With the first PicoColour installed in March last year, the second press was delivered to Bingham-based Cresta in April this year. Though three manufacturers were scouted out ahead of the original investment, no other options were considered for the follow up.

Representing a spend of more than £200,000, the new machine was taken on ahead of the firm's original investment schedule.

“We had not expected to be buying a second PicoColour so soon, but we were already struggling to keep up with the higher demand from moving into digital,” said sales and marketing director Richard Lloyd.

“Dantex are British, which was a key draw, but they also have the experience in front-end, repro and digital that we needed. They are very proactive and organised when we need help, and we have good interrelations where our feedback helps develop their machinery.

“With digital, you need to be working on a five-day turnarounds and we were struggling with one machine. The pair of them obviously benefit our clients as they are not paying for origination and our delivery lead time has vastly improved.”

Cresta installed its new PicoColour with a number of optional additions including variable data, lamination, a chiller roller and a Corona unit. The machine is a cutter as well as a printer, meaning that the company did not need to buy any additional finishing kit.

The 210mm-wide, 35m/min machine can print on a wide range of substrates including paper and plastic.

With a turnover in excess of £1.2m, Cresta now runs a range of digital and flexo machines alongside hot foil blocking, variable data and thermal transfer, which collectively allow the company to fulfil “all four ways of printing sticky labels”, according to Lloyd.

With 16 members of staff working off circa 324sqm premises, Cresta Labels provides labels to a variety of markets including the chemical and construction industries.