The King's Lynn, Norfolk-based printer, part of the MPG Books Group, said the investment was a response to the growing demand for digitally printed short-run books.

The Océ press will complement a mono Nipson VaryPress set-up and will allow the company to print on a wider range of stocks and substrates, including coated papers.

Rod Willett, general manager at MPG Biddles, said: "The Nipson machines prints on uncoated, unillustrated stocks, including the majority of our straightforward titles.

"The Océ VarioStream 9210 fills the void between these machines and our litho presses and adds additional volume to handle jobs we receive from MPG Books in Bodmin [Cornwall]."

MPG Books acquired the assets of Biddles last November to form MPG Books Group – the largest independent book manufacturer in the UK.

"If you're in the book sector, there's a need to optimise your plant which is often difficult to achieve. You have to play to each other's strengths," he said.

MPG Biddles will also use the new machine to help cater for jobs printed through its Publisher's Choice service, which handles short-run print jobs for publishers.

According to Willett, the growth in demand for digitally printed short-run books has escalated as publishers focus more on the cost savings digital can provide.

"Cash is king and often, people don't want to have capital tied up in large volumes. There has also previously been an issue of quality and the perception of quality that had proved a setback.

"Demand for short-run is going up as publishers are having to look at different business models in order to respond to the economy," he said.