Spire has been working with Sotheby’s for eight years, managing the company’s printing needs in-house at its New York branch.

Brothers Rick and Skip Dyer launched Sotheby's Imprint last week as a "rebrand" of their print management firm, Spire, which has clients and suppliers from across the globe.

SI executive vice president Skip Dyer said: "Spire had been providing photographs, design layout, colour management, and print for 23 years. The business grew and along the way Sotheby’s became a valued client.

"Sotheby’s were willing to put their name on our company because of the tremendous value we brought to them, which resonates in a number of ways and brings global brand recognition."

All of SI’s suppliers must be Pantone-certified and have a financial and capability review as well as colour tests, examining quality, colour space and fit to create an "audit road map" ensuring the supply chain meets clients’ needs.

The company has a number of preferred suppliers, including Heidelberg and Sappi paper distributors.

SI has offices in New York, Boston, London and Hong Kong but provides on-site services depending on business requirements.

Dyer said: "We have a client-specific model. We are not growing our network for the sake of it but we provide staff and services per clients needs."

SI serves clients in financial services, real estate, retail, general corporate and medical sectors, mainly based in the US but stretching across the globe.

Dyer said: "The breadth and depth of our services means that our client relationships are more significant. We would prefer to build larger, deeper relationships with 20 clients than 2,000 tiny ones."