Kodak Versamark ink-jet heads form part of the spend, and will be used for on- and off-line personalisation applications.

"People have been expecting us to go down that route, and it means we have an end-to-end solution for personalisation," said chief executive Nick Dixon.

An order for a new six-colour B1 sheetfed press, with UV coater, should be confirmed next week. It will be used for packaging and promotional work and will replace the Sutton-in-Ashfield direct response specialist's two ageing Speedmaster 102s.

Howitt has also invested heavily in software tools, including Agfa's Apogee X workflow. It is also poised to roll out Howitt Vision, a suite of browser-based software products that it has developed itself.

Included within it are Quick Quote for online quotations, Asset Vision for digital asset management, Stock Vision for current stocks and re-orders, and media planning tool Media Vision.

"It's a way for clients to interact with us and it will also be possible for them to license it to use in their own businesses," Dixon explained.

The firm is on course for sales of just under 40m this year.

Story by Jo Francis