The merger with £750,000-turnover Viva Graphics will see John E Wrights’ Nottingham print plant expand to incorporate Viva’s fleet of flatbed and roll-to-roll UV printers, taking John E Wright's combined turnover to around £6.8m.

All 12 of Viva Imaging's staff will join John E Wright's 80-staff company and help with the merger.

John E Wright managing director Tony Barnett said the move was a matter of cost consolidation: "Both parties bring something to the merged entity, and Viva Imaging also has some fantastic clients.

"My eyes are never closed when it comes to acquiring again, although it will depend on the opportunity and the fit of the management into the current team."

Viva Imaging's flatbed and roll-to-roll UV printers will work alongside the company's two existing HP Scitex flatbed printers, a Zund cutter and router, plus a fleet of HP Designjet Z6100s.

The company's print capabilities will now include textiles, board, pop-up, flatbed, UV, roll-to-roll and aqueous inkjet.

John E Wright is a family-run business, established in 1900. It has branches in Nottingham, Leicester, Oxford, Coventry, Hull and Derby.

It specialises in the production and finishing of large-format exhibition and display graphics and it is a supplier to the CAD and graphic design communities throughout the region.

Viva Imaging started off as a photographic company and now offers a digital print and finishing service and a large-format exhibition display graphics service.