The 22-staff business has ordered a five-colour B2 Speedmaster XL 75-5+LX press, a Polar 92X guillotine and a Stahlfolder TH66. The company has also upgraded its workflow with Heidelberg's Prinect prepress manager and pressroom manager.

According to Mark Bracey, production director at Apple Litho, the company reviewed a range of digital machines and Heidelberg's Anicolor press before settling for the XL.

He said: "We felt the XL gave us everything we wanted including the larger B2 format. Inpress Control spectral measurement was the clincher.

"It is a major advance, meaning less waste sheets and faster set up times. On our two CD 74s we may use up to 1,000 start up sheets but with the Inpress Control system on the new press we will be down to sub 200 which is a significant environmental and cost benefit."

Apple will take delivery of the Speedmaster, which will replace one of the CD 74 presses, in March and Bracey anticipates the addition of the coater will result in faster turnaround times at the business.

"We believe there is some work that is placed on digital machines which we can do as easily and cost-effectively on the XL with Inpress Control with all the quality benefits that go with that," he added.

In addition to a new press, the commercial printer will soon install the Polar guillotine to eliminate bottlenecks in that department while the new automated TH 66 folder will replace two older models at the company.