Having been one of the big names missing from the 2009 event, Manroland made a somewhat surprising appearance at the show this year, given that rival offset brands stayed away.

However, managing director Norman Revill deemed the show a success for both his company and the industry.

He said: "Northprint gave us an excellent opportunity to meet with many of our customers and reinforce the messages of our Secrets of Profitable Print campaign – that we are here to work with our customers to add value to their businesses and help them maximise their investment in Manroland technology.

"It was clear from discussions with visitors that this message is really getting through. Just like Ipex, the quality of the visitors was outstanding and we generated a number of very positive leads right across our commercial sheetfed, printservices and printcom divisions."

He added that the show was an important step forward towards a more positive future for the UK printing industry in 2011.

The positive start to the year has come appropriately 100 years after the first ever Roland press was manufactured in 1911 at the company's Offenbach factory.

Initially the Roland was produced by Faber & Schleicher, but by 1957 the machine had achieved such success that it had been included in the name, Roland Offsetmaschinefabrik Faber & Schleicher.