DRUPA 2004, Dusseldorf, Germany; May 6, 2004 – Accurate plates are a prerequisite for accurate printing, Accurate plate reading is essential to save time and reduce ink, paper and plate waste from press runs with bad plates. Now CtP and conventional plate making staff at print and prepress shops of any size can choose a highly accurate plate reader that meets their budget and functional requirements from the newly expanded family of iCPlate II plate readers from GretagMacbeth, the worldwide technological leader in color measurement and management solutions. At Drupa here in Hall 5, Stand D40, GretagMacbeth is introducing a new addition to the iCPlate II series, the iCPlate II Basic, which joins the original, full-function iCPlate II Advanced model. The new iCPlate II Basic model is designed as a cost-effective plate reader for measuring the most widely used plates utilizing AM screening – the most popular screening method used today. GretagMacbeth is also introducing new quality control software, PlateQuality, providing a comprehensive quality assurance solution. “Our iCPlate II plate readers, introduced last year, have received exceptional acceptance in the market and have been judged as the best in class in terms of measurement accuracy, reproducibility and ease-of-use by major CtP equipment manufacturers,” said Jan Keller, marketing manager for pressroom products at GretagMacbeth. “This high industry rating is indisputably linked both to the novel image analysis algorithms and the high resolution camera system the iCPlate II device incorporates.” Keller continues, “In response to our customers’ requests, we’ve expanded the iCPlate II range to include a new cost-effective solution with only the functionality needed for the most widely used applications. iCPlate II Basic delivers the same level of quality and accuracy of the original iCPlate II, ensuring excellent price/performance. It is field-upgradeable so our customers can add new functionality to the plate reader or add the optional quality control software as their needs grow.”