Why a Charlotte magazine veteran is opening a print shop in the digital age
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Photo: Logan Cyrus
Self-proclaimed print nerd Andy Smith, the former editor and publisher of Charlotte magazine, has opened a new print shop off Monroe Road.
Why it matters: Even after the longstanding publication shuttered, Smith still believes in the power of paper.
What he's saying: "If you do a true inventory of your day-to-day experiences, you'd be surprised at how many times you touch paper, even in the digital age," says Smith, whose shop officially opened Feb. 2.
- Print, he adds, is even more essential now to ensure "messaging doesn't get lost in the black holes of our phones."
The big picture: The numbers back him up. Commercial printing is a $127 billion industry in the U.S., projected to grow 3.1% by 2030, market research shows.
Flashback: Smith's media career spans 17 years, from a newspaper copy desk to overseeing one of Charlotte's most beautiful magazines. He led the glossy publication as it captured a fast-changing city through captivating storytelling.
- As publisher, Smith dove deeper into the world of physical media. Magazine owner Morris Communications always printed at a far-off facility. It was while volunteering for his daughters' elementary school yearbook and newspaper that he found himself in and out of local print shops.
- Smith thought, "This would be a fun next chapter one day."
- One day last summer, while on a family Outer Banks trip, he jotted down a business plan and sketched a logo with a pterosaur (a tongue-in-cheek visual for a "dying" medium). Then he stuck his idea in a drawer.
- Until November, when Morris Communications announced it would end Charlotte magazine's six-decade run. Smith published the last issue the following month.
- "I just decided it was time to go ahead and go all in," Smith says.
What's inside: Andy's Print Shop produces small- to medium-format, including programs, brochures, catalogues, playbills and nostalgic trading cards for youth sports. He'll print menus for restaurants that realize customers are tired of scanning QR codes, and even his daughters' school yearbooks.
- He's serving industries like higher education, real estate and med offices. But he's also doing the personal stuff. He just heard from someone who wants to order a batch of their yearly Valentine's Day cards.
Smith offers his journalistic expertise to support customers with writing, proofreading and designing their products.
- "This is not just a factory," Smith says. "I can be as much of a collaborator as they want."
The intrigue: Ted Williams, who founded Charlotte Agenda (and sold it to Axios in 2020), is an investor in the business.
- "I'm so bullish that when Andy asked me to invest, I didn't even look at his business plan," Williams wrote in his Tiny Money newsletter. "I just stroked him a check."
💭 My thought bubble: I envision Andy's shop joining the ranks of Biggs Cameras, Lunchbox Records and Central City Comics — small businesses that feel good to frequent. Not just because of what they sell, but because the passion to keep those mediums alive is palpable.
What's next: Smith is focused on building a community of repeat customers who value print as much as he does.
- "Success to me looks like ongoing relationships," he says.
Stop by: Andy's Print Shop is appointment-only. It's at 9301 Monroe Road, Ste. F. Nonprofits receive 20% off.
