Isle Of Printing

What Isle Of Printing does

Isle of Printing is a Nashville-based creative studio founded in 1997 by Bryce McCloud that operates at the intersection of traditional letterpress printing and modern laser cutting/engraving. The studio produces handcrafted art prints, posters, business cards, custom packaging, signage, murals, and large-scale public art installations, employing a team of approximately 10–15 craftspeople out of its headquarters at 620 Ewing Ave in Nashville's Pie Town neighborhood. Its technical differentiators include antique letterpress equipment, precision laser cutting on birch plywood and natural materials, live-hinge laser techniques (notably used for the Paramount Records box set), and the capacity to fabricate installations like the Pinewood Social Can Wall, McCloudWall, and Barista Parlor's 24-foot digitally enhanced letterpress mural.

The firm operates a hybrid revenue model spanning three streams: (1) direct-to-consumer e-commerce through its own website shop and Etsy storefront selling posters (~$20), t-shirts ($30), buttons, holiday cards ($5), and themed PSA/campaign kits ($100); (2) commissioned custom work for enterprises such as Third Man Records, Patagonia Nashville, SESAC, City Winery, Barista Parlor, and Jason Aldean; and (3) grant-funded public art projects, primarily via the Metro Nashville Arts Commission. Its go-to-market combines D2C retail, event-driven community engagement (Our Town Nashville, Our Town Everywhere in Madison WI and planned Skokie IL, Communication Station now in its 33rd iteration, Automat Exchange Machine tours), and direct commissioned sales. The studio serves a diversified base of individual art/merchandise consumers, Nashville-area SMBs, arts and culture organizations, and select music-industry and enterprise clients, with no disclosed external funding and founder-led ownership.

Name

Isle Of Printing

Legal name

Isle of Printing

Website

https://isleofprinting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Founded in 1997 in Nashville, Isle of Printing is a letterpress and laser-cutting studio producing handcrafted art prints, custom packaging, signage, and large-scale public art installations. It serves individual consumers via D2C e-commerce, local Nashville businesses, arts organizations, and music-industry clients through commissioned projects and grant-funded public art.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Letterpress Printing Services

NAICS

Printing (32311), Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Printing and Related Support Activities (3231)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Prepress, Plate-Making & Artwork Services (IMALAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Large-Format & Specialty Printing (Signage, Posters, Displays) (MPAJALAD)

Keywords

• Letterpress printing services
• Laser cutting engraving
• Custom print shop
• Public art installations
• Vinyl packaging fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Product Sales: Direct sales of letterpress prints, posters, shirts, buttons, holiday cards, and novelty items through their website shop and Etsy storefront. Products range from $5-$100 with physical goods shipped to customers.
2. Commissioned Art Projects: Custom commissions for businesses and organizations including signage, murals, packaging design, and installation art. Examples include work for Third Man Records, Barista Parlor, City Winery, Patagonia, and corporate clients.
3. Public Art Projects with Community Support: Public art projects partially funded by grants from organizations like Metro Nashville Arts Commission and themed grants. PSA campaign kit sales support the Public Art Works Project with profits split between COVID-19 relief and artists.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Isle of Printing operates a letterpress and laser cutting studio that produces art prints, custom packaging, signage, and large-scale public art installations for businesses and consumers. It also runs an e-commerce shop selling posters, shirts, buttons, and other letterpress-printed merchandise, alongside community-driven public art projects in Nashville and other cities.

Product overview

Isle of Printing is a Nashville-based letterpress print shop and public art studio offering a diverse portfolio of services and products. The core offerings include traditional letterpress printing services (art prints, business cards, invitations, ephemera), laser cutting and engraving on various materials (wood, leather, felt), large-scale public art installations, custom illustration, branding, sign painting, and product packaging. The company sells retail products through its PSA Shop including posters, buttons, and shirts with public service messaging. Their notable art projects include the Our Town Nashville community portrait initiative, the Communication Station mobile communication installation, the Automat Exchange Machine for object-story trading, the McCloudWall letterpress origami installation, and the Pinewood Social Can Wall. They produce specialty laser-cut vinyl packaging for clients including Third Man Records and have created the Nashville Sight Seer guide series. The company operates through both commissioned commercial work and uncommissioned public art projects, with a strong emphasis on community engagement and handmade craft.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Letterpress Art Services Traditional letterpress printing services for art prints, business cards, invitations, and ephemera-inspired novelties, produced on antique letterpress equipment for artists, businesses, and individuals seeking handcrafted print products.
• Laser Cutting and Engraving Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of community members engaged through public art projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Patagonia NashvillecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Commissioned 'From Trash to Treasure – A Portrait of Brown's Creek' for Patagonia Nashville grand opening. IOP created a portrait of Brown's Creek using stamps made from objects found in local streams, with community participation during the opening weekend.
• Third Man RecordsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Multiple high-profile collaborations including Great Gatsby Soundtrack LP cover (with Jack White and Julian Baker), Karen Elson 45 packaging, Paramount Records box set centerpiece, and Bolt-a-trope picture disks. IOP conceived and created wooden sleeves and laser-cut packaging for limited edition vinyl releases.
• Rivive! NashvilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization working on educating and helping organize Nashville to care for natural places. Collaborated on the Patagonia Brown's Creek project.
• Madison BubblercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts organization in Madison, WI that brought Our Town Everywhere to their city as a way to reintroduce the community post-pandemic. Adapted the system for Madison over a two-year period.
• WorkhumanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrought the Automat Exchange Machine to their 2019 conference at Gaylord Opryland Resort to kick off the event. Filled with treasures from local artisans.
• Sewanee: The University of the SouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the inaugural Object Idea Exchange with the Automat Exchange Machine in Fall 2018. Students from local Sewanee Elementary participated in learning about public art projects.
• Room at the InnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal partner for Our Town Nashville project origin - IOP was teaching a class there when the project concept emerged.
• The Stamberger CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partnership for Jason Aldean Tour Book - Wendy Stamberger designed the hand-painted laser-etched birch piece.
• Skokie Library (IL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanning a 2025 project called The Skokie Yearbook Project using the Our Town system.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Arm Letterpress: Brooklyn-based letterpress and design studio producing custom business cards, stationery, and limited-edition print goods. Comparable to IOP on craft-led service offerings, SMB-to-enterprise client base, and direct-to-consumer retail channel for prints and ephemera.
• Stumptown Printers: Portland-based letterpress and offset print shop producing posters, music packaging, and commercial print for brands and musicians. Directly comparable on music industry/custom packaging niche, letterpress equipment, and combination of commissioned work plus retail prints.
• Hatch Show Print: Iconic Nashville-based letterpress print shop producing posters, prints, and design work for music, sports, and cultural clients. Operates in the same city and serves overlapping customer segments (music industry, cultural institutions, retail merchandise) using traditional letterpress methods, making it the closest direct peer to Isle Of Printing.
• Studio on Fire: Design and letterpress studio specializing in custom die-cut business cards, invitations, and packaging for creative brands. Closely comparable on letterpress plus custom fabrication technique mix and on serving premium SMB/agency clients with bespoke short-run print, similar IOP's boutique commission work.
• Mama's Sauce: Orlando-based print and design shop producing screen-printed and litho posters, apparel, and brand merchandise with a strong music and lifestyle client roster. Overlaps with IOP on print-shop-plus-design positioning, music/cultural clientele, and retail poster/apparel sales.

Broad incumbents

• Powerhouse Factories: Large-format, experiential fabrication and printing shop producing OOH installations, signage, and event environments for brands and agencies. Comparable to IOP on large-scale custom installations and brand-experience work, though operates at substantially greater industrial scale.
• Yeehaw Industries: Screen-printing and design studio producing apparel, prints, and brand merchandise for lifestyle and tourism clients. Comparable to IOP on combined print/design offering, retail merch, and Nashville/Tennessee regional footprint, though anchored in screen printing rather than letterpress and laser.

Emerging players

• Field Notes (in-house print partner, 826 National): Notebook and print goods brand with a strong identity around small-batch paper goods and branded merch. Comparable to IOP's DTC e-commerce retail line (limited runs, themed print/products, community-rooted brand), though centered on stationery rather than letterpress art.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/isleofprinting
• Facebookfacebook.com/IsleofPrinting
• Instagraminstagram.com/isleofprinting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isle-of-printing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Isle Of Printing