(Reuters) - Bar code printer maker Domino Printing Sciences Plc (>> Domino Printing Sciences Plc) is planning to sell itself to a Japanese company in a deal worth close to 1 billion pounds ($1.51 billion), Sky News reported.

However, the identity of the Japanese bidder is still unknown, and is understood not to be any of the big players like Canon (>> Canon Electronics Inc), Panasonic Corp (>> Panasonic Corporation), Ricoh Co Ltd (>> Ricoh Co Ltd) and Sony Corp (>> Sony Corp), Sky News' website said. (http://bit.ly/1wWBKTt)

Announcements about the deal could come as early as Wednesday, Sky News said.

Advisers at Citigroup working for the Japanese company indicated a possibility of a counter bid by a couple of other companies, the website said, citing unnamed sources.

Sky News said Domino has already held talks with a couple of U.S.-based competitors in recent months.

Domino Printing Sciences could not immediately be reached for comment outside regular business hours. Domino is based in Bar Hill, England.

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)