Heidelberg spokesman Hans-Dieter Siegfried said it was too early to say exactly what projects the companies were working on, but the aim was to provide technical developments and improvements for eight- to 12-colour presses.

When working on a press it is important to have the right colours, on the correct paper and on the right press, he said.

He also hoped a finishing specialist would join the initiative at a later stage.

A Sappi spokesman said the project could involve the development of new products or enhancements to existing grades, but this would depend on the findings that emerged.

The project will address the holdout of inks, stability and print results of paper and the performance of presses, among other things.

The driving force behind the initiative has been the increasing amount of eight- and 12-colour press installations, a trend expected to continue ahead of next years Drupa.

Siegfried said the results of the first project between the three parties would be announced at Drupa.