The company launched Bookselect in March, but after just two months it is already seeing enough business to invest in the BQ270, which will run alongside its big brother, the BQ470.

Production director Nigel Wood said: "We are already producing a wide variety of work on the BQ470 but we needed a single-clamp version to support it.

"Now the BQ470 can be used for the longer runs and the BQ270 for the smaller jobs. With print-on-demand ordering a lot of the work is a single copy. Using the BQ270 means we can do these as they arrive without interrupting longer jobs on the BQ470. If it is required, the single-clamp system can help the BQ470 complete larger runs."

He added that the BQ270 would enable the company to handle book orders of one or 100 easily.

Traditionally, Berforts is a commercial printer with sites in Hastings and Stevenage. It employs around 84 staff.

The BQ270 binds books up to 45mm spine width with a cycle speed of 500cph.