The CreaseStream Junior Pro can perform all the same functions as its predecessor, but because it runs slower at 12,000 rather than 20,000 sheets per hour, it costs £7,000 rather than £10,500.

Though the CreaseStream Junior Pro won’t be commercially available until late spring, managing director at Technifold Graham Harris said interest levels were already high.

"We had one person at the open day yesterday really keen to buy it," he said. "There’s a huge market as it’s priced and specified at that nice middle ground between the digital and offset printers. And some people just aren’t as bothered about speed."

Like its predecessor, the CreaseStream Junior Pro achieves fast feeding of sheets through a system similar to a friction feeder but that doesn’t push paper but rather guides it through with rubber plates, to avoid scuff marks.

Designed for use on 80-350gsm substrates, the machine is aimed at those processing greetings cards, menus leaflets, book covers or photo-stock.

Harris reported that Technifold was in talks with "one of the major folder manufacturers" to develop a folder particularly compatible with the CreaseStream Plus and CreaseStream Pro Junior’s capacity to process thick stocks. The new folder would, he explained, have larger rollers to enable this.