Onward Display

What Onward Display does

Onward Display Ltd. is a London-based large format printing company founded in 2003 that produces creative commercial graphics for retail, events and exhibition clients. The business operates three showrooms in Islington (on-site at the Business Design Centre), Soho and Docklands (inside ExCeL London), and runs what is reported as the largest fleet of Canon Océ Arizona flatbed printers in Europe (four units) alongside multiple Zünd G3 CNC cutters and more than 25 large format print and cut machines in total. Its offering spans pull-up banners, life-size cut-outs, interior graphics, window and vehicle wraps, signage, exhibition stand graphics and bespoke builds, with quoted entry prices from £99 and bespoke project starts around £5,000.

The company's customer base is anchored by recognizable London and global brands including Topshop, Liberty London, Stella McCartney, Adidas, Arsenal FC and Red Bull, indicating a clear focus on the premium end of fashion retail, sports and consumer brand marketing. A dedicated subsidiary, Onward Exhibitions, extends the core print capability into integrated exhibition design and build services, deepening wallet share with exhibition venues and event organizers.

Operationally, Onward Display runs on a word-of-mouth go-to-market model with no disclosed sales team and no advertising spend, generating demand through referral and long-standing client relationships. The business is bootstrapped and privately held with no external funding reported, UK-focused with no public signals of international expansion, and has grown capacity organically over more than two decades via capital reinvestment in equipment and strategic showroom placement within London's creative and exhibition ecosystem.

Name

Onward Display

Legal name

Onward Display Ltd.

Website

https://onwarddisplay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Onward Display is a London-based large format printing company founded in 2003 that produces commercial graphics for fashion retail, events and exhibition clients via three city showrooms and the largest reported Canon Océ Arizona flatbed fleet in Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Support Activities for Printing (32312), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

OOH Production, Printing & Installation Services (BPAFALAL), Event Fabrication & Scenic/Set Build (Custom Builds, Installations) (BPAFAGAK)

Keywords

• Large format printing
• Exhibition graphics
• Retail signage
• UV flatbed printing
• Custom vinyl printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Islington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Large Format Printing Services: Custom large format printing on various substrates including vinyl, acrylic, wood, canvas, and specialty materials. Production includes one-off bespoke prints as well as larger runs with no minimum quantity requirements.
2. Installation Services: Full-service installation team offering nationwide installation of graphics produced. Services include dedicated full-time installers working around the clock.
3. Design and Artwork Services: Artwork team assists clients with design from simple media board layouts to full window displays. Template library and image library available.
4. Exhibition and Event Graphics: Comprehensive exhibition graphics including shell scheme printing, bespoke builds, pop-up systems, and venue branding for events at Business Design Centre, ExCeL, Olympia, and NEC Birmingham.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Onward Display is a London-based large format printing company that produces custom graphics and signage for retail, events, and exhibition clients. They operate three showrooms with over 25 large format print and cut machines running 24/7, offering printing on substrates including vinyl, wood, acrylic, glass, canvas, PVC, and specialty materials, along with in-house design and installation services.

Product overview

Onward Display is a creative large format printing company established in 2003, offering a comprehensive portfolio of print products and services for retail, events, and exhibition graphics. The company operates as a single integrated service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, combining core printing capabilities (large format, flatbed, CNC cutting) with specialized finishing and installation services. The core product suite includes window sticker printing, wall vinyl printing, floor sticker printing, stickers and labels, vinyl decals, glass manifestation, and hoarding graphics—all produced in-house using UV printing technology. Supporting services include design and artwork assistance, and installation. The exhibition division specializes in shell scheme graphics, traditional walling, bespoke builds, and pop-up stand systems, with dedicated account managers and on-site production facilities at the Business Design Centre and ExCeL venues. The company differentiates through in-house production control, white ink technology for printing on dark and transparent surfaces, and CNC cutting capabilities for custom shapes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Window Sticker Printing High-quality vinyl window stickers available for inside or outside application, printed to any shape or size with optional matt or gloss lamination for retail and commercial storefronts.
• Wall Vinyl Printing Self-adhesive vinyl graphics for walls including exposed brickwork, available in permanent or removable options with laminate protection for retail and office interiors.
• Floor Sticker Printing Temporary vinyl floor stickers for advertising, branding, and wayfinding, featuring non-slip scratch-proof lamination suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
• Stickers and Label Printing Custom printed stickers and labels on self-adhesive vinyl in various finishes including clear, frosted, metallic, fluorescent, and mirrored, cut to any size, shape, or color.
• Vinyl Decal Printing Cut vinyl decals in various finishes including mirrored, frosted, metallic, fluorescent, and glow-in-the-dark, suitable for walls, glass, vehicles, and floors.
• Glass Manifestation Vinyl glass manifestations for health and safety compliance, available in frosted or printed designs for office and retail glazed areas.
• Flatbed Printing UV flatbed printing onto flat substrates including wood, ceramics, metals, acrylic, and glass using Océ Arizona printers with white ink capability.
• Prints onto Wood Direct UV printing onto various wood types including OSB, MDF, and plywood with white ink undercoat for vibrant colors, cut to shape via CNC.
• CNC Routing and Cutting Zünd G3 CNC cutting service for cutting, creasing, drilling, and routing materials up to 48mm thickness with 3000mm x 2000mm bed size.
• Large Format Printing Wide format printing up to 3000mm wide using Canon Colorado and Océ Arizona printers with UV-cured inks for waterproof, colorfast results.
• PVC Banner Printing Full color PVC banners up to 5 meters wide with UV-cured inks, available in PVC, mesh, and fabric materials with various finishing options.
• Press Board Printing Step and repeat, logo walls, and media backdrops printed on polyboard or falcon board in standard 8x4ft or 10x5ft sheets, CNC cut to size.
• Canvas Stretched Prints Large format canvas prints stretched around wooden frames up to 3 meters wide, using matte canvas with optional black reverse and 18-44mm thick stretcher bars.
• Hoarding Graphics Outdoor hoarding graphics printed on foamex, wood, or dibond substrates with UV-cured solvent inks, weatherproof for up to 7 years with optional anti-graffiti laminate.
• Pop Up Shop Graphics Temporary graphics for pop-up retail spaces including window and wall stickers, available in permanent or removable options for fast transformation.
• Life-Size Cut Outs Freestanding life-size cut outs produced from 5mm polyboard, printed and CNC cut to shape with various base and strut options for events and parties.
• Perspex and Acrylic Printing UV flatbed printing directly onto acrylic and perspex with white ink technology, up to 1220 x 2440mm in single piece and up to 20mm thick, CNC cut to shape.
• Design and Artwork Professional artwork and design services to help create graphics from brief to final print-ready files, including templates and image library access.
• Installation Service Nationwide installation team with IPAF-trained fitters providing graphics installation at client locations.
• Shell Scheme Graphics Modular exhibition stand graphics for shell scheme systems including standard panels, seamless options, and eco-friendly FSC-regulated recyclable boards.
• Traditional Walling Graphics Full coverage vinyl graphics for wooden trad walling with edge-to-edge application, also available on canvas for reusable option.
• Bespoke Build Custom exhibition stand construction from space-only plots, including honeycomb card, acrylic, and wood printing with reusable design options.
• Pop-up Stand Systems Collapsible pop-up display systems in curved or straight options (3x2 to 3x5 sizes) with magnetic graphics attachment and travel case.

Quantifiable outcome

• Large format printing projects have won several MacTac awards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers32 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Business Design CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Preferred signage and print partner to the Business Design Centre since 2010. Onward Display is the only company trusted to brand the famous arched front windows. Located on-site with the ability to work past 10pm, providing exclusive access and service advantages.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• HP Large Format: Global incumbent in large format print hardware (HP Latex, PageWide XL). Comparable only as a broad incumbent in the underlying print technology category rather than as a direct UK service competitor.

Direct peers

• PressOn: UK-based large format printer offering wide-format graphics, signage, and installation for retail and event clients. Closest direct peer to Onward Display in services, substrate breadth, and target verticals.
• Halo: UK exhibition and event graphics provider offering design, print, and installation for trade shows and brand activations. Comparable to Onward Display's exhibition business.
• Imageco: UK large format printer producing graphics, signage, and display print for retail, events, and architectural applications. Highly comparable product mix and customer base.
• The BIG Group: UK-based print, signage, and display company with large-format capabilities serving retail and events. Comparable in vertical integration from production through installation.
• Imprint Exhibitions: UK exhibition graphics specialist providing shell scheme, bespoke build, and event signage. Closely comparable to Onward Display's Onward Exhibitions subsidiary.
• Marler Haley: Long-established UK large format printer and signage provider serving retail and exhibition customers. Comparable on product breadth and target verticals.
• VGL Group: UK provider of exhibition graphics, signage, and installation services. Comparable on exhibition focus and end-to-end design-to-install capability.

Others

• Zünd: Manufacturer of Zünd G3 digital cutting systems used by Onward Display. Comparable as the upstream cutting-equipment supplier underpinning Onward Display's print-and-cut workflow.
• Canon (Océ): Manufacturer of the Canon Océ Arizona flatbed and Colorado printers that form the backbone of Onward Display's production. Comparable as the upstream equipment supplier, not a competing print service provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/onwarddisplay
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Onward-Display/133837803321654
• Instagraminstagram.com/onwarddisplay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Onward Display