The method, which is claimed to be the first offered in the UK, uses UV-drying to cut production times and targets long-run direct mail campaigns that require fast turnaround times.

Stockport-based Print Direct, which supplies UV-dried continuous direct mail collateral is producing pre-printed reels on its Goebel web presses in up to 10 colours.

Heritage Envelopes, which is located in nearby Blackburn, has invested £500,000 in adapting one of its Winkler and Dunnebier high-speed envelope machines to convert the pre-printed reels in to C5 envelopes.

The process is claimed to cut the lead time from a 14 day average to around three days, in part thanks to the elimination of drying time from the UV-dried reels produced at Print Direct.

According to Mark Sears, managing director at Heritage Envelopes, the additional service will enable the business to target a wider range of markets.

"Our customers can now get litho-printed quality envelopes which are produced with a much faster turnaround at a more cost effective price," he added.

Ian Mackintosh, managing director at Print Direct, said the new process offers an alternative to overprinted and sheetfed-printed envelopes.

"Together with Heritage Envelopes we are now able to offer a full solution to our customer base, which includes printing the inside stationery and the outer envelope  in up to 10 process colours, and provides the customer with brand consistency across the whole direct mail pack," he said.