Our company has its origins in 1945, when it was founded by Humbert Ortells. Nowadays, it is an Offset printing workshop with professional experience, whose origins started in Gràcia (neighbourhood of Barcelona).

The main activity at that time was to do manual work as well as book binding; it wasn’t until some years later that the printing impression as established. At that moment, the company bought 2 manual Minervas, an automatic Minerva and the necessary elements to do typographic composition. We then worked on several types of projects, such as receipt books, envelopes, letters, etc.

In 1962 Offset is adopted as the new printing technique, thanks to the purchase of 2 small printing machines. This period was decisive because Offset was just starting. Moreover, there were lots of problems, which requested imaginative staff to cope with all the difficulties which constantly were coming up.

During the next period and until the generation shift (1998) the company adapted to the new necessities of the market with bigger printing formats. To do it, Gràfiques Ortells bought 2 other printing machines, one of one color and the other of two colors. This evolution allowed us to produce higher quality products, and therefore to get more clients, especially from the publicity world.In 1988 we find the generation shift, and with it, the change to limited company (the company changed its name as well to GRÀFIQUES ORTELLS, SL.). At that time the business also changed its place, and moved to Sant Andreu (neighbourhood of Barcelona), a necessary change to face the lack of space, which also led to a logistic.

Efficiency improvement

In 1996, we made some changes in order to get more technology and adapt the production to the new market standards. We then introduced a 4 color automatic printing machine, in order to cover the increase in the demand of products. Later, we bought in 2000 a new machine, which was one of the first ones in the city. It helped us improve our competitiveness. This technology enabled us to do new complex projects that otherwise couldn’t have been done. Examples of it are exposition books, art galleries brochures, complex leaflets, amongst others.

We have been working since then with the same strategy, and we have kept investing on new technology, such as a 5 color + veneer printing machine or other machines to fold or mould. In the department that works on design (before printing) we have added a data flow based on PDF standard, which can be controlled from JPF (complete automation of the graphic cycle): a scenario ready for a new challenge, keep on offering high quality products which make a difference.

Innovation and illusion for well done work..

We always try to put in every single project all the effort we can make to get the best product. The long experience we have got throughout the years makes our products have unique features that certainly make a difference. We try to put at the client’s disposal a high technology and our experience in order to get the best results.

We have been awarded with several prizes during the last decades. This fact is what makes us reliable, and what keeps us working in order to keep on improving and giving excellent results.

We have been given the ISO 14001 certificate by ENAC, and we try to protect the environment in every operation we carry out. We do control all the wastes which are produced, and we are responsible for them. Furthermore, we always ask for the same commitment with the environment to our suppliers, which is a basic feature they have to have if they want to work with us.

The “Citizen Commitment for sustainability in Barcelona 2012-2022: for a more equal, prosperous and self-sufficient Barcelona” is a shared project as well as a reference framework for any organization willing to contribute to improve sustainability. The Commitment is set in a strategic document, organized in 10 principal objectives, each of one describing 10 lines of action to carry out during the period 2012-2022.