The press replaces an AB Dick 9995 two-colour machine that was running at full capacity and causing the five-staff business to outsource work it was unable to handle.

Owner Peter Dobson said: "Short-run work with tight turnaround times is becoming the norm. We needed to be able to directly offer our customers that service. With more of this critical work being sent out it was time to invest in a press that enabled us to do that work ourselves."

The Presstek is running at 50% capacity, meaning the £350,000 turnover company can keep more work in house.

"During the recession, we were seeing a decline in sales, and profitability was harder to achieve, especially as we began outsourcing more of our work. Being able to do more in-house means we can hold on to more profit," said Dobson.

"We are also more flexible, and that means we can talk to customers about delivering a wider range of work with amazingly short turn times."

The 7,000sph B3 press also means platemaking and associated chemistry is no longer needed, and will help the 11-year-old company achieve ISO 14001 status. It joins Xerox 5000 and Xerox 4100 digital equipment at the business.

Dobson added that the funding the press was no easy task in straitened times. "We had help from our broker, Steve Price of Isley Finance and he managed to get funding through Rental Advantage, a kind of Business Angel type company," he said.