The company has developed a reputation for making headlines at print shows, and the two 10-colour and one 12-colour XL 105 presses and a KH 82 folder mean its Ipex 2010 spend brings its total to £40m across the past three major exhibitions.

Each press is specified with CutStar, Autoplate XL and Inpress Control, which Anton says will ensure the company can meet its targets, both for ISO 12647 requirements and makereadies of less than 10 minutes.

Four of the Knight family, including Anton chief executive John Knight, made the trip to Birmingham to sign the deal with Heidelberg chief executive Bernhard Schreier on its Hall 8 stand.

The deal also included renewing its service contracts with Heidelberg.

Gary Knight, print production manager at Anton Group, said: "We went for the full service agreement for the first time last year. There's a real mutual respect between the companies.

"You know where you are. If there's a problem, they're usually there within a four-hour period. And financially it gives us peace of mind."

The first of the machines will be delivered next March, the second in March 2012, while the delivery of the third has yet to be finalised.

The presses will bring the Basildon, Essex-based direct mail specialist's XL 105 tally to five at its 15,000m2 plant in Dunston.

The new presses will handle ‘shortrun' work of between 10,000-20,000 sheets and are 40% faster than the Speedmaster SMs they replace.