The deal, which will create a £30m-turnover web offset, large- and small-format sheetfed, digital and direct mail powerhouse, was completed today for an undisclosed sum.

It includes both Lexicon Press and Centre Web, the Northampton-based former subsidiary of York Mailing, which Lexicon acquired earlier this month in order to secure its in-house web printing capability.

Alito Group chairman Terry Brady said: "Joining forces with Lexicon brings tremendous synergies and gives us a unique opportunity to reposition the group as one of the UK's most complete suppliers of print-related services across web, sheetfed and digital.

"We'll be ideally placed to meet the enormous demand we're seeing for variable data and personalised print. We have identified Alito Group's position in the market, which is primarily to service the crème de la crème of the print management community."

Following the acquisition, Centre Web will be renamed Alito Web, while Lexicon Press managing director Andrew Parker will become joint managing director of the Alito Group with responsibility for the web offset division.

Parker said: "This deal is a win-win for both Alito and Lexicon. As well as creating a group with far greater critical mass, it means we can deliver a truly comprehensive range of services to both sets of clients."

Current Alito Group managing director David Collins, who will become joint managing director of the enlarged company with responsibility for the group's sheetfed businesses, added: "This is a hugely exciting move for Alito, not least because it means we'll now be in a position to meet the strong demand among our existing clients for web-based work."