Edinburgh-based Dynamic Colour ran online service SchoolCardShop, which converted school children’s artwork into printed Christmas cards, but ceased trading this week with customers learning of its closure through an email from the business' owners and a short message posted on the company website.
After angry customers took to social media on Wednesday (30 November) the story gained national media attention and numerous printers began offering to carry out the work.
“We spotted it on the BBC app and we got onto it on Thursday morning,” said Darryl Allen, commercial manager of Devon-based Harrier, which is a subsidiary of US-photo gift firm District Photo. “We thought that rather than other printers doing what they can or offering reduced rates, we have the capacity and we should do it for free.
“So we offered them our services and we'll be able to fulfill most of the outstanding work by the end of next week. With the volumes we are producing on a daily basis it’s no effort really for us to help people out," he added.
PrintWeek understands the outstanding work amounts to around 18,000 Christmas cards for around 50-60 schools.
Allen said the 180-staff, purely digital business, which owns the Snapfish online photoportal and the Truprint.co.uk brand, runs nine HP Indigos, UV inkjet and wide-format kit as well as a raft of finishing equipment and produces a range of photo gifts as well as commercial work from its Newton Abbot facility.
Dynamic Colour has posted an updated statement on the Schoolcardshop homepage today. It states: "We appreciate the high level of anxiety this has understandably caused parents, children and schools who we worked with on this project. We would have liked nothing more than to have been able to complete this project successfully, but sadly we have been unable to do so.
"There has been speculation in the press that we saw this coming: we truthfully did not. There has also been speculation that the directors have taken money out of the project, but this is also not the case.
"Behind the scenes we have spent every minute looking at possible solutions and exploring options.
It adds: "We have lost a company we love, our livelihoods and over a decade of hard work. But we are extremely happy and relieved to be able to give this positive news at the end of it all. We thank the team at Harrier Print for all of their efforts."
