The Venice-based company, which services customers across Europe and in  the UK, is using the machines to replace six HP Indigo 7000s. The trade printer is also having four HP Indigo 7500 digital presses upgraded with features recently unveiled by HP at Drupa.

Pixartprinting said that acquisition of the presses would serve as a "bridge" to its planned purchase of an HP Indigo 10000, a model unveiled in March but which will not become commercially available until 2013.

The new HP Indigo 7600 has a top-speed of 160ppm in enhanced productivity mode – a 33% increase over the previous model – which HP claims makes it the fastest two-page digital sheet-fed press available on the market.

A key feature that attracted Pixartprinting to the machine was its Automatic Alert Agent, an early fault detection system that identifies inconsistencies between the digital file and printed output and alerts the machine operator.

President of Pixartprinting Matteo Rigamonti said: "Offset printing allows us to be highly competitive for certain jobs, but there are other jobs where digital printing is irreplaceable.

"As a result, we decided to once again select HP as our technology partner for small-format digital printing, signing an agreement that will serve as a 'bridge' to an even more ambitious goal – namely the installation of the new HP Indigo 10000. Although this system is not yet available, its credentials are extremely attractive, not least because of its very high production capacity, which is helped by its wider 75x53cm format."

Meanwhile, the upgrades being applied to Pixartprinting’s four Indigo 7500s will see the addition of automated detection of print defects in real time; special on-press effects such as raised print and textures that resemble embossing; and light black ink for improved monochrome photo images.

Earlier this year, Pixartprinting announced plans to install three more Rho P10 200 flatbed UV inkjet printers, bringing its total Durst collection to a record-breaking seven.