The Ashford-based magazine and journal printer now operates 44 long perfector units and expects the additional machine to provide backup and complement its existing press battery.

The 300-strong firm operates digital, sheetfed and web presses and produces 350 magazines in addition to a range of journals and annual reports.

Headley Brothers managing director Roger Pitt said the printer looked at the Heidelberg XL 105 model but felt it didn’t require the additional speed and larger format offered.

He said: "Web and sheetfed litho are complementary and work is allocated to one or the other depending on print run, stock type, trim size, product finish or add-ons and turnaround requirements."

The press is the Headley Brothers’ second long perfector with CutStar, which enables a sheetfed press to run lower grammages and reduce waste by cutting to the specific format required.

Pitt added that some work where silk and satin papers are used need to be sealed to prevent marking and "with our commercial work in particular there is some demand for spot colours. We need to do complete jobs in one pass".

The SM 102 can handle paper sizes up to 720 x 1,020mm and print at a perfecting speed of 12,000sph.