Major publishers including Haymarket Publishing are consolidating their repro suppliers in order to cut costs, form closer working relationships and guarantee investment.

Haymarket, the publisher of PrintWeek, will in future be supplied by just two main repro companies Colour Systems and Icon Reproduction compared with about 20 one year ago. Next week 14 Haymarket titles will be produced for the first time at Colour Systems.

Haymarket group publishing director Chris King said: "Whether you produce ice cream, cars or pre-press, it gives you much better control over production. Around 70% of our titles are CTP, but well be able to accelerate that process."

King added that the consolidation was symbiotic in nature, providing publishers with a better deal, and pre-press houses with the capital needed to invest in workflow systems essential in todays marketplace.

"All publishers are seeing a reduction in revenues at the moment so theyre forced to reduce costs. It is a case of financial necessity, rather than a strategic move," said King.

Haymarket announced a review of suppliers a year ago, in a bid to reduce print and repro costs by 1m.

It is also believed that Emap has invited tenders from around five pre-press suppliers, a move that follows the consolidation of print suppliers that began earlier this year.

And at IPC, manufacturing director Jasper Scott said although the publisher did not have immediate plans to reduce suppliers it was not something that could be ruled out.

"We reduced our repro suppliers some years ago. At times like these everyone feels under the cosh. Its inevitable the industry is moving away from being fragmented," said Scott.

Story by John Davies