While the Drayton, Norfolk-based business had to replace it's first model, following teething problems, the replacement printer has helped the company speed production and diversify the range of jobs it can competitively offer to customers.

The C12000 has proved 50% faster than Swallowtail’s old Konica Minolta C6100, and has enabled the company to take on a wider variety of jobs thanks to its ability to take on thicker and larger stocks.

Managing director of Swallowtail, James Baxter, told Printweek: “Within the price range, there wasn’t anything comparable. 

“It does all the things that will enable us to grow our output - and reach the next stage of growth.”

The C12000 was purchased in an exchange with supplier Aurora (formerly CCS) for Swallowtail’s three-year-old C6100, which had begun to develop issues.

Baxter said: “Basically, it was because our volumes increased so much. The machine wasn’t designed to take that level of work.”

While Baxter said the initial installation did not go as smoothly as hoped - not helped by a fire at the Konica Minolta factory which threw up supply issues - the first machine was subsequently replaced, and the second has been running well since mid-January.

Baxter added that the increased capabilities of the machine have allowed Swallowtail to push into areas that previously would have been uneconomical, like 6pp A4 landscape runs in lower quantities.

He said: “[Previously], we’d have to run it on our Heidelberg [Speedmaster XL] 106, which is not really [always] the best option - but now, we can [print] digitally and it’s a lot more efficient and cheaper for our customers as well.”

The new digital press now runs 15 hours a day at the firm’s site outside Norwich.

Swallowtail has also calibrated the C12000 to its Heidelberg press.

“We can mix up a job - the cover we can print digitally, and the text litho, and there’s no discernible difference now.”

Previously, customers wouldn’t like the overly glossy effect of the digital print when juxtaposed with the litho printed text, but, Baxter said, the quality of the C12000's print means that this is no longer a problem.

“We can offer a whole range of products, whereas before it didn’t quite work that well.”

Baxter added that, with the new offering, Swallowtail would be able to push for the next stage of growth, perhaps adding to its 34 employees.

He said: “You’ve got to continuously invest to keep in the game.

“You can’t let any areas have old inefficient equipment, because your competitors have [invested].”