MANNING + DAUGHTERS:

FAMILY OWNED + OPERATED PRINTING + GRAPHICS SINCE 1981

Welcome to The Printworx! Our family has been in the business of print since 1981, and we’ve employed just about everyone in our family, in our 40 years in business. We’ve changed names a few times and whittled down to a staff of just three, but one thing has always remained the same: Sean, our dad. He’s the heart of this business. He has instilled in us a great pride in our work, a drive to take on projects that others have turned away, and most importantly, family. We may not be Olive Garden in the 90s, but when you’re here, you are family. Our business is your business, we’re here to help every step of the way.

Sean, a man with dark curly hair and a mustache, wearing a blue shirt and apron standing behind a table with a printing press.
A window with a reflection of the street and a sign that reads 'GRAPHICS • ADVERTISING • PRINTING'.

1981 - 1987

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1981 - 1987 •

On a hot June day in 1981, “Manning Old Town Press” opened in Old Town Pasadena. Mike Manning, the oldest of 8 children, had convinced all 7 of his siblings including Sean, the youngest, to go into the business of printing, advertisements, and graphics. Offset printing, paste boards, lettering - all done by hand. It wasn’t until 1986 that we got our first computer. If you’re ever in Old Town, stop by The Dog Haus on Green and Raymond to see where we started.

Three people sitting at a wooden picnic table outdoors, one woman drinking a dark beverage, another woman looking down at a plastic bag, a man smoking a cigarette, with a van and a wooden building in the background.
Old, dirty business card for the 'Old Town Press,' a printing and advertising service located at 58 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, CA, with contact number 792-4958. The card appears aged, stained, and worn.
A woman wearing a colorful costume with a cape and high heels is smiling and being handed a gift or an award by a man dressed in a yellow t-shirt and red shorts, wearing a party hat. Two other women are in the background, one smiling and clapping. The scene appears to be inside an office or a store with a pegboard wall, shelves, and various office supplies.
People setting up equipment outside Manny Press building on a sunny day, with trees and bushes nearby.
Person standing in a storage room with shelves of boxes, wearing a black shirt and a baseball cap, face obscured by a smiley face sticker.

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1988-1993

• 1988-1993

Man sitting at cluttered desk in office, holding a tissue to his face, with shelves of papers and boxes behind him.
A young man standing in a cluttered industrial workspace, wearing black clothing and a cap backward, with one hand on his hip and the other resting on a large trash can, surrounded by boxes, tools, and machinery.
A young child with curly hair smiling and standing in a blue and red toddler seat at a kitchen or dining area.

When Pasadena’s business district started changing shape in 1988, it was time for us to change too. We headed North to Altadena, the place where our grandfather and Sean’s father, built the family home in 1947. Sean bought the business from Mike, changed our name to “Manning Press” and shifted focus to building and serving our community in Altadena. In 1990, Irene was born and soon started spending her afternoons running around “The Shop.”

A person sitting in a cluttered room, wearing a black baseball cap and a black t-shirt with colorful writing, resting their chin on their hand, with their legs crossed. The room has a gray wall with shelves filled with papers and folders, a calendar, and a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall.
A man holding two young children, one girl and one boy, in a rustic indoor setting.
A vintage photo of a small restaurant with a white facade, three windows, and an entrance, surrounded by bushes, with a car parked on the street and utility poles in the background.

1994 - 2011

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1994 - 2011 •

A Polaroid photo of a silver car parked in front of a white building with a large awning. There are bushes and trees around the building, and a street with gravel in the foreground.

In 1994, not long after Brigid was born, Manning Press headed even further North and closer to our homestead roots at the top of Lake Avenue. In 1998, after more family members had come and gone, it was time to rebrand to “M&M Printing”. We started offering embroidery in 2003 and in 2009, Irene went from years of doing homework on the shop floor to working full time. Brigid joined her in 2011 and we’ve never left!

A man in a white t-shirt and gray sweatpants standing over a paint bucket, working on a project in a workshop with tools and paint buckets around.
A small yellow building with green trim and large arched windows houses a print shop named 'Print Works.' The shop's sign indicates it offers printing and embroidery services. There are potted plants with flowers on either side of the red walkway leading to the entrance, with parked cars and trees in the background.

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2012 - 2021

• 2012 - 2021

A vintage-style sign for Lake Avenue with 3D block letters featuring images of classic cars, decorated with scenes of people in historical attire, advertising a trip down Lake Avenue in Altadena.

In 2012, as online media continued to grow ever present, we started shifting our focus to embroidery and apparel. We changed our name to The Printworks, invested in a 6-head embroidery machine, working off of floppy disks, and started honing our craft of in-house digitizing.  It was here that, after all of the familial comings and goings, our staff became just the three of us, not including our adventurous shop cat, Pip.

A sleeping tabby cat with a white tag on its collar is curled on a dark green couch.

2021 - NOW

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2021 - NOW •

A cozy office corner featuring a white desk with a computer monitor, black chair, and a basket underneath. A vintage red Coca-Cola cooler with plants on top stands against a wall decorated with landscape photos and a green wave mural. Nearby, there is a white cabinet with a coffee maker, water cooler, and plants, along with a small bookshelf, a wooden trunk, and a black couch with colorful cat toys on a nearby perch. The room has wooden flooring, and a window lets in natural light.

Like most small businesses, the pandemic changed life as we knew it. After 33 years in our hometown of Altadena, it was time to move onward and Eastward. As a family, we chose Upland as our fresh start. Matcha joined the team in 2022, we started going by “The Printworx” (aka The PWX), and we’ve been here ever since. So, how can we help you, Upland?

  • A man with short curly hair and a light complexion is sitting indoors, smiling at the camera. He is wearing a black t-shirt with a small logo on the chest featuring a carrot and some green text.

    SEAN, C. 1994 in his "Manning Press" Tee

  • Two young girls, one standing and pulling a red wagon with the other seated inside, on a driveway in front of a closed garage door.

    IRENE + BRIDGE, C. 1995

  • Young girl with red hair and blue eyes holding a black telephone to her ear, wearing a yellow floral-patterned dress, indoors with a white and brown background.

    Irene, C. 1999, Still Answering Our Phones to This Day

  • A black and white photo of a large, mature tree with a person standing and working on decorating the tree with lights using a long pole. The scene appears to be in a yard or park with other trees and foliage surrounding the main tree.

    Sean in Pasadena Star News, C. 1994

  • Two men dressed in vintage American patriotic attire standing next to a decorated antique car during a parade or celebration.

    Sean, right, In Altadena's Old Fashioned Days Parade, C. 1989

  • Look close and you might spot a wild Matcha!

  • The Fam, C. 1997