WARRANT HOLDER - ROSE CALENDARS
2 OCTOBER 2025
The prestigious Stationers’ Company Warrant launched in 2014 was established as a mark of recognition to highlight excellence within our industries. Current Chair John Livingston visits the UK based Rose Calendars to see the work going on behind the scenes to achieve the consistent high quality which ensures their promotional calendars are seen in workplaces throughout the UK and across the world.
Calendars can be perceived as a traditional advertising option but are seeing a revival with Google advertising costs rocketing. Rose Calendars custom printing service keeps a brand in front of clients every day of the year for minimal cost. In this digital era, it’s reassuring to find that people are returning to print!
The process of creating a calendar starts with the design and publishing team. Their ability to capture and present striking designs that people will enjoy all month is phenomenal. It is no surprise that they continually win awards. “The challenge is to keep creating eye-catching designs year after year”. Said Managing Director Michael Rose.
Rose collaborates closely with leading photographic agencies, but there is significant work still to be done to ensure the image has maximum appeal to the end user so it attracts attention throughout the year. Each picture is scrutinised by Publishing Manager Graham Coburn and shown to a team of other discerning viewers ahead of selection. “You would be amazed at the things which are missing on a first look at an image. We have removed random objects from scenic backgrounds, unsightly leaves from autumnal trees and inappropriate material which would be viewed when the images are reproduced in a large format for viewing on the wall”. We also need to be particularly careful with any location or technical specifications, because our calendars will be seen by users who really know and understand the material we are picturing.”
“We have a wide range of subjects, designs and formats that reflect current working trends and echo the customer’s perception of their organisation. This is why we include humorous calendars, art calendars, scenic calendars and inspirational calendars as well as interactive calendars which offer content beyond the printed page. For example, our 2026 Countryside Walks calendar allows you to download a walk featuring the beautiful scenery you see each month, along with GPS navigation routes and walk directions”. Said Marketing Manager Elizabeth Rose.
Explaining the rationale behind offering a huge range of calendars and formats which justifies why Rose Calendars hold their Stationers’ Warrant, Elizabeth went on to explain “We offer flexibility to suit our customers’ market and scenario, whether they are an agricultural company in rural Wales, or an IT business in a large city, we can provide the format and design to suit individual needs, often making bespoke calendars for specific clients.”
Desk top calendars have seen an increase in popularity, with Rose extending the range to meet the demand of staff hot-desking or working from home, which helps humanise their working day. Planning tools and wellness journals have also become very popular with the most purchased subject calendars remaining wildlife and scenic titles. . The year of calendar production begins up to a year and a half ahead of time for this busy manufacturer. This process which has been refined over time, demonstrates the speciality of printing to ensure that each customer receives their calendars printed with their adverts at a time which suits them, provided they place their order in good time. Rose will prepare the order and deliver this in a week of the customer’s choosing, meaning orders can be taken right up to the last minute for a pre-Christmas delivery.
Large format wall calendars remain of interest to customers, as do specialist designs like shipping calendars which form part of the commercial range (with no pictures), designs which started the family business in Colchester back in 1908.
Reeve Calendars offers a range of calendars to the trade, which are sold through distributors. Unbranded as Rose, these calendars supply a vital range of high quality calendars to the trade.
There remains a substantial market for diaries and notebooks too, with printing of customers’ logos or copy to the covers available through blocking, subtle embossing or 4 colour printing. A variety of designs and sizes of diary is available with features such as padded covers, gilt edges, contrasting stitching or smart, eye catching colours. Notebooks prove ever popular, and provide an undated option for promotional materials.
“We are a fourth generation, family business which means we can think long term”. Said Michael Rose, “We have recently invested a six figure sum in a new HP digital printing press which gives us flexibility and state of the art, high quality printing capacity. This allows us to produce our customers’ calendars, offering exceptional quality at a competitive price. We are able to accommodate large orders of up to 100,000 calendars, with our minimum order being just 25 units.
Each calendar comes ready inserted into a recycled board envelope to ensure it reaches it recipient in pristine condition. Many end users report there is a thrill as they open the envelope and pull out the new calendar and look forward to seeing it on the wall or desk all year.”
After the type and design of calendar has been chosen and artwork has been submitted, it’s over to the Pre-Press team responsible for everything that goes on before work can be printed and creating the artwork required for the calendar pages. They are masters at taking artwork and information from customers and marrying it to the calendar to create a striking piece of wall art. ‘With all orders, details are checked diligently throughout the process, with proofing and checking being an inherent part of the work.
When Warrant’s chair John Livingston visited in September the factory was flat out. One production line was in the middle of an 18,000 calendar run, while in another part of the factory they were preparing for a 60,000 calendar run. “From September onwards is the busiest time of the year and we employ seasonal staff, many of whom we welcome back every year and who are now part of our Rose Calendars family”. Said Elizabeth.
During the final quarter, Rose run extended shifts to meet the demand and is very grateful for the levels of commitment shown by colleagues.
Routes to market are principally through the company’s comprehensive website, and via sales agents who cover the whole of the UK, taking the range of samples and a printed brochure in to customer’s premises to demonstrate the quality and variety available.
“Sustainability is central to our company”, said MD Michael Rose. From the solar panels on the roof to the plant based inks and the zero landfill commitment, Rose are a company who are genuinely committed to the environment and being sustainable. Through work with The Woodland Trust, all paper used in the calendar printing process is Carbon Captured, whereby new native woodland is planted in the UK through a levy paid on the paper purchased. Each calendar has end of life instructions on how to separate wire binding form paper so both can be recycled. “We are delighted to partner with DPD’s Zero emissions delivery fleet” Said Michael.
Warrant chair John Livingston was particularly interested in the production process. “Artistry and binding goes back to the foundation of the Stationers in 1403.” Dan Clark - Head of Production takes great pride in the quality of work produced and was a product of the company’s apprenticeship scheme in the early 1990s.
Rose Calendars are the leading UK calendar producer with 117 years of expertise designing, publishing, manufacturing and printing calendars, a family owned and run business which is a fine example of the standards a warrant holder should set.