The Cambridge-based brewer is to implement highly customised campaigns across Cambridge and East Anglia with the low-volume freedom afforded by the Tonejet kit, which offers a minimum quantity as low as one.

The cans are being produced at Tonejet’s facility in Melbourn, Hertfordshire where the company maintains a printing line for demonstration production runs. Tonejet printed the first small batch for BrewBoard last month.

“BrewBoard gives us the perfect opportunity to collaborate with a local partner to expose the full potential of the Cyclone end-to-end model. This is the first of many projects, craft beer is a huge potential market for digital beverage can production,” said Tonejet chief executive Rob Day.

Each of BrewBoard's brews is distinguishable by its packaging, with unique off-the-wall designs representing the various brews.

BrewBoard co-founder Oliver Pugh said that having the flexibility to do small runs “will enable us to win business that we might otherwise have not been able to cater for”.

“It reduces lead times making us more competitive. We’re very lucky to be located so close to Tonejet, it was a no-brainer to collaborate with them and we are only at the beginning of our digital journey,” he added.

The Tonejet kit enables companies to package their products in an environmentally friendly way, producing very little wastage, as the Cyclone printer does not use plastic-shrink sleeves, meaning the only materials used are 100% recyclable.

This gives the process a “miniscule” carbon footprint, while the process also uses 90% less ink than conventional inkjet systems.

“We are always looking for ways to make our packaging more sustainable, recyclable and environmentally friendly and digitally printed cans fit in with that philosophy,” said Pugh.

Tonejet installed its first Cyclone direct-to-can printer at Quebec, Canada-based packaging specialist Solucan late last year.

Earlier in 2019 it had opened a new, additional facility to enable it to ramp up manufacturing for the Cyclone.