Catalyst of a Revolution
Catalyst of a Revolution Guest post by Wes Westmoreland Ink-stained hands methodically distributed lead soldiers into the wooden case. Robert Bell had known tough times in Scotland, and even tougher times in Dublin, but these times were different. It had been only five years since he arrived in Philadelphia and set up a press. In those few years, he had become a widely recognized printer and publisher, creating a market by offering low cost editions of well-known English writings. The Stamp Act created a shortage of paper, and the current hostilities had exacerbated the
Why Branding Matters for Print Companies
Why Branding Matters & is the Ultimate Growth Engine for Print Companies When it comes to print service providers, we often obsess over the technicalities… DPI, GSM, CMYK color profiles, and the sheer mechanical roar of a strong offset press or a high-end digital press. We sell physical creative collateral. We sell the way ink hits paper. However, there is a common trap that many print shop owners fall into… the commodity trap. When you position your business solely on the hardware you own or the speed at which you can turn around a flyer, you aren’t building
Ink and Independence: The Patriotic Women Who Helped Print America
When we tell the story of America’s founding, the names that usually appear are Washington, Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson. Yet behind the revolutionary ideas that spread across the colonies stood another powerful force: the printing press. Printers carried the Revolution in ink and paper—publishing laws, newspapers, broadsides, and pamphlets that informed citizens and united the colonies. Among these printers were several remarkable women whose work helped shape the early American republic. Three of the most influential were Elizabeth Glover, Ann Franklin, and Mary Katherine Goddard. Their presses did more than print pages—they advanced liberty. Elizabeth
Benjamin Franklin: America’s First Great Printing Entrepreneur
Benjamin Franklin often described himself simply as “B.F. of Philadelphia, Printer.” That humble title reveals the true foundation of his success. Long before he became a diplomat, scientist, or Founding Father, Franklin was a tradesman who built his life, fortune, and influence through ink, paper, type, and the printed word. Viewed through a printing lens, Franklin’s story is more than history—it is a lasting case study in craftsmanship, innovation, and entrepreneurial vision. Apprenticed to the Press Franklin entered the printing trade at age 12 as an apprentice in his brother James Franklin’s shop in