Since it was first commissioned in January the Horizon SPF/FC200L, supplied by Intelligent Finishing Systems, has enabled the company to jump from finishing 500 booklets an hour to 3,000 and bring landscape finishing completely in-house.

Previously the company used an older Horizon but it could only feed portrait format, leaving landscape stitching to be done manually on a larger machine.

Launched at Drupa last year the Horizon SPF/FC200L allows landscape sheets to be fed in along the long edge at up to 4,500bph. The line, will finish output from a five-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster XL75, installed in September 2012, as well as two older Heidelbergs and a HP Indigo 5500.

Managing director John McMillan said this was the first machine he had seen which could handle the volume of orders he had but was the right size for his building in central Nantwich, which the company has occupied since it was established in 1827.

"With the new press we want jobs to be out of the door as soon as possible and the Horizon is essential to making that happen. It has made a real difference," he said.

The company, which employs 32 people, needed the new finishing line to keep up with its orders.

McMillan added: "We considered the Duplo version and the machine seemed very good but the Horizon was more tried and tested, so we went for the safe choice. We did buy a Duplo DC615 slitter, cutter and creaser direct from the manufacturer."

The company has a varied client base including British manufacturers and retail outlets. Staff design and sell Johnsons’ own range of greetings cards from a retail unit at the front of the company premises.

Johnsons is expecting to report an £2.7m turnover by the end of this financial year (March 31) up from £1.5m six years ago.