The commercial litho and digital print firm, which is based in Glasgow, has been contracted to print the programmes by London-based publisher Programme Master, which will design, write and produce the publications.
“Programme Master came to us because it needed somebody local and reliable to do the work. The job itself is fairly straightforward, but it needs to be done with speed because the progammes are printed overnight so the turnaround times are tight,” said managing director Kevin Creechan.
“It was quite a prestigious job and something we wanted to be involved in because of the fact that the Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow.”
The firm will print the programmes using gloss paper and two Heidelberg presses, a 12-colour XL 105 perfector and a six-colour XL 105 with extended delivery.
The 84-page daily programmes will be stitched using a Muller Martini Primera E140 while additional special edition programmes for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as a commemorative programme, will be perfect bound using a Muller Martini Acoro.
“The run length is quite varied but it’s been pitched at about 20,000 programmes a day on average. On some days, when athletics are on for instance, it could be much more than that, while on others it could be less,” said Creechan.
Only a small number of the company's staff will be involved with the job because of the security measures surrounding the event and its related publications.
“The staff involved are selected specifically and have been vetted and approved by the Organising Committee,” said Creechan.
J Thomson Colour Printers has 110 staff and a turnover of around £13m. Its clients are predominantly blue chip companies and its sectors include advertising, construction, design, education, fine arts and retail.
12 of Programme Master's staff, including writers and sub-editors, are involved in the job and based in Glasgow for the duration of the event.
"Venue Retail 2014 Limited, the master licensee, approached us to produce the programmes. We picked J Thomson Colour Printers to do the printing because it's one of the biggest printers in Glasgow and has a good reputation," said Programme Master managing director Lee Berry.
"It's gone pretty smoothly so far, the main challenges were in the pre-planning and getting the right team in place. We also have to be organised because all of the programmes are delivered out to the venue early in the morning so we can't waste any time."
Programme Master has also produced programmes for the Rugby League World Cup, Liverpool, West Ham and Fulham football clubs and RBS Six Nations.
The wide-format printing for the 2014 Commonwealth Games including banners, wraps, fence dressing and ground graphics, will be carried out by Canada-headquarted company Icon.
Icon has previously provided branding, production and installation for events including the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games, UEFA Champions League, Wimbledon and the last two FIFA World Cups.
