Printonyx: SJI Chamber Featured Member of the Month

Left to Right: Grace Brown, Jeff Fitts, Jonathan Reedy and Kris Brown – Contributed photo

Former elementary music teacher and entrepreneur, Homer Smith, started Printonyx in 1987 as a specialty souvenir shop, printing on a product called ONYX with a copy machine. Printonyx expanded into a copy, print broker and computer repair center under its second owner Ralph Walter.

When current owner Kristine Brown, purchased Printonyx in 1994, souvenirs had been phased out, computer repair was discontinued, and the shop had two copiers in a small West Street building. In 1999 it moved to Reed Street with triple the space and five copiers, self-serve computers and a full offset print shop after acquiring Heart Works print clients and Visions Printing’s offset press equipment.

Printonyx’s mission is to be the best copy, print & fax center in the San Juan Islands and is committed to responsive and resourceful service, honest pricing, reliability, good communication and the community.

Helpful employees and their families are the heart of Printonyx. Kris met her husband Dave through a printing project and both their sons, Carson (20) and Connor (18), hung out at the shop as youngsters. Carson’s wife, Grace, is now an employee. Manager Jeff Fitts joined the staff in 1996. He and his wife Kim have four children: Emily (14), Ethan (12), Sierra (11) and Sean (7).  Over the years, Printonyx has hired numerous high school students and was fortunate to keep Jonathan Reedy on since 2005. Bookkeeper, Jennifer Zaehring was Printonyx’s first student worker in 1995 and worked from age 13-18. She returned to Friday Harbor in 2011 and, with her husband Bryan Johnson, has two children: Hazel (7) and Gus (5).

When moving into a new building in 2013, Printonyx disbanded the offset press since digital copying had become much more cost effective and a wealth of trade printers made it possible to get affordable printing quickly from around the United States. Printonyx has added a wide variety of services without having to add expensive equipment and uses the free space as hourly office or meeting rental space.

Printonyx will embark on a new venture within the next month: Print San Juan. From the website www.printsanjuan.com, customers will be able to upload their own artwork or use design templates to order printed and promotional products, signs, banners and more, similar to VistaPrint. Look for more information in the weeks to come.

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