The HP T350, which will be installed at the Chippenham site of the group’s digital division Antony Rowe later this year, is the fifth of 10 planned HP web purchases for the pan-European book printing giant.

With CPI’s latest investment in what it dubs "CPI Quantum" lines, it claimed its digital division will become the UK’s most advanced in its field in terms of end-to-end digital book production.

Ralph Bell, chief operating officer of CPI Antony Rowe, said digital print technology, as found in the T350, was designed to meet efficiency demands at shorter run lengths while not compromising on quality.

"Digital expansion has gathered pace at CPI over recent months. The investment means we are well placed to continue the growth of the business and meet the needs of an ever-changing and discerning publishing world," he added.

The T350 inkjet web will complement a digital battery that comprises two Xerox web presses, an HP Indigo 7500 due to be installed next month and an Océ VarioPrint 6250 mono digital press at its Eastbourne operation.

According to Mike Williams, chief finance officer at CPI UK, the digital focus will allow it to handle a broad run range. He said: "The machine we’re launching at Antony Rowe will handle runs of 250 up to 1,500.

"We are planning further investment in HP technology over the next couple of years. The system at Antony Rowe will be delivered later this year and we expect to have it operational soon after installation."

 Williams added the average order at Antony Rowe’s print-on-demand site in Eastbourne was 1.7 books.

Now entering the second year of its £22m investment programme, the £124m turnover UK division of CPI has already taken delivery of a Heidelberg 75 XL sheetfed press for CPI White Quill, a Muller Martini binding line and a second Timson ZMR press at CPI Mackays in Kent.

The UK high-speed inkjet machine will be the group’s fifth, with two machines already in France, one in Holland and one shipping to Germany in the coming months.