Digital equipment business manager Chris Matthews confirmed that contracts had been signed at a Heidelberg press conference yesterday.

He said: "With digital printing you need specialist digital finishing machinery. The Morgana and Watkiss kit complement each other and they don’t conflict with anything we supply.

"On top of that, they are both UK companies so it’s a great fit. We think there is a nice dynamic here. Both companies are happy to work together, neither of them were asking for exclusivity."

As part of the agreement, both companies will have machines at Heidelberg's expanded national showroom in Brentford, which will officially launch on 6-7 July.

Heidelberg also announced that the Ricoh C751 would be the second machine added to Heidelberg's digital range when it becomes available for testing later in the year.

Meanwhile the manufacturer's new consumables website has gone live with a few key accounts although managing director Gerard Heanue said it would eventually account for around 75% of the company's orders.

He said: "Initially key accounts will be moved across to the Amazon-esque website, but eventually all customers will be able to buy consumables online with a credit card."