Canterbury Christ Church University

Founded in 1962, Canterbury Christ Church College was the first teacher training college established by the Church of England in the twentieth century to meet the needs of an acute teacher shortage. In July 2005, the college was awarded full university status and is now a modern education establishment renowned for their academic excellence and strong community spirit.

Based in the historic city of Canterbury, with additional campuses in Broadstairs, Chatham, Folkestone and Salomons near Tunbridge Wells, the university offers excellent teaching facilities in historic, lively and inspiring locations.

The university offers over a thousand courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level and is the largest provider of higher education in Kent for the public services. With a student population of approximately 16,700 and a staff population of approximately 1,334, internal communication is just as important as external communication.

A range of publications are produced to ensure both staff and students are kept up-to-date with the university’s achievements and news, including an annual report and the quarterly Inspire magazine. These are two of the university’s most important publications and are used as a reference tool for a variety of stakeholders. Because of this, each publication needs to be designed and produced to the highest standard, as well as being cost-efficient.

Canterbury Christ Church University commissioned Matthews the Printers to professionally print both the annual report and Inspire magazine. The university has regularly worked with Matthews and was already familiar with the company’s unrivalled customer service and innovative and proactive approach to delivering exceptional quality print at competitive prices.

Ginette Casey, Design and Production Manager at Canterbury Christ Church University, said: “The quality of the print and finishing supplied by Matthews was sublime. Once again, they provided fantastic customer support and invaluable advice, which was backed up with competitive pricing. Feedback from our staff, students and other stakeholders has been excellent. In fact, the annual report has been described as the best Canterbury Christ Church University annual report ever. I would not hesitate to recommend or work with them again.”

Matthews produced 2,500 copies of the annual report and 3,000 copies of the Inspire magazine in 10 days, which included mock ups, proof reading, digital proofs and supplying examples of different finishes. A state-of-the-art alcohol free Komori lithographic press was used to print both publications, which ensured crisp text and vibrant images. Significant care and attention was paid to the line-up areas where images and text crossed from one page to the next. The annual report also included a blind emboss and silver foil on the front cover to give it a unique finish.