KENNESAW, Ga., November 23, 2004 – Heidelberg recently installed a new QM DI Pro press at East Park Printing in Clemson, S.C. This installation is the first in the country to use the MetaDimension RIP technology in combination with the new Saphira Caleidoplate - an alternative plate material available exclusively for Heidelberg QM DI presses. East Park installed the QM DI 46-4 Pro with the new MetaDimension RIP earlier this year and initiated an extensive testing process, which included evaluating the configuration of the whole system for print quality, consistency, ease of use, durability and speed. East Park Printing was chosen by Heidelberg as the initial site because of its experience with short-run color printing and its interest in Heidelberg’s digital imaging capabilities. The company recently moved into a new 6,000-square-foot facility to meet increased demand from local businesses for short-run, color projects and to prepare for future expansion. “Our expertise is within our design and prepress capabilities, so the added MetaDimension RIP technology plus the improved print quality has made the QM DI Pro easier to use and it has improved the quality of our finished projects,” said Randy Dempsey, owner of East Park Printing. “The RIP system and plates have worked great and the responses we have received from our customers on the color and quality are a great sign for things to come.” The MetaDimension RIP is the one common front end on all Heidelberg computer-to-plate units and DI presses. The MetaDimension DI RIP features screening that is optimized for the QM DI. The MetaDimension RIP also enables a true PDF workflow and allows for a wide variety of digital input formats. The new Saphira Caleidoplate is an advanced plate technology created exclusively for the Heidelberg QM DI press family. The plate produces a sharper dot and faster ink trapping with no restrictions on the inks used with run lengths of more than 20,000 sheets per plate. The Saphira Caleidoplate also works in conjunction with the Smart Spooling Mechanism, as runs at East Park Printing confirmed. The Smart Spooling Mechanism customizes the amount of plate material for each job - depending on the size of the images on the plate. This eliminates the need to spool a complete plate in full format on every job and thereby cuts consumption, specifically when printing jobs such as envelopes and letterheads or when imprinting text onto pre-printed documents. “Heidelberg continues to provide customers with new options and cost saving choices,” said Joerg Daehnhardt, Heidelberg product director, small format. “Existing customers and printers just getting started with a DI can take advantage of the most advanced systems and press products on the market. These new improvements strengthen Heidelberg’s presence as a complete solutions provider in the direct imaging press business.”