Presstek, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRST), a leading supplier of digital offset printing solutions to the printing and communications industries, continues to develop and expand its digital plate portfolio to meet the widest range of offset printing needs. Most recently, the company announced Presstek PhD 830, a negative-working thermal pre-heat plate that is compatible with the industry’s leading thermal CTP systems. PhD 830 uses significantly less chemistry than other brands. Aeon, a no-preheat thermal CTP plate, and Aurora, a chemistry-free plate, complete Presstek’s digital CTP plate portfolio.

“A broad and competitive plate portfolio is an important aspect of Presstek’s strategic growth initiatives,” said Joe Demharter, Vice President of Sales for Presstek. “With our expanded portfolio, we are now capable of servicing and supplying plate needs for print shops of all sizes and are a viable alternative to the three major plate suppliers. The new PhD 830 plate is a golden opportunity for us since it is a near-drop-in product for many printers using competitive products.” Demharter points out that feedback from Presstek customers about its plate offerings has been exceptional, adding, “Our attention to detail and dedication to excellent customer service, regardless of the size of the print shop, is a clear market differentiator for us. Customers appreciate the fact that we take the time to understand their business needs and act as a true partner in advancing their business growth initiatives.”

Presstek’s Plate Portfolio

PhD 830 is a negative working pre-heat thermal plate supporting run lengths of 250,000 without baking and a million plus with an optional post-bake. PhD 830 requires less chemistry and has a wider pre-heat latitude than competitive plate products. This ablation-free plate is designed to use less laser power and to run at the fastest possible imaging speeds. PhD 830 plates support screen resolutions of 1-99% at 300 lpi and are FM screening certified. In the pressroom, the plate is highly resistant to pressroom chemicals and on-press abrasion.

Aeon is a positive-working, high resolution, no-preheat thermal CTP plate that offers run lengths up to 200,000 without baking; an optional post-bake enables runs of up to one million. Aeon supports screen resolutions of 1–99% at 200 lpi. In the pressroom, the Aeon plate provides fast roll-up, excellent ink/water balance and durability, making it the ideal solution for a broad range of printing applications. It has a strong resistance to UV inks and solvents and can be used in both UV and conventional printing without any sacrifice in productivity or quality.

Aurora is a true chemistry-free daylight-safe metal plate that can be imaged on a range of thermal platesetters. Aurora is rated up to 50,000 impressions and can be imaged at a resolution of 1% to 99% at 200 lpi. Prior to mounting on press, its chemistry-free process requires only a simple water wash after imaging with no need for chemistry.

Demharter states, “Presstek’s highly qualified technical support team is another example of our high level of dedication and commitment to the industry. We have one of the largest field support teams in the industry, and we take pride in providing a level of personalized service that is often lacking when dealing with larger suppliers. Ourteam of plate application specialists, large field service force, highly competent inside sales group and network of factory trained dealers positions Presstek to gain share in the high volume North American CTP plate market. In addition, our online store,shop.presstek.com, makes one stop shopping for competitively priced prepress and pressroom supplies fast and easy.”