crown point press
Crown Point Press is a San Francisco fine art printmaking publisher founded in 1962 that produces limited-edition intaglio etchings by invited contemporary artists. The family-owned press serves collectors, museums, and institutions through its gallery, online store, and workshops.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1962
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What crown point press does
Crown Point Press is a San Francisco-based fine art printmaking publisher founded in 1962 by Kathan Brown. The company specializes exclusively in intaglio printmaking — etching, aquatint, drypoint, and related copper plate techniques — and operates as both a workshop and a publisher of original fine art etchings. Crown Point invites three to four artists per year to work on-site with a small team of master printers, who guide the artists through multi-technique plate preparation, hand-inking, and hand-printing on a hand-cranked etching press. The press has built a catalog spanning over 100 artists including Richard Diebenkorn, Wayne Thiebaud, Ed Ruscha, Sol LeWitt, Bruce Nauman, and Laura Owens, with active projects as recently as 2026 with Laura Owens, Hilary Pecis, Rupy C. Tut, and Ed Ruscha.
The company's revenue derives primarily from one-time sales of limited-edition etchings (with stated fair market values ranging from $3,500 for John Zurier prints to $15,000 for Chuck Close woodcuts), supplemented by exhibition catalogs, the "Magical Secrets" instructional book series used in university printmaking programs, and summer etching workshops open to the public. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the Crown Point Gallery at 657 Howard Street in San Francisco (relocated to a new street-level space in May 2026) and the online store at store.crownpoint.com; there are no intermediaries. The press also participates in art fairs and publishes the "Overview" newsletter.
Crown Point Press is privately held under family ownership. Kevin Parker, son of founder Kathan Brown (1935–2025), is the owner; there is no evidence of external investment, venture capital, or private equity backing. The press is a member of IFPDA and ADAA, and its archives are held by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where landmark anniversary exhibitions were mounted at the 25th (MoMA), 35th, 50th, and 60th anniversaries. Marketing relies on institutional credibility, a curated newsletter, and word-of-mouth within the art community rather than digital advertising.
crown point press firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- crown point press
- Legal name
- Crown Point Press
- Website
- https://crownpoint.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1962
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Crown Point Press is a San Francisco fine art printmaking publisher founded in 1962 that produces limited-edition intaglio etchings by invited contemporary artists. The family-owned press serves collectors, museums, and institutions through its gallery, online store, and workshops.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
crown point press industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fine Art Printmaking
- NAICS
- Printing and Related Support Activities (3231), Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Prepress & Composition Services (Typesetting, Layout, Color Management, Proofing) (MPAJALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting) (MPAJAJAG)
Keywords
Where crown point press is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
crown point press business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fine art print sales: Sale of limited-edition original etchings by established and contemporary artists. Prints are sold directly through the gallery and online store to collectors, museums, and art institutions.
- Artist catalogs and books: Sale of exhibition catalogs, artist monographs, and the 'Magical Secrets' instructional book series used in workshops and universities across the country.
- Summer workshops: Etching workshops open to all, held during summer months at the San Francisco studio.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | John Zurier prints - $3,500 fair market value |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | William T. Wiley prints - $6,500 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Chuck Close woodcut - $15,000 fair market value |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
crown point press product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Crown Point Press publishes and prints limited-edition fine art etchings using traditional intaglio techniques, with 3–4 invited artists per year producing hand-inked, hand-printed editions. The press also operates a public gallery in San Francisco, runs summer etching workshops, and sells the Magical Secrets instructional book series documenting its methods.
Product overview
Crown Point Press is a fine art etching publisher founded in 1962, specializing in intaglio printmaking. Their portfolio consists of four interconnected offerings: (1) Fine Art Etching Publishing as their core product, where artists collaborate with master printers to create original etchings in limited editions; (2) Gallery Exhibitions at their San Francisco location displaying works by their published artists; (3) Summer Workshops teaching printmaking techniques to the public; and (4) the Magical Secrets instructional book series documenting their technical methods. The company operates primarily as a physical printmaking workshop rather than a software product company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fine Art Etching Publishing Core service producing and publishing limited-edition original fine art etchings. Artists work with Crown Point's master printers to create plates using intaglio techniques (etching, aquatint, drypoint), with editions printed by hand. The press publishes 3–4 invited artists per year, targeting collectors, museums, and corporate collections.
- Gallery Exhibitions Public gallery at 657 Howard Street, San Francisco, showcasing rotating exhibitions of etchings by Crown Point's published artists. Open to the public Monday–Friday 9 AM–5 PM. The gallery relocated to a new street-level space in May 2026.
- Summer Etching Workshops Etching workshops open to all participants, held during summer months at the San Francisco studio, teaching traditional intaglio printmaking techniques.
- Magical Secrets Series Instructional book series published by Crown Point Press that teaches etching and printmaking techniques, including volumes on aquatint, line etching, and chine collé. Used in workshops and universities across the country.
Quantifiable outcome
- Archives held by Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and National Gallery of Art, demonstrating institutional recognition and preservation of legacy
Companies that use crown point press
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
crown point press technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
crown point press partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Chinese woodblock studiosminorState-run woodcut studios in Beijing and Shanghai where seven Crown Point artists worked from 1987-1989 using older woodcut techniques, following the Japan program model.
- Tadashi Toda / Shi-un-do Print Shop, KyotocoreTraditional Japanese woodcut printer whose family handed down watercolor woodcut printing skills since the 17th century. Crown Point artists traveled to Japan from 1982-1989 to work with Toda creating watercolor woodcuts.
- Parasol PresscoreIn 1971, New York print publisher Bob Feldman of Parasol Press sent artist Sol LeWitt to Crown Point for a project. Parasol Press sent Brice Marden and other artists, and Crown Point worked for Parasol through the 1970s. This alliance allowed Crown Point to work with New York artists including Sol LeWitt and Brice Marden, key members of the Minimal art movement.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
crown point press competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Graphicstudio (University of South Florida): University-affiliated fine art print workshop founded in 1968, publishing limited editions with major contemporary artists (Robert Rauschenberg, Chuck Close, Kara Walker). Closely comparable to Crown Point in mission, artist collaborations, and archival museum relationships.
- Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE): Founded in 1957 by Tatyana Grosman, ULAE is one of America's most storied fine art print publishers, producing limited editions with major contemporary artists. Like Crown Point, it is a working studio/publisher rather than a commercial print shop, with comparable artist roster, prestige, and museum relationships.
- Paulson Fontaine Press: Berkeley-based fine art print publisher where Crown Point's Senior Master Printer Emily York trained before joining Crown Point in 2004. Same Bay Area geography, similar artist roster (John Baldessari, among others), and analogous publishing-plus-printing model.
- Tamarind Institute: University of New Mexico-affiliated fine art lithography workshop founded in 1960. Like Crown Point, it operates a master-printer training program (Crown Point's Arikah Conant is a Tamarind graduate), publishes with major contemporary artists, and combines production with education.
- Durham Press: Pennsylvania-based contemporary fine art press publishing limited-edition prints, sculptures, and works on paper with major contemporary artists. Comparable scope, artist roster, and direct-to-collector gallery distribution model.
- Two Palms Press: New York-based fine art print publisher working with established contemporary artists on limited-edition etchings, woodcuts, and screenprints. Closely comparable business model, scale, and artist caliber to Crown Point.
- Harlan & Weaver: New York intaglio printmaking studio founded in 1987 specializing in fine art etchings and engravings with contemporary artists. Direct competitor in the same intaglio/etching specialty as Crown Point.
Broad incumbents
- Pace Editions: The print-publishing arm of Pace Gallery, one of the world's largest blue-chip commercial galleries. Produces fine art editions with globally recognized artists at much greater scale and broader geographic reach than Crown Point, with overlapping artist relationships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
crown point press social profiles
Digital presencecrown point press financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
crown point press leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
crown point press funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
crown point press M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about crown point press
What does crown point press do?
Crown Point Press publishes and prints limited-edition fine art etchings using traditional intaglio techniques, with 3–4 invited artists per year producing hand-inked, hand-printed editions. The press also operates a public gallery in San Francisco, runs summer etching workshops, and sells the Magical Secrets instructional book series documenting its methods.
Is crown point press a public or private company?
crown point press is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was crown point press founded?
crown point press was founded in 1962. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is crown point press based?
crown point press is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does crown point press make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fine art print sales are the primary driver. The others are artist catalogs and books and summer workshops.
Who are crown point press's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Graphicstudio (University of South Florida), Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE), Paulson Fontaine Press, Tamarind Institute, Durham Press, Two Palms Press and Harlan & Weaver. Pace Editions is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does crown point press have an API?
No public API is recorded for crown point press.
What industry is crown point press in?
crown point press's product category is Fine Art Printmaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJALAA, Prepress & Composition Services (Typesetting, Layout, Color Management, Proofing), with a secondary code of MPAJAJAG, Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting). Its NAICS code is 3231 and its SIC code is 2741.