Hackney-based Blue spent 325,000 on the seven-colour digital press from HP channel partner The Digital People. The press comes with HP software, including a variable data imposition package.

We looked at 12 digital machines on the market, but felt the Indigo 3050 was the only litho-quality digital press we could find, said Blue managing director Paul Mursell. This is a key investment for us as digital is very much the future.

The B1 firms turnover is currently just under 6m and Mursell believes this investment can help push that figure nearer to 10m.

The firm currently has a six- and an eight-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster 102 and has just bought a second platesetter an Agfa Galileo.

The Digital People was handed channel partner status last September, initially only distributing the HP Indigo R1000 and 1050. But the Chessington-based firm has now been elevated to distribute series two HP kit and consumables.