Bestsellers included the new "flagship press" - the B1 format Speedmaster XL 106 - and the Speedmaster SX platform, which sold almost 500 units.

The company, which is due to publish its 2011/12 end-of-year results on 14 June, took orders at Drupa from over 80 countries and recorded significant growth in Asian markets such as Japan and China. Top orders came from Germany and China followed by the US, Middle East, UK and Japan.

Chief executive Bernhard Schreier said developments in the U.S. and Japan were cause for optimism. "Many print shops have used Drupa to thoroughly renew their machine park so as to be able to meet the requirements of the market," he said.

Schreier said the level of incoming orders during the show indicated that confidence within the industry was returning. "The investment backlog is continuing to unwind in many parts of the world.

Heidelberg's expectations of Drupa had been more than satisfied, he added. "The volume of orders at the show is equivalent to around half of the production of printing units over the past financial year.

"The fact that we have remained true to our development projects over recent years, some of which have not been easy, has been rewarded. We can now also look to the future with optimism."