Installed at the beginning of April, the machine will fulfil work that the Greenwich, London-based firm was previously outsourcing. It was supplied by finishing equipment vendor Ashgrove Trading.

According to Rival account director Gary Smith, the expanded offering and faster turnaround times resulting from the investment have already "paid dividends" and seen the firm take on around 10 new jobs that make use of the foiling unit.

“We looked at two or three different brands and the Neptune passed every test we put it through with the best results,” said Smith. “We make a lot of advanced covers for publishers, as well as postcards and fliers – covering a whole spectrum of papers that need lamination.

“Historically, we have been outsourcing this sort of work, but now we are able to hit our deadlines quicker and easier as well as reducing expenses as we do not need to transport our jobs out to another company and back – this makes it more cost-effective for customers.

“At Rival we are always looking at new angles and, while our usual markets are publishing and commercial print, we have had a few trade enquiries come in, so we are looking to that as an area where the company could expand.”

D&K’s Neptune laminator is automated and can run at speeds up to 15m/min on both litho and digital jobs.

Rival Colour’s printing capabilities comprise litho, digital and wide-format, with machines from Presstek, Ricoh and Epson. Alongside the D&K the company has a number of machines in its finishing department, including a Duplo DC-645 for cutting and creasing.

According to Smith, the £1.3m-turnover firm’s plans for the year now centre on “raising our profile” within the publishing sector, which he said will be aided by Rival’s new laminating and foiling capabilities.

The firm employs seven full-time members of staff working within a 370sqm premises.