Rye, New York — Significant sales achieved at Graph Expo and a large number of leads accumulated at the Chicago show have led Mitsubishi Imaging (MPM), Inc., to project a solid finish to 2004 for the company. “We closed several deals at the show, and acquired a considerable number of sales leads,” said Dr. Hiroshi Tomimasu, President and CEO of the company. “As a result, we’re expecting a very strong fourth quarter.” Dr. Tomimasu noted that an anticipated decline in visitors to Graph Expo because of its proximity to DRUPA of did not materialize. “We were very pleased with the attendance and found that most prospects were ready to buy,” he said. Leading those products was the industry’s first dedicated 4-up polyester platesetter — the DPX 4 — which made its North American premiere at the Mitsubishi Imaging exhibit. Developed jointly by Mitsubishi Paper Mills Ltd. and Esko-Graphics, the new DPX 4 produces press-ready plates, up to 26.7" x 29.5", with a minimum of operator intervention. The plates are automatically loaded, punched, exposed, processed, dried and ready for press. “By imaging, processing and printing live,” Dr. Tomimasu said, “we demonstrated the superior printing performance of our Silver DigiPlate polyester plate systems in a working environment.” Mitsubishi Imaging launched a new matte backed polyester plate — SDP-FRm175 — at the show. The innovation is compatible with virtually any laser platesetter or imagesetter on the market today, but is designed to work especially well in the new DPX 4 polyester-dedicated platesetter. “We received great feedback from customers and other visitors about the new SDP-FRm175 material,” Dr. Tomimasu remarked. “They saw the results and they were very impressed.” The matte-backed medium delivers improved registration, superior tone reproduction, and enhanced on-press performance. Its superior water acceptability provides cleaner start-ups without the need, in most cases, to pre-wet the plate, reducing paper waste. Less water is required during printing, widening the ink/water balance, thereby improving printability and productivity. Improved productivity is also the objective of the OneFlow digital workflow solution that was demonstrated in the Mitsubishi Imaging booth. Designed for small to mid-sized commercial printers, the advanced workflow was developed by EFI and is being marketed by Mitsubishi Imaging. OneFlow allows the user to customize workflows to suit the demands of the shop, the job mixes, and the installed digital devices. It integrates powerful tools to convert files to PDF and to execute such functions as preflighting, trapping, imposition, and proofing. In addition to preparing files for printing, OneFlow provides the tools to track and manage jobs from anywhere in real time, all through a browser-based, user-friendly interface. Dr. Tomimasu said that Mitsubishi Imaging’s inkjet media solutions were also well received, as were a variety of other products the company demonstrated in its Graph Expo exhibit: “We met with our current customers and new prospects at the show. They saw the value of our products for their work environment and how these solutions will improve their bottom line.”