The Sleaford, Lincolnshire-based digital printer will take delivery of the new machine that lists from around £1m on Monday (23 October). The 12000 is being installed in its new 1,110sqm premises, which it picked up in the summer and is more than six times the size of its current site. DPS’ 16 staff, along with its two Xerox Versant 80 digital presses and range of Duplo, Morgana and other finishing kit, will move over in November.

Total investment will reach around £1m, which includes around £50,000 for the first year’s lease on the premises and an undisclosed sum held back for new finishing kit next year. DPS is now aiming to double its £1.2m turnover within six to 12 months.

Managing director Matt Savage said: “We’ve always run smaller Xerox machines and we’ve got to that stage where to grow and go to the next level we needed something a bit more mature, a bit more industry known. We looked at B2 digitals ideally to bring some of the larger-format print we send out in-house." 

Savage added that around one third of DPS’ current jobs are outsourced but that the investment had not been done to bring all work in-house but rather to take on a larger number of jobs.

Launched at Drupa as a replacement for the Indigo 10000, the 12000 can print at speeds of up to 4,600sph at a resolution of 2,438dpi, and takes sheet sizes of up to 750x530mm. DPS’ machine has been configured with six colours, CMYK plus two additional spot colours.

Savage said: “If anything it’s as much to give us the brand to sell to hiring clients. The market we’re in now and the level we’re at not many people ask what press you’ve got but when you start to go to print buyers it’s really the first question on the tick sheet.” 

He added that the site move, DPS’ fourth in five years, was driven by necessity.

“Essentially we have got to a point where we can’t employ anybody else or put any more kit in, hence the big jump this time. It’s about being brave enough each time to take a step further than last time."