What Allsopp Bookbinders & Printers does

Allsopp Bookbinders & Printers (legal entity FF Allsopp & Co Ltd) is a privately held, family-owned UK bookbinding and print finishing company trading continuously since 1901 and incorporated since 1917. The company is headquartered at a 28,000 sq ft modern facility, Kensington Works, in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, and operates as both a trade binder to commercial printers and a direct provider of bespoke bookbinding to luxury brands, public sector bodies, and individual consumers. Named customers span Bentley Motors, Paul Smith, Royal Mail, BBC, The Times, NHS, Nottingham Trent University, Boden, London Eye, Parker Knoll, ABBA Voyage, and the Olivier Awards, with a separate sub-brand, The Bespoke Album Company, serving the consumer photo-album market.

The company's core offering is a comprehensive suite of seven binding methods — PUR, case, thread sewn, perfect, Singer sewn, saddle stitch, and burst binding — supplemented by finishing services including foil blocking, printing coordination, folding, drilling, shrink wrapping, imposition advice, dummies/mock-ups, and specialist book repairs. Production combines modern high-speed industrial equipment (notably a Müller Martini Star Plus Binder capable of up to 12,000 books per hour on Perfect/Burst lines and 7,000 per hour on PUR) with traditional hand-bindery techniques, supported by a workforce described as carrying over 750 years of combined bookbinding experience. Annual throughput averages 7.5 million books, consuming 1,200 miles of sewing thread, 11 tons of adhesive, and recycling 600 tons of paper.

Commercially, Allsopp runs a quote-based, sales-led model with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers; customers engage via website enquiry forms, phone, and email for project-specific quotations. Distribution is UK-domestic, focused on direct enterprise relationships with commercial printers and brand owners, with no evidence of international expansion, institutional investment, or external funding. The business operates with a small management team led by Managing Director Nick Smith and Business Development Director Ann Hall, and has no parent company, subsidiaries beyond The Bespoke Album Company, or public listing.

Name

Allsopp Bookbinders & Printers

Legal name

FF Allsopp & Co Ltd

Website

https://allsoppbookbinders.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Allsopp Bookbinders & Printers is a family-owned UK bookbinding and print finishing firm operating since 1901 from a 28,000 sq ft Ilkeston, Derbyshire facility, providing seven binding methods plus finishing services to commercial printers, luxury brands, public sector bodies, and individual consumers at a 7.5 million books-per-year throughput.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Bookbinding & Print Finishing Services

NAICS

Printing and Related Support Activities (3231)

SIC

Blankbooks, Looseleaf Binders & Bookbindg & Relatd Work (2780)

akta.pro primary industry

Book & Magazine Binding Services (Perfect, Case, Saddle Stitch) (MPAJALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Finishing & Post-Press Services (Cutting, Folding, Collating, Laminating, Foil, Emboss) (MPAJALAF), Bindery & Finishing Services (Binding, Laminating, Cutting, Folding, Collating) (EDAEAJAE)

Keywords

• Commercial bookbinding services
• Print finishing services
• Trade binding services
• Bespoke bookbinding
• Book repair services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ilkeston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bookbinding and Print Finishing Services: Core revenue from providing professional bookbinding and print finishing services including PUR binding, case binding, thread sewn binding, perfect binding, saddle stitch binding, burst binding, and singer sewn binding. Services provided to commercial printers (trade binding) and end customers directly.
2. Bespoke Bookbinding: Custom, one-off bookbinding commissions including personalized photo albums, wedding albums, portfolios, presentation folders, and bespoke products made by artisan bookbinders.
3. Trade Printing and Binding: Full-service printing and binding for customers wanting complete job printed, bound and packaged through trusted print partners.
4. Book Repairs: Specialist book repair services returning damaged books to beautifully finished state, including repair of slipcases and boxes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Allsopp Bookbinders & Printers is a UK-based commercial and bespoke bookbinding and print finishing company operating from a 28,000 sq ft facility in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The company provides seven binding methods (PUR, Case, Thread Sewn, Perfect, Singer Sewn, Saddle Stitch, Burst) plus related services including printing coordination, folding, drilling, shrink wrapping, foil blocking and book repairs, serving commercial printers, luxury brands, public sector and individual consumers. It binds approximately 7.5 million books per year and has traded continuously since 1901.

Product overview

Allsopp Bookbinders is a traditional bookbinding and print finishing company offering a comprehensive suite of binding services as a single unified offering rather than a modular platform. The core products include seven binding methods: PUR Binding (polyurethane reactive glue for heavy papers and long-life items), Case Binding (traditional hardback book production in paper, cloth, or leather), Thread Sewn Binding (for catalogues and annual reports requiring flat opening), Perfect Binding (cost-effective adhesive binding), Singer Sewn Binding (thread-only decorative binding), Saddle Stitch Binding (stapled pamphlets), and Burst Binding (slot-punched adhesive for fibrous stocks). These are complemented by finishing services including printing coordination, folding, drilling, shrink wrapping, foil blocking, and book repairs. A sub-brand, The Bespoke Album Company, provides handcrafted photo albums and wedding albums. The company operates from an Ilkeston facility with both modern high-speed machinery (Müller Martini Star Plus Binder, Wohlenberg systems) and traditional hand-binding equipment, binding approximately 7.5 million books annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Bespoke Album Company: Offers beautiful handcrafted photo albums, guest books, and bespoke book products made to order by artisan bookbinders.

Products and services

• PUR Binding Polyurethane reactive (PUR) adhesive binding for heavier papers and high-use or long-life items such as brochures, catalogues and programmes. Offers up to 15 sections at run speeds of up to 7,000 books per hour.
• Case Binding Traditional hardback book production using cases made of printed paper, cloth or finest leather. The most durable and high-quality binding available, ranging from pocket-diary size to A3 coffee table books with slipcases.
• Thread Sewn Binding High-strength binding where sections are mechanically sewn together through the spine fold with thread and hot EVA glue. Ideal for high-quality, long-lasting publications that must open flat, such as brochures, catalogues and annual reports.
• Perfect Binding Cost-effective adhesive binding suitable for most items, producing an attractive and durable end result. Up to 15 sections at run speeds of up to 12,000 books per hour.
• Singer Sewn Binding Decorative, traditional binding using a single line of cotton thread down the edge of collated pages or through the centre fold, with no adhesive or staples. Maximum thickness 4mm. One of very few UK companies still offering this finish.
• Saddle Stitch Binding Economic binding for pamphlets and brochures using wire staples to hold sections together on the spine, suitable for publications with fewer than a hundred pages.
• Burst Binding Strong, cost-effective binding where text sections are folded and slots punched down the spine edge so hot EVA glue can penetrate for added strength. Up to 15 sections at run speeds of up to 12,000 books per hour.
• Trade Binding Trade printing and binding services for commercial printers without full bookbinding capabilities, serving education, health, major high street retailers and luxury brands.
• Bespoke Bookbinding Custom one-off commissions and limited edition binding including portfolios, notebooks, luxury wedding albums, visitor books and remembrance books made by artisan binders.
• Book Repairs Specialist book repair service in the hand bindery, respectfully repairing damaged books using cloth and leather materials to return them to a beautifully finished state in keeping with the original period, including repair of slipcases and boxes.
• Foil Blocking Personalisation service applying metallic foil to book products using names, crests or company logos via hot foil blocking using dies or brass type on semi-automatic or hand-operated blocking machines.
• Printing Services Full print project handling through trusted print partners, offering the convenience of having projects printed, bound and packaged with delivery managed by experts.
• Folding Services Single roll fold or complex section folding (16pp, 24pp, 18pp, 32pp) using two modern 4-unit folding machines.
• Drilling Services Hole-punching service using a Durslen multi-head drill allowing 1–4 holes to prepare leaves or bound books for ring binders.
• Shrink Wrapping

Quantifiable outcome

• 7.5 million books bound per year on average
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Friesens Corporation: Canadian book printing and binding manufacturer serving publishers across North America. Comparable end-to-end book production services and premium quality positioning, though operating in a different geography.
• Clays: One of the UK's largest book manufacturing operations, combining printing and binding services for publishers. Closest comparable in terms of book-focused production scale and trade customer base.
• Hobbs the Printers: UK commercial printer with in-house finishing and binding capabilities. Represents the integrated competitor model that Allsopp serves as a trade binding overflow partner for printers lacking full in-house capacity.
• MPG Books: UK-based book printing and binding specialist serving publishers with short-run and trade binding services. Directly comparable service offering and customer segment to Allsopp's trade business.
• Marston Bookbinders: Long-established UK trade bookbinder offering a similar portfolio of binding methods (PUR, perfect, case, saddle stitch) to commercial printers and publishers. Direct UK competitor with comparable trade + bespoke mix and similar heritage positioning.

Regional players

• Belmont Press: UK printing and binding company serving similar mid-market publisher and corporate customers. Smaller scale than Allsopp but offers directly comparable binding and finishing services in a UK regional context.
• Jarolds (Jarrold Printing): UK-based print services provider with binding capabilities serving regional publishers and corporate clients. Comparable service mix though broader focus on print rather than bookbinding specialization.

Broad incumbents

• Pureprint Group: UK commercial printing group with finishing and binding services for publishers and brands. Broader portfolio than Allsopp but competes for premium trade binding work, especially with sustainability positioning.
• CPI Books (CPI Group): Major UK and international book printing and binding operation part of CPI Group. Competes with Allsopp for trade binding work but operates at significantly larger scale with broader geographic footprint.

Others

• Walsall Lithographic / Bookbinding Specialists UK: UK print finishing and binding house serving publishers and printers. Adjacent service provider in the UK print finishing ecosystem, useful reference for trade binding pricing and capacity dynamics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FFAllsopp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Allsopp Bookbinders & Printers