The device, which will be installed at the York-based company's premises next month, is suitable for formats up to 500x700mm. It will replace the firm’s old Morgana DocuFold.

“It’s an upgrade to existing equipment we’ve got, but it’s mainly been bought to allow us to do more specialist folds,” said managing director Matt Taylor.

“At the moment we can’t cross-fold in-house so it’s to give us that capability for the first time and it will eliminate bottlenecks where operators were having to do everything by hand. It will give us twice the capacity.”

The business also operates two HP Indigo presses – a 5500 and a 5600 – wide-format equipment, including an HP Z6200 and an HP Latex printer, and a range of finishing kit including a Polar guillotine as well as die-cutting, creasing and additional folding lines.

“This folder might handle runs as low as 50 for our digital work but we also buy in litho work and so it could also handle 50,000. We haven’t chosen a more automated machine because this is the right technology for our volumes and budget,” said Taylor.

“We’ve been bringing more finishing equipment in because it means we can finish everything in-house so we’ve got more control over everything. It’s difficult finding trade finishers for doing folding.”

Colour Options, which has 12 staff and a turnover of just over £1m, produces items including leaflets, brochures, business cards, posters, calendars, stationery and flexible packaging for a wide range of customers.