Hillside has installed a Roland DG SolJet PRO III XC-540, 54in-wide press, along with a laminator, supplied by North West Paper, a subsidiary of The Paper Company.

The new press can deliver a print resolution of 1,440dpi and can be used on jobs such as vehicle graphics, signs, point-of-purchase materials, banners and labels.

The company already has kit including two Komori litho presses, a six-colour B2 and five-colour B3, as well as an Océ VarioStream 9000 high-volume digital press.

The decision to invest was made by Hillside Group managing director, Peter Moore, after he saw it in action at an event held in early April by North West Paper, at Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry.

Moore said: "Print technologies do not exist in isolation. They are complementary because most marketing campaigns require a range of printed products and services.

"The wide format Roland DG machine gives us the ability to offer integrated campaigns, which may have an element of conventional offset print, personalised and short-run print from our digital presses, as well as wide-format work."

Previously, the company had been outsourcing poster work, creating up to £13,000 in lost revenues last year, and so it is hoped the new investment will enable the company to keep these revenues in house, as well as developing new income streams.

Moore said that the new press and laminator would also cut down on the time it takes to deliver jobs.