The company is working on campaigns for financial groups including Lloyds TSB and Mastercard. The new mailer is a one piece information sheet, folded down to credit-card size.

"The Z-Mail is becoming increasingly popular and is used by customers who want to communicate so much more information," said Z-Card marketing manager Melanie Avgousti. "What appeals is that the mailing is more retainable, and there is the novelty factor."

The product is to be rolled out in marketing campaigns through January. Z-Card's core market is producing credit-card sized information booklets for clients including British Airways (BA), Orange, Vodafone, BT, O2 and Thameslink. The firm has just printed its one billionth card for BA.

"A lot of our business comes directly from print buyers," added Avgousti. "They come to us first."

Z-Card has also linked up with Loughborough University to produce information sheets to help students of GCSE maths, with 310,000 produced so far.

The PocketMedia product has also been aimed at A-Level maths and physics students with orders from 1,450 schools.

"It is not a new sector for us," said Avgousti. "We have done a lot of work with universities and adult learning organisations."

"This informational marketing technique is a fantastic way of helping students to improve their maths and learn about future possibilities in the process," added Loughborough University engineering marketing manager Andrew Cooney.

Z-Cards produces its products at its facility in Runcorn using its own bespoke and patented equipment.

Story by Philip Chadwick