What Contact Originators does

Contact Originators Ltd. is a UK-based independent prepress company founded in 1992, positioned as the largest independent flexographic prepress operation in the United Kingdom. The company manufactures flexographic printing plates and provides artwork, reprographics, and colour management services for packaging converters and brand owners across corrugated, flexible packaging, and label segments. It operates from a 32,000+ sq ft super site in Dukinfield following a £5M+ relocation completed in 2021, running 24/6 with 74 employees and three Esko CDI Crystal XPS exposure units.

Its service offering is built on proprietary technology platforms including PrintHQ (co-developed with AV Flexologic), Optimus, and MagnaForma, complemented by Esko Crystal and Flint Group Flexo Expert certified workflows. Bespoke WebCenter portals are deployed with packaging converters and brand owners (e.g., Smurfit Kappa Inspirepac as a beta partner), embedding colour management and workflow integration into customer supply chains. The company holds ISO certifications relevant to packaging prepress and supplies customers across the UK, Europe, and North America.

The business model is B2B contract prepress services, monetised per plate, per job, and through longer-term platform integrations with brand owners and converters. Revenue is generated from recurring packaging production cycles (corrugated, flexibles, labels) and from value-added software-enabled workflow engagements, with custom WebCenter deployments acting as a higher-margin, stickier revenue layer on top of core plate-making volume.

Name

Contact Originators

Legal name

Contact Originators Ltd.

Website

https://contact-group.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Contact Originators is the largest independent UK flexographic prepress company, manufacturing printing plates and providing artwork, colour management, and workflow software for packaging converters and brand owners in corrugated, flexible packaging, and labels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flexographic Prepress and Plate Manufacturing

NAICS

Printing and Related Support Activities (3231), Support Activities for Printing (32312), Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555)

akta.pro primary industry

Prepress, Plate-Making & Artwork Services (IMALAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corrugated & Case Printing (Preprint/Postprint) (IMALAKAI), Direct-to-Container & Digital Printing (Inkjet/Laser) (IMALAKAF), Folding Carton & Paperboard Packaging Printing (IMALAKAH), Flexible Packaging Printing & Decoration (Flexo, Gravure, Digital, Cold Foil) (IMALABAM)

Keywords

• Flexographic plate manufacturing
• Prepress reprographics services
• Packaging artwork management
• Photopolymer flexo plates
• Colour management printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bredbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Flexographic Plate Manufacturing: Design, origination, and manufacturing of photopolymer flexographic plates for corrugated, flexible packaging, and label printing applications. Plates are produced with various technologies including flat-top dots, bevelled edges, and printed shims.
2. Prepress/Reprographics Services: Comprehensive artwork origination, colour management, graphics processing, and technical consultation for packaging printers. Includes studio services, design enhancement, and file conversion to production-ready formats.
3. Artwork Management Platforms: Customised collaborative platforms built on Esko WebCenter technology, tailored for brand owners. These standalone systems are built as owned systems for brands with integrated approval flows and content control.
4. Plate Consumables and Supplies: Supply of high performance flexographic and large format plates, along with mounting equipment and related consumables to packaging printers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Contact Originators designs, originates, and manufactures photopolymer flexographic plates and provides prepress/reprographics services for corrugated, flexible packaging, and label printing applications. The company offers proprietary plate technologies (Optimus™, MagnaForma™, PrintHQ), comprehensive artwork origination, colour management, and on-press technical support, supplying plates to packaging printers and customised WebCenter artwork management platforms to brand owners across the UK, Europe, and North America.

Product overview

Contact Originators is the largest independent prepress company in the UK, operating across Corrugated, Flexible Packaging and Label market sectors. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services including: proprietary technologies (Optimus™ for ink savings up to 20%, MagnaForma™ for press capacity maximisation, PrintHQ for automated digital shim printing); core services (artwork & reprographics, colour management, PrePress, On Press support); and flexographic plate manufacturing. Services are delivered through a technology stack including Esko WebCenter for artwork management, Esko Crystal Screening with V3+ Optics, Esko Highlights for HQPP applications, and Print Control Wizard for standardised plate making. The company operates from a 32,000 sq ft super site in Dukinfield, Manchester with state-of-the-art production equipment including CDI Crystal XPS imagers, Kongsberg cutting tables, and AV Flatmounts with image recognition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Optimus™: Proprietary plate technology delivering improved ink laydown and up to 20% ink savings in corrugated printing.
• MagnaForma™
• PrintHQ

Products and services

• Flexographic Plates High-performance photopolymer flexographic plates supplied to corrugated and flexible packaging sectors, featuring flat-top dots, bevelled edges, and printed shims. For packaging printers and converters.
• Artwork & Reprographics Comprehensive artwork origination and graphics management services including design enhancement, cleaning, and conversion to production-ready formats for corrugated, flexible packaging and label sectors. For packaging printers and brand owners.
• Colour Management Expert colour management services ensuring razor-sharp colour accuracy and consistent brand colours across multiple print runs and substrates. For packaging printers and brand owners.
• PrePress End-to-end prepress services supporting projects from concept to completion with ink selection, testing, proofing, and equipment support. For packaging printers.
• On Press Support Press-side technical support and on-site technical assistance when print issues arise, including fine-tuning results on challenging jobs. For packaging printers.
• WebCenter Artwork Management Platform Customised collaborative artwork management platform built on Esko WebCenter technology with integrated approval flows, content control, and end-to-end transparency. Built as standalone system for brands to own and control. For brand owners.
• Optimus™ Plate Technology Proprietary plate technology specifically developed for corrugated printing challenges, delivering improved ink laydown and significant ink savings (up to 20%) while maintaining superior graphics performance. For corrugated packaging printers.
• MagnaForma™ Plate Technology Award-winning plate technology that maximises press capacity and reduces waste for corrugated packaging. Retains 0.2mm register across print with unidentifiable butt join when used on solid colours. For corrugated packaging printers.
• PrintHQ Digital Shim Printing Technology Automated digital shim printing technology jointly developed with AV Flexologic that uses inkjet technology to apply individual print job information directly onto plate shims at point of mounting, eliminating manual labelling and human error. For corrugated packaging printers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 20% reduction in ink usage with Optimus™ technology
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AV FlexologiccoreTechnology or IntegrationJoint development partnership for PrintHQ automated digital shim printing technology. AV Flexologic provides hardware and software capability while Contact provides understanding of print production realities for corrugated printers. Contact holds exclusive contract for PrintHQ technology in UK and Ireland.
• EskocoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-term technology partner providing CDI Crystal XPS imagers, exposure solutions, WebCenter platform, Print Control Wizard software, and Automation Engine. Contact is a long-standing beta testing partner and first in EMEA with three CDI Crystal XPS on one site. Contact standardises on 100% Esko solutions.
• XSYScoreTechnology or IntegrationExtended relationship with XSYS for ThermoFlexX Catena flexographic plate washing and drying/light finishing technology. Supplied two Catena W-80 washers and two Catena DL Dryer/Light Finishers for the new super site. Equipment includes remote diagnostics capability.
• B&M Waste ServicesminorOthersWaste recovery partnership helping Contact achieve zero waste to landfill status. All site waste is collected, reused, recycled or recovered at dedicated waste-to-energy plant supporting circular and sustainable waste pathways.
• Stockport County Community TrustminorOthersCommunity partnership supporting disability and mental health football programme. Previously sponsored ball boys and girls kit. Supports over 250 children, young people and adults with physical, learning and mental health conditions.
• Flint GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationKey plate material supplier. Contact was first company worldwide to be accredited to the prestigious Flint Group Flexo Expert programme. Works with multiple plate suppliers including Flint Group, MacDermid Graphics Solutions, and DuPont.
• SGSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlate production partner that supported Contact during recovery after the January 2020 fire, helping maintain customer service.
• WaldominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlate production partner supporting Contact during fire recovery period, enabling continued production capacity.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Esko (Veralto): Global leader in packaging prepress technology and software, providing CDI Crystal XPS imagers, WebCenter, Crystal Screening, and Print Control Wizard that Contact uses. As a technology vendor and broader packaging solutions provider, Esko represents both a key partner and potential competitive threat through direct services.
• Flint Group: Global supplier of printing plates, inks, and flexographic materials including the Flexo Expert programme. Key plate material supplier to Contact while also offering broader prepress and plate-making services as part of a wider portfolio.
• Miraclon: Provider of flexographic plate-making technology (formerly Kodak's flexo business) including imaging and workflow solutions. Competes in the broader flexo prepress ecosystem with technology that overlaps Contact's Esko-standardized stack.
• XSYS (Xsys Group): Global supplier of flexographic printing plates, plate-making equipment (ThermoFlexX Catena), and prepress solutions. Key technology partner to Contact while also competing as a broader plate manufacturer with services that overlap.

Others

• AV Flexologic: Dutch manufacturer of flexographic plate mounting equipment and supplier of AV 3000 Flatmounts and Image Recognition technology. Joint development partner for PrintHQ with Contact and supplier of mounting hardware to the flexo industry.

Direct peers

• Reproflex B.V. Netherlands-based flexographic prepress specialist offering similar reprographics, plate-making, and artwork management services to packaging printers across Europe. Directly comparable in business model, customer segments (corrugated, flexible, labels), and technology stack.
• Marplat Group: German flexographic prepress and platemaking company serving corrugated and flexible packaging printers across Europe. Comparable service offering including reprographics, colour management, and flexo plate production with similar Esko technology partnerships.
• Prepress Solutions: UK-based flexographic prepress service provider offering plate-making and reprographics to packaging printers. Directly competes in the same UK market with overlapping technology stack and customer base.
• Global Graphics Software: Software and services company specializing in prepress and print production workflows including flexographic applications. Comparable in prepress technology focus though primarily software-oriented rather than physical plate production.
• Cheshire Graphics: UK flexographic prepress company providing plate production and artwork origination services to corrugated and packaging printers. Comparable regional competitor with similar customer profile in UK packaging market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/contact-originators
• Xx.com/Con_Orig

Compliance4 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 Contact Originators