ENGAGING
YOUR AUDIENCE  
THROUGH PRINT

Offset and Digital Printing

Print is our heritage, Vanguard has been delivering print solutions for over 50 years and uses a range of offset and digital presses to deliver CMYK, PMS and varnish combinations that best suit your image reproduction, functionality, timing and finishing options.

We don’t compromise on quality, partnering with machinery leaders Heidelberg and Ricoh.

Products that we regularly print include: Business stationary, magazines, custom books, catalogues, packaging, annual reports, school year books, folders, maps, brochures, newsletters, posters.

• Offset Printing: Rather than transferring ink directly onto paper, offset printing involves transferring ink to a rubber roller before being applied to specially treated plates that presses the ink into paper.
  
  Using four basic ink colours: cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (B), each colour is applied separately, one plate per colour. As a specialist in print, Vanguard Print can also offer pre-mixed inks beyond the CMYK spectrum, such as metallic and Pantone colours to create unique hues.
  
  Offset printing is the most cost-effective option for large print runs, generating economies of scale. It achieves the highest possible print quality with accurate detail and colour fidelity, with a wide variety of paper types and finishes available.
  
  
• Digital Printing: Digital printing assembles the images ready for print through a complex set of numbers and formulaes. Captured from pixels, digitised images are used to control the deposition of ink, toner, and exposure, to replicate the images for print. Miniscule droplets of ink are applied to the paper surface before an even finer, plastic based powder (toner) is applied dry.
  
  Digital printing is more suited to smaller print jobs the fixed cost for creating plates is not required, is more adaptable when it comes to tweaking colours, and has a fast turnaround.

Screen Printing

Clarity Print — recently acquired by Vanguard Print — is a specialist screen printing business with heritage dating back to 1976. We now offer state-of-the-art screen-printing solutions, where mesh is used to transfer ultra violet ink onto various paper, vinyl and polypropylene substrates to achieve precise detail.

Products within our portfolio include long life outdoor vinyl stickers, book cover embellishments, folders and business stationary. Select from our wide range of embellishments to promote tactility and achieve a premium finish for your branded products.

• Spot UV: Spot UV refers to the application of a glossy coating to a specific area (or areas) of a printed piece rather than coating the entire surface. Used primarily as a design technique, Spot UV is a creative way to add depth and contrast through varying levels of sheen and texture.
  
  
• Raised Spot UV: Raised UV printing, (also referred to as 3D UV) is a spot UV technique that builds up the glossy UV coating to create dimension you can both see and feel. Make it possible to feel the strings of a spider web, the scales on a goanna, the ‘water’ on a beer bottle, and even the texture of an orange peel. Alternately, utilise it to make your headline or logo pop off the page!
  
  
• Glow in the Dark Spot UV: The "Phosphorescent" ink used in Glow in the Dark absorbs UV light, making the features visible in the dark. This is a fun print effect that will give your project a unique appearance.
  
  
• Foil Spot UV: As an alternative to foil stamping, Foil Spot UV adds a new dimension to the coating process by producing a matte foil effect. It is perfect for greeting cards, premium packaging, business cards, book and magazine covers, and unique invitations.
  
  
• Soft-Touch Spot UV: Soft-Touch Spot UV has a tough time being described in writing, although many consumers say it feels like velvet or silky suede. With its matt appearance and plush feel, this finish is really one of a kind no matter how you describe it.
  
  
• Bubble Spot UV: Bubble Spot UV produces a raised textured finish for a touch that matches the look of the printed graphic. Make a printed roadway feel like bitumen, make a snake skin feel scaley, add realism to a sandy beach. Bubble Spot UV gives the design a three-dimensional touch and the texture bringing your job to life.
  
  
• Glitter Spot UV: Glitter Spot UV, also known as Sparkle UV, is a high gloss UV screen varnish containing small coloured particles of metallised polyester film that adds "sparkle" when applied to selected areas of a printed image. Glitter Varnish uses a dense specialty finish that adds pop, sparkle and elegance in any colour to any printed piece, including gift cards, credit cards, packaging, retail POP displays, book covers, and greeting cards.
  
  
• White Screen Print: White Ink Screen Printing is simply the ability to print the colour white. Having this ability allows designers to expand the possibilities when printing on coloured card stock and metallised papers, black lamination and other dark paper stocks.
  
  
• Scratch & Sniff: Scratch & Sniff refers to a unique type of scent infused printing in which the scent is contained in tiny capsules that can be ruptured by friction. Individual scented oil beads, too small to be seen with the naked eye, are enclosed in plastic or gelatine and printed on paper using specialised methods.
  
  
• Photochromic Sunlight Reactive Ink: Walk outside into the sunlight and watch packaging printed with photochromic technology burst into colour. What seems like magic is, in reality, sophisticated chemistry. When sunlight or UV light stimulates sunlight activated inks on printed materials, photochromic dye molecules rotate to change from colourless to colour almost instantly.
  
  
• Scratch n Win: Using metallic scratch-off latex, create fun sales and marketing tools to engage your audience. The scratch-off ink is designed to obscure a message underneath. First printed lithographically, a special release varnish is covered over the message to protect it before finishing with the scratch-off ink.
  
  
• Heat Reactive: This product has to be seen to be believed. The Spot UV disappears or appears when exposed to hot or cold temperatures. Our Heat Sensitive UV is available in a range of colours and there is even a colour-to-colour transformation available. The idea is either hot or cold items can be used to activate the coating so that a prize, message or product can be revealed under hot or cold exposure.
  
  

Large Format Printing

Large Format typically involves promotional items, where we print on corflute, aluminium composite board, banner and self-adhesive vinyl.

Products within our portfolio include: corflute pointer boards and figurines, real estate sign boards, building signs, pull up banners, flags, tear drop banners, marques, window graphics and car wraps.

• Pull-Up Banners: Stand out amongst the crowd and attract attention in areas with high foot traffic with engaging pull-up banners. Portable, lightweight, and versatile, they’re a valuable tool for any marketing arsenal when it comes to communicating brand messages and promotions.
  
  
• Vinyl Banners: Vinyl banners are the go-to solution for practical, lightweight, portable and reusable signage. Ideal for making your presence known at events, we offer custom sizes and high-quality graphics.
  
  
• Corflute Signs: Ideal for short-team marketing campaigns or pop-up signage, corflutes are lightweight, weather resistant and easily customised to your desired shape or size.
  
  
• Teardrop Banners & Flags: Ideal for on-the-go advertising, streetside branding and promotional events; attract attention with UV-resistant, branded flags that move subtly in the wind if displayed outdoors.
  
  
• Marquees: There’s no way to stand-out at an event quite like a branded marquee. Attract foot traffic to your base with custom designed marquee tops and walls that speak for you brand.
  
  
• Window Signage: Speak to the Vanguard Visual team about which window signage material, placement and design is right for you.
  
  
• Vehicle Signage: Capture attention while on the move with impactful vehicle signage and wraps, achieved by applying a thin layer of custom cut and design vinyl with an adhesive back to your car’s panelling.
  
  

Finishing

Our finishing capacity is second to none and means that everything done to the printed sheet to make it a final product is done in-house. Finishing includes, trimming, folding, saddle stitching, perfect binding, laminating, and other embellishments, die cutting and mailing. This means we can control the quality and timing of your project output end-to-end.

Binding will have a major impact on the cost and presentation of your book or magazine. Vanguard Print will always help you select the bind that’s right for your product, with the two major options being:

• Saddle Stitch: The most common and cost-effective choice, a saddle stitch involves nesting folded sheets inside one another from the centre to the cover, before stapling through the fold line. The shifting of pages, also known as "creep", is accounted for by trimming the pages to get incrementally smaller as you approach the centrefold. Saddle stitched binds are best suited to magazines or booklets with fewer than about 96 pages.
  
  
• Perfect Bound: Perfect bound is a popular choice for soft cover books, magazines requiring a premium finish or publications exceeding about 96 pages. Perfect bound publications require a heavy stock cover with a flat printed spine for each page to be glued upon. The pages are the same length, cut flush with the cover.
  
  

Lamination refers to applying a plastic coating (think polypropylene) to a finished product. It can drastically change the final appearance and feel of your final product, elevating it to another level of quality, and improve durability. Some of our lamination finishes include:

• Scuff-Free Matte Lamination: Anti-scuff lamination does exactly what it says – it prevents any unwanted scuffs and marks from showing up on laminated surfaces where this has been the finish of choice. With this matte finish, dirty fingerprints will be kept at bay and will leave your print with a clean appearance.
  
  
• Gloss Lamination: The glossy, glass-like look that gloss lamination creates brings out the colour and vitality of the ink on a page. Business applications like marketing and promotional materials frequently use it. Additionally, it functions effectively as a cover for information that is bound, such as books, reports, and training materials.
  
  
• Soft Black Lamination: Soft Black is a black film lamination offering the velvet like qualities like our velvet laminating, except it’s a solid black. The applications of this stunning product allow it to be used on boutique or specialised packaging, dust jackets, presentation folders, magazine covers, alcohol or premium box packaging.
  
  
• Matte Lamination: A matte laminate gives off a more "natural" appearance compared to other finishes. Matte lamination, as opposed to gloss lamination, can give a softer effect since it can result in lesser contrast on darker colours.
  
  
• Velvet Lamination: Velvet lamination provides such a soft texture that has been compared to the skin of a fresh peach! Also known as ‘velvet-feel’ or ‘soft-touch’, it adds a protective layer that results in long-lasting prints with a delicate feel.
  
  

More subtle than lamination, varnish is a liquid finish applied via the printing press to seal in and protect the ink on a printed surface. It can be ideal for saddle stitched products for a premium finish.

• Gloss Aqueous Varnish: Gloss aqueous coating is a water-based, environmentally friendly coating that dries quickly when applied to printed materials. This coating is clear and provides a subtle glossy finish and some protection from scuffing, while keeping colour rich and vibrant on promotional products.
  
  
• Matte Aqueous Varnish: Matte aqueous coating is a water-based coating applied directly onto wet ink on an offset printing press. It provides a subtle matte finish, dries instantly to protect from scuffing, while keeping colour rich and vibrant.
  
  
• Uncoated (no varnish): Uncoated paper is more porous, leaving it to feel rougher and more textured. Images may appear less crisp; however, it can also contribute to a more rustic effect.
  
  

Folding is an essential finishing process for many print projects and Vanguard Print can execute just about any fold you desire, from simple half-folds to more complicated map folds and folded inserts within book covers or magazines. Some common folds include:

• Half-fold: A sheet of paper folded in half to create four panels. Ideal for simple booklets.
  
  
• Letter/ Tri-fold: A sheet of paper folded in thirds to create six panels. Typical for a classic brochure.
  
  
• Single Gated Fold: A sheet of paper folded inwards from both outer edges to meet in the centre, creating 6 panels.
  
  
• Double Gated Fold: A sheet of paper folded inwards from both outer edges to meet in the centre, then folded again at the centre to create eight panels.
  
  
• Z-fold: Paper is folded in thirds in zig zags, to open like an accordion in the shape of a letter z.
  
  
• Accordion Fold/ Concertina: Like a z-fold but with the addition of a fold to create eight panels in total.
  
  
• Double Parallel Fold: A sheet of paper is folded in half twice in the same direction to create eight panels.
  
  
• Map fold: A sheet of paper is folded into an accordion before a single fold is applied across the centre to create a compact 16-panel booklet.
  
  

Die Cutting is the art of finishing products in a custom shape to add flare or a special effect to your job. Custom die cutting for business cards, postcards, packaging, and other marketing tools can amplify your brand awareness.

Mailing

Mail remains a crucial distribution channel to ensure your brand reaches households and communicates with your target audience. The Australia Post offering is often misunderstood and mismanaged, which is where we can help.

As distribution experts (See Vanguard Distribution) we can guide you through Australia Post’s service offering, ensuring your print specification and distribution plan are aligned to save money and manage timelines.

Mail services regularly include database and address management, polywrapping, enveloping and parcel services.