The Trust's decision to withdraw, which followed PrintWeek's coverage of the likely impact of the sale on Barringtons staff, was supposed to pave the way for Technoprint to buy the site.
However, the landlord has now decided he does not want to sell the facility, bringing the future of 20 jobs once again into question.
Managing director Mark Snee said: "The landlord has gone back on what he said, the whole thing is mental. He has said we can take out another lease or we can go, but he won't sell the site."
If Technoprint had achieved a sale, Snee said that he intended to move the five-staffed commercial division of failed printer Sessions of York, which it bought in May, into Barringtons' facility.
The saga started when it was revealed that Barringtons of York was on the verge of closure last year when York Council agreed to fund the purchase of its facility by York Museums Trust.
The council subsequently pulled its funding, partly because of PrintWeek's coverage, which was seen by the councillors and revealed that the 15 staff at Barringtons would likely lose their jobs.
However, the Trust, which owns the identical site next door, then arranged its own funding. Yet over Christmas it appears to have had a change of heart and said it will no longer be pursuing the facility.
This left Technoprint in position to purchase the site, as the landlord had agreed that if the sale to the Museum Trust failed Technoprint could buy it instead.
A spokesman for the Trust said: "We made an offer in good faith after seeing a for sale sign outside the property. We were informed that the current tenant had already given notice to the owner. It appeared to be a straight forward opportunity to purchase an appropriate property on the open market.
"We are very concerned to hear that the purchase may result in job losses, especially given the current economic climate, and so have decided to withdraw."
But, Technoprint managing director Mark Snee said he thought there were other factors that had forced the Trust to make the u-turn.He said: "Obviously I am delighted and all credit to the trustees for making this decision, it is definitely the right decision both locally and nationally.
"But I suspect there was some outside pressure on them to make this decision, I certainly wasn't expecting it. I would love to find out what it was that really made them change their mind.
