Running a small printmaking business in 2025

When I think about our small printmaking studio, I picture it the same way I picture one of my linoleum blocks at the very start…. blank and full of possibility. Every year is a new layer in the design. Some years are confidence building, others years are spent carving lines for hours until your hand falls asleep or you need shoulder surgery(yes, that’s this year).

Our intention is and will always be simple: grow this studio year after year, without losing the soul that makes it ours. Growth doesn’t always mean bigger; sometimes it means a deeper connection with the musicians we work with, deeper understanding of the tools we use and techniques we love, and most importantly, a deeper trust in our creative voice in the world.

Running Gilfalo Art Design with Dani, my wife and co-owner has taught me that slow growth is often the most sustainable. A new press, a new collaboration, or a new print release isn’t just a milestone, it’s a building block to the bigger picture. I want to stack those blocks carefully, so that 5, 10, 20 years from now, this business still reflects who we are and what we stand for: hand-crafted quality, original design, and a love for the music and communities we serve.

That means investing in our tools, our skills and in the people who believe in our work. It means saying “yes” to projects that excite us, even if they push us out of our comfort zone. It also means being patient enough to say “no” when something doesn’t align with our vision, because every “no” makes room for the right “yes.”

Year after year, I want Gilfalo to be known not just for the posters we design and print, but for the stories they tell….. the kind of stories you hang on your wall because they remind you of a night you’ll never forget or a band that changed your life.

Thanks for reading and following along in our journey… more to come down the road.