HUDSON, N.H., April 3 -- Presstek, Inc., a leading manufacturer and marketer of high-tech digital imaging solutions for the graphic arts market, today announced the expansion of its Presstek-branded Direct Imaging product line with the introduction of the Presstek 34DI press. Building on the success of DI in 2005, Presstek is now branding the A3 portrait DI press with its own name. The Presstek 34DI press will make its debut in Birmingham UK at IPEX 2006 from April 4th to 11th on stand C20 in Hall 4. "The announcement of an expanded Presstek-branded line of DI presses is the result of the transition that began in 2005," said Ed Marino, Presstek's president and CEO. "We found that our DI press customers started looking to Presstek more and more to provide the total solution -- from the press through to consumables, service and support. In 2005, Presstek started to take on more of a direct role with DI presses. The increase in sales numbers for DI presses at the end of the year confirmed that this was the right direction for Presstek and our customers. Our customers know that we have a vested interest in their success. In response, we are pleased to announce the next addition to the Presstek-branded DI product line, the Presstek 34DI, which is based on the highly successful A3 portrait format DI press platform. Now customers will benefit from Presstek's focused approach, and have access to the expertise and knowledge-base directly from the provider of the DI platform and its supplies." The Presstek 34DI press will be available for sale commencing at IPEX on April 4th, with expected first customer shipments in April. Initially, it will be sold in Europe. The sales and support will be provided through Presstek Europe's direct sales force and select DI distributors across Europe. It is expected that these channels will nicely complement Presstek's OEM partners Ryobi and Kodak. Presstek-branded DI Press Product Line In February 2006, Presstek announced its first Presstek-branded press, the 52DI, a 52cm landscape press. Today, Presstek is announcing the second offering in the expanding Presstek DI portfolio, the Presstek 34DI, based on the A3 portrait press platform. The 34DI press can offer small commercial printers and digital print providers a business growth opportunity with this high quality digital offset solution. This announcement further demonstrates Presstek's commitment to bringing cost effective short run, high quality color to the market. For print providers to compete in today's market, they need to be more efficient in their production methods, producing higher quality work in shorter timeframes at lower costs. The Presstek 34DI is built to deliver this and more. Market research has consistently shown that DI press owners can earn higher profits than print providers using either conventional offset or toner-based solutions, especially in the short run color range of 250 to 10,000 count jobs." Presstek 34DI Press The 34DI press is highly automated for economical and easy-to-use quality color printing. It digitally images all four plates simultaneously on-press and utilizes Presstek ProFire Excel 16 micron laser imaging and ProFire Digital Media, which delivers 120 l/cm (300 lpi) and FM/stochastic high quality printing. In addition, the press automatically adjusts the amount of ink according to the image on each plate. The automation extends into the cleaning of blanket and rollers. The result is a very high-quality printed sheet, and a makeready time significantly faster than any other offset printing process -- from computer file to sellable color can be achieved in less than 10 minutes, and in less than 20 sheets. "We believe that print shops employing the 34DI will gain a competitive advantage in the fast growing demand for short run color," added Quen Baum, Presstek Europe's managing director. "According to a market research study conducted by InfoTrends, Inc., 96% of the DI users surveyed indicated that the DI allowed them to increase their business. This press is automated to easily produce fast short run color, cost effectively, with superior quality. It meets customer demands, has a small footprint and eliminates the requirements that are inherent with conventional presses -- platesetters, processors, chemical storage and disposal. These are important benefits for the European market." The 34DI portrait press enables 7,000-sheet-per-hour throughput while handling up to an A3 sheet size (340 x 460 mm or 13.39 x 18.11 inch) and imaging on a wide range of printing stocks and substrates, including plastics and envelopes. A range of options will be available for the 34DI. This will offer the print provider choices for configuring a system that best matches their budget and production requirements. Personal demonstrations of the Presstek 34DI press at IPEX can be scheduled by visiting http://www.Presstek.com/events. For more information visit http://www.presstek.com, or email: [email protected], or call in North America 603-595-7000, or in Europe call +44 20 8745 8000.