According to Dave Mann, the Merseyside-based company's production director, the machine was chosen because of its servo motor system.

He said: "The servo motors in the guillotine make it more economical to run because we are able to keep the machine on but turn the motors off when it is not in use.

"We can be back up and running in 20 seconds, which might only seem a small saving, but it all adds up and, in the long run, cuts costs."

The Perfecta 115 features a slotless bed and a five-minute failsafe knife-change system. It comes in a doubly-enclosed cast iron frame and uses touchscreen computer controls.

Mann, alongside colleagues Mario Spatuzzi and Sue Barr, set up The Printroom in 2003 via a management buyout. It was formerly an inplant for insurance and pension company Swiss Life.

The £1m-turnover company employs eight staff and produces a wide range of corporate full-colour work for educational establishments, including universities and blue-chip companies, on a Roland 500 five-colour, plus coater, and a Xerox Docucolor.