Innovative new platesetting, digital printing, workflow and quality management technologies to take center stage ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. — Screen (USA), a world leader in providing systems and components for the digital prepress and printing industries, offers innovative ways to meet the changing demands of the graphic arts marketplace. Printers and prepress professionals will have a perfect opportunity to witness firsthand products that are designed to enhance print productivity and maximize business efficiencies, during IPEX 2002, held April 9-17 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, U.K. In Hall 4 Stand 360, Screen will demonstrate a full complement of prepress and printing technologies, including scanners, imagesetters, platesetters and digital offset equipment. Under the banner "Production Solutions for Print," the exhibit will surround audiences with an integrated digital workflow, supported by the P2QM print quality management system. Greater quality and productivity, from start to finish Key demonstrations will emphasize how significant recent advances in computer-to-plate (CTP) technology deliver tangible marketplace gains. Showcased will be the eight-page PlateRite 8000II, the latest addition to the PlateRite series of thermal CTP recorders. It will be joined by the popular PlateRite 4000II (four-page) and high-speed PlateRite 8600 (eight-page) devices. Screen also will highlight Trueflow version 2.0, the newest generation of its PDF (Portable Document Format) workflow management system. The combination of Trueflow and the PlateRite CTP devices creates a smooth and highly productive digital workflow system — "Power CTP," according to A.J. Kakiuchi, president of Screen (USA). "Reliable process control and consistently high quality within a seamless workflow for all production environments underlie Screen technology, supported by the P2QM concept for color management," Kakiuchi explained. "From digital data at the prepress stage to color-matched sheets coming out of press, all the tools we have developed to help achieve consistent, high-quality color in a digital workflow will be in full operation at IPEX 2002. Complementing this sophisticated and cost-effective technology is a range of production software tools designed to maximize workflow efficiency and quality, including Trueflow, RIPs, LabFit/LabProof and Spekta hybrid AM/FM screening." New at IPEX The PlateRite 8000II meets the needs of printers who operate a wide range of different format presses. Emphasizing multipress flexibility, the PlateRite 8000II can output plates for most presses in the B3 to B1 range. It has a minimum plate size of 14.5" x 17.7" (370 mm x 450 mm) and a maximum plate size of 37" x 45.6" (940 mm x 1,160 mm). When outputting 37" x 40.5" (800 mm x 1,030 mm) plates at 2,400 dpi, it can run at the rate of 13 plates per hour. It also features support for smaller 0.32" clamps that are often required by web offset printers. Continuing the PlateRite lineup’s tradition of speed, automation and quality, the PlateRite 8000II features a single cassette autoloader option and a multicassette autoloader option. Pure digital power: core of Power CTP The driving force behind Screen’s computer-to-plate workflow — Power CTP — is Trueflow, the world’s first Web browser-operated workflow solution. Built on the latest PDF core technology from Adobe, this intelligent RIP system increases workflow speed and efficiency by organizing individual tasks in prepress and plate production. The template-based system creates customized job tickets and process plans, which control and perform user-defined functions. Trueflow version 2.0 provides PDF 1.4 support, in addition to processing PDF 1.3 and PostScript 3 files. Other features include preflight checking, automatic trapping and imposition. The current capabilities of outputting a full flat-trapped PDF file from Trueflow are extended, enabling output in outline EPS file format. The ability to run nested data in the imposition stage of the workflow benefits users who have the need to output plates for packaging applications. "Linking the PlateRite series of thermal CTP platesetters with Trueflow’s newest version affords customers the most advanced, stable and reliable digital workflow available. We call this ‘Power CTP,’ " Kakiuchi noted. "Screen is a member of the CIP4 organization and continues to work for further prepress, press and post press integration, especially with CIP4’s XML-based Job Definition Format (JDF)." Truefit Advance: digital print quality control At IPEX 2002, Screen will show Truefit Advance, an enhanced version of its Truefit inline ink density-measuring unit, on Screen’s four-color TruePress 544 digital offset press. Truefit Advance measures solid-ink density to give a responsive and accurate control. The result is an automated control of the ink duct settings during printing, giving greater consistency throughout the print run, and further automating the control of the press. Inkjet technology Screen will unveil Epson’s new six-color, digital inkjet label printer, bringing a cost-effective solution for on-demand and short-run label production. This printer features drop-on-demand, piezo head technology. At-show announcements In addition to the above, Screen will unveil important new technologies at IPEX, and details will be available on the first day of the event. Visit the Screen exhibit at Hall 4 Stand 360. About Screen (USA) Screen (USA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Dainippon Screen, based in Kyoto, Japan, is one of the world’s largest developers, manufacturers and suppliers of system components for the prepress and printing industries. For more information, contact Screen (USA) at 5110 Tollview Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008. Telephone: (847) 870-7400; fax: (847) 870-0149; Web site: www.screenusa.com.