The new partnership will be unveiled at a joint open house event to be held next month at Printers Superstore's Leeds headquarters.

According to Printers Superstore joint managing director Graham Moorby, the tie-up is a natural fit for the company, which holds the UK agency for Hans Gronhi and Shinohara offset presses.

"MGI’s products offer an interesting mix to the range of products we sell already. The hook is that we’re regularly talking to commercial printers that are thinking about digital or already have it," said Moorby.

"The MGI is the ideal crossover product for our customers because it’s a more conventional costing model with no click charge and the products offer the kind of litho-grade build quality our customers like."

Moorby said that the two companies had been discussing the partnership for some time, after the Printers Superstore team took a close look at the MGI machines on display at last year’s Drupa.

"Printers Superstore are a well-known company with a big user-base for new equipment, parts and consumables. They are an ideal partner to sell MGI machines, which we can offer to this market as a great added-value product," said MGI Technology managing director David Evans.

Printers Superstore will begin marketing the MGI range, which includes the Meteor 8700XL digital press and JetVarnish 3D digital spot UV coater, immediately. However, MGI Technology will provide service and support for the products initially, with Printers Superstore taking responsibility for service after the partnership has bedded in.

The company will have sales responsibility for areas from just north of Leicester up to and including Scotland and also some areas of North Wales.

"These are really our stomping grounds," said Moorby.

The 4,260 A4pp/hr Meteor 8700XL will be on display at the firm’s open house event on 18-19 September, where it will run alongside a five-colour B3 Hans Gronhi GH525. For more information, visit www.printers-superstore.com/openhouse_sep13.html