Bertelsmann owns just under 75% of Gruner + Jahr and is known to have investigated the potential for a greenfield gravure plant of its own here in the UK.

A spokesman for Gruner + Jahr said that the co-operation agreement could take one of a number of shapes, including a merger or joint venture, but that nothing was decided as yet.

We expect the talks to last until late spring, when we expect to be able to announce the shape of the co-operation agreement, said the spokesman.

He denied reports from Germany that agreement had already been reached.

Last June Arvato announced that it wanted to form alliances with printers (PrintWeek, 19 June 2003).