Tharstern
Tharstern is a UK-based commercial print MIS software company founded in 1984, providing flexible, cloud-hostable, browser-based management information systems with AI-enhanced workflows for commercial, mailing, and signage printers, serving 4,500+ customers globally as part of Print ePS.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersColne, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Tharstern does
Tharstern is a commercial printing and graphic arts software company founded in 1984 and headquartered in Colne, United Kingdom. It operates as a sub-brand within Graphic Communications, which does business as Print ePS. The company provides a flexible MIS (Management Information System) tailored for commercial, mailing, and signage printers, offering scalable tools for estimating, scheduling, job intake, and customer management. Its core technology is cloud-hostable and browser-based, with embedded AI-enhanced workflows for smarter quoting, reorders, and reporting that require no specialized print expertise from users.
Tharstern is part of a broader Print ePS portfolio organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. Alongside Tharstern, the portfolio includes Pace (cloud-hostable MIS for mid-size commercial printers), Monarch (flagship enterprise MIS for high-volume multi-site operators), PrintSmith Vision (small quick printers and franchises), Technique (publication/book printing), Nubium (cloud-native SMB MIS), Avanti (browser-based for in-plant printers), and EPMS (North American SMB), supplemented by add-on modules such as MarketDirect StoreFront (web-to-print), MarketDirect Fulfillment, PrintFlow 4D (scheduling), Auto-Count 4D (data collection), Metrix (imposition), iQuote (advanced estimating), and eCRM.
The business model is SaaS subscription-based, with a modular design enabling customers to procure only the capabilities they require. Distribution runs through an enterprise field-sales motion with 'Request a Demo' and 'Speak to Us' CTAs, targeting midmarket and enterprise commercial printers. Marketing is multi-channel — insights blog, resource library, webinars, events, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The company reports 4,500+ customers globally, 30+ years of industry experience, and approximately 35% of revenue allocated to R&D. Leadership consists of founder Keith McMurtrie as Managing Director and CEO, with Matt Miloszewski in business development.
Tharstern firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tharstern
- Legal name
- Graphic Communications
- Website
- https://tharstern.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Tharstern is a UK-based commercial print MIS software company founded in 1984, providing flexible, cloud-hostable, browser-based management information systems with AI-enhanced workflows for commercial, mailing, and signage printers, serving 4,500+ customers globally as part of Print ePS.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tharstern industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Print Management Software (MIS)
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- eSignature, Forms & Digital Workflow Platforms (HDAEAHAJ)
Keywords
Where Tharstern is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Colne
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Tharstern business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Subscriptions: SaaS-based MIS software with modular design allowing customers to pay only for what their business needs - whether print MIS, estimating tools, or multi-site production management.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Tharstern product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tharstern provides a flexible MIS (Management Information System) tailored for commercial, mailing, and signage printers, covering job estimating, scheduling, production workflows, and customer management. Delivered as a cloud-hostable, browser-based SaaS solution with AI-enhanced quoting, reorders, and reporting, it is sold on a modular basis so customers only pay for the capabilities they need. The offering is part of a broader Print ePS portfolio that extends from quick-print shops to high-volume multi-site enterprise printers.
Product overview
Graphic Communications (operating as Print ePS) offers a comprehensive print MIS software portfolio organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core products include Tharstern (flexible MIS for commercial/mailing/signage printers), Pace (cloud-hostable MIS for mid-size commercial printers), Monarch (flagship enterprise MIS for high-volume multi-site operations), PrintSmith Vision (for small quick printers), Technique (for publication/book printing), Nubium (cloud-native SMB solution), Avanti (browser-based for in-plant printers), and EPMS (for North American SMB). These are supplemented by add-on modules including MarketDirect StoreFront (web-to-print storefront), MarketDirect Fulfillment (pick-and-pack/inventory), MarketDirect Cross Media (multi-channel campaign automation), PrintFlow 4D (intelligent scheduling), Auto-Count 4D (data collection), Metrix (layout/imposition automation), Process Shipper (shipping automation), iQuote (advanced estimating), and eCRM (customer relationship management). The modular design allows printers to select only the capabilities their business requires.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Tharstern: Flexible MIS for commercial/mailing/signage printers. Part of the midmarket print suite targeting businesses with complex needs.
Products and services
- Tharstern Flexible MIS (Management Information System) designed for commercial, mailing, and signage printers, offering scalable tools for estimating, scheduling, and customer management. Part of the midmarket print suite for businesses with complex needs.
- Pace Cloud-hostable MIS for mid-size commercial printers supporting complex workflows and providing end-to-end visibility for print production management.
- PrintSmith Vision Print shop management software for small quick printers and franchises, offering streamlined job tracking and customer management.
- Monarch Flagship enterprise MIS for high-volume, multi-site commercial printers delivering real-time visibility, complex workflow control, and multi-site efficiency as a complete print ERP solution.
- Technique MIS software for publication, book, and periodical printing. Specialized solution for publishers and catalog printers.
- Nubium Cloud-native MIS for SMB commercial printers. Designed for rapid deployment, enabling printers to start producing value in hours.
- Avanti Browser-based MIS for mid to large in-plant and commercial printers seeking streamlined workflows and end-to-end visibility.
- EPMS MIS solution for North American SMB printers, providing integrated print management capabilities.
- MarketDirect StoreFront Web-to-print storefront and job intake solution enabling customers to place orders online and initiate print jobs.
- MarketDirect Fulfillment Pick-and-pack, inventory, and order management solution for print fulfillment operations.
- MarketDirect Cross Media Multi-channel campaign automation combining print and digital channels for integrated marketing campaigns.
- PrintFlow 4D Intelligent scheduling and capacity planning software for print production optimization.
- Auto-Count 4D Print data collection software providing real-time production tracking and inventory management.
- Metrix Automated layout, imposition, and ganging software for optimizing print substrate usage and production efficiency.
- Process Shipper Shipping automation and tracking integration solution for print fulfillment operations.
- iQuote Advanced estimating software for complex and enterprise print jobs, providing detailed cost calculations.
- eCRM Customer relationship and sales data management system tailored for the print industry.
Companies that use Tharstern
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Tharstern technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Tharstern partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Tharstern competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EFI (Electronics For Imaging) / PrintSmith: EFI is one of the largest print MIS and workflow software vendors globally; its PrintSmith product directly competes with Tharstern in commercial print shop management, and EFI's broader portfolio targets the same mid-market and enterprise printers that Tharstern serves.
- Heidelberger Druckmaschinen (Prinect): Heidelberg's Prinect workflow suite is a flagship print MIS/ERP for commercial printers. It competes head-on with Tharstern for commercial print shop production management, scheduling, and estimating.
- Esko (Automation Engine): Esko provides packaging and commercial print workflow software including Automation Engine for job management and production. It overlaps with Tharstern's production management and estimating functionality, especially for packaging-adjacent printers.
- Aleyant Systems: Aleyant offers web-to-print, estimating, and MIS-style solutions for commercial printers. Its tFLOW and Pressero products directly compete with Tharstern's web-to-print (MarketDirect StoreFront) and estimating (iQuote) modules.
- PrintVis / Levin Software: PrintVis is a print MIS purpose-built for commercial printers with estimating, scheduling, and shop floor data collection, comparable to Tharstern's midmarket MIS positioning.
- Avanti Computer Systems (sibling brand within Print ePS): Avanti offers browser-based MIS for mid-to-large in-plant and commercial printers, marketed alongside Tharstern under the same Print ePS umbrella. The two products compete for overlapping midmarket printer accounts.
Broad incumbents
- Ricoh (TotalFlow): Ricoh's TotalFlow portfolio covers production print workflow and MIS capabilities targeted at commercial and in-plant print environments, overlapping with Tharstern's midmarket and enterprise print management offerings as part of a much broader hardware-led portfolio.
- Kodak (Prinergy / Kodak Workflow Solutions): Kodak's Prinergy and broader workflow solutions serve commercial printers with prepress, production, and MIS-adjacent capabilities. While Kodak is a broader incumbent, its workflow software targets the same printers that buy Tharstern.
Emerging players
- Infigo Software: Infigo provides web-to-print and MIS-adjacent solutions for commercial printers. Its focus on e-commerce and personalization overlaps with Tharstern's MarketDirect StoreFront and CRM offerings.
- SmartSource (SmartSoft) pressMIS: SmartSoft's pressMIS is a print MIS targeting small to mid-size commercial printers, overlapping with Tharstern's modular midmarket positioning and add-on ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tharstern social profiles
Digital presenceTharstern financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tharstern leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Tharstern funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tharstern M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tharstern
What does Tharstern do?
Tharstern provides a flexible MIS (Management Information System) tailored for commercial, mailing, and signage printers, covering job estimating, scheduling, production workflows, and customer management. Delivered as a cloud-hostable, browser-based SaaS solution with AI-enhanced quoting, reorders, and reporting, it is sold on a modular basis so customers only pay for the capabilities they need. The offering is part of a broader Print ePS portfolio that extends from quick-print shops to high-volume multi-site enterprise printers.
Is Tharstern a public or private company?
Tharstern is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Tharstern founded?
Tharstern was founded in 1984. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Tharstern based?
Tharstern is headquartered in Colne, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Tharstern make money?
One revenue line is on record: software Subscriptions.
Who are Tharstern's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EFI (Electronics For Imaging) / PrintSmith, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen (Prinect), Esko (Automation Engine), Aleyant Systems, PrintVis / Levin Software and Avanti Computer Systems (sibling brand within Print ePS). Broad incumbents are Ricoh (TotalFlow) and Kodak (Prinergy / Kodak Workflow Solutions). Emerging players are Infigo Software and SmartSource (SmartSoft) pressMIS.
Does Tharstern have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tharstern.
What industry is Tharstern in?
Tharstern's product category is Print Management Software (MIS). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAHAJ, eSignature, Forms & Digital Workflow Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.