But there are no further details as to whether the potential purchaser has walked away from negotiations or if it is set to follow up on its interest.

"We can't speculate on the situation," said a Communisis spokesman. "All we can say is that preliminary discussions have ended and Communisis is now focusing on growth areas such as partnering with financial institutions."

The firm's share price has fallen 7% since the announcement, implying investors have taken the news as a sign that the sale is off.

Meanwhile, Communisis has said trading for the year ended 31 December 2005 was "in line with its expectations" despite difficult market conditions. Its full-year results will be announced on 2 March.