Photos and story by Beth Hester
Built on trust, love of craft and community connection, Jones Printing Service is celebrating their 50th Anniversary. Family-owned and run, they’re a full-service commercial print agency with capabilities that include branding design, pre-press operations, die-cutting, digital printing, offset and wide format printing, binding and finishing, and graphic design services. Jones also possesses full-service, direct mail capabilities like addressing, tabbing, scratch off labeling, list analytics and even client demographic research.
Practically any print creation that a client might envision can be brought to life by Jones’ skilled team of craftspersons and operators. Virtually every project—from design, to production, to delivery—can be handled in house.
The caliber and quantity of their client base speaks volumes about Jones’ customer-first mindset, and about the trust that top-tier companies and institutions place in them to manage their most critical projects: an innovative marketing brochure design, a die-cut promotional product, an annual report or brand identity guide, a university graduation program, or a high-end photography project.
A recent tour of the Jones Printing offices and shop offered a behind-the-scenes look at the people and processes, machines and technologies that turn bright ideas into compelling and beautifully crafted print products that amplify messaging, fuel campaigns, create connections and elevate brands.
Modern printing is a process that is at once mechanized and artisanal. Jones’ current shop is expansive, and if you happen to be a devotee of programs and videos that show how products are created and manufactured, and if you adore all things print related—this shop is your Disneyland. There’s a massive machine that can slice through a six-inch stack of glossy card stock like a hot knife through butter. There’s the large Komori advanced offset press that uses instant drying UV inks and state-of-the-art color management, and the super-colossal HORZON-Vac 1000 collator with suction feed that can handle a wide variety of paper stock.
But a highlight of the tour had to be the classic and robust Original Heidelberg Cylinder printing press, a versatile workhorse that can be used for both print and intricate die cut processes. It’s the kind of machine that definitely gives off Steampunk vibes.
Watching Jones’ skilled craftspersons at work on various client projects drove home the importance of the human touch in an increasingly mechanized and digitized world. Even the most sophisticated technology depends on experienced eyes and hands to guide it. But Owner Charles Jones says it’s getting harder to find employees that have the requisite skillsets. This unfortunately is a not uncommon problem many companies in the manufacturing field are facing. But it’s the people power that allows Jones Printing to provide clients with swift turnarounds, and in some cases, emergency overnight delivery.
We asked Charles for an example of a “hair on fire” turnaround. “We had an instance where we had to do an overnight rush job for a graduation ceremony,” he related. “There were some folks who were originally in the program, but who didn’t manage to actually graduate, so we were sent the adjusted program, and had to produce the new one overnight. We are committed to making all of our customers look as good as possible, and we’ll do whatever it takes.”
In closing this story, we want to touch on the artistic aspect of Jones Printing Services that goes beyond the brochures, business cards, posters and direct mail pieces. Jones’ designers and employees understand the importance of the role they and their presses play in producing books and booklets that elevate and complement client projects. I asked Ellen Jones, Phil Jones-Harrison, Charles Jones, and Mark Jones to describe a few of their most creative projects in their own words. Together, they shared the following:
On the Road
The book On the Road by Glen McClure was an idea conceptualized by Glen McClure and Charles Jones in the spring of 2024. Glen is a renowned local photographer who travels widely for his work. In March 2024, Charles had the opportunity to travel with Glen on his yearly trip to photograph the people and places of Ireland which sparked the idea to create a book showcasing Glen’s travels over the years. With the help of Glen’s wife, Marshall, who designed the layout of the book, they brought their vision to life. The creation of this unique piece also gave Jones Printing the opportunity to showcase the capabilities of their new state of the art printing press. The entire book was printed on the Komori Lithrone GL840P. The book itself is a perfect bound book with a soft touch cover. Each photograph throughout the booklet has a spot UV coating, which is just one of the many impressive features that the Komori press offers. This book is a result of Glen’s love for photography, Charles’ love for print, and their shared love of travel.
The Chrysler Museum of Art Master Plan
The 2018 Chrysler Museum Master Plan was a book Jones Printing printed in partnership with a local design agency, Studio C Design, and the Chrysler Museum.
We worked closely with the agency to select paper stocks and a creative page size that fit within the museum’s budget, while still producing a high-end piece that showcased the museum’s plans for the future. The 2018 Chrysler Museum Master Plan was a case bound booklet, meaning it had a square edge rather than stitches or staples. This binding style allowed us to produce the booklet in book blocks, which is a production technique that negates the need for additional folding and collating. By using this method, we saved both time and costs for the Chrysler Museum without compromising the quality of the final product. By producing this booklet more efficiently, we were able to provide the Chrysler Museum a substantially nicer book, while still fitting within their original budget. This was a great partnership between three local organizations in Hampton Roads.
