CHICAGO, IL. -4/17/01- The Minuteman Press franchise markets itself as a virtual one stop center for printing and graphics, and Wynn Barton's shop in Duluth, Ga. is living proof. Looking to find better quality in a faster timeframe for his stable of high profile customers, Barton has upgraded his direct-to-plate device by choosing the DPM2340 from A.B.Dick. The computer-savvy Barton knows a good deal when he sees one. His original CTP device allowed him to remove his silver plate darkroom, but A.B.Dick rep Jim Daniel con-vinced him better results could only be met with the acquisition of the DPM2340. The CTP platesetter, a third generation extension of the award-winning and best-selling Digital Plate-Master line that has sold over 1,500 devices, excels at 4-color polyester plate process work. "The DPM2340 is a real workhorse and has exceeded my expectations," remarked Barton, a former military man who purchased his store in 1988. "I had a DPX Genesis for two years. It was a good machine but the DPM2340 is doing so much better for us." And with good reason. Known for its outstanding quality, the DPM2340 offers incred-ible digital imaging accuracy and eliminates prepress steps, thereby resulting in faster turn- around. It gives small and mid-size printers the opportunity to match quality with quantity. In Barton's case, he can meet a demand to produce multiple spot color on polyester plates. "It's giving us a much higher quality image compared to the Genesis," said Barton, who employs eight people. "The screens on the DPM2340 are superior and you can image directly on the plate. I also like its repeatability and dimensional stability." That's important because of the kind of work he does. He has worked with Pulte Homes for 11 years, and with Post Properties, a management company responsible for 70 apart-ment properties in the Atlanta area. Barton handles all of the administrative forms and stationery for both customers, but what makes them unique is their business environment. A good portion of these jobs is done on demand because of time sensitivities. "We handle on-site agent support and print much of their property information, description sheets and price flyers," said Barton about Pulte, one of the largest residential homebuilders in the U.S. "We do a huge variety of these jobs, but job totals fluctuate because of the disparity in the number of real estate agents. Since home prices change so fast, we often print only 500 copies. But there are some things Pulte and Post Properties have, like handbooks, which require printing up to 10,000 copies."