BUSINESS / NEWS Independent print company, Blue Sky Printing, has recently celebrated ten years in business. The anniversary has aligned with its recent achievement of surpassing 200,000 completed orders. Based in Essex, and a new location in London, Blue Sky Printing began in 2015 when James Callaghan and Jon Webb spotted a gap in the market for high-quality and customer-focused printing in their local area. Initially started as a pop-up stall in The Meadows Shopping Centre, the duo soon moved to a small shop and “never looked back”. The business produces a range of print services, with a particular focus on wall art, giclée printing, and photo printing. Blue Sky also offers photo gifts, business printing, and in-store services. In July 2024, the company announced the launch of London Film Lab, an extension of Blue Sky Printing situated in the creative hub of East London. The location is dedicated to the specialised fields of film development and fine art printing. London Film Lab is a demonstration of the diverse needs of photographers and the integration of print, film, and photography services. The location can handle film types such as 35mm Film and 120 Film and is also capable of ECN2 processing and E6 Film developing. Callaghan and Webb say they have been committed to offering high-quality print services since day one offering services that aren’t widely available on the high street such as Chromaluxe aluminium prints, fine art printing, and high-end business printing. Blue Sky’s work led to its exclusive partnership with Hahnemühle, one of the world's oldest fine art paper manufacturers. Blue Sky Printing celebrates significant milestone [L to R] James Callaghan and Jon Webb, founders of the company Northern Irish print business completes multi-million-pound acquisition Northside Graphics operates four ‘upload and print’ websites in the UK and Ireland Northern Irish online digital printing platform, Northside Graphics, has announced the acquisition of Belfast printing shop, Media Design and Print. The deal will reportedly boost Northside Graphics turnover to £11m and grow employee numbers to over 80 in total. In 2024, the digital printing platform announced a major investment by London-based Bestport Private Equity, which it said would accelerate its UK and Ireland growth through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions. In the first of these strategic acquisitions, Media Design and Print and its ten employees will move from its base in Belfast’s Newtownards Road to join Northside at its Dargan Crescent headquarters, also in Belfast. By David Osgar Tradeprint, a UK-based trade print service provider (PSP) for the trade, has made the strategic move to expand operations into the Republic of Ireland. The expansion has been done in order to meet market demand from Irish businesses, which include print managers, print resellers, creative agencies, and design studios. Tradeprint says it has established itself as a trusted partner in the UK market, with products manufactured at its headquartered site in Dundee, Scotland. As part of the expansion the company has curated a product catalogue tailored to the Irish market which gives customers an “optimised ecommerce experience”. Anthony Rowell, sales & customer success director and sustainability lead at Tradeprint, says: “We are excited to bring some of Tradeprint’s extensive range of print products and services to the Republic of Ireland. “The demand from the Irish market has been overwhelming, and we are committed to offering an ecommerce experience that reflects our dedication to quality, speed, and customer service.” Tradeprint has ensured it meets the expectations of Irish customers by providing accurate pricing in Euros with local payment gateways that adhere to Irish taxation, import duties, and shipping regulations. The trade printer has also ensured it has customised product descriptions, a white label shipping service, and a dedicated customer support team for Irish customers. The company concludes: “Tradeprint has taken significant steps to ensure that the Irish expansion provides a white label shipping service, competitive pricing, and the usual commitment to high-quality and fast turnarounds.” Tradeprint makes strategic expansion into Ireland Tradeprint, based in Dundee, has expanded ecommerce operations into the Republic of Ireland Parseq invests £500k in Yorkshire facility, creating 20 jobs Parseq, a UK-based independent managed service provider, has announced the opening of a new secure print facility at its site in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Parseq has reportedly invested almost £500k in print technology and other machinery for the new facility, which will be staffed by a team of 20 people at full capacity. The new secure print facility is Parseq’s third in the UK. It has been established to provide further capacity to meet growing demand for secure print services from both UK and international customers. Parseq is a global producer of personalised secure print products. Its products incorporate a range of fraud prevention features, multiple layers of encryption, and other security measures. By David Osgar By Jonathan Pert 9 www.printmothly.co.uk May / June 2025 - Issue 354
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