A quick-thinking employee captured the spider as it scuttled down a corridor at the Blackburn company, and the firm set about trying to work out what on earth it was. 

Partner and general manager Jane Caunce takes up the story: “We went into full-blown investigation mode. We contacted a lovely customer who works in conservation, another who knows all about wildlife, and reached out to a reptile expert who’s brilliant with bugs (thanks Corinne Firth-Surkitt for the recommendation).

“We scoured Google, Bing, AI tools, and bug apps… We sought help via Facebook, but left the photo off as we didn’t want to cause a local panic in case it had hitched a ride from abroad and was venemous!” she explained.

But the searches drew a blank. Then, a breakthrough. A damp tissue was placed in the box containing the spider, and the Ellison team realised the spider was shedding its vibrant colour. 

“Turns out, it was a completely normal house spider – thank you to those above for helping with body shape – that had somehow managed to coat itself in magenta toner from our digital print room,” said a relieved Caunce. 

The theory is the spider had found its way into a box containing an old toner cartridge, and with that spidery penchant for squeezing into small spaces had somehow ended up covered in toner. Or perhaps it just liked the colour.

“How it got from there, to where it did, without leaving a trail of toner, we just don’t know,” Caunce added.

“Our vibrant friend was released back into the wild, looking rather fabulous in its cloak of colour, I have to say. One thing’s for sure - life is never dull at Ellison Printing!”

Something to consider for the next Marvel Universe franchise, perhaps, with a bit of reverse engineering – Toner-Man.