ESP Colour: Powering the future of print with Canon technology and GelatoConnect intelligence

Where imaging excellence meets intelligent automation: learn how ESP Colour combined Canon's advanced digital press technology and GelatoConnect's AI-first operating system to work as one solution – unifying procurement, production and logistics to deliver at speed and grow sustainably.

ESP Colour, based in the UK, are market leaders in digital and inkjet printing, photo gift production, print on demand and e-commerce fulfilment.

Led by CEO Simon Smogur, ESP has built its reputation on speed, versatility and a relentless customer-first mindset. The company operates three distinct businesses:

  • ESP Colour Digital: Primarily an e-commerce gifting business (fastest growing division).
  • ESP Colour Litho: A lithographic production business.
  • InterPrint: A large-format signage provider for the construction sector.

ESP Colour’s key objectives for the collaboration

By partnering with Canon and GelatoConnect, ESP aimed to overcome five business and technology challenges that were creating obstacles to growth:

  1. Production bottlenecks: Operating five digital presses created multiple device and capacity management issues, high maintenance overheads and inefficiencies.
  2. Fragmented workflows: Manual touchpoints slowed jobs from pre-flighting through production management to dispatch.
  3. Procurement inefficiencies: Reactive, manual ordering caused costly stockouts and waste.
  4. Logistics constraints: Shipping delays and incorrect addresses disrupted fulfilment, increasing waste and emissions.
  5. Competitive pressures: Rising delivery expectations (often same-day and next-day) demanded a faster, more integrated approach.

Why Canon and GelatoConnect

ESP Colour's transformation began with a dual investment:

  • Canon presses to consolidate and scale production digitally.
  • GelatoConnect as the intelligent operating system for procurement, workflow, and logistics.

Canon

ESP replaced five digital presses with just two Canon varioPRINT iX3200 devices, while four Colorado wide format digital inkjet presses produce up to 500,000 canvases every year.

For finishing, ESP opted for a Tecnau BookReady system, which eliminated manual guillotining and sorting during book production.

GelatoConnect

ESP reimagined their production model with GelatoConnect, automating processes across procurement, workflow, logistics and AI-powered quoting.

Simon Smogur, CEO, ESP Colour


We had five different machines beforehand, and those five machines consolidated down into two iX3200s. That saved us ink costs, labour costs and improved our efficiencies in production.”

Benefits of collaborating with Canon

ESP Colour’s collaboration with Canon and GelatoConnect has delivered measurable results.

Growth achievement

ESP scaled confidently, onboarding new customers and increasing profitability significantly without increasing headcount.

Operational efficiency

By integrating Canon print technology with GelatoConnect automation, ESP cut manual Labour requirements, shortened production cycle times, and streamlined decision-making.

Innovation speed

GelatoConnect's rapid development and deployment capabilities enabled quick solutions to operational challenges.

The synergy effect

Canon's technology provides the scale, versatility and quality to meet customer demand. GelatoConnect automates and connects every process, ensuring a streamlined, data-driven operation.

Simon Smogur, CEO, ESP Colour


The technologies work really well together. We've got an end-to- end, seamless process between orders received in GelatoConnect and orders output on our Canon iX3200.”

Related solutions

Learn more about Canon’s technology.

  • varioPRINT iX3200
    Discover the proven, market-leading sheetfed inkjet press and experience more profit and more business.
    Request information

  • Colorado M-series
    A fully modular UVgel roll-to-roll printer for large format graphics. Configure the system to your needs, and upgrade later as your business grows. There are many opportunities to explore, including mixed gloss/matte printing and white ink.
    Request information

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Get in touch with our Canon experts for more information relating to digital print technology.

Contact GelatoConnect directly below to learn more about their e-commerce and workflow automation solutions.