Custom Design & Printing Services Bespoke design, printing, and build services for unique graphics and packaging needs, where the in-house art department either works from client-provided files or creates original designs from scratch for film and television productions.

Named customers16 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• History for Hire: Specialty prop house focused on historical and period-correct items for film and television. Highly comparable because it serves the same period-piece productions that rely on Earl Hays' vintage printing capability.
• Independent Studio Services: The largest full-service prop and set-dressing rental house in Hollywood. Directly comparable because it supplies physical props and set graphics to the same major studios Earl Hays serves, often on the same productions.
• Omega Cinema Props: Long-running Los Angeles prop house supplying furniture, set dressings, and graphics to Hollywood productions. Comparable as another generalist prop vendor competing for the same studio prop budgets.
• Prop Heaven: Los Angeles-based prop rental house carrying an eclectic inventory of set dressings and ephemera. Overlaps with Earl Hays on small printed and graphic props used by the same production designer buyers.

Broad incumbents

• Cinelease: Large provider of production equipment, lighting, and consumable supplies to film and TV. Comparable as a broader incumbent supplying the same studio customers with adjacent on-set needs, though it does not specialize in printed props.

Others

• Premiere Props: Prop auction and resale house. Adjacent ecosystem participant that monetizes used and collectible screen-used props, complementing rather than directly competing with Earl Hays' new-build printed prop business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Earl Hays Press