Clays

Clays is a British book production specialist based in Bungay, Suffolk, and is recognised as a market-leading printer of books in the United Kingdom. Established over 200 years ago, the company has built its reputation on producing some of the most well-known and best-selling books in the UK. It serves trade, academic, education and independent publishing markets, and describes itself as printing over 150 million books every year. Its services span book production, supply chain, pre-retail, creative consultancy and e-solutions, giving publishing clients an integrated offering from digital services through to physical manufacture and distribution. Clays specialises in monochrome paperbacks and hardbacks in any quantity and across a wide range of sizes. Its manufacturing capabilities include wire-stitching, perfect binding and sewing book blocks, complemented by an extensive range of cover and jacket print and finishing options. The company also provides pre-retail and supply chain solutions, positioning itself as a complete production partner for publishers rather than simply a printer. According to its own figures, Clays prints around 165 million books annually, processes 60,000 orders per year and employs over 819 people across a 14-acre production site. This scale supports its claim to be the UK's market-leading book production specialist. The company has invested extensively to react quickly to fast-moving customer needs and has embraced digital printing technology alongside its traditional printing processes. Clays is part of the Elcograf Group, a wider European printing group, and its leadership team includes Managing Director Mike Levaggi and Deputy Managing Director Ian Smith. The business continues to evolve, with a focus on operational excellence, continuous improvement and long-term growth, while serving many of the most established publishers in the trade and academic markets.

Clays has been established for over 200 years and has spent more than 150 years producing some of the most well-known and best-selling books in the UK. Over that long history it has developed into a major force in book manufacturing, serving trade, academic, education and independent publishing clients. The company describes its evolution as driven by extensive investment and a determination to react quickly to customers' fast-moving needs, resulting in an all-round service offering that encompasses digital services, book manufacture, pre-retail and distribution. Throughout the digital revolution, Clays remained the UK's market-leading book production specialist, actively embracing digital printing technology to run alongside its traditional and highly successful quality printing processes. This combination of traditional craft and modern digital capability allowed the company to offer publishers flexibility across quantities, formats and finishing options. At scale, Clays reports printing around 165 million books every year, processing 60,000 orders annually and employing over 819 people across a 14-acre site. The business has continued to invest in its capabilities and now operates as part of the Elcograf Group, a wider printing group. Its leadership team includes Managing Director Mike Levaggi, who joined as MD after serving as a Non-Executive Director, and Deputy Managing Director Ian Smith, who has over 25 years of experience across the business. The company continues to focus on operational excellence, continuous improvement and long-term growth.

• Clays established over 200 years ago

• Over 150 years of producing well-known and best-selling UK books

• Embraced digital printing technology alongside traditional printing processes

• Became part of the Elcograf Group

• Mike Levaggi joined as Managing Director in May 2026

UK market-leading book production specialist offering an integrated service from digital and creative consultancy through to physical manufacture, pre-retail and distribution.

• Monochrome paperbacks

• Hardbacks

• Wire-stitched, perfect bound and sewn book blocks

• Cover and jacket print and finishes

• Pre-retail and supply chain solutions

• Digital services and e-solutions

1. 1Clays – Market leading book production & self-publishing specialist.clays.co.uk
2. 2About – Claysclays.co.uk
3. 3Services – Claysclays.co.uk
4. 4People – Claysclays.co.uk
5. 5Clays – Wikidatawikidata.org