In early November 2007, orkposters.com was launched, along with the addition of four more cities as screen prints (Manhattan, Brooklyn, San Francisco, Boston) and a larger print run of the Chicago design. Less than a month later, the blog wildfire had been lit with talk about these new neighborhood posters. Friends and family were called in to take shifts fulfilling orders out of my dining room turned Ork Headquarters to meet the holiday rush. Following the successful holiday season, I was able to “leave the man behind” and devote myself to Ork full time. So began Ork Posters!

We've kept things small and local as we've grown our product line - most of the time we're just one or two employees besides myself. When you send Ork an email, you'll hear back from me or one of my right-hand helpers, Mary Beth, Hayley or Erin (all real people!).The screen prints are printed locally, actually just down the street, by our friends Steve and Erin at Screwball Press. And the offset posters are printed at an employee-owned press that's been operating in the city since 1973. After the printing's done, I sign each screen print and search for misprints, and voila, they're ready to be shipped out to walls across the world.

A core belief of Ork Posters is keeping the designs original to you and your environment. Someday I may wonder, 'What was I thinking?' but we don't license or permit the design to be used for any external, promotional purposes. We've turned down big companies like Urban Outfitters, Macy's and art distributors because I don't want to just sell, sell, sell, that's easy. The challenge is to build a business - offer great products, collect a customer base, and build a brand that people can relate to. Because I'll inevitably have more ideas and products come along in the future, and I want to make sure that Ork has a connection with YOU, so you'll be around for it - as cheesey as it may sound. You may notice we're not too quick to constantly be releasing city after city, that's because we uphold the belief that if you're going to do it right, you have to take your time (and enjoy the ride!).

Part of the reason I've been able to keep the posters at a reasonable price is because our advertising budget is $0. So if you like what you see, please tell your friends and spread the word!

For more information about Ork, click here to read the latest news. Beyond Ork Posters, I also do design work on a freelance basis, trimtabdesign.com.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Beorkrem