The purchase of the secondhand press has enabled the company, which already uses soya inks and environmentally friendly stocks, to get rid of its CTP kit and associated chemical use, further boosting its green standing among its clients, which range from the public sector to law firms.

Managing director Tony Spikins said that the £100,000 press, which was installed and running in less than a week, will be used to boost PIP's fledgling web-to-print capabilities.

"With the new press, we can keep pace with the most innovative and exciting capabilities in contemporary printing technology. It is cleaner, faster, and produces better quality and consistency than conventional litho," he said.

The Presstek will be installed at the company's Mayfair site, which handles conventional litho work, as its Marylebone operation is used more for wide-format and high-quality copying work.

Spikins is planning to increase the staff of nine at the £700,000-turnover company, which is part of a global franchising network, in order to cope with a rise in customer demand.