Route 1 Print

What Route 1 Print does

Route 1 Print, operated by Bluetree Print Limited (registered company 03793442), is a UK-based trade-only commercial printing business founded in 2012 and headquartered at a single Manvers, Rotherham facility certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015. The company exclusively serves print resellers, graphic designers, advertising agencies, and print brokers who purchase manufactured print products for resale to their own clients. It never competes with its customers for end-customer business, which is the structural cornerstone of its positioning in the UK trade print segment.

The production stack runs across digital, lithographic, and nanographic technologies on paper, board, and plastic substrates, anchored by HP Indigo presses, a Fujifilm Jet Press 720S, a Truepress Jet 520HD with Tecnau accompaniments, and a recently invested Muller Martini Prinova Digital Saddle Stitcher, supported by a dedicated business card production cell. The product catalogue spans more than 80 SKUs across books and booklets, business stationery, business cards, flyers and leaflets, banners and exhibition displays, outdoor signage, point-of-sale, stickers and labels, calendars, packaging, and seasonal items, with premium finishing options such as digital foiling and digital spot UV, plus same-day express services. A Connect API provides programmatic ordering, pricing, and product access for resellers.

Commercially, Route 1 Print operates a B2B e-commerce model with quote-based unit pricing, dedicated account managers per trade customer, free next-day UK delivery, a complimentary 30-point artwork check, free sample packs, and a points-based loyalty program. Pricing is set to permit reseller margin at quoted specifications, and minimum order quantities begin as low as 25–100 units depending on product type. Geographic reach is restricted to UK addresses (excluding the Channel Islands), positioning the company firmly as a domestic trade supplier rather than an exporter. Growth has been funded organically and via one disclosed acquisition (Kingsbury Press, 2014), with no external venture capital or public market participation.

Name

Route 1 Print

Legal name

Bluetree Print Limited

Website

https://route1print.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Route 1 Print is a UK-based, exclusively trade-only commercial printing company that manufactures business cards, booklets, flyers, banners, signage, and packaging for print resellers and agencies, using HP Indigo, Fujifilm, and litho/nanographic presses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Commercial Printing (2750)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial & Offset Printing (Sheetfed/Web) (MPAJALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Direct-to-Container & Digital Printing (Inkjet/Laser) (IMALAKAF)

Keywords

• Trade printing services
• Commercial printing
• Digital printing
• Large format printing
• Print finishing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotherham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Trade Print Manufacturing: Route 1 Print generates revenue through manufacturing and supplying printed products exclusively to trade customers (print resellers). The company produces a wide range of print products including business cards, flyers, leaflets, posters, banners, books, stationery, and signage. Pricing is typically based on quantity, specifications, and materials chosen, with order quantities starting as low as 25-100 units depending on product type.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Route 1 Print is a UK-based trade-only commercial printing company that manufactures a broad range of printed products exclusively for print resellers, graphic designers, agencies, and brokers. The company produces business cards, flyers, booklets, banners, signage, stationery, posters, stickers, point-of-sale materials, calendars, packaging, and promotional apparel using digital, lithographic, and nanographic presses, and offers finishing services such as digital foiling, spot UV, screen printing, and same-day express delivery.

Product overview

Route 1 Print is an exclusively trade-focused printing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of print products through a digital e-commerce platform. The company operates as a one-stop solution for print resellers, providing core print products organized across multiple categories: Books & Booklets (including Perfect Bound, Stapled, Wiro Bound, Layflat, and Thread Sewn binding options), Business Stationery (Letterheads, Notepads, Desk Pads, Bookmarks, Compliment Slips), Promotional Printing (Business Cards, Flyers, Folded Leaflets, Postcards, Greetings Cards, Invitations), Outdoor & Large Format (Banners, Flags, Exhibition Pop-Ups, Stretch Fabric Displays, Roller Banners, Correx Signs, Foam Signs, Aluminium Signs), Point of Sale (Paper Bags, Strut Cards, Table Talkers, Tent Cards), Stickers & Labels (Sheets, Reels, Decals, Custom Shapes), Calendars & Seasonal (Wall Calendars, Desk Calendars, Diaries, Wrapping Paper), and Presentation Materials (Folders). Additional services include Same Day Express delivery, Digital Foiling, Digital Spot UV, Screen Printing, and specialized Reseller Tools including sample packs, catalogues, stock images, marketing toolkits, and a loyalty rewards program. The company also offers a Connect API for programmatic integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Books & Booklets Bound printed publications including Perfect Bound, Stapled (saddle-stitched), Wiro Bound, Layflat, and Thread Sewn binding options. Produced for trade resellers supplying books, magazines, manuals, and photo books to their end clients.
• Business Cards Trade business card printing in standard, folded, and uncoated variants on silk, uncoated, and other stocks with optional lamination and finishing. Produced on a dedicated business card cell for trade resellers.
• Flyers & Leaflets Standard flyers, folded leaflets, custom shape flyers, perforated flyers, creased leaflets, and unfinished sheets for promotional and marketing use by trade reseller clients.
• Roller Banners Pull-up roller banners in desktop, standard, premium, double-sided, wide, and stretch fabric variants. Single-unit production available for trade resellers supplying exhibition and event clients.
• Exhibition Pop-Ups Pop-up exhibition display graphics and replacement graphics printed on PVC hybrid substrates with scratch-resistant laminate. Built for trade resellers serving exhibitors and event marketers.
• Stretch Fabric Displays Straight and curved tension fabric display stands and fabric tube banners printed on stretch textile substrates for trade resellers serving exhibitions, retail, and event clients.
• LED Fabric Lightboxes Standard and premium double-sided LED backlit fabric lightboxes for retail and exhibition use, supplied to trade resellers.
• PVC Outdoor Banners PVC banners printed on banner-grade PVC stock for outdoor advertising. Supplied to trade resellers serving construction, events, and outdoor marketing customers.
• Flags Feather and teardrop flags printed double-sided on flag textile substrates with custom CAD-cut shapes for outdoor events and roadside advertising by trade reseller clients.
• A-Frames Silver A-frame pavement signs with custom printed graphics on matt white PVC, supplied to trade resellers serving retail and hospitality clients.
• Building Wraps Large-format printed wraps for covering building exteriors, used by trade resellers serving construction and property marketing clients.
• Café Barriers Printed café barrier systems for outdoor hospitality seating areas, supplied to trade resellers.
• Heras Fence Covers Printed mesh and PVC covers for Heras temporary fencing panels, used by trade resellers on construction and event sites.
• Crowd Barrier Covers Printed covers for metal crowd control barriers, supplied to trade resellers serving events and venues.
• Bollard Covers Custom printed bollard covers for car parks and outdoor sites, supplied to trade resellers.
• Business Stationery Letterheads, compliment slips, notepads, desk pads, bookmarks, and correspondence cards printed for trade resellers serving business and professional services clients.
• Greetings Cards Standard and digitally foiled greetings cards, invitations, and postcards printed for trade resellers supplying retail, events, and personal stationery markets.
• Invitations Printed invitations for events, weddings, and corporate functions, supplied to trade resellers.
• Postcards Printed postcards in a range of sizes and stocks, supplied to trade resellers for direct mail and tourism retail clients.
• Posters Standard, large format, backlit, and waterproof posters for indoor and outdoor display, supplied to trade resellers.
• Paper Bags Printed paper bags for retail and hospitality point-of-sale use, supplied to trade resellers.
• Strut Cards Printed freestanding strut cards for retail point-of-sale displays, supplied to trade resellers.
• Table Talkers Printed tabletop table talkers for hospitality and retail point-of-sale, supplied to trade resellers.
• Tent Cards Printed tent cards for hospitality and event place cards, supplied to trade resellers.
• Gift Tags Printed gift tags for retail and seasonal use, supplied to trade resellers.
• Window Clings & Stickers Printed static-cling window graphics and stickers for retail window displays, supplied to trade resellers.
• Stickers & Labels Custom printed sticker and label products in sheet, reel, decal, custom-shape, and custom-size formats for product labelling and branding, supplied to trade resellers.
• Correx Signs Corrugated plastic (Correx) rigid signs for temporary and construction site signage, supplied to trade resellers.
• Foam PVC Signs Rigid foam PVC signs for indoor and outdoor display, supplied to trade resellers.
• Aluminium Composite Signs Aluminium composite (ACM) rigid signs for durable outdoor and architectural signage, supplied to trade resellers.
• Magnetic Signs Custom magnetic vehicle and surface signs, supplied to trade resellers.
• Display Board Heavy-duty cardboard display boards for exhibitions, presentations, and POS, supplied to trade resellers.
• Custom Shape Rigid Signs Custom CAD-cut rigid signs in non-standard shapes for events and brand activations, supplied to trade resellers.
• Selfie Frames Printed life-size selfie frames for events, retail promotions, and brand activations, supplied to trade resellers.
• Wall Calendars Custom printed wall calendars for retail and corporate gifting, supplied to trade resellers.
• Desk Calendars Printed desk calendars in portrait DL format, supplied to trade resellers.
• Drilled Hole Calendars Calendars printed with drilled hanging holes for wall mounting, supplied to trade resellers.
• Wall Planners Annual printed wall planners, supplied to trade resellers.
• Diaries Custom printed diaries for retail and corporate gifting, supplied to trade resellers.
• Wiro Bound Notebooks Wiro-bound notebooks printed on uncoated stock with ruled inners and silk covers, supplied to trade resellers.
• Presentation Folders Printed presentation folders for corporate and sales use, supplied to trade resellers.
• Wrapping Paper Seasonal printed wrapping paper for retail gifting, supplied to trade resellers.
• Gift Cards Printed gift cards for seasonal retail use, supplied to trade resellers.
• T-Shirts Screen-printed promotional T-shirts supplied to trade resellers serving branded apparel and merchandise clients.
• Custom Packaging Custom printed packaging products for retail and product brands, supplied to trade resellers.
• Same Day Express Delivery Same-day express printing and delivery service for time-sensitive orders including business cards, flyers, leaflets, posters, roller banners, and Correx signage for trade reseller clients.
• Screen Printing Screen printing service for apparel, tote bags, and other substrates requiring durable ink-based decoration, supplied to trade resellers.
• Digital Foiling Digital foil finishing service for premium print embellishment without traditional setup costs, available across business cards, booklets, greetings cards, and packaging for trade reseller clients.
• Digital Spot UV Digital spot UV varnish finishing service for tactile print embellishment, applied to business cards, booklets, and other print products for trade reseller clients.
• Pack and Collate Pack and collation finishing service for multi-component print orders requiring kitting and assembly, supplied to trade resellers.
• Connect API Programmatic API for trade resellers to integrate Route 1 Print ordering, pricing, and product systems into their own workflows for automated print purchasing and management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free next day delivery on all orders
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and strategic.

• HP (Hewlett-Packard)coreTechnology or IntegrationHP Indigo presses are a core part of Route 1 Print's digital printing capabilities. The company has introduced HP Indigos to their production facility, representing a significant investment in digital print technology.
• FujifilmcoreTechnology or IntegrationRoute 1 Print operates the Fujifilm Jet Press 720S, a key piece of equipment in their inkjet production capabilities. The company has featured production spotlights on this equipment.
• TecnausupportingTechnology or IntegrationTecnau equipment accompaniments are used in conjunction with the Truepress Jet 520HD for optimized inkjet production workflows.
• Muller MartinicoreTechnology or IntegrationRoute 1 Print invested in the Muller Martini Prinova Digital Saddle Stitcher, a newest investment that enhances their booklet binding capabilities.
• DPDsupportingOthersDPD is the primary courier partner for Route 1 Print deliveries. The company has featured DPD's clean, green delivery initiative in their blog, highlighting sustainability alignment.
• Kingsbury PressstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoute 1 Print acquired Kingsbury Press, expanding their production capabilities and market reach. The acquisition was featured in their Design Hub industry news section.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Printed.com: UK online printer offering a wide product range with on-demand printing and trade/reseller accounts. Overlaps with Route 1 Print on commercial printing category, e-commerce-led fulfillment, and trade customer base.
• Helloprint: European online printing platform serving resellers and businesses with a broad printed products catalogue. Similar e-commerce-led, multi-product trade platform model with comparable product mix.
• Printing.com: UK printing franchise network offering business stationery, marketing materials, and large-format products. Comparable product depth, commercial customer base, and breadth of product categories.
• Instant Print: UK online printer producing flyers, business cards, leaflets, books, and signage with both trade and direct customers. Overlaps strongly on product portfolio, digital printing capability, and quick-turnaround services.
• Solopress: UK-based trade-only digital and lithographic printer offering a wide range of printed products (business cards, flyers, banners, books) to resellers. Direct head-to-head competitor with a comparable same-day delivery, no-compete-with-reseller positioning.
• Tradeprint: UK trade-only printer with e-commerce ordering, broad product range (cards, leaflets, posters, books), and competitive trade pricing. Direct competitor to Route 1 Print in the UK reseller supply segment.
• Pixartprinting: Large European online printer with extensive product catalogue covering commercial and large-format printing. Comparable production breadth and online e-commerce-led fulfillment model.

Emerging players

• MOO: UK-founded print and design platform focused on premium business cards and marketing materials. Comparable expertise in print finishing (spot UV, foiling) and overlap on business card product category, with a more premium/brand-led positioning.
• Doxzoo: UK-based online printer specialising in document printing and binding for business and education customers. Adjacent segment in book/document printing using similar digital production technology.
• Printothers: UK-based online trade printer serving print resellers with broad product range. Smaller-scale but directly comparable trade-only positioning and product mix.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Route1Print

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Route 1 Print