University of Manchester case study

University of Manchester

The University of Manchester traces its roots back to the formation of the Mechanics’ Institute in 1824, and its heritage is linked to Manchester's status as being the world's first industrial city.

Established with the principle of ensuring that workers could learn the basic principles of science, the University of Manchester today is a public research university and is a member of the Russell Group, the N8 Group, and the worldwide Universities Research Association.

It is therefore not surprising that University of Manchester have the largest alumni community of any campus-based university in the UK, with more than 500,000 graduates in more than 190 countries around the world.

University Alumni Magazine

Belmont Press have successfully tendered and retained our  place on the University’s print framework for over a decade. The contract covers a wide variety of printed media including personalised projects, principal publications and alumni communications. Our most recent project, awarded under the current framework agreement, was the production, fulfilment and mailing out of the University of Manchester Alumni Magazine Pack. This consisted of the alumni magazine “Your Manchester”; a personalised cover letter; two versions of reply envelopes; an alumni form; and a compostable outer paper wrap. The completed packs required mailing to multiple destinations across the globe.

This was a large complex project with a requirement for 80,000 copies, and is the University of Manchester’s flagship publication. The print production of the Alumni Pack was produced in-house at Belmont Press, on our own machinery, operated by our full time skilled production team.

Colour consistency

The magazine specification was to produce a 48pp full colour magazine, PUR bound, on uncoated FSC certified paper. The significant print run was produced on our Heidelberg printing presses, equipped with impress bar technology, which measures and adjusts colours every seven sheets to ensure colour consistency and brand integrity throughout the entirety of the project.

After production of the cover letter, alumni form, and two versions of the pre-paid reply envelopes, the Belmont Press mailing and fulfilment team ascertained the most cost effective route to market.

The completion of the Packs was project managed by the dedicated Belmont Press account manager assigned to the university.

Over 78,000 packs were mailed for distribution worldwide, all on schedule, with the balance of the “Your Magazine” delivered to the University of Manchester.