WAKE FOREST, N.C. -Southern Lithoplate, Inc. has joined with Screen (USA) to improve the quality, flexibility and reliability of digital platemaking in a newspaper environment. Southern Lithoplate, whose digital and analog lithoplates bring unmatched performance and value to newspaper and commercial printing, announced the addition of the Screen PlateRite News 2000S+ to the advanced line of thermal computer-to-plate (CtP) recorders available from Southern Lithoplate.

The PlateRite News 2000S+ not only saves time and labor in the plate production process, but it also expands the range of plate sizes that can be output.

"After listening to the experiences of customers, Southern Lithoplate and Screen responded with the plate technology best suited to their printing environment and needs," said Steve Mattingly, vice president. "The PlateRite News 2000S+ will appeal to companies looking for a versatile CtP solution that can handle almost every prepress challenge and further cut production costs."

The PlateRite News 2000S+ uses Southern Lithoplate's Viper 830 digital printing plates to deliver up to an estimated 100 broadsheet or 50 doublewide plates per hour. The platesetter images plates as small as 10.63 x 18.11 inches, ideal for pressrooms that have adopted or plan to implement the narrow broadsheet format. It handles a maximum plate size of 38.58 x 26.97 inches.

Available with a feed tray, semiautomatic or fully automatic plate loading options, the PlateRite News 2000S+ offers prepress and print professionals plenty of equipment choices. Dual plate loading boosts productivity by reducing the number of times operators must load plates. A simple upgrade is all it takes to switch to fully automatic plate loading as throughput demands grow.

Screen's powerful multimode laser design ensures uninterrupted thermal productivity. The integrated diagnostics system signals any diode's potential failure, permitting preventive measures to be performed. The built-in redundancy with dual banks of lasers enables continuous operation with no reduction in quality even if one or more laser diodes fail.

Maintenance is never an issue with the PlateRite News 2000S+. Unlike other manufacturers' CtP units, the PlateRite News 2000S+ can be serviced on-site by the user. The Screen/Southern Lithoplate team provides comprehensive certified training to users, along with immediate technical support. Customers that enroll in Southern Lithoplate's 24/7/365 Service Plan can access integrated prepress and pressroom support from Southern Lithoplate and its Strategic Alliance partners at any hour of day or night.

"The PlateRite News 2000S+ is engineered for the day-in, day-out production required by an industry where every second counts," Mattingly said. "It benefits from Screen's bulletproof imaging engine and proven technology for accuracy and repeatability, with the added support of Southern Lithoplate's round-the-clock, 365-days-a-year service."