Swallowtail Print
Swallowtail Print is a Norwich-based UK commercial printer offering digital and lithographic printing of books, brochures, catalogues, magazines, and packaging to B2B customers including charities, educational institutions, and enterprises, supported by a London sales presence.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersNorwich, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Swallowtail Print does
Swallowtail Print Ltd is a UK commercial printing company headquartered in Drayton, Norwich, with heritage tracing to the 1800s and the current legal entity established via a 2000 management buyout. The firm provides digital and lithographic printing services across a broad product catalogue that includes book printing and binding, catalogues, brochures and booklets, magazines and newsletters, greeting cards, leaflets and flyers, posters, prospectuses, calendars, stationery, and bespoke cartons and packaging, complemented by specialist finishing such as foil stamping, embossing, die cutting, laminating, and Cellomed antimicrobial coatings tested to ISO 22196. Production runs on a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL106 5-colour sheetfed litho press paired with a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C6100 digital press and Muller Martina Primera saddle stitcher, with ISO 14001 and FSC certifications and a London-based sales representative supplementing the Norwich sales team.
Swallowtail Print firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Swallowtail Print
- Legal name
- Swallowtail Print Ltd
- Website
- https://swallowtailprint.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Swallowtail Print is a Norwich-based UK commercial printer offering digital and lithographic printing of books, brochures, catalogues, magazines, and packaging to B2B customers including charities, educational institutions, and enterprises, supported by a London sales presence.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Swallowtail Print industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Printing Services
- NAICS
- Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Books Printing (323117), Printing and Related Support Activities (323), Printing (32311)
- SIC
- Commercial Printing (2750), Book Printing (2732)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial & Offset Printing (Sheetfed/Web) (MPAJALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Finishing & Post-Press Services (Cutting, Folding, Collating, Laminating, Foil, Emboss) (MPAJALAF), Security & Specialty Print (Anti-Counterfeit, Secure Docs, Watermarks) (MPAJALAI), Direct-to-Container & Digital Printing (Inkjet/Laser) (IMALAKAF)
Keywords
Where Swallowtail Print is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Norwich
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Swallowtail Print business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Commercial Printing Services: One-time transaction-based printing services for books, brochures, catalogues, magazines, leaflets, greeting cards, posters, stationery, and specialty print products. Customers request quotes based on specifications including quantity, paper type, binding, and finishes. Professional services include artwork preparation support, proofing options (PDF, inkjet, sherpa, wet proofs), and finishing services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Book printing minimum order quantity |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Leaflet and flyer minimum order quantity |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Swallowtail Print product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Swallowtail Print is a B2B commercial printing company providing digital and offset lithographic colour printing of books, brochures, catalogues, magazines, leaflets/flyers, greeting cards, posters, stationery, prospectuses and bespoke packaging. It offers comprehensive binding options (saddle stitch, perfect bound, case bound, spiral, wire-o, plastic comb), specialist finishing including antimicrobial coatings, foil stamping, embossing and die cutting, plus print management and stock management services for multi-location organisations across the UK.
Product overview
Swallowtail Print is a commercial printing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of print products and services. The core offering spans book printing & binding (with multiple binding types), catalogues, brochures, magazines, greeting cards, leaflets, flyers, posters, prospectuses, calendars, and bespoke packaging. They provide both lithographic and digital printing services, with specialist finishing options including antimicrobial coatings, laminates (soft-touch, anti-scuff), UV varnishing, foil stamping, embossing, and die cutting. Additional services include print management with online ordering systems for multi-location organizations, stock management, and mailing/distribution services. The company operates from Norwich and serves customers throughout the UK, with recent equipment investments including Heidelberg Speedmaster XL106 and Konica Minolta AccurioPress C6100 presses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Book Printing & Binding Professional book printing with softback and hardback options and a full range of binding methods (saddle stitched, perfect bound, case bound, spiral bound, wire-o and plastic comb). Minimum order quantity of 25 books.
- Catalogues High-quality catalogue printing with perfect binding and a choice of paper stocks for product catalogues and institutional publications.
- Brochures & Booklets Brochure and booklet printing with saddle stitch, perfect bound and other binding options for marketing and informational publications.
- Magazines & Newsletters Saddle-stitched magazine and newsletter printing for regular publications such as wildlife trust magazines and corporate newsletters.
- Greeting Cards & Postcards Fine-art greeting card and postcard printing for artists, photographers and brands looking to publish cards and note cards.
- Leaflets & Flyers Leaflet and flyer printing with multiple fold options (single, roll, Z-fold, gate fold and cross fold) in standard and custom sizes. Minimum order quantity of 100 units.
- Posters Full-colour litho printed posters including A1 bulk poster printing for promotional and event use.
- Prospectuses Prospectus printing for schools, colleges, universities and other institutions producing educational marketing materials.
- Calendars Wall and desk calendar printing with wire-o binding for corporate gifts and promotional products.
- Bespoke Cartons & Packaging Custom packaging solutions including bespoke cartons for gift packaging and product packaging requirements.
- Stationery Business stationery printing including letterheads, compliment slips and other corporate stationery items.
- Digital Printing Short-run digital printing services using a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C6100 for low-volume, high-quality prints with quick turnaround for clients who don't need offset litho volumes.
- Specialist Products Specialist printing services including die cutting, embossing, foil stamping and other unique finishing techniques.
- Guide Books Bespoke guide book printing for attractions and sites, offering litho or digital output, FSC approved paper and various binding options with a 25-copy minimum quantity.
- Print Management Comprehensive print management services for organisations with multiple office locations, providing an online ordering system with templates, branding compliance and localised content.
- Stock Management Stock management and storage services for printed materials produced for customers.
- Antimicrobial Coatings Protective water-based antimicrobial coatings (Cellomed option) tested to ISO 22196, reducing up to 99.9% of bacteria on printed surfaces, suitable for high-touch items such as in-room hotel magazines.
Quantifiable outcome
- Solar panels have reduced carbon emissions by around 35 tonnes a year
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Swallowtail Print
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Swallowtail Print technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Swallowtail Print partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Swallowtail Print competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pureprint Group: UK commercial printing group offering lithographic and digital print across books, marketing collateral and packaging. Closely comparable to Swallowtail on product breadth, B2B customer mix and dual litho/digital capability.
- Clays Ltd: One of the UK's largest book printers based in Bungay, offering hardcover, paperback and trade book printing at scale. Directly comparable to Swallowtail's book printing and binding line, with deeper scale in the same product category.
- Latcham Direct: UK print management and direct mail production company serving multi-location organisations and charities. Comparable to Swallowtail on print management, finishing and B2B customer mix.
- Bishops Printers: Long-established UK commercial printer offering digital and lithographic printing, finishing and mailing services. Comparable to Swallowtail across B2B commercial printing, finishing capabilities and UK-wide delivery.
- Webmart: UK print management and outsourced print procurement company serving multi-location organisations. Comparable to Swallowtail's print management offering for charities and enterprise customers.
- Solopress: UK online commercial printer offering leaflets, brochures, business stationery and books via web-based ordering. Comparable product set to Swallowtail, with a contrasting online-led rather than sales-led GTM model.
- Anton Group: UK commercial printing and packaging group with lithographic, digital and finishing capabilities. Comparable to Swallowtail on product breadth, multi-site operations and B2B customer focus.
- Precision Printing: UK commercial printer producing brochures, catalogues, books and marketing collateral for B2B customers. Directly comparable product mix to Swallowtail.
- Park Communications: UK commercial printer specialising in high-quality lithographic and digital production for publishers, brands and agencies. Comparable on premium-quality commercial print positioning and B2B customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Cimpress: Global mass-customisation printing platform (parent of Vistaprint, Pixartprinting and others). Massively larger scale than Swallowtail but competes for similar B2B and SMB commercial print spend, especially via digital channels.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Swallowtail Print social profiles
Digital presenceSwallowtail Print compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Swallowtail Print financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Swallowtail Print leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Swallowtail Print funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Swallowtail Print 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 Swallowtail Print
What does Swallowtail Print do?
Swallowtail Print is a B2B commercial printing company providing digital and offset lithographic colour printing of books, brochures, catalogues, magazines, leaflets/flyers, greeting cards, posters, stationery, prospectuses and bespoke packaging. It offers comprehensive binding options (saddle stitch, perfect bound, case bound, spiral, wire-o, plastic comb), specialist finishing including antimicrobial coatings, foil stamping, embossing and die cutting, plus print management and stock management services for multi-location organisations across the UK.
Is Swallowtail Print a public or private company?
Swallowtail Print is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Swallowtail Print founded?
Swallowtail Print was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Swallowtail Print based?
Swallowtail Print is headquartered in Norwich, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Swallowtail Print make money?
One revenue line is on record: commercial Printing Services.
Who are Swallowtail Print's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pureprint Group, Clays Ltd, Latcham Direct, Bishops Printers, Webmart, Solopress, Anton Group, Precision Printing and Park Communications. Cimpress is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Swallowtail Print have an API?
No public API is recorded for Swallowtail Print.
What industry is Swallowtail Print in?
Swallowtail Print's product category is Commercial Printing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJALAB, Commercial & Offset Printing (Sheetfed/Web), with a secondary code of MPAJALAF, Finishing & Post-Press Services (Cutting, Folding, Collating, Laminating, Foil, Emboss). Its NAICS code is 323111 and its SIC code is 2750.