Island Blue Print Co Ltd

What Island Blue Print Co Ltd does

Island Blue Print Co. Ltd. is a Victoria, British Columbia-based commercial printing company founded on July 4, 1912 by land surveyor Joseph B. Davenport, originally as Island Blue Print & Map Co. Ltd. The company operates three physical locations in Victoria (911 Fort Street Fine Arts Centre, 2745 Bridge Street production facility) and Sidney (Unit 3, 9764 Fifth Street), and was acquired by Foto Print Group in 2022, which positions it as the largest commercial printing group on Vancouver Island alongside sister brands Foto Print, MenuCovers.ca, Rolex Plastics, BCLawnsigns.com, and Bayside Press. The company maintains the 110+ year-old family-run identity while operating under strategic-ownership parent Foto Print Group.

The product portfolio spans four interlocking verticals: (1) core commercial printing and reprographics (CAD plotting, business cards, brochures, posters, banners, wall/window/floor graphics, rigid board UV printing up to 48" x 96" x 1.89", and bindery/finishing); (2) Printorium Bookworks, a book printing division with 55+ years of specialization in soft-cover perfect-bound books, comics, and graphic novels for self-published authors and publishers across North America; (3) Fine Art / Giclée printing using Epson Sure Color P10000 with 10-color archival ink technology, anchored by specialist David Pollock with 20 years of experience; and (4) Professional Yearbook Printing for schools, colleges, and organizations. Underlying technology includes UV-cured flatbed printing for rigid substrates, archival pigment ink systems for fine art, and the proprietary Net2Blue online ordering platform with privately branded storefronts for account customers. Paper inputs are FSC, SFI, and Green-e certified, and the company uses payment infrastructure via MarcomCentral and Cybersource.

The business model is sales-led and predominantly transactional, generating revenue through per-order pricing across commercial print, book printing, fine art, and specialty print categories. Pricing is quote-based with estimates valid for 30 days; orders above $1,000 require a 50% deposit, standard credit terms are Net 30, overdue balances bear a 2% monthly service charge, and colour hard-copy proofing is $9.95 per piece. Customer segments span self-published authors and book publishers (national scope), schools and educational institutions, artists and photographers, local Vancouver Island SMBs, government organizations, and architects and engineers. Distribution combines in-store sales across three BC locations, toll-free phone and email ordering, the Net2Blue self-serve online platform, and FedEx ground shipping across Canada and continental North America. Marketing relies on content marketing, email newsletters, direct mail with QR-code-driven digital follow-up, and event-based distribution of printed collateral.

Name

Island Blue Print Co Ltd

Legal name

Island Blue Print Co. Ltd.

Website

https://islandblue.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Island Blue Print Co. Ltd. is a 110-year-old Victoria, BC-based commercial printing company, acquired by Foto Print Group in 2022, offering commercial printing, book printing (Printorium Bookworks), fine art giclée, and yearbook printing to SMBs, schools, authors, artists, and government clients across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Books Printing (323117), Printing (32311)

SIC

Commercial Printing (2750), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

Large-Format & Specialty Printing (Signage, Posters, Displays) (MPAJALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Printing (Short-Run, Variable Data) (MPAJALAC)

Keywords

• Commercial printing services
• Digital printing
• Book printing
• Fine art printing
• Reprographics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Victoria

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Commercial Printing Services: Full-range commercial printing services including business cards, brochures, signs, banners, blueprints, posters, and marketing materials. Revenue generated through per-order transactions with pricing based on specifications, quantities, and finishing options.
2. Book Printing (Printorium Bookworks): Soft cover/perfect bound book printing for self-published authors and book publishing industry. Services include full colour and black & white books, comics, graphic novels. Pricing based on page count, quantity, and paper selection.
3. Fine Art & Artist Printing: Giclee printing services for original paintings, watercolors, sketches, photographs, and digitally enhanced images. Includes canvas prints, fine art papers, custom framing services. Premium pricing for archival-quality outputs.
4. Specialty Printing Products: Rigid board printing, wall/window/floor graphics, display signs, banners, yearbook printing, and promotional materials. One-time transaction-based pricing per order.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Island Blue Print Co. Ltd. operates a technology-advanced commercial printing centre on Vancouver Island providing business marketing materials, CAD plotting/blueprints, signage, banners, rigid board printing, yearbooks, and bindery/finishing services. Through its Printorium Bookworks division, it offers soft cover (perfect bound) book printing, comics, and graphic novels for self-published authors and publishers across North America. It also provides fine art and photo giclée printing on archival substrates using Epson's 10-colour archival ink system, with custom framing and canvas stretching options.

Product overview

Island Blue Print Co Ltd operates as a diversified commercial printing group under the Foto Print Group umbrella, offering a comprehensive suite of printing products and services. The core offering includes Island Blue Print (reprographics and commercial printing) and Printorium Bookworks (specialized book printing division). The company provides CAD plotting, business marketing products, colour posters & banners, display signs, wall/window/floor graphics, rigid board printing, fine art canvas prints, giclee printing, business cards, yearbook printing, and urgent/emergency printing services. Printorium Bookworks specializes in soft cover perfect bound book printing for self-published authors and the publishing industry. The group also includes related brands: Foto Print, Rolex Plastics & Printing, BCLawnsigns.com, Bayside Press, and MenuCovers.ca. The company operates three locations on Vancouver Island (Victoria Fort Street, Victoria Fine Arts Centre, and Sidney) and ships across Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Printorium Bookworks: Island Blue's book printing department offering soft cover or perfect bound printing to self-published authors and the book publishing industry throughout North America.
• Fine Art / Giclée Printing
• Yearbook Printing

Products and services

• Island Blue Print Commercial Printing Services
• Printorium Bookworks Book Printing

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivery within 5% of ordered quantity is considered complete
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Foto Print GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Foto Print Group acquired Island Blue Print in 2022 to enhance the overall customers' commercial printing experience. The group includes Foto Print, Island Blue Print, MenuCovers.ca, Rolex Plastics, BCLawnsigns.com, and Bayside Press. Foto Print Group is the largest commercial printing group on Vancouver Island.
• Greater Victoria Chamber of CommerceminorOthersIsland Blue is a member of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, demonstrating commitment to the local business community.
• International Reprographics AssociationminorOthersMember of the International Reprographics Association (IRGA), an industry organization for the reprographics sector.
• Saanich Peninsula Chamber of CommerceminorOthersIsland Blue is a member of the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, supporting the local business community.
• Printing United AllianceminorOthersMember of Printing United Alliance (formerly SGIA - Specialty Graphic Imaging Association), the industry organization for printing and graphics.
• MarcomCentralcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party organization employed by Island Blue for online credit card transactions. Works with Cybersource for secure payment processing using HTTPS protocol and 128-bit SSL encryption.
• CybersourcecoreTechnology or IntegrationLeading credit card service provider used by Island Blue for online transactions. All credit card data passed through MarcomCentral using Silent Order POST to Cybersource.
• EpsoncoreTechnology or IntegrationIsland Blue uses Epson's Sure Color P10000 printer with 10-colour archival ink technology for fine art and photo giclee printing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• FedEx Office: National chain offering commercial printing, copying, and signage with online ordering and shipping — overlaps Island Blue's commercial print and signage business but at much larger scale across North America.
• Staples Print & Marketing Services: National office retail chain offering business cards, brochures, signs, and banners through in-store and online channels — broad incumbent that competes with Island Blue for SMB commercial printing spend.
• Vistaprint: Mass-market online commercial printing platform owned by Cimpress, specializing in business cards, marketing materials, and signage — competes for the same SMB customers Island Blue serves via its Net2Blue platform.

Direct peers

• Allegra Marketing Print Mail: North American franchise network offering commercial printing, marketing services, and direct mail — closely comparable diversified SMB-focused print model to Island Blue Print.
• BookBaby: Self-publishing services company offering book printing, editing, and distribution for self-published authors — directly comparable to Island Blue's Printorium Bookworks division.
• Lulu Press: Online self-publishing and print-on-demand platform offering softcover and hardcover book printing to authors worldwide — competes directly with Printorium Bookworks for self-published author work.
• Minuteman Press: Franchised commercial printing chain offering business cards, brochures, signs, banners, and marketing materials through locally owned centres — same diversified SMB-focused commercial print model as Island Blue Print.
• FASTSIGNS: Specializes in signage, banners, and visual communications through a franchise network — directly comparable to Island Blue's UV flatbed rigid-board printing and wall/window/floor graphics offerings.
• Foto Print: Sister company under the Foto Print Group umbrella; offers commercial printing services on Vancouver Island with overlapping product categories including business cards, brochures, and signage. Most directly comparable as the parent group's flagship brand.
• Sir Speedy: North American franchise network providing commercial printing, signage, and marketing services to SMBs with similar multi-location, multi-service model to Island Blue Print.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/island-blue-print-co-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Island Blue Print Co Ltd