Privacy policy

Who we are

PrintScout (printscout.co.uk) is a UK website that helps customers compare participating printing companies. For this notice, PrintScout is the controller of the personal information described below, under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

You can contact us about privacy at hello@printscout.co.uk.

Comparing printers

You do not need an account to compare printers. If you enter a postcode or share your location, we use it to work out distances and find nearby printers for that search. We look up postcodes using the free postcodes.io service. We do not save your postcode against you.

If you use the "Describe your job" helper, we send what you type to an AI service so it can suggest a product and options. Please don't include personal details in that description.

Sending a job to a printer

If you send an enquiry, we store your name, email address, any phone number, company and notes you give us, the job details, your quoted price and any artwork you upload. We share these with the printer you chose so they can reply to you. If that printer can't take the job, we may send it to another participating printer, and we'll tell you by email when we do.

We email you a confirmation and updates about your enquiry. The printer only sees your email address and phone number once they have signed in to their PrintScout account.

Our lawful bases are taking steps at your request before a possible contract (your enquiry) and our legitimate interest in running and improving the service.

Usage statistics

We count listing views and clicks through to printers so that printers can see how their listing is doing. For this we use a random code that only lasts for your browser session. We don't store your name or email address with these counts.

Our website host also records basic, cookie-free visit statistics (such as pages viewed, approximate country, device type and the site you came from) to help us run the service. These are aggregated and are not used to identify you. Our lawful basis is our legitimate interest in running and improving the website.

Google Analytics (only if you accept)

If you choose "Accept analytics" in our cookie banner, we use Google Analytics 4, provided by Google Ireland Limited, to understand how visitors find and use PrintScout. Google collects information such as the pages you visit, how you arrived, your device and browser, and an approximate location (such as town or city) worked out from your IP address. Google sets cookies (such as _ga) in your browser for this.

We also record a few actions without any personal details, such as that an enquiry was sent or a printer account was created. We never send your name, email address, phone number, address, artwork, file names or quote details to Google Analytics. We have turned off Google's advertising and personalisation features.

Our lawful basis is your consent. Analytics does not run unless you accept, and you can withdraw consent at any time using "Cookie settings" at the bottom of every page. Google may process this information outside the UK, including in the United States, under its own safeguards. Analytics does not tell us who you are.

Printers and businesses

If you list your business, we store your account email, your business and contact details, your prices, logo, price lists you upload, your listing status and your subscription status, so we can run your listing and contact you about it.

Who we share information with

We share information with the printer(s) your enquiry is sent to. We also use service providers to host the website and database, store files securely, send emails and, if you accept analytics, measure website use (Google). They act on our instructions. We do not sell personal information.

How long we keep it

Artwork uploaded for an enquiry that is never sent is deleted automatically within about a day. Other information is kept only for as long as we need it to provide the service and meet our legal obligations.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you can ask to see, correct or delete your information, ask us to limit or stop using it, object to how we use it, or ask for a copy to move elsewhere. To make a request, email us. We'll reply within one month.

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk. We'd appreciate the chance to sort it out first.

Changes

We'll update this page if we change how we use personal information.

PrintScout Direct enquiries

Direct is our own quote-first sourcing service, separate from comparing independent printers. The seller and data controller's validated legal name and correspondence address are disclosed in the Direct terms when Direct is open. Contact hello@printscout.co.uk about Direct privacy or your rights.

For a free, nonbinding Direct enquiry we use your name, email, optional phone/company, postcode and job details to take steps at your request before a possible contract. We share specifications, not your contact details, with print partners for pricing. If you order, necessary artwork and job details go to the chosen printer; delivery details go to that printer or courier only as needed. Hosting, secure storage and app-email providers process data for us. We do not use Direct enquiry details for marketing or collect card details in the enquiry form.

Unsuccessful or non-converted Direct enquiries are kept for 12 months after closure. Necessary completed/paid-order accounting and claims documents are kept for 6 years after order completion, for legal obligations and proportionate legitimate interests in resolving claims. Documented legal holds or longer statutory obligations may extend retention of relevant records. Artwork and delivery extras are separately minimised and removed when no longer needed, not kept for six years by default.

The owner is responsible for monthly manual retention reviews, checking dates, obligations and holds, supported deletion of database records/files/email, backups and restoration safeguards, and a dated record of actions and deferrals. This is not automatic deletion. Direct remains unavailable until the required operational safeguards and launch checks are ready. Your rights and ICO complaint route above also apply to Direct.