What cliffe printing does

Cliffe Printing Inc. is a privately held commercial printing company headquartered at 118 Spring Street in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1902 by Charles Cliffe and now in its 124th year, the company has operated continuously through family ownership transitions and currently is sole-owned by Andy Inch, who runs the business with his son Adam. It maintains a single production facility offering an integrated suite of services: press printing and copy services (using a four-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 52, a Quickmaster spot-colour press, and Accurio digital presses), design and prepress, bindery finishing, signs and decals including large-format and vehicle wraps, promotional products, and mail marketing via its Canada Post Smartmail Marketing Partner designation. The Latitude Creative Group sub-brand extends the offering into marketing services.

The company serves a horizontal mix of customers including local small businesses in Northern Ontario, regional businesses across Ontario, U.S. and European clients, leading corporations, and non-profits requiring mail marketing for donor solicitation and campaigns. Its go-to-market is direct-to-customer via phone (toll-free and local), email, and walk-in visits to the physical location, supported by a website and free estimates for signs and decals. Pricing is quote-based across all service lines, and revenue is generated through transaction fees for print and promotional work, professional services for design and bindery, and managed-service engagements for mail marketing.

Cliffe's competitive positioning rests on its 124-year brand, full-service one-stop-shop capability from design through mailing, advanced equipment enabling both short-run digital and high-volume offset work, and its Canada Post partnership which provides privileged mailing rates and services. The business operates without disclosed external investors, patents, formal certifications, or dedicated AI/ML capabilities, reflecting a stable, owner-operated regional printer.

Name

cliffe printing

Legal name

Cliffe Printing Inc.

Website

https://cliffeprinting.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cliffe Printing Inc. is a 124-year-old commercial printer in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario offering offset and digital printing, design, signs, bindery, promotional products, and Canada Post mail marketing to corporate, non-profit, and small business clients across Canada, the U.S., and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Printing and Related Support Activities (323), Support Activities for Printing (323120)

SIC

Commercial Printing (2750)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial & Offset Printing (Sheetfed/Web) (MPAJALAB)

Keywords

• Commercial printing services
• Offset printing
• Digital printing
• Mail marketing
• Sign production

Headquarters

HQ city

Sault Ste. Marie

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Press Printing and Copy Services: Offset and digital printing services including reports, magazines, books, bookmarks, posters, brochures, calendars, postcards, presentation folders, stationery, forms, invitations, tickets, tags, labels, stickers, magnets, menus and table tents.
2. Design and Prepress Services: Graphic design services including corporate identity packages, promotional design media, and prepress file preparation.
3. Signs and Decals: Large format digital printing, custom vinyl vehicle wraps, decals, banners, flags, and signage for various applications.
4. Mail Marketing Services: Complete mail marketing services including list management, postal compliance, printing and mailing to Canada and USA destinations.
5. Promotional Products: Branded promotional items including desk accessories, USB drives, key tags, pens, calendars, mugs, bags, plaques, and custom merchandise.
6. Bindery Services: Finishing services including folding, gathering, trimming, binding, hole punching, laminating, die cutting, and specialty finishing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cliffe Printing provides commercial printing and copy services using a four-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 52 offset press, a spot colour Quickmaster press, and Accurio Digital Presses. The company delivers an integrated suite covering press printing, mail marketing, signs and decals, promotional products, graphic design and prepress, and bindery finishing for corporate, non-profit, and small business clients across Canada and the United States.

Product overview

Cliffe Printing Inc. is a commercial printing company offering an integrated suite of print-related services. Its core product portfolio centers on Press Printing and Copy Centre services (four-colour Speedmaster SM 52, spot colour Quickmaster, and two Accurio Digital Presses), complemented by Mail Marketing (Canada Post Smartmail Partner), Signs & Decals (large format digital printing), Promotional Products (branded merchandise), Design & Prepress (graphic design and file preparation), and Bindery (post-print finishing). The company also operates Latitude Creative Group as an advertising/marketing sub-brand. Services are designed to flow from design through prepress, printing, finishing/bindery, and distribution/mailing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Advantage Design and Advertising: Advertising and marketing division started in 1988-89, later known as Latitude Creative Group
• Latitude Creative Group

Products and services

• Press Printing and Copy Centre Core commercial printing and copy services using a four-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 52 offset press, a spot colour Quickmaster press, and two Accurio Digital Presses. Produces reports, magazines, books, bookmarks, posters, brochures, calendars, postcards, presentation folders, stationery, forms, invitations, tickets, tags, labels, stickers, magnets, menus, and table tents for corporate, non-profit, and small business clients.
• Mail Marketing Full-service mail marketing solutions including list management, postal compliance, printing, and mailing of statements, business correspondence, invoices, business reply mail, solicitation materials, advertising flyers, coupons, invitations, event mail, newsletters, and reports throughout Canada and the USA. Operated under Canada Post Smartmail Marketing Partner designation.
• Signs & Decals Sign production and customization including design, large format digital printing, posters, custom vinyl vehicle wraps and decals, perforated window graphics, translite/backlit signs, dry erase boards, custom tradeshow and store displays, paper/vinyl/retractable banners, teardrop/feather/banner flags, office/parking/wayfinding signage, and regulatory, construction, and event signage. Free estimates are offered.
• Promotional Products Branded merchandise and promotional items including desk accessories, USB drives, key tags, pens, inking stamps, seals, labels, calendars, auto stickers, cling decals, buttons, lanyards, notepads, magnets, can coolers, mugs, bags, plaques, wrist bands, and thunder stix. Customers can supply logos for custom branding on chosen items.
• Design & Prepress Professional graphic design services for promotional needs, corporate identity packages, and technical prepress file preparation. Includes specifications guidance (CMYK, grayscale, bitmap, duotone), 300-400 dpi resolution requirements, print-ready PDF output, and FTP file transfer accessibility for customer file intake.
• Bindery Post-print finishing services including folding, gathering, trimming, binding, hole punching, tabbing, inserting, stitching, padding, numbering, perforations, custom dies, laminating, specialty inks, die cutting, and spiral or perfect binding.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Canada PostcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIn 2012, Cliffe Printing became a Partner with Canada Post, gaining access to Expert Partnership services that save customers money and time. As a Canada Post Smartmail Marketing Partner, Cliffe provides mailing services to leading corporations, non-profits and small businesses. This partnership enables Cliffe to offer discounted rates and new services through the Expert Partnership program.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Fastsigns: Sign and visual graphics franchise specializing in signs, banners, vehicle wraps, and decals. Directly comparable to Cliffe's Signs & Decals service line, serving the same SMB and local business segment with similar signage offerings.
• Allegra Network: Franchise network providing printing, marketing, and mailing services to SMBs. Highly comparable full-service print and marketing offering that mirrors Cliffe's combined design-print-mail-sign business model.
• PrintThree: Canadian printing franchise offering digital printing, copying, and design services to businesses. Directly comparable Canadian SMB print shop model with similar service breadth and customer profile.
• Minuteman Press: Franchise-based commercial printing network serving SMBs with print, design, and marketing services. Closely comparable to Cliffe's one-stop shop model for small business customers, with similar full-service offering and SMB customer base.
• Vistaprint (Cimpress): Online commercial printing platform serving SMBs globally with marketing materials, signage, and promotional products. Comparable commercial printing capability though distributed online versus Cliffe's local service model.
• The Printing House: Canadian printing retail chain offering document printing, binding, and design services to walk-in SMB and consumer customers. Directly comparable service mix and target customer base to Cliffe Printing's Northern Ontario operation.
• Sir Speedy: Printing and marketing services franchise serving SMBs with print, signs, and design. Directly comparable commercial printing and sign services operating through a similar SMB-focused franchise model.
• PrintingForLess: Online commercial printing company serving businesses with high-quality marketing materials, books, and signage. Comparable printing capabilities and SMB customer base, distributed through a digital-first model.

Others

• Spicers Canada: Distributor of print, signage, and packaging supplies serving commercial printers across Canada. Adjacent to Cliffe as a print industry supplier and equipment partner rather than direct competitor in finished print services.

Broad incumbents

• St. Joseph Communications: Large Canadian printing and communications group serving enterprise and government clients. Overlaps with Cliffe's commercial printing but operates at a much larger scale and broader scope across content, communications, and print.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Cliffe-Printing-Inc-161693407218465
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cliffe-printing-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 cliffe printing