Registered at Companies House as Argall Solutions, the circa £5m-turnover, East London-based company initially filed its intent to appoint administrators with the High Court Index on 6 February.

Managing director David Collins made the move after a winding up petition was brought against the company on 31 January on behalf of Agfa-owned consumables firm Litho Supplies.

The administration is being handled by Paul Ellison and Gareth Roberts of KRE Corporate Recovery, who were formally appointed on  on 11 February.

Ellison said: "The company had recently suffered heavy trading losses and was attempting to restructure by negotiating a Time to Pay arrangement with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and refinancing plant and equipment.

"However, sufficient funds could not be raised against the plant to enable the company to survive. I had no funds with which to guarantee wages and therefore no option but to make all employees redundant."

It marks the second time in two years that the Lee Valley printer has appointed administrators. It previously collapsed in February 2011 along with its Northampton-based partner Flair Press (UK), which had traded as Alito Web.

UHY Hacker Young continued to trade Alito Color while it looked for a buyer and a month later it was bought by Collins, the then managing director, who began trading as Argall Solutions while Alito Web was closed.

As part of attempts to make up losses at the time, Alito sold two of its three KBA presses, replacing them with two second-hand Heidelberg presses, and retaining a Rapida 105 eight-colour amongst other equipment.

An up-to-date plant list is not currently available as details provided on the company website are out of date.

Further details will become available towards the end of February, KRE has confirmed.

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