While measures such as doubling the annual investment allowance, a one-year business rates cut and an extension to the HMRC Time to Pay scheme have been welcomed, the consensus is that more still needs to return the sector to a healthy state.

Alison Branch, managing director of Park Communi­cations, said: "I feel the measures are still relatively small compared to the downward pressure on prices coupled with the upward rise in material costs.

"While we have not needed to utilise the Time to Pay scheme, again, I think that will prove to be a great help to those businesses with a cashflow problem."

Lucid managing director Jason Langford-Brown echoed this and said that such measures could not "fail to help" but claimed that much depended on the financial state of each company.

"I think a cut in business rates and improvements in the investment allowance have to help, but this will only make a difference if your business is in the position to take advantage," he added.

Andrew Brown, corporate affairs director at BPIF, said that, while he welcomed the announcements, he felt that the positives were still counterbalanced by the proposed 1% rise in National Insurance from April 2011, something that would raise around £3bn a year for the Treasury.

According to Brown, the doubling of the investment allowance "and anything that can encourage investment" is a good move and one that will catalyse business growth.

He added that. despite the national insurance rise, it would be "churlish" not to welcome the proposals.

Meanwhile, Unite has given its backing to the Budget announcement with assistant general secretary Tony Burke claiming that "anything that is positive for print has to be good".

Burke said he expected the extension to the HMRC Time to Pay scheme to benefit "a great deal" of printers struggling with cashflow.

"Many printers have had problems with securing payment on time for one reason or another. This extension could help that," he said.

Despite calling the Budget a "balanced and political" affair, Unite welcomed the support for business and "a sound industrial policy".

"It's steady as you go. The announcements are positive for print and anything that can help is, of course, welcome," said Burke.