The Versant 2100 and Versant 80, which were installed at the end of December, will help the Nottingham-based company serve clients in industries including retail, leisure and education as well those in the public sector.

Hickling & Squires was facing rising demand for more complex digital print projects and wanted to not only increase its print capacity but also streamline the finishing process.

The firm also installed a Duplo 350 digital booklet system and DC-646 slitter-cutter-creaser.

This combined investment, together with Xerox’s FreeFlow Core pre-press automation software, replaced a Xerox iGen4 press.

Sales director Lee Jordan said: “The iGen served us well for five years but was coming to the end of its natural life. The Versants are a better fit for our customer base.

“We wanted a mid-range digital press with a back-up for short-run requirements. The print quality and speed of the new kit really stood out.

“We've seen an increase in demand; volumes are changing and more customers are using digital – the cut-off between litho and digital is coming down and this increases our capacity.”

Hickling & Squires has 40 staff and a turnover of £4m. It also operates three B2 Heidelberg CD 74s: a 10-colour perfector, an eight-colour and a six-colour.

“We would expect to take our turnover to about £4.4m in a year, but the bottom line is more crucial than turnover. Digital workflow must be more efficient on low runs and low volumes,” said Jordan.

“As the print market continues to evolve, we are focused on transferring our print expertise to build a really competitive digital offering.

“With the addition of these new Xerox Versant presses to our growing operation, we are better equipped than ever to deal with those changing volumes and generate print of the highest quality.”