Presstek Inc., the leading manufacturer and marketer of digital offset printing business solutions, today announced that it will be featuring Aurora Pro, a new chemistry-free thermal printing plate, at drupa, the world’s largest printing trade show scheduled for May 29th through June 11th, 2008, in Dusseldorf, Germany. Aurora Pro is designed for use on a range of thermal CTP imaging platforms and brings the advantages of Presstek’s true chemistry-free platemaking technology to the large installed base of thermal CTP platesetters.

“Presstek created the category of chemistry-free digital printing plates,” said John O’Rourke, Presstek’s Director of CTP Products. “Aurora Pro extends the benefits of Presstek’s true chemistry-free plate technology to the large population of existing third-party thermal platesetters, offering the unmatched quality, productivity and environmental sustainability that the market has come to expect from Presstek.”

Presstek Aurora Pro Plates
The Aurora Pro provides a true chemistry-free plate that can be imaged on a range of thermal platesetters, including several models distributed by Screen and Kodak (Creo), as well as Presstek’s new Compass series of CTP platesetters.

“The current worldwide installed base of thermal CTP platesetters is estimated at over 25,000 units,” said O’Rourke. “Aurora Pro offers owners of these systems the opportunity to realize the benefits of Presstek’s true chemistry-free platemaking.”

Aurora Pro’s fast, efficient imaging allows qualified thermal CTP systems to run at maximum throughput. Aurora Pro is a daylight-safe, non-ablative plate that requires only a simple water wash after imaging. No chemistry, no baking and no gumming are required. Aurora Pro outputs resolution of 1% to 99% dots at 200 lpi (80 l/cm) and stochastic (FM) screening is easily handled. Once imaged and washed the plate displays a high contrast image that can be examined and measured—providing significant cost savings by making error correction possible before going on press.