The dotcom aims to tie up 10 product concessions in two months, according to chief executive Tony Rafferty.

It is the next stage of a strategic plan that follows a 1.1m windfall from its recent public offering, its second share-selling spree (PrintWeek, 19 April).

Suppliers that take a concession will market their products such as screen prints and carrier bags via the printing.com network.

Printing.com will grant a single production concession for each type of printed promotional product. The other items are badges, balloons, banners, coasters, desk products, diaries, envelopes, folders, mouse mats, mugs, pens, rubber stamps, T-shirts, umbrellas and work apparel.

It gives them access to an end-user client base in the tens of thousands, said Rafferty. There will be 36 outlets selling their goods.

Printing.com has 22 franchised outlets and 14 of its own company stores. It aims to open six more outlets every month and its eventual goal is to increase its network to 175 outlets.

Rafferty expected his firm to roll into profit from April following the share issue and franchise deals. Latest accounts revealed losses of 400,000 on half-yearly turnover of 3m.

We floated on the stock market in 2000 and opened 14 company stores. The loss making is related to those openings and was a little more than we expected.

But we raised 3.4m in equity in the last 18 months. Our base model is working whereas Colourflow had a similar amount of venture capital and blew it all (PrintWeek, 8 March).

By Jez Abbott