The investment in the press, which is due to be installed in May, came after Clapton-based Blackhammer remodelled its business in early 2011.

Managing director Mark Cain said: "It was proving very difficult to build margin into our work, so we took the decision to drop B2 and concentrate on B1."

The company then invested in quick-response bindery systems that enabled it to offer shorter lead times and more competitive prices.

Cain added: "This tipped the balance and, with B1 giving us an advantage on longer runs and for trade print, we’ve been running at full capacity for month after month."

A second review of the £1.6m-turnover business led to the company’s decision to add the latest KBA Rapida 105 press, which is to be officially launched at Drupa.

Cain said: "It's nice to have something positive to look forward to after three years of being in the doldrums. It wasn’t just a question of being able to print more – we needed to improve our efficiency so the unit price could be brought down, as we were still being undercut by our competitors.

"Although we’ve been stacked with work, I was well aware that there were some opportunities we were missing out on because of our prices and lead times. The solution had to be a more productive press."

Cain added that the investment in the press, which is being funded by Surrey Asset Finance, was "in excess of seven figures".

Earlier this year, Blackhammer installed a Perfecta 115TS guillotine from finishing supplier IFS, which the company said had led to a 30% increase in cutting productivity.