GPS Colour Graphics

What GPS Colour Graphics does

GPS Colour Graphics Ltd is a Belfast-headquartered, family-owned commercial printing company that traces its origins to 1797 and operates from a 125,000 sq ft purpose-built facility at Marshalls Road, making it the largest sheet-fed commercial printer in Ireland under one roof. The business delivers litho, digital, and wide-format printing alongside finishing, direct mail, fulfilment, and logistics services, and is the only printer in Northern Ireland meeting ISO 12647 colour standard across proofs and presses, while holding the only FSC and PEFC chain-of-custody certification in Northern Ireland and Ireland-first CarbonNeutral status.

The technology stack is built around proprietary PACE MIS with JDF integration for end-to-end job control, Fuji XMF Remote for browser-based prepress collaboration, and the printing equipment itself (8-colour Komori long perfector, Xerox iGen 5, Mimaki wide-format, MBO T960 folder, Komori Lithrone S40 perfectors). Customer-facing surfaces include a self-service e-commerce portal (GPSPrintStore.co.uk, launched 2018), a free augmented-reality app (GPSAR), and PowerPublisher digital publishing, extending beyond physical print into digital content distribution.

The revenue model is one-time transactional commercial printing priced via custom quotation, with go-to-market split between direct enterprise sales (account managers handling multi-drop UK and Ireland logistics for customers such as Randox Laboratories, National Museums NI and University of Ulster) and self-serve SMB/individual ordering through GPSPrintStore. The customer base is horizontal across public and private sector organisations, with named enterprise anchors and a long tail of publication, marketing collateral, brochure, catalogue, book and direct-mail work.

Name

GPS Colour Graphics

Legal name

GPS Colour Graphics Ltd

Website

https://gpscolour.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1797

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

GPS Colour Graphics is a Belfast-based, family-owned commercial printer (founded 1797) operating Ireland's largest sheet-fed printing facility, delivering litho, digital and wide-format print plus finishing, direct mail, fulfilment and digital publishing to public and private sector clients across the UK and Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

Commercial Screen Printing (323113), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Direct Mail Advertising Services (7331)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Commercial printing services
• Litho printing
• Digital printing
• Wide format printing
• Print finishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

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, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Commercial Printing Services: One-time transactional printing services including litho printing, digital printing, wide format printing, and finishing services. Services range from long-run litho work to short-run digital printing, with capabilities for publications, brochures, catalogues, marketing materials, and bespoke printed products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GPS Colour Graphics provides commercial printing services spanning litho, digital, and wide-format production for publications, catalogues, brochures, books, marketing materials, and bespoke printed products. The company operates a 125,000 sq ft facility with finishing, logistics, fulfillment, direct mail, digital publishing (PowerPublisher), and augmented reality (GPSAR) capabilities, supported by ISO 12647 colour management and FSC/PEFC chain of custody certification. Customers engage through dedicated account managers or the self-serve GPSPrintStore online portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GPSPrintStore: Online platform for instant quotes, order placement, and artwork upload available 24/7
• GPSAR
• PowerPublisher
• PowerPublisher
• Remote
• Display Power

Products and services

• Litho Printing Lithographic printing service for long-run, high-quality print jobs using Komori long perfectors printing to ISO 12647 colour standard, suitable for publications, magazines, catalogues, brochures, books, and marketing materials requiring consistent colour and large volumes.
• Digital Printing Digital printing service for short-run and variable-data print jobs using the Xerox iGen 5 digital press, enabling shorter print runs with high quality output and supporting the dedicated 5,000 sq ft digital wing.
• Wide Format Printing Wide format printing service using Mimaki equipment for signage, displays, exhibitions, point of sale, and large-format graphics, extending GPS's product range beyond litho and digital production.
• Finishing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 80+ million items produced each year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2008Simultaneously attained Chain of Custody certification for both FSC and PEFC in July 2008, making GPS the first commercial printing company in Northern Ireland to achieve this. FSC accreditation allows clients to display FSC logos on their printed materials, demonstrating commitment to sustainable forestry.
• PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2008PEFC Chain of Custody certification enabling GPS to produce publications with PEFC certification, supporting sustainable forest management through independent third party certification.
• BPIF (British Printing Industries Federation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBPIF membership providing industry representation and standards in the commercial printing sector.
• Cycle Against SuicideminorOthersGPS Charity Partner initiative supporting mental health awareness. GPS supports different charities each year as part of their commitment to making valuable contributions to the community.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Precision Printing Company:
• Pureprint Group: UK-based commercial printing group offering litho, digital and large-format print with sustainability credentials. Closest direct comparable to GPS in scale, capabilities and customer mix across publications, marketing materials and bespoke print.
• Gemini Print: UK commercial printer producing magazines, brochures, catalogues and books, with comparable litho/digital capabilities and enterprise customer base to GPS.
• Wyndeham Group: UK commercial printer producing magazines, catalogues, marketing collateral and direct mail with multiple UK sites. Overlaps with GPS in publications and direct mail production at comparable mid-market scale.
• Bishops Printers: Long-established UK commercial printer offering litho and digital print with strong sustainability credentials (FSC, PEFC, ISO 14001). Highly comparable heritage, capability set and ESG positioning to GPS.
• MPG (Mainline Printing Group): UK commercial printer offering litho, digital and large-format services with a focus on sustainability certifications. Comparable mid-sized UK commercial print competitor to GPS.
• Clays: One of the largest book printers in the UK, specialising in case-bound and paperback book production with advanced binding and finishing capabilities. Directly comparable to GPS's book, thread-sewing and large publication operations.

Others

• Heidelberger Druckmaschinen (Heidelberg): German global manufacturer of printing presses and adjacent workflow software; supplies much of the equipment (including the 8-colour Komori referenced in GPS's install base) used by commercial printers like GPS. Industry technology and equipment supplier.

Broad incumbents

• LSC Communications (now part of Atlas Holdings / Lakeside Book Company): Large US-headquartered book and print manufacturer with broader geographic and product scope. Comparable book and publication print capabilities, though at much larger scale and across different geographies.

Regional players

• McNaughton's Printers: Ireland-based commercial printer operating across litho and digital print, headquartered outside GPS's primary market. Comparable in offering but serves primarily the Republic of Ireland rather than Northern Ireland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/GPSColour
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gps-colour-graphics-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 GPS Colour Graphics