The publisher has thrown down the gauntlet in the move towards on-demand book printing in the deal which will see one machine installed in the autumn with a view to roll out the EBM across its 60 stores if the trial is successful.

Chief executive Vince Gunn said: "This is a fantastic opportunity. We can sell to demand with no risk to inventory and there is an opportunity to create incremental revenue streams for ourselves and publishers.''

The move by Blackwell comes as a surprise following On-Demand Books decision last November to delay the UK launch of the machine until the second generation EBM was released later this year.

Currently, the EBM can print a 300ppm book in seven minutes. The next generation machine is anticipated to complete the same job in less than three.

The EBM front-end accepts PDFs and PostScript data and can incorporate up to six mono laser printer units. It uses a KonicaMinolta Magicolor 7200 laser to print books of up to 279 x 431mm.

The machine is currently installed at nine sites worldwide including Egypt's Alexandra Library and the World Bank in Washington.

According to the company, there are plans to mass produce the next generation of the machine.