"We diversified into digital last year and the quality and productivity of the C901 has impressed us," said Doveton managing director Gavin Savage. "We can mop up personalisation work and handle very short runs."

The growth in digital demand is in addition to customers’ requirements for litho, which the firm produces on a pair of Heidelberg SM 52 Anicolors and a four colour Speedmaster 74.

"Operating both litho and digital allows us to give customers choice and we help them to find the right technology to suit their budget and quality requirements," said Savage. "The Linoprint presses are additional machines. The Anicolors allow us to offer special colours, seals and metallics."

Heidelberg UK digital product manager Chris Matthews said that he expected several more printers to join Doveton in running multiple Linoprint C machines soon.

Doveton’s double installation pushes Heidelberg’s UK Linoprint C installations "close to the 40 machine mark" in time for the second anniversary of its return to digital press sales via its alliance with Ricoh.

"Having two Linoprint C’s gives a company the same productivity and quality as a bigger digital beast but with contingency," said Matthews. "It is an advantage to have two machines rather than one."

He added that the recent release of the Pro C901 + configuration by Ricoh was a sign of the first fruits of the Heidelberg Ricoh joint venture.

"The requirement of heavier stock up to 350gsm, for example, was one of our and our customers’ requests for the machine," he said. "I’d like to think that was why that was implemented in the latest version."