The full booklet production line will fire into action at North Print and Pack in Harrogate from 14 to 16 May. The 4,500bph machine, the first of which was snapped up by Johnsons of Nantwich in March, was modelled on the existing Horizon SPF/FC-200A bookletmaker.

An IFS spokesman said of the kit launched as a prototype at Drupa: "The machine has come on line as a production model and is based on the 200A automated stitch-fold trim line, which we have sold successfully for eight years."

"The obvious difference is the new machine has the ability to do A4 landscape format booklets, which is unique. Since Drupa it has been developed to operate with more than two collating towers."

It costs around £42,000 and features built-in error-rejecting and camera and barcode recognition for personalisation, he said. The Horizon SPF/FC200L can be connected to Horizon’s HOF 400 digital sheet feeder, which can run at 42,000 sheets per hour.

"The original way of doing this kind of work was with Muller Martinis and larger stitching lines. This required a lot of set up and job quantities were not practical below the hundreds and probably thousands.

"It will be attractive to a variety of printers: at entry level, jobbing commercial printers wanting an A4 booklet on-demand production facility will be happy.

Meanwhile the kit can work alongside conventional lines as a short-run backup."

IFS will also be showing a new Horizon CRF362 high-quality, heavy duty crease folding system for large digital print that can handle heavier stocks. Also on show will be the Horizon BQ-270 automated perfect binder, launched at Ipex in 2002.