The Wigan-based company installed the machine this month to replace its previous guillotine, a Polar 76EM, which it bought secondhand in 1993.

Chris Risley, managing director and grandson of the company's founder, said: "We knew that the machine had seen better days so it was time to upgrade. The new guillotine does exactly the same job, but it is much faster and much easier to use."

James Risley founded the company more than 80 years ago and it remains a family company to this day, with only two of the six staff unrelated to the Risleys.

The company runs Heidelberg presses and provides small-format print to companies in the Wigan area.