What Issue Press does

Issue Press is an independent artist publishing company and Risograph printing operation founded in 2011 and based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It produces limited-run Risograph-printed artist books, single and multi-color prints, posters, calendars, and multiples in edition sizes typically ranging from 25 to 600 copies, with product prices spanning $2 to $40+. The underlying technology is Risograph printing, a screen-printing duplicating process using soy-based inks and single-color screens that yields distinctive aesthetic results and supports a wide range of specialty ink colors.

The company operates a dual model: as a publisher collaborating with a rotating roster of independent artists (including Pat Perry, Anuj Shrestha, C.C., Linh-Yen Hoang, and others across series such as Cabin-Time and BOTH/AND), and as a printing service provider offering Risograph production to outside artists. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront, supplemented by participation in art book fairs and exhibitions, with marketing conducted primarily through Instagram and Facebook.

Issue Press is privately held with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional investment. It has earned recognition from the Society of Illustrators (Gold Medal in 2019 for MoCCA and 2021 for BOTH/AND Studies) and selection in American Illustration 41, and has pursued cause-linked product lines including fundraising editions for Stop AAPI Hate and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. The company markets horizontally across independent art collectors and independent artists, with no enterprise or institutional customer concentration.

Name

Issue Press

Legal name

Issue Press

Website

https://issue.press

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Issue Press is an independent publisher and Risograph printing shop founded in 2011 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, producing limited-run artist books and prints for independent artists and art collectors via direct-to-consumer e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Artist Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

Photo Books & Art Books Print-on-Demand (Coffee Table, Portfolios) (MPAJANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Print-on-Demand Production (Book POD, Short-Run Fulfillment) (MPAJALAG)

Keywords

• Risograph printing
• Artist publishing
• Limited edition prints
• Independent press
• Screen printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Print Sales: Direct sales of limited-run Risograph prints and publications through their e-commerce platform. Products include artist books, posters, calendars, and multiples sold as one-time purchases at various price points ranging from $2 to $40+.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Issue Press is an independent artist publishing company and Risograph printing shop that produces and sells limited-run Risograph-printed artist books, publications, prints, posters, calendars, and multiples in collaboration with independent artists. The company also offers Risograph printing services from its Grand Rapids, Michigan studio, producing editions typically ranging from 25 to 600 copies per title.

Product overview

Issue Press is an independent artist publishing company and Risograph printing operation based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company specializes in limited-run works by artists exploring humor, history, place, and beyond. Their core offerings include Risograph-printed artist books and publications (such as the Cabin Time residency series), single and multi-color Risograph prints (including the CCOOLL Poster Show collection), calendars, and multiples. Issue Press also provides Risograph printing services for artists. Products span various categories including Prints, Publications, Calendars, and Multiples, with editions typically ranging from 50 to 600 copies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Issue Press Publications Limited-run Risograph-printed artist books and publications exploring themes of humor, history, and place, produced in collaboration with various artists, typically in editions of 25 to 600 copies.
• Issue Press Prints Single and multi-color Risograph prints including posters, zines, calendars, and standalone artworks by various artists, typically produced in limited editions with prices ranging from $2 to $40+.
• Risograph Printing Services Independent Risograph printing services offered from Grand Rapids, Michigan, producing limited-run artist publications and prints for artists and collaborators.
• Cabin Time Series Publication series documenting artist residencies including Cabin Time: Bogus Lake, Cabin Time: Rabbit Island, Cabin Time: Wilderness, Cabin Time: Green River, Cabin Time: Archipelago, and Cabin Time: Pokey Creek.
• CCOOLL Poster Show A collection of 17 Risograph prints created for an exhibition at Kornél in Antwerp, Belgium in 2015, co-released with CCOOOL.
• Seeds of Hope A fundraising Risograph print edition by Kim Nguyen to support families in Palestine, with proceeds donated to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.

Named customers3 records

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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CCOOLLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-release partner for the CCOOLL Poster Show collection of 17 Risograph prints created for an exhibition at Kornél in Antwerp, Belgium in summer 2015.
• Kornél (Antwerp, Belgium)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGallery venue that hosted the CCOOLL Poster Show exhibition in summer 2015, featuring 17 Risograph prints from various artists.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform that powers the Issue Press website and enables them to provide services to customers, including payment processing and order fulfillment.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Colpa Press: San Francisco–based publisher of limited-edition art books, zines, and Risograph prints from contemporary artists. Highly comparable in production technique (Risograph), edition sizes, and artist-driven model.
• Printed Matter: Long-running NYC nonprofit dedicated to artists' books and publications, with a curated catalog of limited-edition works. Comparable to Issue Press as a destination for collectors of independently published art editions.
• Motto Books: Berlin-based distributor and publisher of artist books, zines, and small-press editions. Comparable as a parallel small-press operator in the international artist-book ecosystem.
• Anthology Editions: New York–based independent publisher of limited-run artist books and editions, including Risograph and fine-art printing collaborations. Directly comparable to Issue Press in product type (limited-edition art books/prints), price band, and artist-collab model.
• Ugly Duckling Presse: Brooklyn-based nonprofit artist-book publisher producing poetry, art, and limited-edition works in print and Risograph. Closely comparable in mission, format mix, and curated artist-collab approach.

Broad incumbents

• Tin House Books: Portland-based independent literary publisher with a strong design sensibility. Operates at a larger scale and broader literary remit than Issue Press but shares the independent-press positioning.
• McSweeney's: San Francisco–based independent publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and the quarterly literary magazine. Broader in scope than Issue Press but overlapping as an established independent press with curated, design-forward output.
• Mack Books: UK-based independent publisher specializing in photography, visual arts, and artist monographs. Comparable to Issue Press in artist-led, design-forward publishing but at a larger international scale.
• Drag City: Chicago-based independent label and publisher spanning music, comics, and books. Comparable as a long-running, founder-owned independent cultural publisher operating outside the mainstream system.

Emerging players

• Short Run: Seattle-based small-press, comic, and zine festival/collective. Comparable to Issue Press as a community node for the same independent-print ecosystem, with overlap in audience of small-press enthusiasts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/issuepress
• Instagraminstagram.com/issuepress
• Xx.com/issuepress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/issue-press

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 Issue Press