Bailey Print Group celebrates four decades and one legacy in print

Bailey Print Group is a success story of family, resilience, and vision

Australian Printer isn’t the only one celebrating a monumental milestone this year; It has been 40 years since Brisbane-based Bailey Print Group first made its foray into the Australian print and visual communications space.

Bailey Print Group is not just a business. It’s a success story of family, resilience, and vision. The award-winning, secondgeneration company, proudly based in Brisbane, has transformed over the years to now offer an extensive range of signage and vehicle wraps, all crafted in its stateof-the-art facility in Salisbury.

A finalist in 2020 in the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Business Awards for Outstanding Small Business and being a multiple ProPrint Award Printer 50 winner are just some of the company’s accolades.

Backed by four decades of industry expertise, the company’s skilled team delivers end-to-end solutions in design, manufacturing, printing, and installation, consistently achieving high-quality results on time and on budget. With a strong commitment to sustainability, Bailey Print Group leverages advanced print technologies to provide solutions that marry exceptional craftsmanship with environmental responsibility.

Bailey Print Group director Samantha Bailey-Jensen, who has been with the company for 26 years, co-manages the business with her brother Peter Bailey, who joined the business right after school and has been at the helm for more than 30 years.

Bailey Print Group was started by their parents in 1985 as Banner Specialists –operating from the dining table of their family home.

“My father Ron had worked for many years in the outdoor advertising industry – in billboards production and printing –and decided it was time to step out on his own in 1985. He took a punt and started doing cross street banners for the Brisbane City Council, which my mother Halina used to sew under our house,” BaileyJensen said.

“That same sewing machine that we used when the business was started is still in use today. In the early days, all we had was that sewing machine and two sign writers who did everything by hand.

“Banners that now take us one or two hours to print used to take a week for someone to hand sign write – painting the canvas background first, waiting for that to dry, then using an overhead transparency to trace the lettering out before painting it on.

“It was the same with artwork. We used stencil lettering, colouring pencils, or felt pen to mock it up then drove it to the client.

“If any changes were needed, we would drive back, photocopy the artwork, cutout the stencil, recolour it, before driving it back again.

“Thankfully things improved with the fax machine, but for Peter and me, this was our holiday job. We grew up living and breathing this business and it certainly became part of our DNA early on in our lives.”

As business grew, the company progressed from the Bailey dining table to the space underneath their Queenslander house. In the early ‘90s, the business started laying foundations for its future – undertaking a major renovation of a disused printery in South Brisbane, purchasing its first digital printer, and hiring its first production team.

Another big move happened in the 2000s – this time to East Brisbane, when the company also rebranded and shifted away from solvent printing, and they have never looked back since.

2001 also marked the year the company produced one of its biggest projects –for the Goodwill Games in Brisbane.

“These games were one of the standout highlights in our journey. We secured the contract to deliver all city dressing and precinct banners, along with venue activation signage,” Bailey-Jensen said.

“As part of this project, we also manufactured and installed a landmark banner on the southern face of Brisbane’s iconic Story Bridge.

“This milestone not only showcased our large-scale production capabilities but also elevated our profile as a trusted supplier for major event signage.”

Passing the torch

In 2014, founders Ron and Halina Bailey retired, marking the start of a new era. That was when Samantha Bailey-Jensen returned to the business as co-director alongside her brother Peter, after more than a decade building her career in advertising overseas. At the same time, Banner Specialists rebranded as Bailey Print Group to better represent its diverse and expanding capabilities.

“I never set out to join the family business when I graduated from University. When Ron first offered me a role, I initially refused, but he convinced me to give it a go as he wanted the Bailey legacy to continue. What kept me here was the strong foundation built on customer service and quality. Those old-school values remain at the heart of everything we do – but today, we combine them with innovation, new technology, and fresh thinking to lead the business into the future,” Bailey-Jensen said.

Bailey Print Group was also successful in winning work for the Australian team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games –a milestone that cemented the company’s reputation in major event signage. This later led to the business securing a contract for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics.

“Everything was signed off and we were ready to fly to Tokyo to deliver and install the signage. But then, COVID hit and unfortunately, the project didn’t go ahead,” Bailey-Jensen recalled.

“Although the cancellation was a major setback, it underscored the team’s resilience. Rather than letting it define them, the team used the experience to sharpen their focus and adapt quickly. When our backs were against the wall after losing all our event signage contracts overnight, one of our proudest moments came from pivoting the business to produce face shields. We knew nothing about medical-grade PPE, but we leaned on our networks, problem-solved, and gave it a red-hot crack.

“A moment I’ll never forget was when a Brisbane hospital confirmed our first order. When we delivered the face shields, the staff were crying in relief –they had nothing to protect them from the virus before that.”

That single order catapulted Bailey Print Group into producing 20,000 face shields for the Queensland Government. It kept every staff member employed through one of the toughest times for business.

“Moments like these highlight what have defined Bailey Print Group across four decades – resilience, adaptability, and a determination to step up when it matters most,” Bailey-Jensen said.

The Bailey Print Group of today

The company’s most significant transformation came in 2021 with the creation of a state-of-the-art print and wrap facility at Salisbury, equipped with cutting-edge technology. Bailey Print Group’s diverse portfolio now includes interior wallpapers, printed panelled soffits, event and display signage, and vehicle wraps.

“Peter always had this vision of wanting to build a wrapping garage, and that’s what we have done at Salisbury with the creation of Bailey Print Garage. Fleet wrapping and car wrapping is a newer component of our business, but has since become one of our core services,” Bailey-Jensen mentioned.

In just a short time, Bailey Print Garage has emerged as one of Brisbane’s premier vehicle wrapping and fleet branding specialists – a reputation reinforced by its global win at the 2024 Avery Dennison Wrap Like Royalty Award for Colour Change. The accolade has propelled the business onto the world stage, showcasing its craftsmanship and creativity to an international audience.

The company’s passion for efficiency and commitment to eco-friendly signage was also a factor that drove the design of the Salisbury premises, which was nine months in the planning.

Bailey Print Group is up to its 14th digital printer now. The location houses an HP 1500 and 3200 roll-to-roll large format printer, an HP Latex R2000 flatbed printer, which was installed in 2021, an Océ cutting machine, various finishing machines, as well as a few other supporting equipment.

More recently, projects for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Brisbane 2032 Olympics organising committee have elevated Bailey Print Group’s profile.

“In three weeks, we built six Olympic Rings and Paralympic Agitos for Brisbane 2032 while producing signage for the FIFA Women’s World Cup – a surreal moment for a small Brisbane signage company working with two of the world’s biggest sporting brands. We knew our father would be very proud of what we’ve done,” Bailey-Jensen said.

Sustainability as a principal

Bailey Print Group has fused sustainability into the nucleus of the company, becoming a provider of advanced print solutions that reflect its commitment to excellence and environmental responsibility.

“We try and minimise our impact where we can. Moving toward sustainability is an important part of minimising the impact associated with printing,” Bailey-Jensen said.

The business constantly looks for innovative ways to reduce not only its own carbon footprint but that of its clients as well and ensure that its mode of printing is the cleanest available.

Bailey Print Group suggests ways for clients to reuse collateral and provide eco-conscious material alternatives including PVC free substrates, wallcoverings produced from inners of single use water bottles, and timbers and fibrous renewable boards, all which help sharpen its customers’ sustainability edge.

Through its R3VOLUTION initiative, the company also creates custom bags from its clients’ own banners, giving the product a chance to be recycled, reused, and repurposed.

“For the FIFA Women’s World Cup, we diverted around 300kg of vinyl and mesh from landfill by converting banners to duffel bags, backpacks, and ball bags, which were then distributed to grassroot women’s football clubs around Brisbane as a memento,” Bailey-Jensen said.

Working with HP has also enabled the business to put its cartridges through Close the Loop, which are then shredded and mixed with toner powder to produce TonerPlas, a product added to asphalt for road paving. It also sends back offcuts of corflute which is then made into brick strapping.

In addition, it has fitted out its facility and is driving down emissions with a 264-panel rooftop 81.6 kW solar energy system which powers its entire operation including its HP Energy Star eco printers.

“Our solar system generates significant environmental benefits which primarily come from avoided power plant emissions and equates to saving over 45,965kg of coal being incinerated per year,” she said.

A vision for the future

Bailey-Jensen and Peter Bailey’s dedication has built an incredible business, and the journey continues.

To mark its 40th anniversary, Bailey Print Group partnered with White Label Brewing to launch its own four-pack Printers Pale beer. The beer and can labels were produced by the brewer, while the case boxes were designed and printed by Bailey Print Group.

“To mark the occasion, we launched a weekly client campaign offering the chance to win our limited-edition Printers Pale. The initiative has been a resounding success, strengthening client engagement while spotlighting our premium print packaging capabilities,” Bailey-Jensen said.

November marks Bailey Print Group’s official birthday, which it plans to celebrate with a special event involving its clients, suppliers, and staff in recognition of the partnerships and people that have shaped the business’ journey.

“It’s inspiring to reflect on how long we’ve been doing this and that we’re still delivering the very best signage for Brisbane,” Bailey-Jensen said.

“We’ve made a conscious decision not to grow too big – we like where we are, staying in our lane, and focusing on what we do best. We’re confident in our craft and in what we deliver. We hope our recent project wins segway into other campaigns.

“We’re quite focused on delivering for Brisbane on the runway to green and gold, and we’ve most recently completed a high-profile signage project with the Queensland Academy of Sport.

“Beyond that, our focus remains on continually reinvesting in the business, pivoting strategically, generating fresh ideas, nurturing long-term client relationships, and fostering a passionate, skilled team.

“We embrace innovation and technology that streamlines processes, enhances outcomes, and enables smarter decision-making. This approach has laid a solid foundation for sustainable growth and ongoing success.”