Tharstern

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.

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

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

• Print management software
• Print MIS systems
• Web-to-print software
• Print production automation
• Commercial printing software

Headquarters

HQ city

Colne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Print-ePS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tharstern
• Xx.com/tharsternltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tharstern