Creffield Digital Print

"In this digital age, where everything seems to exist behind a screen, there's still something magical about holding a physical piece of work in your hands.”

David Horstman, a long-time co-owner of Creffield Digital Print, is a man who has witnessed the transition from analogue to digital printing and all the wonderful print solutions developed by Xerox, Canon, Oce and HP, just to name a few, over the last 30 years.

Along with his partners John Andraos and David Alimi, are also the custodians of the Creffield’s long, storied history as one of Melbourne’s pre-eminent printing businesses.

“Creffield was started by an English map printer and colourist Joe Creffield in 1888, setting up business in Collins Street, across the road from the Titles office” explains David, pointing to the various black and white photographs adorning his office walls. “Joe was unmarried ,so when he incorporated the business in 1916, he alloted some shares to his employees. These shares are still held and remain in the hands of the third generation of shareholders. Over time there’s been a series of mergers and acquisitions, and Creffield Digital Print was formed in 1994, now owned by ,John, David, the shareholders from the original J Creffield Pty Ltd company and myself.”

At their West Melbourne premises the Creffield team work tirelessly to bring visions to life. Printers are adorned with design plans, architectural drawings, posters and artwork, all showcasing the care and attention to detail poured into each project by the team.

They’re proud to serve local clients such as West End Art Space and Premier Health Partners, many Architectural practices, among them Michael McMannus, Folk and Common.

One of the secrets to Creffield Digital Print's long standing success lies in their specialisation in plan printing for architects, urban designers and construction companies, their work with signage and their relationships with artists and photographers - plus their general unwavering commitment to quality and investment in top-of-the-line printing technology.

“We’ve developed quite a reputation for producing large volumes of printing very quickly, getting it delivered promptly and going above and beyond to maintain excellent service to our customers,” says David.
“For instance, Melbourne artist Anton Thomas had his hand-drawn map of the world featured in the New York Times in December 2023. Through that feature he sold 3000 copies of ‘The Wild World Map’! Our staff worked tirelessly to make sure that his prints were produced quickly, including over Christmas and New Year so he could fulfil his orders.”

So what’s next for the team at Creffield Digital Print? “We enjoy the continuing challenge of all the interesting print requests that come through our business and how we can best harness new technology to continue our 135 year reputation for high quality printing solutions.

“Like David and John, we have been a part of Creffields for thirty or more years and enjoy working with our team. We know how important print is to our customers, that is our philosophy ”.

Words by Joyce Watts & Photography by Anna Encio