"We've been wanting to go into digital for some time," said Kelvin sales director Chris Hodgson. "This was exactly the right marriage for us. Many of our existing customers required digital capabilities and many of Direct Imaging's required litho, now we've got the best of both worlds."

Hodgson hopes the new ability to personalise online will enable Kelvin to move into the direct mail market.

The acquisition of Direct Imaging and the recent purchase of a new Mitsubishi Diamond five-colour take Kelvin's overall investment to over 1.1m for the year.

"We are actively seeking other acquisitions to increase our market share," said Kelvin's financial director David Entwisle. "We are looking to achieve our ambition to be in the top 100 print companies within the UK very quickly."