FROM humble beginnings in Cobar, it has inked itself as a mainstay in the Bathurst community.
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Central Commercial Printers (CCP) has been one of the region's most prominent printers for half a century and, at the start of April, the family-owned business celebrated its 50th anniversary.
CCP director Peter Wright, son of the original founders Alan and Susan Wright, said it's a significant milestone.
"Printing has always been in our blood," he said.
"We've never known anything different. It's been a great business for our family and we feel very much a part of the Bathurst business community."
Mr Wright co-owns the business alongside his sister Lisa Mallon, who's proud to celebrate the 50-year milestone.
"Like many organisations, we have successfully faced various challenges and we're honoured to carry on the legacy of our parents, continuing the company in a way that they would be proud of," Mrs Mallon said.
How the industry has changed
WHEN the business began in 1974, printing had to be manually set by hand. Each character had to be selected out of the type case for print.
It was a slow, arduous job and entire galleys of text would need to be hand set and then accurately put back into the type case.
This was eventually followed by hot metal typesetting, a method that injects molten metal into a pre-shaped mould.
Then came photo type setting, where you could type out a block of text onto photo sensitive paper, which would be developed into film or metal plates.
"I remember as an apprentice 40 years ago, it was a big thing to have a 14 character display, so you could proof-read your work before sending it away," Mr Wright remembers.
"You also only had four fonts, with these $30,000 photo type setters."
After that came the desktop publishing and digital revolution, which made the entire printing process a lot easier.
"Technology has been a threat to printers, as well as being a good tool to harness," Mr Wright said.
"You've got your online options, but people still love a physical, tangible thing to hold and read.
"Printing is also coming back into vogue. For a while, it went out, but people are realising that old school ink on paper is a better way to communicate."
Looking back over the years
CCP spent three years in Cobar before it eventually moved to Bathurst in 1977.
It operated from locations next to Keystone and out at Ray Morcoms on the Vale Road before taking up its current premises on Keppel Street in 1984.
In 2013, CCP was awarded the Most Outstanding Business at the Bathurst Business Awards.
On April 1, 2024, CCP brought up its 50th birthday, with celebrations including customers, staff and as a family.
There are currently eight employees on the books at CCP - including Mr Wright and Mrs Mallon.
"It's been great to celebrate with customers and our own family," Mrs Mallon said.
"It's been a great ride this last month, but also a memorable one, taking us back to where Mum and Dad started the business in Cobar."
