Pratt Street Originals | Hartford Prints

Welcome to our Pratt Street Originals series, where we get to know the people and stories behind our amazing Pratt Street businesses. You may have seen Hartford Prints either online with their fun posts or at Pratt Street with their vibrant blue storefront. The gift shop has been on Pratt Street since 2013 and is a fan favorite for all things Hartford. 

Hartford Prints is an active member of the Downtown Hartford community—connecting local vendors with visitors through pop-up shops and carefully curated goods.  We sat down with the team of Hartford Prints to reflect on their time on Pratt, their story, and what the future holds for their shop.

Q: Tell us about your story as business owners, creatives, and individuals.

Hartford Prints! was founded by Addy Gale in 2009 as an educational space to teach students all about printmaking. Sisters Rory and Callie joined in 2012 and then Hartford Prints! opened its brick and mortar on Pratt Street in Downtown Hartford in 2013 and has never left! Hartford Prints! is now loved and run by Rory.

Q: How did Hartford Prints come about?

A gift shop! We started from letterpress printing and now we’re here—a full-on gift store offering the coolest products around. We design our own apparel, and both Hartford and CT goods (stickers, patches, art prints, magnets, cards, and more, oh my!). Also, we love cards! We source goods from all over to curate our cute store. If you thought you were coming in just for a CT cutting board and ended up with three candles, a drink mixer, and a pair of socks, don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Q: How long have you been on Pratt Street?

8 years, going on 9!

Q: Why Pratt Street? What drew you to the location where you are now?

Pratt Street is the cutest street in Hartford, so when dreaming about opening a stationery store it was the perfect place for Hartford Prints! to call home.

Q: What have you enjoyed about being on Pratt?

We love being on Pratt Street and helping to grow it into a destination. Transitioning Pratt to be a pedestrian street was a huge win for the City of Hartford. It’s amazing to have an open street outside our door for all types of events and dining.

Q: What have you learned/enjoyed along the way?

Surround yourself with as many resources as possible. You can’t do it alone and the more support you have, the more successful you’ll be!

Q: Are you doing anything special for your 10th anniversary on Pratt?

Hartford Prints will celebrate 10 years in October of 2023! We’ll definitely have to have a big party on Pratt!

Q: What are you looking forward to in the future?

We’re looking forward to the day when Pratt Street is at 100% capacity and all the vacant storefronts are open and vibrant!

Q: What’s your favorite part about the Downtown Hartford community?

That they come shopping at Hartford Prints!

We could spend all day talking about (and shopping at) Hartford Prints! If you haven’t had a chance to visit their Pratt Street location, check them out! You can’t miss them—just look for the bright blue shop with a heart sign outside. They’re open seven days a week and have hundreds of items available for purchase online. If you’re catching a flight at Bradley International Airport, be sure to stop by their newest storefront. Follow Hartford Prints! on Instagram for more information on upcoming pop-up events and sales.

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