Hudson, NH – May 30, 2008 – Presstek Inc., the leading manufacturer and marketer of digital offset printing business solutions, today announced that it will be featuring Aurora Pro, a new chemistry-free thermal printing plate, at drupa, the world’s largest printing trade show scheduled for May 29th through June 11th, 2008, in Dusseldorf, Germany. Aurora Pro is designed for use on a range of thermal CTP imaging platforms and brings the advantages of Presstek’s true chemistry-free platemaking technology to the large installed base of thermal CTP platesetters.

“Presstek created the category of chemistry-free digital printing plates,” said John O’Rourke, Presstek’s Director of CTP Products. “Aurora Pro extends the benefits of Presstek’s true chemistry-free plate technology to the large population of existing third-party thermal platesetters, offering the unmatched quality, productivity and environmental sustainability that the market has come to expect from Presstek.”

Presstek Aurora Pro Plates
The Aurora Pro provides a true chemistry-free plate that can be imaged on a range of thermal platesetters, including several models distributed by Screen and Kodak (Creo), as well as Presstek’s new Compass series of CTP platesetters.
 
“The current worldwide installed base of thermal CTP platesetters is estimated at over 25,000 units,” said O’Rourke. “Aurora Pro offers owners of these systems the opportunity to realize the benefits of Presstek’s true chemistry-free platemaking.”

Aurora Pro’s fast, efficient imaging allows qualified thermal CTP systems to run at maximum throughput. Aurora Pro is a daylight-safe, non-ablative plate that requires only a simple water wash after imaging. No chemistry, no baking and no gumming are required. Aurora Pro outputs resolution of 1% to 99% dots at 200 lpi (80 l/cm) and stochastic (FM) screening is easily handled. Once imaged and washed the plate displays a high contrast image that can be examined and measured—providing significant cost savings by making error correction possible before going on press.

Aurora Pro’s grained anodized aluminum surface provides excellent ink/water balance properties for superior pressroom performance, including fast roll-up performance for reduced makeready time and waste. The plate is rated for run lengths of 25,000 impressions and is suitable for a wide range of short run commercial printing applications. In addition, Aurora Pro plates have strong resistance to UV inks and solvents, resulting in the ability to use a single plate for both conventional and UV printing.

 “This expansion of our line of thermal chemistry-free metal plates places Presstek squarely in the mainstream of the short run plate market,” added O’Rourke.  “Printing establishments of any size can now eliminate expensive, labor-intensive, and environmentally harmful chemistry from their platemaking operations without sacrificing quality.  This is another example of how Presstek’s print business solutions are designed to integrate into a wide-range of print businesses.”