At Northern Print Solutions, every print project we produce begins with the expertise of our Prepress & Web2Print team. From ensuring perfect colour consistency to managing our custom Web2Print portals, this team is where all the magic starts. And now, we’re excited to announce that we’re looking for a skilled Prepress & Web2Print Operative to join our team!

About the Role
Our Prepress & Web2Print Operative position is perfect for someone who thrives in a dynamic environment and has a keen eye for detail. You’ll be diving deep into the print process, making sure every digital file is print-ready, managing colour profiles, and troubleshooting any technical challenges that come your way. You’ll also have the chance to work directly with our Web2Print platform, helping clients with custom templates, file uploads, and anything else they need to bring their projects to life.

What Does the Job Involve?

• File Prep & Quality Control: You’ll review digital files, manage layouts, and ensure that every piece is up to our high standards before hitting the press.
• Colour Management: Implementing and managing colour profiles is a core part of the role, ensuring our clients get vibrant, consistent results every time.
• Web2Print Portal Support: You’ll help create and maintain custom portals, troubleshoot client issues, and update product offerings.
• Collaboration: Working closely with our production team and directly with clients, you’ll help bring each project from concept to completion seamlessly.

What We’re Looking For
We’re seeking someone with at least one year of experience in a prepress role, especially if you’re proficient with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat) and familiar with Web2Print platforms. You should be organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing multiple projects at once. Above all, you’ll bring a customer-focused approach and a passion for high-quality print results.

What’s in it for you?  A salary starting from £24,000 , 28 days holiday, 1 day off for your birthday,  a chance to Level UP with our personal development initiative,  and you also get to work with a  supportive team in an  innovative print environment.

Join us, and be a part of a team that turns digital designs into beautiful, high-quality print.   Don’t be shy and send your CV along with a covering note to: careers@northernprintsolutions.co.uk 

Join Our Team as a Senior Business Development Executive!

At Northern Print Solutions, we’re not just in the business of printing; we’re in the business of making impressions. With over 120 years of combined experience, we’re the cool, quirky, and quality-driven team that transforms paper into stories and ideas into reality. Now, we’re on the lookout for dynamic go-getters to join our team and help us write the next chapter of success.

What’s the Gig? 

We’re on the hunt for two dynamic Business Development Executives to grow our business across the North and South of England.  You need to be a maestro of new business, bringing in fresh clients like a magnet and turning first-time customers into long-term fans. Your mission? To smash the £250,000  area revenue target in your first year by connecting with in-house marketing teams and creative agencies who need more than just a print job—they need a partner who gets it.

Who Are We Looking For? If you’ve got 3-5 years of sales experience under your belt, ideally in print or a related field, and a knack for hitting big numbers, we want to talk. Bonus points if you’re as passionate about paper as we are, but if not,  we’ll bring you up to speed faster than you can say “spot  UV”

Why Northern Print Solutions? Because we’re not your average print company. We’re problem-solvers, planet-savers, and partnership-builders. We offer carbon-neutral paper options, cutting-edge print techniques, and a culture that’s all about open, honest communication with a side of continuous improvement.

Ready to Make an Impact? If you’re up for a challenge and want to be part of a team that’s pushing the boundaries of what print can do, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today, and let’s make some print magic together!

What’s the package? +35K a year, plus company car.

What to apply or needing further information?  please email careers@northernprintsolutions.co.uk

LAST BESPOKE ORDER  DATE  FOR XMAS DELIVERY: 

The Royal Mail Industrial action has placed additional pressure on our delivery partners at this busy time of year. We have been advised that delays to your orders are possible. We recommend placing your orders by Monday, December the 19th, to ensure you or your clients receive them in time for Christmas.

For bespoke orders placed between the 20th and the 23rd of December, we cannot guarantee the pre-Christmas arrival of those orders.

BESPOKE ORDER LINE OPENING TIMES 

Want to contact a member of our customer service team? We will be operating to reduced hours during the festive period.   Call 0191 411 1698 or email hello@northernprintsolutions.co.uk, during our opening hours to place an advanced order for 2023!

From 12.00pm 23rd – 28th of December: Closed 

29th – 31st December : 10:00 am – 16.00 pm: Open

1st and 2nd of January 2023:  Closed

3rd of January 2023 onwards: Business as usual 

OUR ONLINE SHOP IS OPEN THROUGHOUT CHRISTMAS 

Whilst our team takes a break over Christmas, our online shop will be open 24/7. Please place your online print order in the usual way with your print-ready artwork, and our automated system will confirm your estimated delivery date*

*CHANGES TO E-COMMERCE DELIVERIES TIMES

Our delivery partners will run a reduced service between the 23rd of December and the 3rd of January. To find out the status of your delivery, please use the tracking number on the ecommerce dispatch email you will receive from us.

For any more information regarding these times and services, then please contact us on 0191 411 1698 or alternatively email us at hello@northernprintsolutions.co.uk

Craig Daly, Managing Director of Northern Print Solutions says, “we have worked within the North East creative industry for over 12 years and have seen the creation and growth of some fantastic brands and marketing teams. We feel very privileged to be part of their success and to help them celebrate at the North East Marketing Awards too.”

In its 4th and, what promises to be its biggest year yet, the 2022 North East Marketing Awards will showcase and celebrate the very best talent and creativity from across our fine region.

Award categories cover a breadth of specialisms and roles across the profession. They recognise all in the industry, no matter where they are in their career, from Rising Star of the Year to Outstanding Achievement.

Other categories include:

• Marketer of the Year
• Marketing Director of the Year
• Campaign of the Year (Agency) Under 50K
• Campaign of the Year (Agency) Over 50k
• Campaign of the Year (In House)
• Not-for-Profit Campaign of the Year
• Brand Creation (In House)
• Brand Creation (Agency)
• Product launch of the Year (In House)
• Product Launch of the Year (Agency)
• In-House Marketing Team of the Year
• Agency of the Year (Under 20 employees) and Agency of the Year (Over 20 employees)

Nominations have been open to in-house marketing, agency, service provider, and public sector teams, with judging taking place on the 10th of November.

“Each year, we think the judging will get easier, but it keeps getting tougher. Competition is so tight, and the marketing teams never cease to amaze the judging panels with their creativity. We are really excited to see this year’s offering,” says Craig.

The winners will be announced at the awards on the 1st of December, to be held at the Hilton Newcastle/Gateshead on the banks of the iconic Tyne.

For more information visit: www.northeastmarketingawards.co.uk

The Award is in recognition of the support the charity has received over the past 12 months from Northern Print Solutions Ltd and celebrates the success of what we are sure will become a fantastic corporate partnership.

Oasis Community Housing’s Chief Executive, David Smith, said:

“Our Shared Value Awards recognise those businesses that go above and beyond in support of our charity. Every year we deliver help, housing and, moreover, a place people feel they belong through our drop-ins, emergency accommodation and supported accommodation projects.

“We could not deliver what we do without the generous support of our valued corporate partners and the dedicated individuals within these businesses.”

For almost 40 years, Oasis Community Housing has been supporting people facing homelessness across North East England and South London. The charity works to address both immediate needs and the root causes of homelessness through its Basis crisis services; its Home 24/7 supported accommodations for young men, women, and mothers and babies; its Aspire unemployment support and financial skills training; and Empower programme for women escaping domestic abuse.

The charity’s Patron, the BBC’s Reverend Canon Kate Bottley, presented Northern Print Solutions Ltd with its Shared Value Award at Hilton Newcastle Gateshead on Friday. Commenting on receiving the Award, Craig Daly, Managing Director of Northern Print Solutions said,

“We are proud of our region’s heritage and the strong focus it places on community. That is why supporting causes that champion community is important to us.

The extraordinary work that Oasis Community Housing do in building a community of support, a sense of belonging and a positive outlook for those that find themselves homeless is invaluable. Their work has far-reaching effects on all those it touches, and we feel incredibly honoured to play such a small support part in their unique story”

More About Oasis Community Housing

Oasis Community Housing has with almost 40 years’ experience supporting people facing homelessness, especially young women and mothers and babies. Every year, the charity help more than 1,000 people by providing housing, support and, more fundamentally, a place where people feel they can belong. They have projects across North East England and South London.

The charity’s Black & Gold Ball is its annual flagship fundraising event, attended mainly by its corporate supporters. This year the event was held at Hilton Newcastle Gateshead with the kind support of Muckle LLP, Big Purple Productions and Northern Print Solutions.

Based in Gateshead, you will be part of a small but driven team responsible for meeting production targets and high standards of quality on all printed materials.  Initially starting out in our print finishing department, we are seeking someone who is keen to learn and advance their role as our business grows with the capability to move quickly into other production areas of the business and become a rounded player on our team.

Your primary responsibility will be to assist the team with the finishing aspects of various print jobs before training in print production.

Your duties will include:

The use of various finishing machines:

• Setting up of automated machines that cut, fold, trim, collate, laminate and binder
• Loading and adjustment of machines
• Ensuing the quality of the finish in the machines and where there are problems, stopping the machine and seeking help

Assisting with the hand finishing of various jobs:

• Packing of letters
• Collation of items to be packed
• Hand taping and stapling of jobs
• Operation of binding machines
• Cutting of large format jobs

Getting the finished job ready for delivery

Assisting with unloading, loading and recording of deliveries

Monitoring of stock levels and advising team leader when stock in low

Ensuring good housekeeping:

• Cleaning and keeping machines clutter free
• Empty re-cycle and general waste
• Ensure all floor surfaces are clear of clutter and waste
• Following all Health & Safety guidelines

Skills required:

• High level of physical skills required: Strength (ability to lift a minimum of 16kg) and manual dexterity
• Good communicator
• The ability to take instruction and retain information
• Strong attention to detail
• An organised approach to work

Skills not essential but desirable:

• Basic knowledge of print production
• GCSE maths and English C Grade or above
• Health and Safety
• First Aid

Personal qualities:

• Excellent timekeeping
• Trustworthy
• Methodical approach
• Enthusiastic
• Works well under pressure.
• Strives to continuously improve
• Determined

Education:

• Desirable but not essential – Maths and English GCSE C Grade (equivalent or above).

Because our business is print, it is important to us that you develop a core knowledge of all things print. Our apprenticeship provider will help you to develop knowledge about our industry and production processes before specialising in either print production or print finishing.

Full-time Apprenticeship

Salary: £183.00-£379.00 per week

The design of brochures remains a popular choice in the digital era because they remain incredibly versatile and particularly effective for service based, B2B industries.

Brochures are still important for the lead nurturing process that follows meeting somebody at a trade show or sales meeting – a well-executed brochure reminds that very prospect of your service and, additionally, what sets you apart.

1. Enticing content

Although designers love to think that design is most important (in many ways it is), if the copy is littered with mistakes people will notice this over a poor design concept.

In the early stages, contemplate what style of writing you want to use for your brochure and how your readers will react to and engage with it. Copy comes as part and parcel of a strong design, so don’t consider them two separate elements – certainly not ones on different levels of importance.

2. Pagination

For saddle stitched booklets there must be a multiple of four pages. Think about it, you have the front (page 1)  and back (page 2) of the right side of the paper, with a crease down the middle to make the spine and then the front (page 3) and back (page 4) of the left side of the paper. So, the page numbering of your brochure will need to go up in ‘fours’ to ensure the correct ‘pagination’ throughout. Your brochure will be 4 pages, 8 pages, 12 pages, 16 pages and so on.

3. Die cut

A die is a tool that cuts paper to any required bespoke size. There really aren’t any limits to using a die, other than the weight of the paper would govern how the die is made and applied to the stock. The die is built with metal pieces that pierce and cut the stock when direct pressure is applied – think of this as a huge cookie cutter!

The die cut option gives a totally unique finish. Although, we’ll be up front and say there is a higher initial cost to design and make your die, but once this has been made it can be used over and over again. Using a die cut design for a brochure front cover is one of the best ways to truly create something that people will want to pick up.

Surely, that’s the aim of every brochure ever printed…?

4. Finishing and stock to match your message

There are hundreds of different ways to add a spark of individuality to your brochure, from hot foiling, embossing to die cutting and lamination.

Laminating is a process that covers the stock in a film and gives a great finish, as well as offering longevity to the brochure. The most common applications are matt, gloss and soft touch laminate.

Top tip: Laminating is also ideal for ensuring the print doesn’t crack around the spine if using a heavy print coverage of colours.

5. Ensure your finishing and stock match the message you are sending.

We can’t tell you exactly what that will look like without understanding the project in depth first but as a general rule; If you are trying to exude high quality, excellent workmanship, selling a high class offering then using a heavy stock in brand colours with expertly implemented finishing is the way to go. Think about how much you want the reader to invest in you – you can’t claim to offer the most high class business proposal using the very cheapest print you could find.

In the same respect, a busy tool company selling discounted tools probably has a very different criteria. The criteria being to display as many of their discounted items as possible and get them to as many people as possible. Huge print runs, quickly turned around means a much cheaper stock is needed. The message is quick deals here and nothing more.

The last word

It is worth bearing in mind that a brochure with lots of pages (in quantities of four, don’t forget) will need to be bound in a different way than one with 20pp. The most basic and very suitable binding option is saddle stitch, which is when staples have been threaded through the spine to secure the pages.

For all brochures depending on the weight of the pages, you really want to look at a different binding option on anything from 32-48pp so you don’t get that horrible bowed page look in the middle of your beautiful brochure. A perfect bound option would be ideal (this does not need to be a multiple of four pages).

There are many different binding options whether your little beaut of a brochure is 16pp or 140pp. So, if you are looking for something a little different or just want to see how the leaves will look, give us a shout and we will be happy to help!

Whether that be wiro, perfect binding, lay flat binding, side stitching, plastic coil binding, tape binding, post binding, velo binding, ring binding. Ready to buy now? VISIT OUT ONLINE SHOP or if you need a bespoke quote….