Print veteran retires after 50 years

Ivor Jacobs first cut his tooth in the print industry back in 1974 after starting his working life in brand management, systems analysis, and computer sales.

A marketing manager of a progressive litho printer, Jacobs suggested opening a retail print store in Hampstead and Kwik-Kopy was born.
The company developed well and became a franchise. Jacobs became UK managing director for PIP, the US franchise five years later, opening 40 stores.

In 1985, Jacobs moved into trade overnight phototypesetting, using the new page make-up systems. At the time, customer-coded jobs were sent to the hub via electronic mailboxes and keen on innovative digital systems, Jacobs introduced auto ‘ganging up’ of different jobs with workflow systems to supply multiple orders rapidly from his Camden factory in 1992.

Two years later, Jacobs started Print Zone which is said to be the UK’s first all-digital print shop in Camden. The business was sold to UDO (later Service Point) and Jacobs took on the role of marketing director. In this position, he was responsible for the installation of the third UK Indigo and the digital education of the employees and customers.

In 1997, Jacobs set up Ivor Solution as a web-to-print software developer trading as Card Corporation – said to be the UK’s first service of its kind concentrating on cloud-based technical development and sales with print being outsourced.

Almost a decade later and Ivor Solution moved into manufacture with the majority of its orders coming from its websites. The company continued to grow by acquisition and organically and in 2012 moved into a purpose-built factory in Holloway, London.

Following this, two additional acquisitions were made which provided additional production facilities.

Around the same time, the white labelled software used mainly by larger print managers became the only UK print company combining its own IP with print. Branded as Cognitu, the hybrid offer was sold internationally with Ivor Solution often handling over 1,000 small orders a day in addition to web transactions outsourced to other suppliers.

Ten years ago, Spencer Slee a corporate customer, bought into the business and became managing director and majority shareholder. The company rebranded to Print Evolved in 2016 and Jacobs retained shares in the business and is only retiring a decade later aged 78.

According to Jacobs, one of the reasons for this was that, with challenges caused by Covid-19, he helped Slee with an acquisition plan and increasing online sales resulting in the group growing to over three times its size pre-Covid.

With an extensive history in print, Jacobs was challenged by the company's financial controller to write a book on his adventures which is nearing completion – he shouldn’t find it difficult to find a printer!

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