Signal-Return

My favorite art studio in the Eastern Market!
The studio is split in half. The first half is where you arrive when you walk in from the front door. Here, you can purchase prints made in the studio by local artists in addition to some select prints made elsewhere. They have everything from original cards (for birthdays, etc), to posters, to beautiful images worth framing.
Think the first half is pretty cool? Well the second half is better. This is where the magic happens. There are rows of presses with a variety of letters, carved wooden shapes, etc that can be incorporated into a print. There is usually a resident artist at Signal-​Return and they (in addition to other staff) are usually working in this area as customers browse in the other half. The best part is that there are frequent hands-​on classes offered by the resident artist! Just as a sample, during July 2014 Signal-​Press is teaching workshops on building geometric patterns, working with digital illustrators like photoshop, and pressing with metal type. Prices for classes range from $ 50 – 200 and may last a few hours to a few days.
So, next time you are thinking about going to CVS to buy a thank you card, come here instead. Also come for the classes, the art, and whenever you are in the Eastern Market!

Cooooooooool! This place rules.
Awesome letter press studio in Eastern Market. Full of delightful pressings of designs of a Detroit, Michigan, and general whimsical nature. Eastern Market Flower Day, Nothing Stops Detroit, and Tigers are heavily featured as are food centric prints. My favorite is a print of hens with a caption of, «Thanks for the eggs, ladies!» Super cute.
Prints are a reasonable price ($ 20 – 40) given that letterpress equipment is SO expensive. Speaking of the equipment, they’ve got some bodacious stuff in there. If you’re a printmaking nerd like me you will totally get all hot and bothered.
Not really an expert? No worries. They also offer workshops and events (lectures and such) that will help you get learned in no time! But if you don’t want to do the work they also offer custom orders and such to get you exactly what you want or need.

Signal-​Return printing is a very cool place. Half-​museum, half-​store, and full of hope for the revival of Detroit.

Came across this place from a local Detroit blog and feel in love with a print I wanted to buy. So one Saturday morning after spending more than I intended to perusing Eastern Market (damn you Romanian sausage!), I strolled in.
They are really setup to teach people how to use the Letterpress that they run, which is an amazing idea, but for me I just wan to buy some local cool stuff. They have a limited rotating selection of prints ranging from cards and invites to posters of varying sizes.
I attended an one year anniversary of bar held at Hazel Park Racetrack and was able to buy a poster that Signal-​Return created for the event. It was the perfect memento.
To Recap:
The Good: Great local artists making unique pieces of art. Custom work can be done, but I just like to buy the prints. Most of them reflect local Detroit art from Belle Isle Disc Golf, to retro looking Tigers-​era Kirk Gibson prints with clever sayings.
The Bad: I have been unsuccessfully trying to get an artist to reprint an Eastern Market print that I love with no luck for over 6 months. The prints rotate slowly, so there isn’t a need to visit weekly, although you can, the staff is very friendly.
The Band This Establishment Most Resembles: Deftones. Hard to define, easy to enjoy.

Signal Return is the type of business that really sets Detroit apart from the rest. I couldn’t be happier that such a unique business has cropped up in the Eastern Market area. The space itself is part shop, part workshop. On one side, the customer can see prints made in the shop hanging up and can purchase them. There were all kinds of cool gift possibilities from cards to prints from various artists. They do special orders, too as mentioned by Maria B. The most exciting part for me, are the workshops that they offer. There’s more info here:
the offerings are ever-​changing and some require more of a time commitment than others. I’ll be trying one out soon, stay tuned for a review update! Welcome to the neighborhood, Signal Return.

Signal Return is a fairly new addition to the Eastern Market district, and it functions not only as a cool space but also as:
(I.) Letterpress Facility — Looking to get give your wedding invites that extra special touch? Look no further. Signal Return has the capabilities to print your letterpress order. They also host letterpress & bookbinding (aka making a book from scratch from the cover, sewing, making signatures, etc) workshops.
(II.) Store — Selling local zines, poster prints, books, and newsletters.
(III.) Art Gallery — Featuring a variety of artwork from screenprinsted posters, to installations, and sculptures — pretty cool!
(IV.) Public Space — Hosting everything from the monthly DrinksxDesign event, to movie screenings, and even pop-​up dinners.
Overall, Signal Return is a fantastic addition to Detroit!