HUDSON, N.H., Sept. 4 Presstek, Inc. is reinforcing its leadership position in both DI (direct imaging) and CTP (computer-to-plate) technologies for the print and publishing markets at the PRINT '01 trade show being held September 6-13 at Chicago's McCormick Place. Presstek DI-enabling Technologies Prominent at PRINT '01 At the graphic arts industry's largest show of the year, Presstek's DI enabling technologies will be shown at its own exhibit, (booth #5742), as well as at numerous partner booths including: Heidelberg (booth #1000), Ryobi (booth #3703), Sakurai (booth #3701), IBF (booth #6853), Adast (booth #229) and Pitman (booth #5110). Additionally, at the Xerox exhibit (north hall, booth #8805), Presstek's DI-enabled technology is being showcased in demonstrations of the new DocuColor 233 and 400 DI. The DocuColor 233 DI press is a highly automated, two-page, four-color, sheet-fed direct imaging press. The DocuColor 400 DI is available in a four- or five-color configuration and offers the fastest makeready time of any offset press. * Presstek CTP Innovations Offer Higher Efficiencies * New: Automatic Plate Loading * The same Presstek innovations that drive the industry's leading DI presses are also helping to provide higher efficiencies in the company's CTP solutions. In its own exhibit, Presstek is showing its Dimension platesetters with a new automatic plate loading system imaging Anthem chemical-free thermal CTP plates. The Dimension auto loading option automates the imaging and delivery process down to a single point-and-click. A Presstek Dimensio platesetter equipped with the automatic plate loading option is capable ofsupporting multiple plate sizes, simultaneously, without operator intervention. New: TrapWorks and ProofReady Two additional options, TrapWorks and ProofReady, have also been added to the Presstek Server. TrapWorks is an automatic "in-RIP'' trapping solution designed to automatically trap jobs in the background without any manual intervention. ProofReady allows select Epson and HP inkjet printers to be driven directly by the Presstek DI-RIP. To ensure predictable output, ProofReady uses the same RIP to generate both proofs and plates, and comes with a variety of pre-configured color profiles, including ICC profiles for many conventional Proofing systems. Presstek's Significant Role In the Growth of Digital Printing Efrem Lieber, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Support for Presstek, speaks of the continuing growth in the DI and digital plate segment. "We believe that attendees at Print '01 will see confirmation of two of the most important trends seen at both Drupa 2000 and Graph Expo 2000: the accelerated adoption of on-press direct imaging (DI), and the maturing of chemical-free thermal plates and plate-ink systems. Today Presstek enables over 95% of the DI presses operating worldwide, providing lower cost, shorter makeready times, and higher quality output than other digital color systems.'' Presstek Brings Fast CTP Makeready At PRINT '01 Presstek will continue to advance small format CTP with its chemical-free process platemaking. Presstek brings fast makeready to CTP with the exceptional performance of Anthem thermal plates and Dimension CTP systems. Besides eliminating processing chemistry, Anthem plates require no gumming, baking, or special cleaning fluids. Just rinse with water after imaging, and Anthem is ready to print. Anthem offers the fewest steps from RIP to press. Presstek CTP can produce more plates at lower cost, without chemistry. On press, Anthem plates provide fast roll-up and run lengths to 100,000. The new Dimension auto loading process is specifically designed for the small to mid-size shop that requires a CTP solution supporting multiple plate sizes and no operator intervention necessary to load, image, and wash plates. "With Dimension's new auto loading system, Presstek is answering the need to further reduce labor costs by allowing an operator to set-up their CTP system, and literally forget about it. They can concentrate on preparing jobs and proofing, and feed plates when it's convenient for them,'' Lieber explains. Since its commercialization in Q4 of 2000, Presstek's Dimension and Anthem CTP solution has been successfully installed at customer locations in North America, Europe and Japan. The first public showing of Presstek's CTP solutions with the new auto loading process will be at PRINT '01.