Our New HP Latex R1000 Printer
Michael Mellor
A massive new printer in our sign department!
We have invested in a brand new HP Latex R1000.
- Prints high quality on any surface, up to 64 inches wide, and 2 inches thick.
- Will print on rigid surfaces, like coroplast and wood.
- Prints on the glossiest surfaces, like acrylic and plexiglass.
- It uses 9 inks, including white and gloss, giving us the ability to print right to the edge of your media, eliminating the need to trim.
- The HP Latex R1000 is useful for signs, banners, wall vinyl, company directory, wall art, conference displays, legal displays, construction signage, real estate, events, outdoor and indoor signs.
This amazing new printer will help us supply San Diego County with signs for industries like real estate, construction, retail, restaurants, breweries, insurance, aerospace, government contractors, engineering firms, architects, and municipalities. Del Mar Blue Print can now print on acrylic, coroplast (Plasticor), gator board (gatorfoam), foamcore, wood, plastic, polystyrene, and PVC board (Sintra and Komatex).
Del Mar Blue was formed in 1978 and has been located in the same location. A family owned business, with focus on employees, quality work and customer relations. We specialize in construction documents, AutoCAD conversions, banners, and signs. We serve San Diego County. Here are a some of the industries we serve:
- Architects
- Engineers
- General contractors
- Real estate
- Medical
- Retail
- Food Service
40 Years of Business – A History
Michael Mellor
A history we are happy to celebrate with you
Our history is full of colorful personalities, and skilled minds. We can’t believe we are celebrating 40 years in business! It’s been a long path, with a lot of ups and downs, but we are happy to still be in business, and serving you! Some faces have changed, as well as equipment, and even the look of our building, but we still do our best to make sure your needs are met.
Del Mar Blue Print’s Humble Beginnings – A History of Del Mar Blue Print
August 14, 1978
Lee Brothers started Del Mar Blue Print. A small company near the Del Mar Fairgrounds, in a small suite in one of the few industrial areas in the small beach city of Del Mar. The small, family business specialized in blue prints, stationary, and business cards, and found immediate success among builders in the area. Lee had assembled a small team of press operators, blue printers and delivery drivers.
Tragedy strikes… twice
The business had not even been going a year, and the staff consisted of owner Lee Brothers and one employee, when one of the blue printing machines caught fire. Luckily the fire did not spread to the building, but the machine was not salvageable.
February 1980 saw some of the heaviest rainfall on record. Lake Hodges, near Rancho Santa Fe, had reached capacity, and water was spilling over the dam. This caused a massive rush of water to flow down the San Dieguito River that runs behind Del Mar Blue Print. The river level rose drastically with fast moving water towards what is now called Dog Beach in Del Mar. The water carried debris that collected at the bridge on Jimmy Durante Boulevard, creating a dam of lumber, and brush. The water levels quickly rose, and after only 2 years of business, Del Mar Blue was flooded. You can read more about the 1980 flood here.
Rebuild
Following the flood in 1980, Lee had the choice of closing the business, and move on, or rebuild. All of the paper stock was destroyed, and so was nearly all of the equipment. Delivery vehicles and some personal cars were ruined, from the mud, and water. Lee decided to rebuild the business, and worked with the land owner to raise the floor of the building to help prevent future flooding. The rebuild was quick, and Del Mar Blue Print was back serving customers in 6 months.
Success, growth, and new blood
By 1986, the company had grown to 7 employees and had purchased their first large-format document copier. It was important for the company to stay on the cutting edge of the industry. This made it much easier to keep up with what our customers needed. In 1990 Lee hired Michael Kraus, who was not far removed from High School. Michael moved up through the ranks at Del Mar Blue Print, starting with running the blue print machines, and eventually moving to vice president.
A growing family and investing in technology
By the year 2000, Del Mar Blue began to bring in digital printers in, as they were much more efficient than traditional blue print machines, which used ammonia and light to make the prints. The company had also grown to 12 employees, and a couple of delivery vehicles. This is also when Del Mar Blue invested in our first large-format color plotter.
No more traditional blue prints
In 2004, Del Mar Blue finally discontinued their printing of traditional blue prints. This meant the bulk of the printing was being done on large-format Oce and Kip printers. The ammonia smell was gone, but business kept growing. This was an incredible change, and an important footnote on Del Mar Blue’s history.
New ownership
In 2005, Lee was ready to retire. He offered to sell the business to Michael and Kelli Kraus. By this time, Michael had received his degree in business, and was confident he could run the business, and keep it’s growth steady.
Del Mar Blue fleet
We have always offered delivery service to our customers, but Michael expanded that service by buying 4 delivery vehicles in 2006. Our customers are now very used to seeing our branded Scions around town.
Acquisition of Del Mar Office Products copy center
In 2007, Del Mar Office Products announced their location in Del Mar, was going out of business. Michael and Kelli decided to buy their copy center. This included their equipment, customer list, and two of their employees. We think many of their customers are still very satisfied with the service we provide.
2008-2018
In 2008, we saw the worst recession since the Great Depression. Building slowed, and sadly we saw some of our competitors go out of business, including our friends at La Jolla Blue Print. We have found many of their customers have started using Del Mar Blue Print, and have expanded our delivery range to accommodate them. We have also added new services like banner and sign printing, and conversions to AutoCAD. Del Mar Blue Print currently has over 20 employees, with many of them have been here over 10 years. For over 40 years, we have been proud to be your repro house in San Diego. We hope you have enjoyed a brief history lesson on our company. Del Mar Blue Print is a family, and we hope you can be a part of it. Thank you for your support for the last 40 years!