Strange times, these, for small printing companies. In the face of the electronic revolution they seem to either prosper, and attract investment, or go to the wall in almost equal numbers. Take the old established Abingdon company Leach's the Printers, for instance, now set to move out of its Ock Street premises after more than 70 years.

Sales director Chris Williams said: "Despite a trend to the contrary within our industry, we have achieved excellent growth in recent years.

"The move to a modern industrial unit of greater size than we currently occupy, will facilitate the installation of a new four-colour press - an overall investment of more than £1m - which will significantly increase our capacity and open new markets to us, paving the way for continued expansion."

Kathy Biddulph, sales executive at the firm which Thomas Leach, grandfather of the present chairman, started in 1901, added: "Keeping regular customers happy and steadily adding to them seems to work.

"We are middle-of-the-road litho printers, which really means that we cannot take many very small orders, such as wedding invitations.

"On the other hand, we cannot take the enormous orders (more than 100,000) either, because we cannot cope with competition from China and India."

The firm, which now employs 30 people, started by printing for the clergy, educational establishments, and the pharmaceutical industries - and is still at it.

Originally, Thomas Leach worked from his home in Victoria Road. Later, he was joined by sons Victor and Frederick and together they expanded into other printing and publishing fields.

A small printing works was established in a building behind Bath Street, with Frederick in charge.

Meanwhile, Thomas and Victor ran stationery shops and newsagents in Bath Street, Market Place and Oxford Road.

The move to Ock Street took place in 1937, the year in which Thomas celebrated his 80th birthday. The firm's new premises were a former factory, which produced mineral water and sweets. Now all those premises are likely to be redeveloped for housing, except the building at the front, which is listed.

Other successful Oxfordshire printers, without the ancient pedigree of Leach's, have taken the green route to prosperity.

Mark Willis, managing director of full colour company KMS Litho of Hook Norton, for instance. tells customers they can have any colour - but it will always be green (paraphrasing Henry Ford's dictum about having Model T cars in any colour, as long as it was black).

Mr Willis said: "I am confident there is a positive future in print - both litho and digital - for companies which are prepared to embrace and invest in new technology, recognise their responsibilty to the environment and perhaps carve out smaller niche markets where margins can be healthy."

And money has gone where his mouth is.

He added: "During the past two years we have invested more than £500,000 in new equipment enabling us to be competitive, work smarter, leaner and be able to react to client demands, often turning complex projects around in 24 hours.

"New equipment includes a new Heidelberg B2 size five colour press, a new Heidelberg B3 size two colour press, new fully programmable guillotine, new chemical-free plate-making system and new Xerox digital printing press."

But green printing is seen as an incentive for customers. At KMS all electricity is gained from renewable sources, litho inks are all vegetable oil-based, the digital press is waterless, and the company offers expert advice on the use of recycled paper and boards.

Also on the green wagon is Cowley printer Seacourt Press, which encourages customers to "think of Seacourt as a company that is not only committed to you, but to everything around you."

Winner of last year's Queen's Award for the Environment, it was only the second printer worldwide to be certified as a carbon neutral' firm, meaning that its processes cause no net carbon emissions.

Jim Dinnage, chairman of the family-run business employing 20 people and hoping to hit £2m turnover this year, said: "We suddenly realised about 12 years ago that lithography is a very polluting business compared to the old Letterpress system, and we became passionate about becoming greener."

His son, managing director Gareth Dinnage, added: "Now there are plenty of people in the trade who talk the talk' about going green, but not many who walk the walk.' "But we started in the business of making the company green so long before many others' that now we can compete on price with others."

Still the question hangs in the air, hovering over the whole industry: Greenest of all would be to have no printing and do everything online. So why print at all?' Jim Dinnage said: "Absolutely. But I remember when people said TV would kill the printed word - and it didn't. People like print and they can have it without polluting the planet."

o Contacts: Leach's the Printers, 01235 420444, www.leachprint.co.uk o KMS Litho, 01608 737640, www.kmslitho.co.uk o Seacourt Press, 01865 770140, www.seacourt.net