Following Aldridge's administration last month, Harlow printer Blue bought the Mitcham business and has targeted a £50m turnover. The deal did not include BD3 as it did not go into administration.

Aldridge bought BD3 in early 2010, the digital printer shares premises with Aldridge.

However, Blue managing director Alan Mitchell told PrintWeek yesterday that he hoped a purchase of the £800,000-turnover company could be completed in the coming days.

According to Mitchell, if a sale was completed, the plan at this stage would be to move all the digital businesses in together, creating a £3m-turnover digital division.

He said: "It is very early days and we are talking about where it would be best to place the digital division. For instance, Blue does a lot of work for the City, would it work if that work was done at Mitcham?

"At this stage we are hoping to get something sorted and then we can talk about our plans for it."