KENNESAW, Ga., – August 7, 2003 – Heidelberg USA today announced it has completed a 60-day trial of its new Quicksetter (QS) 300E platesetter imaging system and that successful installations are now being made around the country. Georgia Design and Graphics, Inc. headquartered in Gainesville, Ga., was selected by Heidelberg as its beta site location because its specialty in design work and the variety of jobs it produces in a small, quick print shop environment is most ideal for the QS 300E. Georgia Design specializes in digitally printed, high-quality, 2-color newsletters for businesses, associations and non-profit organizations in the Greater Atlanta area. “We have been amazed at the quality of the prints we are producing and the cost savings we are experiencing,” said Faith Ferguson, project manager for Georgia Design and Graphics, Inc. “The feedback from our customers has been unbelievable. They are coming back to us raving about the increased quality and asking what we are doing differently to create these jobs.” The new QS 300E is a culmination of Heidelberg prepress technology and plate imaging systems into a single compact system that gives quick printers the ability to create durable, high-quality plates and compete with larger shops that use bigger pieces of equipment. The QS 300E allows printers to print in high quality from paper, film or polyester plates with very little maintenance and with 1200, 2400 and 3000 dots per inch (dpi). New drum technology on the QS 300E enables impressions of 10-micron spot size and 0.0005" repeatability for consistent quality and detailed output. Other features include a unique distribution system for the stabilizer and developer chemicals with a water bath for the drums and drying system for the finished plates. “The fact that the rollers on the QS 300E do not remain submerged in chemicals and that the chemicals are instead brought up through the machine when it’s ready is another example of the customer-friendly application added to the machine,” stated Ferguson. “We are using the exact same chemicals as before but the finished products are coming out much crisper. The plates are not breaking down and we have only had to change the chemicals once every month to month and a half, as opposed to every ten to fifteen days on our old machine." Heidelberg’s new MetaDeminsion workflow system also guarantees color fidelity and correct print simulation on the proofing device and avoids flashes and color borders in the final printed product. Trapping is applied using Meta Dimension's in-RIP trapping technology that can automatically create traps for graphical elements and images. During the beta test period, Georgia Design and Graphics, Inc. produced an average of 52 plates a week, with run lengths up to 12,000 impressions on single plates at 2400-3000 dpi. “The staff at Georgia Design and Graphics were great to work with and the feedback we have received so far has been great,” said Ray Cassino, Director of Product Management Prepress for Heidelberg USA. “We anticipate we will hear from other happy customers very soon.”