Portland, OR, April 28, 2003 – Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon has announced the successful installation of a Ryobi 3404DI press and a Presstek Dimension400 computer-to-plate system. To celebrate its new systems and to show off their new capabilities to both corporate clients and local business, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon will host an art show and open house on Friday, May 16th at its printing facility on 200 SW 1st Avenue, in Portland, OR. Work from local artists will be featured during the event, and limited reproductions will be printed using the new environmentally friendly printing systems. Invitees include local PIA and IPMA members. Anyone interested in attending should contact Mark Anderson at 503-721-4064 or by email at [email protected]. The two-page format Ryobi 3404DI uses Presstek's ProFire imaging technology and PEARLdry thermal media. The Ryobi 3404DI is engineered to provide a quick turnaround time for short-run color printing. The outstanding register stability delivers superb print quality at an output rate of 7,000 sheets per hour. Job changes take just 10 minutes, due to the advanced level of automation. Presstek’s Dimension400 CTP systems and Anthem thermal plates offer a chemistry free workflow, daylight-safe operation, a compact footprint, and a number of easy-to-use features that increase productivity. Anthem plates provide run lengths up to 100,000 and require only a simple rinse with water after imaging. Mark Anderson, Supervisor of Print Services at Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon states, "Our Corporate Communications Department was starting to request more sophisticated designs using more process color, and at the same time run lengths were going down. We tried different digital solutions to meet this need but they did not support our front to back registration demands or bindery requirements." Anderson adds, "We found ourselves in a real dilemma as we lacked the equipment to do the jobs inside but did not want to send them out, either. As a result our designers had to make compromises in order for us to produce the work in-house." Anderson had been watching the development of DI printing for a number of years, but his interest peeked when he learned about the Ryobi 3404DI. It addressed issues that he was particularly concerned about, such as the ink coverage lay down on a sheet. Anderson states,"Presstek and Ryobi get a lot of solid ink laid down, a lot of full coverage, and at the same time economically provide run lengths of less than a 1000. I wanted offset quality and the 3404DI gave it to me in a digital machine, we are now producing what our designers want without compromises." Building off the success of his Presstek enabled Ryobi 3404DI, Anderson set out to find a CTP solution to feed his three conventional presses. At first he considered polyester based systems but opted for a Presstek Dimension400. "It’s a huge plus environmentally; that’s what really drove me to go with the Dimension system. Plus, it is thermal and that streamlines the plate making process by eliminating all the processing – we image a plate, rinse it with water and we are ready to print." Today, BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is producing a wide range of material at its corporate print service including forms, letterhead, business cards, sales collateral, and high-end marketing materials. The new equipment easily provides enough capacity to meet the demands of their internal customer base. During non-peak periods Blue Cross Blue Shield is planning on in- sourcing work from area businesses and organizations. Peter Bouchard, General Manager of Presstek’s DI Business unit states, "BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon transitioned from a conventional workflow that relied heavily on outsourcing to complete four color printing jobs to a digital offset printing workflow that easily satisfies their internal demand for four color work, while providing bandwidth to take on additional work. This clearly demonstrates the power of Presstek’s chemistry-free printing solutions."