Our History: What Inkworks is all about
Over 30 years of experience with community and non-profit organizations.
Inkworks founded in 1974 as a collectively managed printshop provides good quality, reasonably priced printing for the social justice movement and for a wider range of non-profits and socially responsible businesses. From sales of $50,000 that first year, we have grown to produce over $2 million in printing yearly and expanded our staff to over 20 skilled union tradespeople with diverse racial backgrounds and sexual orientations.
Inkworks supports peace and social justice issues by investing our resources to respond immediately with support flyers and posters. To support the anti-war effort we produced over 50,000 “No War in Iraq” window signs for people to display. From our website these were distributed nationally. We printed numerous posters, flyers and brochures for various organizations that were used at the anti-war demonstrations and events throughout the SF Bay area. In the wake of September 11, we printed local Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s speech and “Justice, Not Vengeance” and “Hate-Free Community” posters. When Free Speech Radio station KPFA was taken off the air, we printed and distributed flyers and posters. Within hours of the Rodney King beating trial verdict, we were producing posters and stickers to denounce police violence. We have also produced materials to defend affirmative action, free Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier, abolish the death penalty, and oppose the WTO, the FTAA and global economic apartheid.
We are organized as a not-for-profit corporation without individually owned shares, because we want to insure that Inkworks continues as a community resource. Our structure provides for those who work here to join our Board, share equally in managing the business, and actively participate in our project. We are subdivided into committees to handle our varied tasks in a collective and democratic manner.
If you are interested in working in a democratically managed firm, with union affiliation, and a certified green business that combines printing trade skills with a commitment to build a more just and humane society, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
