Metal Photo Service

What Metal Photo Service does

Metal Photo Service, Inc. (MPS) is a privately held, family-owned commercial printing and metal imaging company established in 1954 and headquartered in Wall, Pennsylvania, 15 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The company operates from a 1-10 employee facility and serves a dual market: the Pittsburgh region for traditional commercial printing and document solutions, and a nationwide customer base (including Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico) for its specialty metal imaging services. MPS also operates a separate sub-brand, The Print Shoppe, extending its commercial printing footprint.

The company's core product is Metalphoto®, a photosensitive anodized aluminum imaging process licensed from Horizons Incorporated in which a silver-halide-based image is sealed inside an anodized aluminum layer, producing weather-, UV-, and abrasion-resistant images rated for 35+ years of durability in gold, copper, and silver finishes. Supporting production capabilities include industrial ytterbium fiber laser marking (1064nm), dye sublimation, screen printing, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, heat-sealed vinyl, embroidery, HP Latex wide-format printing (up to 54 inches), bindery and finishing, and a 40-inch wide large-format scanner. The company holds 65+ years of military specification compliance (Federal Specification GGP-455B, MIL-DTL-15024F, MIL-STD-130, MIL-P-19834B, MIL-DTL-19834C, MIL-P-6906B, MIL-A-8625F) and supplies U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Army programs including the Abrams Tank, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and HMMWV.

MPS generates revenue across six streams, all on a project or order basis: metal imaging services (nameplates, UID labels, signage, plaques, murals), laser engraving, commercial printing, apparel decoration, custom plaques/awards, and graphic design services billed at $45.00 per hour. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and direct, combining phone (412-829-2992), email ([email protected]), walk-in service at the Wall, PA facility, website quote requests with file upload, a customer portal, and a Facebook presence, supplemented by industry-specific solution sheets for aerospace, defense, energy, heavy equipment, industrial, marine, medical, and transportation verticals. Apparel decoration leverages supplier partnerships with SanMar, S&S Activewear, and ACC. The customer base spans industrial manufacturing (Caterpillar, Cummins, Bendix), government/defense, transportation (Hyundai Translead), audio equipment (30+ modular synthesizer designers), and a long tail of consumer and SMB clients seeking commemorative, recognition, and keepsake products.

Name

Metal Photo Service

Legal name

Metal Photo Service, Inc.

Website

https://mtlphoto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Metal Photo Service is a 1954-founded, family-owned Wall, PA commercial printer specializing in Metalphoto® photosensitive anodized aluminum imaging for defense, industrial, and consumer clients. It serves the Pittsburgh region with traditional printing and nationwide with MIL-SPEC metal identification products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Printing and Metal Imaging Services

NAICS

Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328), Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Service Industries For The Printing Trade (2790)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Packaging Decoration & Printing (Lithography, Digital, Sleeving on Metal) (IMALADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Engraving, Laser Marking & Personalization (Production) (CRAKAIAH)

Keywords

• Metal imaging services
• Commercial printing services
• Laser engraving services
• Apparel decoration services
• Nameplate manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Wall

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Imaging Services: Custom metal imaging on photosensitive anodized aluminum for identification plates, nameplates, UID labels, signage, awards, plaques, murals, and artwork. One-time custom fabrication orders.
2. Laser Engraving Services: Industrial and consumer laser engraving on wide variety of materials including metal, plastic, acrylic, wood, and more. One-off pieces to production runs.
3. Commercial Printing: Traditional printing services from one-color quick-print flyers to four-color multi-page documents. Includes copy center services, wide format printing, and bindery/finishing.
4. Apparel Decoration: Screen printing, direct-to-garment, heat sealed vinyl, and embroidery services for apparel with minimum quantities from 1-12 pieces depending on method.
5. Custom Plaques and Awards: Custom plaque creation on wood, metal, and acrylic substrates. Includes donor recognition, achievement awards, and commemorative pieces.
6. Graphic Design Services: In-house graphic design services at $45.00 per hour for artwork creation, logo design, publication layout, and various design needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Metal Photo Service, Inc. is a full-service commercial printing and document solutions company that specializes in custom metal imaging on photosensitive anodized aluminum using the licensed Metalphoto® process. The company fabricates durable nameplates, ID plates, UID labels, signage, plaques, awards, and commemorative pieces for industrial, defense, aerospace, medical, and consumer customers, and also offers laser engraving, dye sublimation, apparel decoration, wide format printing, and graphic design services from its Wall, PA facility.

Product overview

Metal Photo Service is a full-service commercial printing company with a specialty in metal imaging. The core product is Metalphoto®, a photosensitive anodized aluminum imaging process. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio including Laser Engraving, Plaques & Awards, Commercial Printing, Apparel services (Screen Printing, Heat Sealed Vinyl, Direct to Garment, Embroidery), Custom Color Imaging (dye sublimation), Graphic Design, Special Services (donor recognition, prototyping), MPS Manufacturing, Wide Format Printing, Copy Center, and Bindery/Finishing Services. The offerings span from metal photo products to traditional printing and apparel decoration, serving industries including aerospace, defense, medical, manufacturing, marine, and transportation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Print Shoppe: A separate commercial printing brand operating under Metal Photo Service.

Products and services

• Metalphoto® Metal Imaging

Quantifiable outcome

• 35+ year durability on Metalphoto products
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SanMarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApparel vendor supplying blank garments for MPS screen printing and embroidery decoration services.
• ACC (American Coloring Concepts)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApparel vendor partner for blank garment supply.
• S&S ActivewearminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApparel vendor partner for blank garment supply.
• Horizons IncorporatedcoreTechnology or IntegrationLicensor of the Metalphoto trademark and technology. Metal Photo Service is licensed to use Metalphoto photosensitive anodized aluminum imaging technology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crown Awards: National retailer and manufacturer of plaques, trophies, and awards for corporate, athletic, and commemorative recognition. Directly competes with MPS's Plaques & Awards and consumer commemorative metal imaging products.
• Champion America: Manufacturer of custom signs, nameplates, and identification products for industrial, commercial, and safety applications. Competes with MPS in metal signage and identification across overlapping customer bases.
• Alpina Manufacturing: Custom manufacturer of industrial nameplates, ID plates, and Metalphoto-style metal identification products. Closely comparable small/mid-market competitor in the MIL-SPEC and industrial identification niche.
• Identification Devices Inc. Custom manufacturer of industrial nameplates, data plates, UID labels, and identification tags for aerospace, defense, and industrial OEMs. Direct specialty competitor in the same MIL-SPEC metal identification niche MPS serves.
• Horizons Incorporated: Owner of the Metalphoto® trademark and underlying photosensitive anodized aluminum imaging process. Horizons licenses MPS to use Metalphoto and is simultaneously a competing Metalphoto producer, making it both the company's most important technology partner and most direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• CustomInk: Large national custom apparel decoration company offering screen printing, embroidery, and DTG to groups and businesses. Competes directly with MPS's apparel decoration line on price, turnaround, and digital ordering experience.
• FedEx Office: National chain offering commercial printing, copying, signage, and document services through owned and partner locations. A broad incumbent that competes with MPS's copy center, commercial printing, and wide-format services, especially in the Pittsburgh market.
• Brady Corporation: Global leader in identification solutions including nameplates, labels, and signs for industrial, aerospace, and defense customers. A much larger incumbent competing for the same harsh-environment identification specification work MPS serves through Caterpillar, Cummins, and DoD primes.
• SpeedPro Imaging: Large national franchise network specializing in wide-format and large-format graphics, signage, banners, and vehicle wraps. Competes with MPS's HP Latex wide-format printing and signage offerings at a broader geographic scale.
• Allegra Network: Large franchise network of independently owned commercial printing and marketing services businesses. Competes with MPS's Pittsburgh-region commercial printing, design, and apparel decoration services through franchise locations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/metalphotosvc

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 Metal Photo Service