This Chapter has been extracted from the ONS Explanatory Notes and provides a more detailed explanation of possible activities that could fall within the SIC Codes related to the Chapter.
This division includes printing of products, such as newspapers, books, periodicals, business forms, greeting cards, and other materials, and associated support activities, such as bookbinding, plate-making services, and data imaging. The support activities included here are an integral part of the printing industry, and a product (a printing plate, a bound book, or a computer disk or file) that is an integral part of the printing industry is almost always provided by these operations.
Processes used in printing include a variety of methods for transferring an image from a plate, screen or computer file to a medium, such as paper, plastics, metal, textile articles, or wood. The most prominent of these methods entails the transfer of the image from a plate or screen to the medium through lithographic, gravure, screen or flexographic printing. Often a computer file is used to directly ''drive'' the printing mechanism to create the image or electrostatic and other types of equipment (digital or non-impact printing).
Though printing and publishing can be carried out by the same unit (a newspaper, for example), it is less and less the case that these distinct activities are carried out in the same physical location.
This division also includes the reproduction of recorded media, such as compact discs, video recordings, software on discs or tapes, records etc.
This division excludes publishing activities (see section J).
18.1 Printing and service activities related to printing
This group includes printing of products, such as newspapers, books, periodicals, business forms,
greeting cards, and other materials, and associated support activities, such as bookbinding, plate-making services, and data imaging. Printing can be done using various techniques and on different materials.
18.11 Printing of newspapers
This class also includes:
- printing of other periodicals, appearing at least four times a week
This class excludes:
- publishing of printed matter, see 58.1
- photocopying of documents, see 82.19
18.12 Other printing
18.12/1 Manufacture of printed labels
This subclass includes:
- printing on labels or tags (lithographic, gravure printing, flexographic printing, other)
18.12/9 Printing (other than printing of newspapers and printing on labels and tags) n.e.c.
This subclass includes:
- printing of magazines and other periodicals, appearing less than four times a week
- printing of books and brochures, music and music manuscripts, maps, atlases, posters, advertising
catalogues, prospectuses and other printed advertising, postage stamps, taxation stamps, documents of title, cheques and other security papers, smart cards, albums, diaries, calendars and other commercial printed matter, personal stationery and other printed matter by letterpress, offset, photogravure, flexographic, screen printing and other printing presses, duplication machines, computer printers, embossers etc., including quick printing
- printing directly onto textiles, plastic, glass, metal, wood and ceramics
The material printed is typically copyrighted
This class excludes:
- silk screen-printing on textiles and wearing apparel, see 13.30
- manufacture of stationery (notebooks, binders, registers, accounting books, business forms etc.), when the printed information is not the main characteristic, see 17.23
- publishing of printed matter, see 58.1
18.13 Pre-press and pre-media services
This class includes:
- composing, typesetting, phototypesetting, pre-press data input including scanning and optical
character recognition, electronic make-up
- preparation of data files for multi-media (printing on paper, CD-ROM, Internet) applications
- plate-making services including image setting and plate setting (for letterpress and offset printing processes)
- cylinder preparation: engraving or etching of cylinders for gravure printing
- plate processing: "computer to plate" CTP (also photopolymer plates), preparation of plates and dies for relief stamping or printing
- preparation of:
• artistic works of a technical character, such as lithographic stones and wood blocks
• presentation of media, e.g. overhead foils and other forms of presentation
• sketches, layouts, dummies, etc.
• production of proofs
This class excludes:
- specialised design activities, see 74.10
18.14 Binding and related services
This class includes:
- trade binding, sample mounting and post press services in support of printing activities, e.g. trade
binding and finishing of books, brochures, magazines, catalogues, etc., by folding, cutting and trimming, assembling, stitching, thread sewing, adhesive binding, cutting and cover laying, gluing, collating, basting, gold stamping; spiral binding and plastic wire binding
- binding and finishing of printed paper or printed cardboard, by folding, stamping, drilling, punching,
perforating, embossing, sticking, gluing, laminating
- finishing services for CD-ROMs
- mailing finishing services such as customisation, envelope preparation
- other finishing activities such as die, sinking or stamping, Braille copying
18.2 Reproduction of recorded media
18.20 Reproduction of recorded media
18.20/1 Reproduction of sound recording
This subclass includes:
- reproduction from master copies of gramophone records, compact discs and tapes with music or other sound recordings
This subclass excludes:
- reproduction of printed matter, see 18.11, 18.12
- production of master copies for records or audio material, see 59.20
18.20/2 Reproduction of video recording
This subclass includes:
- reproduction from master copies of compact discs and tapes with motion pictures and other video recordings
This subclass excludes:
- reproduction of printed matter, see 18.11, 18.12
- production and distribution of motion pictures, video tapes and movies on DVD or similar media, see
59.11, 59.12, 59.13
- reproduction of motion picture film for theatrical distribution, see 59.12
18.20/3 Reproduction of computer media
This subclass includes:
- reproduction from master copies of software and data on discs and tapes
This subclass excludes:
- reproduction of printed matter, see 18.11, 18.12
- publishing of software, see 58.2
For all queries related to this Chapter or any other aspect of SIC Codes, please contact the Office of National Statistics on 01329 444970 or email classifications.helpdesk@ons.gov.uk.
