A little print shop with a big history, right here in Roanoke, Virginia.
Pictured Above: Earl washing up a Heidelberg Windmill, one of the first presses added after the Kluge and Chandler & Price presses. This press is still one of the mainstays of our shop today!
My name is Coral Wood- designer, printer, and Jane of all trades at Earl Wood Printing, and I'm so happy you've stopped by! This family business means the world to me, and I'd love to take a moment to share a small sliver of our history with you.
While Earl Wood Printing has been operating in the heart of the Roanoke Valley since 1933, I thought I would take a moment to reintroduce ourselves! New and old customers alike, we're always happy to say hello. We’re a third-generation, family owned print shop serving local, regional, and international customers.
My grandparents, Robert “Earl” Wood and Omega “June” Wood, started Earl Wood Printing in a small shop in Southeast Roanoke, Virginia. After they got married, they moved the shop to a small building behind their home on Noble Avenue. Like many family owned businesses, the beginnings were humble- with just a Kluge and two Chandler & Price Platen presses (a 10x15 and a small table version), Robert and June made a lasting impression on the printing industry in Roanoke. After a few years in the business, Earl expanded the print shop to also offer Offset Printing. (For more information on the different types of printing, keep an eye out for future blog posts!)
Pictured Left: Sign at the Noble Avenue location directing customers to the print shop located behind Earl and June's house.
Pictured Right: The building third from the left is the second location of Earl Wood Printing, located on Noble Avenue.
Upon Earl’s passing, June and her son (my father) Robert “Bob” Wood, Jr. continued the family’s printing business after serving in the US Navy. In 1973, Bob moved the shop to our current location on Whiteside Street, just a few blocks over from the original location. This new space allowed us to grow and innovate to keep up with an ever changing printing industry. Together with his wife, Fran, Bob has become a well known printing figure in the Roanoke area.
In 2014 after graduating from Roanoke College, I began (or rather resumed) my journey in the world of printing. After spending my childhood growing up in the printshop and falling in love with the process, continuing the family print shop is nothing short of a dream. Even though my memories of the shop on Noble Avenue are vague, my love of the industry, presses, paper, and ink is anything but. There’s such joy to be found in the process from start to finish, and I love sharing that with our customers!
Our current list of products and services is vast and varied- take a look at the Print, Design, and Finishing page of our website for an overview of some of our most popular products. While you’re there, check out the Specialty Printing and Wedding Stationery pages. If you don’t see the product you’re looking for, just give us a shout- we’ll try anything once!
Beyond our pride in the products and services we offer, we’re proud of the process through which we provide them. Unlike many other businesses where customers are just a number, we strive to form lasting relationships (and often friendships!) with our customers. Getting to know our customers allows us to better tailor our products to fit our customers’ needs, in turn allowing us to provide a quality product and greater customer satisfaction. From the beginning to end of your print or design project, we’re always available to answer any questions you may have. We’re also small enough have a flexible production schedule, allowing us to better work in alignment with your timeline.
So if you find yourself on our side of town, stop by and say hello! We’d love to get to know you and get the presses rolling for you! If you can’t pop in but want to see what we’re up to, follow us on Instagram- @earlwoodprinting