The firm, which has invested 10m in the past few years in two 16pp Mitsubishi webs and a Scheffer finishing line, has bought Carlton Barclay's Scitex personalisation kit and taken on its dotcom business.

Howard Hunt will use the operation to offer database management, web design and e-marketing services.

Chairman Martin Pigott said the move had come at the right time as his firm was producing two huge door-drop campaigns, one for 26m items and another for 16m.

Howard Hunt has also made the transition to the ISO 9001 (2000) quality standard and Pigott said it would continue in its quest to become market leader.