"I hope it will create an Interflora of print," said Colourfast Group managing director Peter Foulkes. "For years Ive looked at the way you could get a dozen roses ordered in Brighton for delivery in Berwick within three hours whereas it would take three days to get a document up there."

He sees the system as acting like a cashpoint for print. Customers submit files to be "parked" in their 25MB online storage space, which is offered free for users who sign up for PrintMe. They can then choose a destination for the print-ready file using a variety of methods including via their mobile phone or PDA.

PrintMe accepts files from print and office applications without them needing to know about the final print settings or creating a PDF.

"I like the way it deciphers documents," said Foulkes. "It gets around problem files and the need for clients to run Distiller."

Foulkes also sees it as good value for money for printers. A PrintMe station is needed to drive each printer connected to the network.

Each station costs 779, which includes 6,000 page downloads from the web. Additional blocks of 6,000 downloads cost 379, working out at a little over 6p per page with no monthly charges or up-front set-up fees.

Story by Barney Cox