The new presses, a CD102-6L and a CD 102-5L, will replace three MAN Roland six-colour B1 presses at the Glasgow based firm.

"We thought we could get more advanced production out of the new presses," said J Thomson managing director Tommy Graham.

The first press will be operational by mid-May, with the second in place in early June. The company expects productivity to increase by 10-20%.

The Speedmasters are the firm's first presses with coaters. Graham said: "With our first in-line coaters we can offer customers something we couldn't offer them before.

"There is an increasing demand for aqueous coatings which give aesthetic lift but also have the advantage of speeding up our turnaround times."

The firm bought its first Heidelberg in November 2001, having previously used only MAN Roland presses (PrintWeek, 30 November 2001).