A statement from the two companies said that they have already begun the process of integration, following the purchase by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners.

The BASF side of the deal includes all the facilities and activities of its printing systems division, as well as the production of alkali blue at BASF Corporation's US headquarters in Huntingdon.

CVC expects to close its deal to buy the pigment production at BASF Colorants & Chemicals Company in Shanghai in early 2005.

There is still no decision on a new name for the company, although both BASF and ANI brands will be dropped when a new moniker is announced in the new year.

CVC's acquisition of the two ink suppliers was approved by the European Commission at the beginning of November.

The finance house first announced plans to buy the two companies in October. The merged company, based in Stuttgart, will have more than 3,500 staff and sales of more than 577m.

Story by Josh Brooks