The colour glows under UV light, which Heidelberg said enables users to add unexpected touches to applications such as party invitations, posters and leaflets.

The effect could also be used as a security feature, the company said, because the toner is very difficult to copy. It could therefore be used to print admission tickets and wristbands or other event industry applications that only light up under UV light.

Heidelberg UK digital product manager Chris Matthews said: “I think it was something that was decided would be attractive because a lot of promotional work or things like that could do with something like a neon yellow. And because it glows under UV light, it’s quite hard to forge.”

The OEM'd Versafire CV, which is also be sold by manufacturer Ricoh as the Ricoh Pro C9110, originally launched last year in CMYK with the option of a fifth colour for white or clear varnish applications. Neon yellow is therefore the third optional toner available for the device.

The machine, which was known as the Linoprint CV prior to a rebrand earlier this year, can handle stocks of 52gsm to 360gsm and, depending on feeder selection, can handle 330x488mm standard sheets or 330x700mm banner formats. It has options to produce either 80 or 90 A4ppm.

To use the neon yellow, users will require the toner and an additional developer unit.

“A lot of customers already have the ability to do white and clear and they would need to purchase an additional developer unit to make the change, as one is needed for each of those colours,” said Matthews.

“Users have already got an exchange kit that allows them to go from white to clear, or vice versa, so they just need another kit to go to the neon and after that they would only need to purchase the neon toner as and when they need it.

“The only other thing required is a firmware update for the machine itself so that it understands that you are asking it to print that specific extended colour."

The neon yellow option will be commercially available for new presses from next month and can also be retrofitted to all Versafire CV and Linoprint CV systems already in the market that are equipped with a fifth unit.