Here are the writeups of the three award winners with Presstek technology. Even if all 19 (or 20, I'm not sure of my count) of the award winners had been competitors of Presstek's, three wins would be a lot. But most of the other winners are computer or film related techologies. I just can't resist posting these even if there is a link.
Imation Matchprint Laser Proof. For people
needing to see proofs that are as close as
possible to what the final output will look like,
the year was highlighted by the introduction of
Imation's Matchprint Laser Proof materials.
This development makes it possible to use the
same RIP and imaging technology to generate a
proof as are used to create final film or plates.
Moreover, Matchprint Laser Proofs produce
proofs that can be laminated to look practically
the same as the familiar, conventional
Matchprints.
Presstek PearlGold processless thermal
plates. Like DuPont, Presstek used Imprinta to
introduce its processless CTP plate, called
PearlGold. It requires no cleaning or heat curing
before printing. An ablation process images the
plate, leaving debris that is removed when the
plate is dampened by the fount solution on the
press. These plates can be imaged by lasers
with frequencies of 800nm to 1,100nm and
support run lengths of up to 100,000
impressions.
Scitex-KBA
74-Karat
press. Much
attention has
been given
lately to
direct
imaging of
digital files on a variety of output devices. One
thing that makes the Scitex-KBA 74-Karat
stand out is that it is the first printing press
built to be imaged electronically, rather than
an adaptation of conventional printing press
technology to direct imaging. The 74-Karat is a
four-page, four-color, compact waterless press
employing silicon-based plates from Presstek.
It uses two cylinders, each holding two plates,
with a common impression cylinder. It is unique
in that it doesn't have a roller-based ink train,
but instead uses an ink distribution system
more like gravure's, which allows very rapid
changes to ink delivery to the paper, and
consequently very fast makereadies. Another
innovation is that ink is supplied in canisters,
permitting very rapid ink replenishment or
color changes during a job or between jobs. The
74-Karat is still a year away from customer
installations, but early demonstrations have
been impressive. |
