Real Digital International took home the top prize in print on Monday night, when the Surrey-based digital printer carried off the coveted Company of the Year crown at the PrintWeek Awards.

"It means more than you realise it will to win it," said Real Digital managing director David Laybourne, adding, "I came in to 131 very smiley faces this morning! A lot of the staff have been here and shared our vision since day one, and to have that justified is just tremendous for everyone involved."

Another big winner on the night was fellow Surrey-based firm D2 Printing, which picked up the gong for SME of the Year in front of a crowd that included some of the biggest names in the industry.

"We like to think we punch above our weight, but it’s great to have the industry recognise our efforts. To be surrounded by tables from the big companies, and to win in front of them, is fantastic," said joint managing director David Houghton.

"It’s a fantastic piece of positive news; it’s recognition of everything we’ve been striving towards for the past 15 years and it’s a great award to win because everyone here genuinely deserves it."

Three companies took home more than one award, with Park Communications, Pureprint Group and Augustus Martin all securing impressive doubles, while Geoff Neal Litho continued its phenomenal run in the Direct Mail Printer of the Year award, a category it has now won in five out of the past six years.

The event, which was hosted by comedian Jimmy Carr, saw London’s Grosvenor House Hotel packed with 1,000 industry luminaries, while the annual prize draw for The Printing Charity raised more than £6,000.