The machines, which were supplied by Intelligent Finishing Systems, were installed in the autumn, shortly after the HP PageWide T250 HD inkjet web press went in.

The HOF-400 provides flexible system configurations such as cover feeding, sheet insert on, variable page count, bleed trimming and creasing.

Solopress head of operations Jack Clifford said: “We wanted something that would help us stitch the short runs from the new HP PageWide T250. We easily manage the long runs with our existing machinery.

“For short runs we were spending more time setting up the stitcher than running it. The HOF-400 allows us to manage these shorter runs more efficiently by loading collated sets with many different titles.

“It also gives us the flexibility to either complete jobs using the HOF or the hoppers. If there is a run with a high page count it makes more production sense to use the hoppers. If it is a small pagination, then it is best to run it through the HOF-400.”

He added: “When we were making the investment, we spoke to IFS to see what would be the best solution for stitched books of low quantity. The HOF-400 ticked all the boxes. We expect it to enable us to achieve a 20% to 30% increase in output.”

The second HOF-400 has been added to the company’s bindery line up to support short-run production from its other presses. It also operates HP Indigo and Xerox iGen digital presses as well as Heidelberg Speedmaster litho presses and a raft of wide-format kit.

Founded in 1999, Southend-on-Sea-based Solopress produces a wide range of commercial print including leaflets, flyers and brochures, mainly for small businesses. It turns over £30m and employs 170 staff.

The business recently introduced a new range of commoditised print products, the 'Value' offering, which comprises nine products “with extremely competitive pricing”.