"We're of the opinion that printers who lack the courage to invest will quickly fall behind the game," said technical director Peter Barham. "We have no intention of allowing that to happen here."

The installation of the Sakurai 566 straight five-colour, follows on from the firm's move into SRA2 in 2002 with a Sakurai 466 SIP four-colour perfector.

The latest press, which replaces a Komori Lithrone 20, makes the Aylesbury firm an all-Sakurai house, with the two 66s running alongside two Oliver 52s.

"We've now got two compatible SRA2 presses that saves a hell of a lot of time," said Barham.

The purchase of the new press was partly driven by the additional work created by the firm's purchase of George Barkes Group in the summer of 2004.

The buy of the financial print firm, which took Aylesbury-based Driftgate's turn-over to 2m, was shortly followed by the firm moving from five buildings into one 950m2 unit, a quarter of a mile away, in the autumn. The firm is now completing the integration of Barkes, which still trades under its own name in some markets.

Story by Darryl Danielli