"A lot of our B3 Ryobi user base are now looking at digital when they are considering their next press investments," said Apex sales and marketing director Neil Handforth.

The firm had already dipped its toe in the water of digital printer sales with the ECRM DPP 1200, a 31ppm colour machine.

"The DPP 1200 is fine as an entry level product but our customers were asking for a more productive digital device," said Handforth. "A big attraction for them for buying a system from us is that they know us for presses, CTP, workflow and application support."

He said that application support, and in particular colour management to enable the matching of digital and offset output, would be a differentiator for Apex.

Apex will sell the range of Konica Minolta devices including the Bizhub Press C6000, C7000 and C8000 products. A C7000 has been installed in the firm’s Hemel-Hempstead showroom.

Apex will also be able to carry Konica Minolta’s software range, including Print Shop Mail, Planet Press, Printgroove, Digital Store Front and Fiery Central.

Further Konica Minolta devices may be added in time, although it is unlikely that Apex will take on the KM1 B2 sheetfed inkjet machine shown at Drupa 2012.

Handforth said that the firm was following the progress of the Ryobi/Miyakoshi liquid toner-based B2 sheetfed machine shown at Drupa 2012, which is on target for commercialisation at the end of 2013 or early 2014.