According to official statistics from the Office of National Statistics, the economy shrank by 0.7% in the quarter, compared with a 2.4% fall in the first quarter of the year.

A better than expected performance in the manufacturing and energy sectors was cited as the reason behind the improvement.

However, Vicky Redwood, an economist at Capital Economics, told PrintWeek that the improvement may be temporary.

"These figures don't change our view that the economy could pull out of recession in Q3 but we still believe that the recovery will be sluggish and the recession will be U or even W shaped," she said.

The fear among economists of a return to negative growth, the much touted 'W' shaped chart of economic growth, is based on the belief that the underlying causes of the recession have not been addressed.

Debt levels for both consumers and businesses remain high and household spending and business investment remain subdued as a consequence.

A recent survey revealed that business investment fell by 18.4% in the quarter, the steepest decline since records began.

A PrintWeek poll reaffirmed the confusion over the current state of the sector with a question on whether printers were receiving an upturn in orders revealing an even spread of opinion with the dominant answer at 30% being that the situation was worsening.

22% said order levels were around the same as last month with 26% reporting an increase but voicing fears it would not last and a further 22% reporting a "significant upturn in forward orders".