Marketing manager Melanie Enser said Mutoh devices, which range in price from £4,495 for an entry-level 42" 1.06m-wide device to a 2.6m-wide printer costing £36,500, were proving popular with sign makers looking to diversify. The wide format distributor did not reveal precise turnover and profit figures.

"A lot of sign makers have been going for entry-level 42" or 54" models. Many will already have water-based kit for posters and POS material and want to dip their feet into the outdoor market to offer their customers something different. The price point of the Mutoh isn't staggeringly high," she added.

Sales of other products including Seiko I Infotech ColorPainters, Caldera RIPs and Kala laminators also increased, with prospects for further growth looking very positive, said managing director Jeff Biggs, who added that he was positive about the coming year.

"Both the Mutoh and Seiko II printers have shown solid growth and there are promising prospects for Seiko II around the new ColorPainter M-64S series which was launched at Fespa. These increased printer sales boosted associated products such as Caldera RIPs and Kala laminators.

"We expect solid growth for the Mutoh ValueJet range over the coming year, not only for traditional display graphics printing but also for eco-solvent and dye sublimation applications in the soft signage and textile markets," he added.

Another "major positive" for Colourgen last year was the re-establishing of Seiko I Infotech and the ColorPainter brand in the market place, said Biggs. Printer sales more than doubled over the previous year and the forecast is to continue this growth in the coming year.

Meanwhile the new Seiko II ColorPainter M Series, which is scheduled for release in October, is also expected to enhance Colourgen's performance. The new device runs at 32sqm per hour with odourless eco-solvent inks and 360dpi resolution. List price is not currently available.

"Overall we are very happy with our performance in what was another difficult year for the industry. We have a settled stable of excellent products that offer great quality, reliability and value and this is being translated into solid sales," he added.