Top 10 Facts about UK Printing

The UK printing industry has come through a tough time in the last few years, with a number of technological, environmental and economic factors presenting major challenges to small business and SME printing owners during the economic downturn.

However, there are still many reasons to be cheerful for the industry, with the following statistics documenting how printing remains crucial to the UK economy (with SMEs playing a big part!):

5th largest producer of printed products in the world

5th largest of all UK manufacturing industries by turnover

£9 billion combined turnover of printing companies in the UK

>10,000 companies in printing industry

>80,000 people employed in the sector

1450 - the year (approximately) Johannes Gutenberg invented the moveable type printing press, which led to the first printers setting up business in the UK.

1995 - the year digital printing presses were invented, another landmark year for the industry

>4000 ‘one man’ printing businesses operating in UK

2nd highest value-adding industry in country, behind only pharmaceuticals

<20 printing firms employ more than 500 people; small businesses and SMEs dominate the market!

Knowledge for Small Business and Large Enterprises

At Skipton Business Finance, our invoice finance facilities, such as our UK-leading invoice factoring and invoice discounting solutions, grow in line with your business.

We are pioneers in not just providing invoice factoring and invoice discounting to businesses up and down the country, but also in helping our clients grow and become better.

That's why we have a dedicated section of our website that focuses on offering free knowledge on a range of topics that you may find helpful for your business.