A fast-growing Newton Aycliffe-based company has launched a training division to offer students hands-on experience whilst also helping to reduce printing costs for educational organisations.
School-print, part of the Splash Print Management group, offers opportunities for graphic design students to demonstrate their skills and gain vital experience in a competitive industry by working on projects specifically for the education sector.
As a result, schools, colleges, universities and other training establishments can benefit from significant savings on their printing costs as School-print then works to find the best supplier to meet individual printing needs, normally at a much-reduced rate.
Already, School-print has worked with organisations such as Freebrough Academy in Brotton near Saltburn-by-the-Sea, The Education Village in Darlington and The Chorister School in Durham.
Student Jonathan Minns is currently in his second year studying for a foundation degree in graphic design at New College Durham and works with School-print two days a week.
He said: “School-Print gives me the opportunity to work on real world projects whilst studying in the final year of my degree.
“School-print has helped me get the long term studio experience that is vital to any graphic design graduate in the current climate. It’s a great idea and I am thrilled to be involved in some really interesting projects.”
Speaking about School-print, Sharon Hutchinson said: “The education sector is increasingly competitive and schools and colleges need to create the right image on a small budget.
“At the same time, students often find it difficult to enter the competitive design sector as they need hands-on experience which can be hard to come by.
“School-print is a win-win situation as educational establishments get the high level of results they expect- but with time and money savings – while students build an impressive portfolio working in their chosen industry in a sector they understand.”
Kimberley Forteath from Freebrough Academy added: “We have been delighted with the service we have received from school-print. They are reliable, willing to go the extra mile and their communication has been first class.
“We have almost halved our production costs on some projects and the quality easily matches or exceeds that of their competitors.
“The design service offered is affordable and professional, again with excellent communication. I would certainly recommend school-print to other schools.”
Splash Print Management specialises in tailored print management services for a variety of businesses and organisations and recently announced the recruitment of new staff and the quadrupling its office space.
The company, established by Sharon Hutchinson in January 2011, now occupies 1000 square foot offices in Synkro House in The Hub at Aycliffe Business Park and employs a team of seven with plans to grow this to around 12 in the next year.
Splash Print Management specialises in helping businesses and organisations of all sizes to reduce print costs, improve their marketing operations and become more efficient.
Sharon Hutchinson, from Newton Aycliffe, set up her company after recognising a gap in the market for print management services aimed at businesses of any size that wanted flexibility and to be able to work on a contract-by-contract basis.
Splash works with a range of organisations providing a free audit of their printing services. Many are now making savings of up to 40% on their print spend thanks to Splash’s ability to source the best suppliers for specific jobs.
The business has a strong network of local suppliers that offer the best rates depending on the job so that every project is assigned to the most suitable and cost-effective printer.