Group turnover of 20.75m was up 1%, thanks to its book cover and jacket and paperback divisions, where sales rose 20% to 5.94m and accounted for 29% of group turnover.

Pre-tax profits - taking into account exceptional costs of 930,000 this time last year - more than doubled to 1.75m.

Bookmarque, Fulmars paperback printing plant, increased sales by 39%, while White Quill Press turnover rose 10%.

However, sales at Fulmar Colour, Royle Corporate Print and Quadracolor, which make up its commercial printing division, dropped 4% to 13.85m due to price pressures and a weak market.

But chief executive Mike Taylor said: These businesses remain the major part of our group. They are efficient and well invested, and will benefit when an upturn in economic activity materialises, with commercial printing historically being early in and out of recession.