- 0:07 Peak season for a decades-old diary and calendar printer
- 0:22 Calendars as a bellwether for business confidence
- 0:47 A £1.8 million investment in new printing equipment
- 0:56 The Scodix effect: reflective resin, sparkle, and shine
- 1:20 Why customers pay more for enhanced print quality
- 1:28 Growth targets: £1 million turnover, doubling in five years
- 1:36 More than printing: finishing, binding, and direct mail jobs
Scodix Customer Story - Brunel Print
For Brunel Print, a Bristol company that has printed diaries and calendars for decades, this time of year is by far the busiest, and the last three months have been especially demanding. Their core business, calendars sold to companies as promotional gifts, doubles as a real-time indicator of business confidence: when more firms buy calendars, it signals they expect a strong year ahead. According to Brunel Print, the current mood is notably more confident than it was two to four years ago, and that confidence has translated directly into expansion, including a £1.8 million investment in new printing equipment.
The Solution
Among the new equipment is a piece of kit Brunel Print describes as one of only two like it in the country, capable of applying a layer of reflective resin that adds sparkle and shine to company brochures and premium items like Christmas cards. Paired with a polymer finish that enhances color, the effect makes items like Christmas decorations visually stand out on the page. Brunel Print is explicit about why this matters commercially: this isn’t ordinary print, it’s a visible signal of quality, and customers are willing to pay significantly more for it.
The Result
That willingness to pay for enhanced quality is driving real growth targets. Brunel Print is aiming to double the size of the business within five years. Growth won’t come from printing alone. It also means more jobs across finishing, bookbinding, direct mail, and direct marketing, the full range of work that surrounds a printed piece once it leaves the press.
The Result: Print That Customers Pay More For
A reflective, color-enhancing finish turned standard calendars and cards into premium, quality-proof products.
“It’s not just ordinary print, it’s actually quality proof, and people will pay good money for that.”
FAQs
Can a reflective, sparkle-and-shine finish increase what customers will pay for print?
Yes. This Bristol print company reports that customers pay significantly more for print enhanced with a reflective resin and color-boosting polymer finish, treating it as a visible sign of quality rather than ordinary printing.
What kinds of print products benefit most from added sparkle and shine finishes?
Items designed to stand out or feel premium, like company brochures, greeting cards, and holiday-themed pieces, are highlighted as strong candidates, since the enhanced color and texture make them visually distinct.
Does adding finishing technology create additional jobs beyond printing itself?
Yes. According to the company, growth tied to enhanced finishing extends into bookbinding, direct mail, and direct marketing work, not just the print run itself, creating a broader range of jobs.
Is business confidence linked to demand for promotional print like calendars?
According to this printer, yes. Since calendars are often bought by companies as promotional gifts, rising calendar orders are described as a real-time signal of growing business confidence in the wider market.