Card-making couple in Mead finds success

Take a look at card-making company Mango Ink ’s designs and one word might come to mind:

Fresh.

Heidi and Ryan Miller run the business from a studio in their Mead home’s basement and have found success by offering modern and eye-catching greetings that stand out against of sea of more traditional (read: boring) options.

Mango Ink’s cards celebrate birthdays, holidays, weddings, graduations, engagements, anniversaries—and whatever other occasion deserves some attention. Customers submit photos and the Mango Ink team builds their designs around them.

The company began three years ago when Anna, the youngest of the Millers’ three children, turned 1.

The couple had never sent out birth announcements for Anna, so when her birthday rolled around, they wanted to send out a card that celebrated her first year of life—not just her pending party.

Heidi asked Ryan, who was the design director for Cyan World (a Spokane company that’s making its own waves lately ) at the time.

“I had no idea Ryan could do this type of graphic design,” Heidi recalls. “I said, ‘I want a picture of her as a baby and a picture of her at age 1. I want a pumpkin theme. I want it to be orange.’”

Ryan’s finished product knocked her socks off, so the couple decided to offer their services to the world.

Literally.

Today, Mango Ink’s customers hail from all over the globe, with the bulk of their orders coming from New York and California.

“I’m always amazed when I ship to Norway or Hong Kong or Australia,” Heidi says.

The company bulks up during its busiest time of year—the winter holidays—expanding to 10 or 12 employees. It also works with freelance designers, who create card styles for Mango Ink to use and then earn royalties when customers choose their products.

Being green is important to the Millers, who use recycled paper, cardstock and packaging supplies for their products.

“That’s super important to us,” Heidi says. “The paper salesman was probably nauseated by us because we ruled out so many papers” that weren’t eco-friendly.

Heidi, a North Spokane native, and Ryan, who moved here during high school, met while working at a Red Robin restaurant when they were in college. Heidi has been a stay-at-home mom since their oldest child, 12-year-old Isaac, was born. Their middle child, Abbey, is 10.

Mango Ink has grown so quickly, Ryan was able to quit his day job a year ago (although he still works as a pastor for New Community Church at Trent and Nevada). Heidi wears many hats for the company, keeping busy but fulfilled.

“I’m swamped and blissfully happy and so tired,” she says, laughing. “It’s such great fun for our marriage and our family and for our kids to see the business grow.”

Do check out their sweet (like a mango!) designs .

Image courtesy of Mango Ink.