The one-piece mailer was printed by a Stuttgart-based printer, which, according to IPS, was one of the only European facilities able to produce a job of this complexity within a three-week time frame.

IPS sales director Matthew Stevens said: "As it was produced on one piece of paper, it involved a highly complex inline perforating and gluing arrangement, which the German printer was able to cope with."

The promotional cards, devised by The Marketing Store, were printed on a machine based on the Heidelberg Harris M600 web.

"The printing units were heavily modified, five-back-five M600s and included sophisticated inline finishing and Scitex numbering facilities," said Stevens.

IPS did the origination and proofing in the UK, then submitted final print-ready files to the German printer to ensure that the short lead times were met.

IPS staff were placed on-site in Stuttgart to oversee all aspects of production.

Story by Rachel Barnes