The Norwich-based digital printer has taken on three new staff as part of a £100,000 outlay that is expected to increase annual photobook output to 150,000 within the next two years.

2M Print already had a major photobook offering, prior to the Taopix investment, that was geared toward businesses and schools as well as the printing of professional photography and general commercial work.

The Taopix software investment simplifies its photobook production, incorporating photobook design, payment integration and other back-office processes, and allows it to target individual consumer sales.

The 12-staff company is printing the books on its seven-colour HP Indigo 5500 digital colour press and they are finished on a raft of in-house equipment from Morgana, Ashgate Automation and Unibind.

Although the £1.5m turnover company produces a minimum of 300 books a week at present, this figure can rise to 500 during peak seasons, a quota the company plans to grow significantly in the next 24 months.

Mark Hipperson, director at 2M Print, said: "After producing photobooks and other photo gifts for three years without any user-friendly, dedicated software, we quickly became aware of the changing needs within our customer base.

"Clients wanted quick, easy to use software that would allow them to be creative and also build a book, and a good one at that, in minutes."

With the addition of a customer-facing presence for its photobook offering, Hipperson added that further investment in digital print equipment was "definitely" on the horizon for 2011.

Commenting on the investment, Neil Bather, managing director of Taopix UK, said: "2M has truly embraced the multiple branding capabilities of Taopix and produced a really consumer-friendly brand with Smiley Hippo."

For more information on 2M Print's consumer photobook service, Smiley Hippo, see www.2mphotobooks.com.