Stones is a sheet-fed printers that provides a 24/7 production facility and deals with a number of sectors, including catalogues, fine art, greetings cards and calendars.

The IPIA is a not-for-profit trade association funded by member subscriptions. It has 185 members, split into print manufacturers, associates and print managers. A spokesperson for the IPIA said membership prices were dependent on an organisation’s turnover, but started at £495 per year.

The association brings together organisations associated with the printing industry to enable networking and development opportunities through advice and events.

The spokesperson said it would not necessarily try to recruit more B1 printers as members now, so Stones would be able to make the most of the networking opportunities created by it status as the sole B1 member.

Stones Steve Palmer managing director said it thought that joining the IPIA would help grow its industry contacts and provide it with useful advice.

IPIA chief executive Andrew Pearce said it was good to have Stones involved in the IPIA.

"They fill a gap in our membership with their cutting-edge  workshop, workflow and customer support facilities," he said. "It is going to be a real pleasure recommending their services to our members and our huge range of contacts."