What hl-repro does

hl-repro a/s is a Danish family-owned prepress and premedia company founded in 1972 in Copenhagen and headquartered in Hedensted, Denmark, with 65+ employees and operations in Denmark (Hedensted, Copenhagen) and Sweden (Malmö/Arlöv via subsidiary hl-reprostugan AB). The company serves brand owners and printing companies across 56 countries, specializing in prepress services for flexo, dryoffset, label, and corrugated board printing, including color management, kliché and sleeve manufacturing, packaging and graphic design, and photography. In-house production capabilities are anchored by proprietary technology including the Digiflow system, the world's first commercial chemical-free sleeve installation (Fast In The Round), 3 CDI machines and 3 direct laser engraving machines, and Denmark's only OBERON RTR3300 LED large-format printer.

The business model is B2B, quote-based professional services and project manufacturing. Revenue streams include prepress services (project-based), kliché and sleeve production (one-time per project), large-format print under the hl-print sub-brand (election posters, POS, campaign materials), graphic and packaging design (including EasyCatalog-automated catalogs), and photography. The company also operates Relife Studio, a social enterprise converting surplus materials into interior/exhibition products, and integrates third-party platforms (BrandGuard for brand management, EasyCatalog for catalog automation, Digimarc for invisible barcodes) into its workflow. Pricing is custom-quoted per enterprise engagement with 8-day net cash payment terms, and the go-to-market is enterprise field sales with named account managers across each sub-brand. The firm is privately held and operated by the second generation of the founding Hansson family (brothers Lars and Niels Bjørn Hansson), with no external investors identified in the source data.

Name

hl-repro

Legal name

hl-repro a/s

Website

https://hl-repro.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

hl-repro is a Danish family-owned prepress and premedia firm (founded 1972, 65+ employees) serving brand owners and printers across 56 countries with flexo/dryoffset/label prepress, in-house kliché and sleeve manufacturing, design, photography, and large-format print.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prepress and Print Production Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Printing (32312), Printing (32311), Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Printing and Related Support Activities (323)

SIC

Service Industries For The Printing Trade (2790), Commercial Printing (2750)

akta.pro primary industry

Prepress, Plate-Making & Artwork Services (IMALAKAM)

Keywords

• Prepress services
• Packaging design
• Color management
• Flexo printing plates
• Graphic production

Headquarters

HQ city

Hedensted

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Prepress Services: Core prepress services including file preparation, color management, and prepress for flexo, dryoffset, and label printing. Services are project-based with consultation provided.
2. Kliché and Sleeve Production: Production of printing forms (klichéer) and sleeves in-house, serving flexography printing companies. Photopolymer plates, laser-engraved polymer, and EPDM klichéer.
3. Large Format Print: Large format printing services including election posters, POS materials, campaign materials, roll-ups, banners, signs, floor graphics, window graphics. Includes campaign management and coordination.
4. Design Services: Graphic design services for packaging, catalogs, promotional materials, and point-of-sale materials. Includes automated workflows using EasyCatalog for catalogs and price lists.
5. Photography Services: Photography services for products, food, models, and environments. Studio photography and post-processing for graphic production.
6. RELIFE Studio (Social Enterprise): Interior and exhibition materials created from surplus materials like cardboard, plastic, and masonite. Social enterprise providing work experience for interns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

hl-repro provides prepress, premedia, and graphic production services for the packaging industry, specializing in flexo, dryoffset, and label printing preparation. The company manufactures printing forms (klichéer) and sleeves in-house, delivers color management, packaging design, photography, and large format print services, and integrates tooling such as BrandGuard, EasyCatalog, and Digimarc into design-to-production workflows for brand owners and printing companies.

Product overview

hl-repro is a world-leading prepress and premedia company founded in 1972, offering a comprehensive portfolio of graphic production services organized under multiple sub-brands and specialized divisions. The company operates as a unified platform consisting of: hl-print (large format printing and campaign production), hl-reprostugan (Swedish prepress operations), and Relife Studio (sustainable materials/social enterprise), alongside core prepress services covering Flexo, Dryoffset, Corrugated Board (Bølgepap), Labels, Color Management, Cliché/Sleeves Manufacturing, Graphic Design, Photography, and Packaging Design. The portfolio includes specialized tools such as BrandGuard (brand management and quality control platform) and EasyCatalog (InDesign catalog automation) that integrate with their production workflows. The company serves customers in 56 countries with three locations in Denmark (Hedensted headquarters, Copenhagen) and Sweden (Malmö), employing more than 65 people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• hl-print
• hl-reprostugan
• Relife Studio
• Dryoffset Prepress
• Flexo Prepress
• Corrugated Board Prepress (Bølgepap)
• Labels Prepress
• Color Management (Farvestyring)
• Kliché/Sleeves Production
• Graphic Design
• Photography (Foto)
• Packaging Design (Emballage design)
• BrandGuard
• EasyCatalog
• Digimarc

Quantifiable outcome

• LED printer uses far less energy than traditional printers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Green Network A/ScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSR knowledge and training center working to promote sustainable development and growth among partner companies. Green Network is one of Denmark's leading providers of knowledge, development, and training in CSR and sustainability processes. Provides courses and seminars to help hl-repro stay updated on sustainable solutions, responsible management, and community engagement.
• Hedensted KommunecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for social responsibility and inclusion. Recognized by Ansvarlig Hedensted for creating inclusive workplace practices. Offers fleksjobordninger (flexible work arrangements) and special agreements for people with social challenges or other barriers. Supports World Goal 8 - Decent Jobs and Economic Growth.
• Relife Studio EcosystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise ecosystem creating work experience opportunities. Has offered 20 interns with various backgrounds valuable practical experience through internship programs. Creates an inclusive work community that provides room for growth for all, in collaboration with Hedensted Kommune and local partners.
• Aarhus TechminorOthersVocational school providing education for media graphics, graphic technician, and photographer apprentices. One of the partner schools for hl-repro's apprenticeship programs.
• Tech CollegeminorOthersVocational school providing education for media graphics and graphic technician apprentices. Partner school for hl-repro's apprenticeship programs.
• Herningsholm Erhvervsskole & GymnasierminorOthersVocational school providing media graphics education. Partner school for hl-repro's apprenticeship programs.
• BrandGuardcoreTechnology or IntegrationDesign process management and file control platform used by hl-repro. Provides automatic file checking, proofing and approval workflows, version control, and 3D mockups. Customers achieve both economic and resource benefits by having BrandGuard on the team.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marbach Group: Marbach is a German manufacturer of dies, cutting tools, and prepress solutions for the packaging industry, including flexo plate-making. Comparable to hl-repro's clich é/sleeve production and prepress services for packaging converters across Europe.
• Apex International: Apex International is a global supplier of flexographic printing plates, anilox rollers, and prepress solutions serving packaging printers. Closely comparable to hl-repro's flexo prepress and clich é manufacturing operations, with similar Nordic/European customer overlap.
• Hybrid Software: Hybrid Software provides prepress software and workflow solutions (CLOUDFLOW, PACKZ, STEPZ) for label and packaging printing. Compares to hl-repro's software-driven prepress capabilities (BrandGuard, EasyCatalog) and shared target market of packaging converters and brand owners.
• Esko (Veralto): Esko (part of Veralto) provides prepress software, color management, and packaging workflow solutions for flexo, offset, and digital printing — directly comparable to hl-repro's prepress and color management services for the same packaging printer and brand owner customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Bobst: Bobst is a Swiss-based global supplier of equipment and services for packaging and label production including flexo, gravure, and digital printing. A broad incumbent operating across the same packaging printing value chain where hl-repro provides prepress services.
• Heidelberger Druckmaschinen: Heidelberg is a major German manufacturer of printing presses and prepress/workflow solutions for commercial and packaging printers. A broad incumbent whose prepress and plate-making ecosystem overlaps with hl-repro's specialized flexo/dryoffset prepress services.
• Agfa-Gevaert: Agfa supplies inks, printing plates, and digital printing solutions including the OBERON LED printer line used by hl-repro. As a large established vendor into the packaging and commercial printing trade, Agfa is a broad incumbent whose prepress materials and equipment compete in the same ecosystem as hl-repro's service offering.
• Kodak (Eastman Kodak): Kodak provides prepress workflow software (Prinergy), plates, and digital printing solutions to commercial and packaging printers globally. Broad incumbent in the prepress and printing trade that competes with hl-repro at the workflow and plate-making layer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hl-repro

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 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 hl-repro