City Printers

 Giving Communities Their Colour 

The perfect paper stock and sheen, that leaves a distinct impression of quality; the delicate balance between white space and words that lets your eyes absorb the information; the crisp, sharp lines and richly saturated colours that bring every image to life. These are the magical details that make a great piece of printed material stand out. But the average person might not notice such specifics, or even realize the planning and the processes involved in creating a poster, a brochure, a business card, or a magazine. They just look at the final product and think, “Wow.” Getting the elements of that “Wow” factor just right is an art. It’s also the business of City Printers. 
 
For over 35 years, City Printers has been providing full service commercial printing from its location on Townsend Street, in Sydney. Although their customer base is largely in Cape Breton, the work of City Printers can be found all over Nova Scotia, and quite possibly in some far-flung corners of the world. While they have happy customers in places such as St. Pierre et Miquelon, and Lowell, Massachusetts, City Printers is also responsible for many of the eye-catching tourism brochures and booklets – such as Travel Cape Breton, a definitive guide to the ins and outs of the island - that wind up in the hands of thousands of tourists who visit the area each year. Not to mention the books, calendars, art reproductions, invitations, CD packaging and countless other projects and products that have been distributed far and wide, each carrying with them a little slice of City Printers’ characteristic quality and attention to detail.
 
In his more than 20 years as company president, Blair Oake has experienced a genuine loyalty from City Printers’ customers. “Our success is because of the repeat business from the community,” he says. “The people here have been extremely supportive of City Printers since its inception.” The printing business is fiercely competitive, and although a $1.6 million investment in new technology and building renovations in 2005 certainly helped City Printers keep its edge, it clearly takes more than modern machinery to foster the kind of long-standing professional respect that City Printers gets from its customers. It also takes good old-fashioned customer service. “It’s home-grown. It’s locally owned and locally managed, and our employees have been here forever, some right from the start,” Oake explains. This breeds a sense of comfort and familiarity between City Printers’ customers and staff, and helps reinforce their strong connections within the community.
 
Nowhere are such connections more evident than in the assistance City Printers’ provides to those in need of printing services, through its Community Connections program. “City Printers has always given back to the community,” Oake says. “Especially non-profit and charitable organizations who don’t have a big print budget.” Helping out, even on a small scale, with graphic design and the printing of posters, brochures and tickets can make a big difference. Tom Wilson, who helps organize the annual Hike The Highlands Festival, has been on the receiving end of City Printers’ donated services. “The Community Connections Program allows us to offer brochures about the festival that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to offer,” he says. “City Printers does a beautiful job. Great colours, easy to read, and everyone we’ve dealt with there has been fantastic.”
 
Whether it’s for local non-profits, the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation, or a family holding a benefit dance for an loved one suffering from illness, City Printers takes great pride in making meaningful contributions that help members of the community. Such a spirit of generosity is deeply entrenched in the lives, and the values of many people in Nova Scotia. As Blair Oake points out, “Nova Scotians in general are givers. We’re friendly, we’re polite. We are a giving people. Period.” And just as we’re eager to share our gifts and talents with each other, we’re also happy to share them with the rest of the world. “We all have to play a role in spreading the word about the beautiful place we come from,” Oake says. “We can’t be too shy to say ‘Hey, come see us!’”
 
Businesses that strive for world-class products and services; a perfect balance between thriving cities and natural beauty; the warm people whose generous spirits bring our communities to life. These are the magical details that make Nova Scotia stand out. And through the artful business of City Printers, more and more people have an opportunity to see our true colours and think, “Wow.”