The American fine art print market is changing shape: Pace Prints has bought Brand X Editions, the New York–based screenprinting studio that has spent nearly fifty years working with some of the biggest names in contemporary art. The acquisition of Pace Prints and Brand X is not a simple change of ownership: it brings together under one roof two publishers that have shaped the recent history of American printmaking, and comes at a time when the print market is experiencing a growth phase fueled by new collectors.
Key points
- Pace Prints has acquired Brand X Editions, a New York studio founded in 1979, known for its work with Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, and Mickalene Thomas.
- Both entities will continue to operate in their respective workshops, with Brand X strengthening Pace Prints’ presence in Manhattan and Brooklyn, in addition to the new Long Island City location.
- Jacob Lewis, president and CEO of Pace Prints, took ownership of the company in 2025 and will lead the newly combined organization.
- Pace Prints is about to open a gallery and workshop in Los Angeles by the fall, expanding its presence on the West Coast.
- In 2024 the Brand X Archive was established at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with over 400 prints produced by the studio over five decades of activity.
Pace Prints acquires established Brand X Editions
The deal formalizes a relationship that has been going on for decades between the two studios. Brand X Editions is described as one of the leading publishers in the United States for its ability to work on ambitious and technically complex formats, and its acquisition by Pace Prints creates, according to sources, one of the largest players in the sector in the country.
Historical importance of Brand X Editions
Brand X was founded in 1979 by Robert Blanton, after he began his career at New York’s Styria Studio. In his studio, Blanton worked on large formats and invented new color-separation techniques, collaborating with artists such as Helen Frankenthaler, Glenn Ligon, Frank Stella, and Mickalene Thomas, as well as Jeff Koons and Robert Rauschenberg. In 2011 the studio launched its own publishing program under the guidance of partner David DeSanctis, who expanded the catalog with artists such as Alex Katz, Rashid Johnson, KAWS, Adam Pendleton, Loie Hollowell, Joel Mesler, and Tschabalala Self.
Institutional recognition came more recently: in 2024 Blanton and DeSanctis established the Brand X Archive at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which brings together over 400 prints produced by the studio over five decades. The museum then organized a retrospective dedicated to Brand X the following year, while an exhibition of its screenprinted output, titled “X Marks the Spot: Contemporary Screenprinting at Brand X Editions,” is currently on view at the Dallas Museum of Art, featuring works by KAWS, Rashid Johnson, and Deborah Kass.
Leadership transition at Pace Prints
The new combined entity will be led by Jacob Lewis, president and CEO of Pace Prints, who took ownership of the company in 2025 from founder Richard Solomon and his partners. Lewis joined Pace Prints as a workshop intern in 2001, working with key printers and artists such as Chuck Close and Jim Dine, an experience he describes as formative for his path toward the management side of the business. He was appointed president in 2019.
Operational continuity and expansion plans
Despite the acquisition, neither workshop is closing or relocating: the strategic choice is to keep production lines separate while at the same time strengthening geographic coverage.
Continuation of workshop activities
Both Pace Prints and Brand X will continue to operate in their respective workshops. Brand X’s facilities in Long Island City will strengthen Pace Prints’ New York presence, which already includes locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Growth in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Los Angeles
Brand X will add production capacity to Pace Prints’ existing locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, while the company prepares to open a gallery and print workshop in Los Angeles during the fall. The West Coast expansion, combined with the addition of Brand X, makes Pace Prints one of the most extensive print publishing operations in the United States.
Why it matters: the opening in Los Angeles comes as the print market is going through a revival, driven in particular by new collectors, according to data from the Artnet Price Database cited by sources. A publisher with more locations and greater technical capacity is better positioned to capture this growing demand and to offer artists more flexible production conditions.
Strategic vision for innovating fine art printmaking
For Lewis, the deal is not just about the size of the company, but about how the studios can push the technical limits of the medium together. “As we embark on our mission to preserve and challenge the technical possibilities of printmaking, Pace Prints is thrilled to now welcome our long-time partner Brand X under our creative umbrella,” Lewis said, emphasizing how the acquisition supports Pace Prints’ mission to expand the technical possibilities of fine art printmaking.
Collaboration and technical innovation
Lewis described the deal as something that “makes a lot of sense,” recalling that Pace Prints and Brand X had already been collaborating for decades before the acquisition. “At our core, both organizations are interested in propelling printmaking into territories we have not yet seen,” he explained, adding that the exchange of techniques between the two studios will allow artists to realize visions that otherwise could not take shape in isolation.
Pace Prints was founded in 1968 by Richard Solomon together with Pace Gallery founder Arne Glimcher, and debuted with Lucas Samaras’s Book, a die-cut volume illustrated with 11 screenprints. The workshop, led by master printer Aldo Crommelynck, has over time collaborated with artists such as George Condo, Louise Nevelson, Nina Chanel Abney, and Yoshitomo Nara.
Legacy and mentorship
The acquisition places Lewis in the unusual position of carrying forward the legacies of two veteran New York printers who shaped his career. “I’ve been fortunate to have had not only one, but two mentors,” Lewis said, referring to Solomon and Blanton. “It is an honor that each of them has entrusted me with their businesses, which carry such important artistic legacies.” Blanton, for his part, recalled that the relationship with Pace Prints was “foundational” for Brand X, while Solomon described Blanton and his studio as “part of our creative family.” It is not the first time the two entities have celebrated the history of Brand X together: in 2019, for the studio’s fortieth anniversary, Pace Prints hosted a commemorative exhibition and co-published the portfolio Brand X XL, consisting of eight screenprints.
Looking ahead, Lewis envisions Pace Prints’ bi-coastal workshops becoming, over the next decade, spaces “to share and explore ideas in dialogue with artists and collectors for generations to come.” When asked what it means to become one of the largest printmaking operations in the United States, Lewis replied that growing in size has never been the goal in itself: what really matters, he said, are the moments of creative exchange and experimentation among those who work in the workshops every day, a passion he intends to preserve “no matter how much we grow.”
FAQ
Which studios has Pace Prints acquired?
Pace Prints has acquired Brand X Editions, the New York fine art print studio and publishing house founded almost fifty years ago.
Who leads Pace Prints after the acquisition?
Pace Prints is led by Jacob Lewis, the company’s president and CEO, who took ownership in 2025.
Will Pace Prints and Brand X continue to operate separately in their respective workshops?
Yes, both Pace Prints and Brand X will continue to manage their existing workshops independently.
What is the strategic goal behind the acquisition?
The deal supports Pace Prints’ mission to expand the technical possibilities of fine art printmaking and to strengthen collaboration with artists and with partner studios such as Brand X.
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As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
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