Mount Street Printers demonstrates the appeal of fine print in a digital age
Where other printing companies have failed, Mount Street Printers endures. The secret, its director says, is innovation and custom-made equipment.
In a struggling industry, London-based Mount Street Printers is a rare linchpin of stability. Work at its production facility in the west of the city is in rude health: customers include the likes of Burberry and Sotheby’s. The business’s original Mayfair shop also remains a dependable institution. While neighbouring luxury brands come and go, the company, which specialises in fine corporate printing and luxury stationery, has maintained a constant retail presence at 4 Mount Street since 1981. “When we started, everything was printed – there was no such thing as email,” says the business’s director, Alex Cain. “But the marketplace and the area around us have changed. We have gone with what the customers are demanding.”
The son of Mount Street Printers’ founders, Peter and Fridette, Cain has found success by embracing what others fear. “We love programmes such as Canva because they enable people to create their own vision,” he says. “But the real test of a designer today is whether they can make things look good in print. The big agencies are moving towards these touchpoints that make a product feel special.”
At its production facility, innovation is crucial. Traditionally, when a client places an order for, say, an event invitation at a printer, jobs such as making envelopes or letterpress are outsourced because of a lack of specialist skills. “But because we buy the equipment and do it all in-house, we can build a high level of trust with our customers,” says Cain. “You can start from a point of inspiration and let your imagination run wild with techniques, colours, shapes, materials and sizes.”
During Monocle’s visit, we see a wedding announcement with gold-foiled lettering shimmering over a digitally printed watercolour design. Nearby, an employee operates a laser, cutting out plates for die-stamping; the machine was adapted for the business two years ago. Cain has his eyes on what comes next. “We’re obsessed with future-proofing the business,” he says. “My objective is to ensure that it lasts 100 years.”
mountstreetprinters.com
Comment
Though trends can offer short-term success, it’s worth looking elsewhere for longer-term rewards. Something that has gone out of fashion will invariably come back – hold tight and you might be pleasantly surprised. It’s why Monocle has always believed in the power of print.
