Maryland Printer Hosts Open House to Showcase New PlateRite 8000II Thermal Plate Recorder, Expanded Prepress Capabilities ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. - Knowing your customers’ needs is a major consideration for any printer looking to thrive in business. Knowing your equipment’s capabilities is another. When officials at Chroma Graphics, Inc. decided to make the move to a digital workflow, they wanted a smooth transition. After more than a year of researching the various CTP options on the market, they settled on the PlateRite 8000II thermal plate recorder from Screen (USA). Within a month of the installation, the company was producing 100 percent of its work on the eight-up device. "Screen’s PlateRite 8000II has so many attractive features, it was a perfect fit for us," said Rusty Coolidge, president. "We wanted to be the first printer in the area to install this model. It’s a very productive system. It’s faster than similar devices and easily accommodates a better range of plates." Chroma Graphics hosted an open house on June 13 to celebrate the 13-year-old, privately owned printing firm’s enhanced prepress capacity. The event was aptly titled "Rising Above." About 300 clients and guests took advantage of the opportunity to tour the plant and become familiar with the PlateRite 8000II, as well as new digital proofers the company installed. Among the highlights was a paper show with representatives from 20 paper mills. Darrell Green, the Washington Redskins’ star defensive back, was on hand to sign limited-edition posters. Chroma Graphics also held special seminars on CTP, varnishing techniques and finishing processes. Started in 1989, the Largo, Md.-based business began as a prepress operation. After five years of success in that arena, Chroma Graphics launched into its present identity as a full-service commercial sheetfed printer. The company occupies a 38,000-square-foot-facility staffed by 61 employees. Its 40-inch presses (four-color, five-color and six-color models with aqueous coaters) run 24 hours day, five days a week. Chroma Graphics billed $9.5 million in sales in 2001. Coolidge expects this year’s sales volume to reach $12 million. The company’s penchant for the newest equipment with the greatest capabilities is fueled by the desire to offer the best print quality possible. Chroma Graphics serves a broad account base made up of ad agencies, graphic design firms and corporate clients located throughout the region and nationwide. With a roster of high-profile clients that include the Washington Redskins, Nasdaq and the National Academy of Sciences, the firm produces a wide variety of multicolor brochures, marketing pieces and catalogs. Chroma Graphics is using the PlateRite 8000II to achieve new levels of quality and productivity. "On a recent Friday, we output 92 plates in a seven-and-a-half-hour shift, and could have done more," Coolidge pointed out. The PlateRite 8000II can image thermal plates for most presses. It handles plates as small as 17.7 inches by 14.5 inches and as large as 45.6 inches by 37 inches. Besides the speed of the machine, which can produce up to 13 plates per hour, Coolidge is extremely impressed with its quality. "The PlateRite offers a lot of benefits," he said. "It’s user-friendly, and our staff has adapted to the system quickly. The sharpness of the dot structure is outstanding. The difference in printing is very noticeable."