Cestrian Imaging

What Cestrian Imaging does

Cestrian Imaging Ltd is a UK-based large format digital printing and visual brand communications company headquartered in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire. Founded in 2000 (with one source referencing 2005), the company operates a single production facility and serves three primary verticals: retail brands, events and exhibitions, and outdoor advertising. Its product portfolio spans in-house large format printing (billboards, building wraps, FSDUs, POS displays, SEG and tension fabric graphics, fabric light boxes, digital wallpaper, vehicle wraps, banners, window vinyl, gallery wraps, and digital poster printing) plus complementary services including concept design, artwork management, finishing, fulfilment, storage, logistics, and UK-wide installation. The company runs state-of-the-art capital equipment including the EFI Vutek 5R, Fuji Onset R50i, and EFI Reggiani ReNOIR Pro, representing over £2 million in cumulative technology investment, and has in-house proprietary software (itsapproved for print management workflow automation with 70% time efficiency gains, and ItsFitted for real-time installation tracking).

Cestrian generates revenue through a quote-based, project-by-project B2B sales motion targeting brand owners and agencies, with a dedicated project management team and remote client management software as the primary interface. Pricing is not publicly listed; one disclosed reference price is £8 per linear metre for railing wraps. The customer book is diversified across 25+ named enterprise logos including Marks & Spencer, Burberry, Selfridges, Ferrari, Bentley, JCDecaux, Liverpool FC, Manchester United Foundation, BT, Nespresso, AstraZeneca, DFS, and Wickes, plus one-off institutional work for Tate Liverpool and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Headcount is reported in the 11-50 range in firmographic data, though one source references "80+ staff" - a conflict that materially affects size estimation. The company has been acquired twice in recent years: by PFI Group in October 2021, and subsequently by Service Graphics in November 2023, with Paul Price serving as Managing Director and also overseeing Bradford-based Creative Digital Images Ltd (CDI) within the parent platform. Cestrian holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications for 11 consecutive years, Carbon Smart Gold, and an EcoVadis Silver rating placing it in the 91st percentile of assessed companies.

Name

Cestrian Imaging

Legal name

Cestrian Imaging Ltd

Website

https://cestrian.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cestrian Imaging is a UK-based large format digital printing and visual brand communications provider serving retail, events, and outdoor advertising clients. Operating from Cheadle Hulme with proprietary workflow software and state-of-the-art printers, it offers end-to-end print, fulfilment, and UK-wide installation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Large Format Printing Services

NAICS

Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Commercial Screen Printing (323113), Commercial Photography (541922)

SIC

Commercial Printing (2750), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Large-Format & Specialty Printing (Signage, Posters, Displays) (MPAJALAD)

Keywords

• Large format printing
• Visual brand communications
• Digital printing services
• Retail graphics printing
• Outdoor advertising printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheadle

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Large Format Printing Services: One-time printing services for retail graphics, billboard printing, exhibition displays, building wraps, and other large format visual communications

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cestrian Imaging provides end-to-end large format digital printing and visual brand communication services for the UK market. Its core offering covers in-house wide format printing (billboards, building wraps, FSDUs, POS displays, fabric/SSEG graphics, tension fabric systems, exhibition stands, vehicle wraps, window vinyl and digital wallpaper) combined with concept design, artwork, fulfilment, logistics, and UK-wide installation. Two proprietary software platforms — itsapproved (print/workflow management) and ItsFitted (real-time installation tracking) — augment the production capability, which is anchored by a £2m+ fleet of EFI Vutek, Fuji Onset and EFI Reggiani presses.

Product overview

Cestrian Imaging offers a comprehensive portfolio of visual brand communications products and services, centered on large format digital printing. The core offering combines in-house wide format printing technology with design, fulfilment, and installation services. The product range spans multiple display types: billboard and building wraps for outdoor advertising, tension fabric graphics and SEG displays for retail environments, exhibition systems including modular stands and breakout pods, point of sale displays (FSDUs, POS displays, display cubes), and specialty items like vehicle wraps, floor graphics, and digital wallpaper. The company also offers two proprietary software products: itsapproved for print management workflow automation (achieving 70% time savings) and ItsFitted for installation tracking. Services extend from concept design through production to UK-wide installation and storage/fulfilment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ItsApproved: Smart print management software platform that enables automated workflow management, artwork approval, and installation tracking for retail printing projects.

Products and services

• Large Format Digital Printing In-house wide format digital printing facility for retail graphics, billboards, exhibition displays and building wraps, using state-of-the-art EFI Vutek, Fuji Onset and EFI Reggiani presses. Aimed at UK enterprise retail brands, OOH operators and event organisers.
• Billboard Printing Wide format billboard printing service for outdoor advertising campaigns, leveraging 5-metre super-wide press capability. Aimed at outdoor advertising operators and brands running OOH campaigns.
• Free Standing Display Units (FSDUs) Easily-assembled, durable cardboard display stands for in-store retail promotions. Customers can preview FSDUs in 3D before ordering. Aimed at retail brands running in-store campaigns.
• Point of Sale (POS) Displays Creative point of sale displays designed to enhance in-store customer engagement. Aimed at retail brands and merchandising teams.
• Fabric Graphic Printing Large format fabric graphic printing using dye sublimation to print water-based inks onto polyester textiles, producing weatherproof, washable graphics for backlit displays. Aimed at retail and event buyers needing lightweight, durable fabric signage.
• Fabric Light Boxes LED illuminated fabric light box displays combining dye sublimation fabric graphics with LED illumination for retail environments. Aimed at retail brands wanting premium in-store illumination.
• Banner Printing PVC advertising banners ideal for retail promotions and new store openings. Aimed at retail and event buyers needing durable promotional signage.
• Tension Fabric Graphics Tension fabric frame displays combining wall covering benefits with point-of-sale graphics, often paired with TV screen integration. Aimed at retail brands wanting premium, reusable wall/display graphics.
• SEG Displays (Silicone Edge Graphics) Modern display solution combining high-resolution graphics printed on polyester fabric with borderless frames using silicone strip edging. Aimed at retail and exhibition buyers wanting frameless, premium fabric graphics.
• Digital Wallpaper Self-adhesive digitally printed wallpaper used to transform walls in event, promotional or retail display environments. Aimed at retail, automotive and event buyers (e.g., Bentley showroom digital wallpaper).
• Building Wraps Large format building wrap advertising covering entire buildings for maximum visual impact. Aimed at property developers, brands and OOH operators running 'building domination' campaigns.
• Railing Wraps Fence and railing advertising wraps using durable, 100% recyclable materials. Priced from £8 per linear metre (max 2.5m height), with design-to-delivery in 4 working days. Aimed at councils, construction sites and event organisers.
• Vehicle Branding Full or partial vehicle wraps for mobile advertising — for fleets, buses and promotional vehicles. Aimed at brands, transport operators and sports teams.
• Exhibition Graphics Graphics for exhibition booths and trade show displays. Aimed at exhibition contractors, agencies and corporate event teams.
• Modular & Portable Exhibition Stands Portable exhibition booth systems including Octanorm-compatible graphics for trade shows and events. Aimed at exhibition contractors and corporate event teams.
• Tension Fabric Exhibition Stands Stretch fabric display systems for exhibition environments. Aimed at exhibition contractors and event teams.
• Breakout Pods Branded fabric spaces for breakout sessions, exhibition booths and meeting rooms. Aimed at corporate event teams and exhibition contractors.
• Window Graphics & Vinyl Shop window graphics and window vinyl for retail display transformations. Aimed at retail brands, store operators and QSR/coffee chain operators.
• LED Light Boxes Illuminated display boxes for retail and advertising applications. Aimed at retail brands, agencies and venue operators.
• Variable Data Printing (VDP) Personalised large format printing with variable data using specialist software to control per-printer information, enabling one-to-one targeted messaging at scale. Aimed at financial services, retail and B2C brands running personalised campaigns.
• itsapproved Print Management Software Proprietary smart print management software that automates data input, correspondence and artwork approval across retail printing workflows, achieving 70% time efficiency improvement. Sold as a standalone branded sub-brand to enterprise print buyers.
• ItsFitted Installation Tracking Software Custom-built installation tracking software with smartphone app connecting each installation team, collecting data and step-by-step imagery accessible by clients in real-time. Sold alongside Cestrian's installation service.
• Exhibit Express Exhibition Package Easy exhibition package allowing customers to self-edit their own artwork with CMYK and vector tools to design exhibition products. Aimed at SME and corporate event teams needing rapid, in-house artwork turnaround.
• Film & TV Industry Set Production Cardboard set building services for film and TV production, producing environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional wood/MDF sets. Aimed at TV studios and film production companies (initial entry with a Manchester-based TV studio).
• Digital Poster Printing High-volume digital poster printing, capable of producing 6,000 8-sheet posters per day. Aimed at OOH media owners, agencies and retailers running high-volume poster campaigns.
• Print Management & Fulfilment Services End-to-end print management and fulfilment — remote client management software, dedicated project management team, finishing, collating, packing, storage, logistics, delivery and UK-wide installation. Aimed at enterprise brands needing a single accountable print partner.
• Concept Design Services Expert concept design services from initial concept through to finished prototypes, delivered by in-house industry designers. Aimed at brand owners and agencies needing concept-to-print design support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% improvement in time efficiency through itsapproved print management software
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Service Graphics: UK large format printing and visual communications group that acquired Cestrian's trade and assets in November 2023. Directly comparable in offering (large format print, POS, exhibition graphics) but operates as a larger multi-site group with broader account reach.
• HH Global: Global managed print and creative production services group serving enterprise brand owners. Comparable at the procurement-managed-print and visual merchandising level, though broader in scope and significantly larger scale.
• 4imprint: UK-headquartered promotional products and large format print group. Comparable in large format graphics and branded display offerings, but with a more catalogue/online-led model alongside custom work.

Direct peers

• Hollywood Monster: UK large format digital printer serving retail, events, sport and exhibition clients with similar product set (fabric graphics, banners, FSDUs, vehicle wraps). Closely comparable in technology stack, customer verticals and project-based delivery model.
• PressOn: UK-based large format and rigid substrate printing specialist operating in retail graphics, outdoor advertising and exhibition display. Directly comparable in production technology and customer base.
• Imageco: UK large format printing and visual communications business with comparable capabilities across retail, events and outdoor. Overlaps with Cestrian in FSDUs, tension fabric displays, signage and project-based enterprise delivery.
• Octink: UK large format print and signage provider serving retail, events and brand activation. Directly comparable in large format production, installation services and end-customer verticals.
• Visual Graphics (VGL): UK large format printing and signage provider with comparable retail, exhibition and outdoor advertising focus. Similar project-based commercial print model with installation services.
• SunDance: UK print and signage services provider offering large format printing, POS displays, exhibition graphics and branded environments. Comparable in customer verticals (retail, events) and project delivery model.
• Baker Goodall: UK signage, print and display business serving retail, leisure and hospitality. Comparable in retail-graphics focus, project-based model and in-house production capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXJ4Kw7eBzGZqVZD3kJJD5w
• Facebookfacebook.com/cestrianimaging
• Instagraminstagram.com/cestrian_imaging
• Xx.com/Cestrian

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Cestrian Imaging