Husband and wife team Alan Fawcett and Ange O’Dea developed it at their letterpress printing and finishing firm Watermarx Graphics, in Brookdale, North Sydney for its high end brand customers. The firm has applied for patents for the system in Australia, Europe, Japan and the USA.

Cliqx uses a photopolymer die and counter that the firm claims offers higher quality, faster die-making and lower production costs than traditional magnesium dies. It can be fitted to platen, cylinder and die-cutting presses and can process paper, card and plastics.

The product name reflects the sound made when the system’s magnetic mounting and steel-backed plates click together.

"The quality produced with the photopolymer dies exceeds that of magnesium, they kill it every time, said Fawcett.

The business model is to sell two types of licence, Class A and Class B. The Class A licence enables the licensee to make dies for their own use and to sell to other firms while the Class B licence allows the licensee to use the dies.

Class A licences are priced on application while the Class B licences cost AUS$3,000. It estimates that the ROI is as little as six jobs for a Class B licensee.

He added it could also slash the time taken to produce a die, making the process appealing for digital firms.

"You could be waiting a week or so for a magnesium die, a Class A licensee could turn one around for the next day," said Fawcett.

The firm (www.cliqx.net) is looking for distribution partners and licensees to make the system available globally. "We want to show people how to do it and see what comes of it," said Fawcett. "Australia is the hardest market in the world to sell to. If it works here I’m sure it will work anywhere."