Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason McDaniel.
Hi Jason, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
After working in the advertising industry for 14 years, I started doing freelance design work and a client asked for letterpress business cards. Even with all of my print production knowledge, I had never heard of letterpress. After some google searching I found a small one that got shipped to me and I set it up in my garage. I happened upon a workshop at the Craft Guild of Dallas, and I was instantly hooked. I immediately started acquiring vintage presses and equipment, including a woodblock typeface that was “missing” the the letter Q, which become the inspiration for my business name. I’ve been in business for 20 years and now own 8 presses (6 letterpress and 2 engraving) plus other machines that do specialty finishing like beveled edges, laser cuts and even UV printing. I have a full bindery setup for stitched or wired books and notebooks, a gluer and so many other “secrets” that help me on all sorts of projects. My business is definitely a very unique place.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes and no. One of the biggest challenges is having presses moved. I’ve been in 6 spaces over 20 years and it never gets any easier. Finding new customers is always a challenge but I am so grateful for my loyal customers that come back to me for invitations, stationery, holiday cards and more. The majority of my business is referral- based which is always a nice compliment. The hardest part of my business is doing everything myself. It’s very difficult to find people with the right skillset in either design or production and I am very particular about how works gets produced.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As the Principal/Creative Director, I oversee literally every aspect of my business. From concept and design all the way through sourcing paper, envelopes and other materials to ultimately create a final printed piece. I am most proud of the fact I actually run all of my equipment and I think that is one of the main things that sets me apart from other studios.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Trends always change – colors, papers, printing techniques. I see the artisan printing industry continuing to grow and flourish as there are all kinds of younger people learning about letterpress and starting their own studios.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.missingqpress.com
- Instagram: MissingQPress
- Facebook: MissingQPress
