Papio Press

The idea to start an illustration company came from a module during Harry and Zanna’s second year studying at the University of Gloucestershire. Their business, like many, started off small on the site etsy selling such things as pocket mirrors. From their talk, pocket mirrors was a good starting point as they brought in a slow and steady income which enabled them to carry on investing. Also, a comment they made is that pocket mirrors are relatively inexpensive therefore if the pocket mirrors never really took off, they wouldn't have suffered a great loss. 

After selling a few things on etsy they progressed to making their own website and also broadening  their stock and items to sell. They sell predominately stationery items showcasing their beautiful, bright illustrations.

From their talk, it was also clear that the two illustrators have a strong theme when it comes to their work. This is clearly evident in their work as their illustrations are based around nature and colour. Botanical and animal illustrations are a firm favourite. When visiting their website it flows lovely and looks professional because there is this theme that is followed throughout their website. The pair give off a very professional and ‘put together’ vibe and it is a perfect portfolio showcasing their work to potential collaborators. With this in mind, the two have had the opportunity to work and collaborate with big brands, companies, charities and other creative people. For example they have worked with Macmillan and the Natural History Museum and also created a book cover for ‘A Poem for Every Night of the Year’. Other places where you may have seen their work includes the Guardian, Buzzfed, One Kings Lane, Elle Decorative and Ideal Home.

Something that they see as important is supporting other small UK businesses and being aware of the environmental impact their products could make. “The beautiful archival paper we use for our Art prints is produced in a traditional British Paper Mill. Here at Papio Press we are also very careful to make sure as much of our products is environmentally friendly as possible, which is why all our paper stationery is printed on 100% recycled paper, and even the cellophane bags we use are biodegradable.” I think that with doing this, there products will be advertised on two or more websites and as a result bringing them more customers. Also, the environment is something that creators need to think about and need to be aware of making their products eco - friendly. 

As we live in a more digital age, social media is important as ever with helping a new company get off the ground and getting them noticed. This is something that Papio Press have done. Being active on social media platforms is important, so many people now are on the internet that it is a way for someone to notice you, share your work and get it out there. Also you do need to be active and involved with your social media, updating with new illustrations, pieces of work even sales and discounts on your sites to entice people in. It is important that new business keep up with current trends so they are not lost in the background. 

It is clear that the Papio Press business was a slow and steady one but was heading in the right direction from the start. I have learnt from them that having the resources and support of the university helped a lot in their early stages and the modules that are chosen for us as illustrations students would of streamlined their thoughts and ideas in a productive way. They were sensible with their investments and utilised social media platforms to help advertise their brand.