Point-of-purchase printers have already seen the rewards. Mark Shaw, managing director of Wakefield-based bezier, said that he expected turnover to increase 5-10% for May across the industry.

He said that some clients had used the tournament to try new types of print. "Asda used Euro 2004 as a vehicle for innovation in  point-of-sale   with movement activation, huge floor graphics, and contra-vision outside the stores," he said.

East London-based Capital Print & Display reported Euro 2004-specific work for two major clients.

"Companies write into their marketing plans that there are sports events coming and, of course, we get the benefit of it. It'll be the same for the Olympics," said David Carey, business manager for sales and marketing.

In newspapers, Polestar Petty printed a 92pp supplement at its Leeds plant for The Guardian, which appeared with last Monday's edition (7 June).

Other Polestar plants have been in on the act, with Varnicoat printing a 48pp handbook for The Times (10 June) and Greaves producing a 56pp supplement for The Sunday Times (6 June).

The Sunday Telegraph is publishing a 48pp A4 magazine that will coincide with England's opener against France on Sunday (13 June), printed at St Ives Web in Peterborough.

The Daily Telegraph is set to add an 8pp broadsheet supplement this Thursday (10 June), to be printed with the paper at Docklands-based West Ferry Printers.

Mark Simpson, managing director of Tyneside large-format printer Simpsongroup said: "Quite apart from other economic and world events, many printers suffered last year because there were no major sporting or cultural events."

Story by Josh Brooks