Everything you need to know about Digital Printing – part 16
Monday, July 27th, 2009Everything you need to know about Digital Printing – part 16
DI litho presses
It is an open question whether DI presses count as truly digital. DI means direct imaging (not digital imaging) and the presses are essentially standard offset litho machines with built in plate setters. As such they can take digital imaging and fit in an all digital workflow, but the use of litho plates means that variable data isn’t possible. They work well for short run printing with the advantage that you get true offset quality on standard papers, and the press speeds are significantly faster than ‘true’ digital printers.
Heidelberg announced the very first DI press at the end of 2001. This was a modified GTO B3 format press with the first generation Presstek spark erosion plates, called the GTO-DI. Only a few of these shipped before the Ipex of 2003 where a refined model was announced with Presstek’s definitive Pearl technology, which used thermal ablation imaging. Two years later at drupa 1995, Heidelberg announced what was to become the best selling DI press to date, the A3+ Quickmaster 46-4. This was compact, easy to use and built to the company’s usual high engineering standards. During the 1990s, offset press manufacturers showed a lot of interest in DI presses, to the point that at drupa of 2000 virtually all significant names were shipping DI, showing a working prototype, or claiming they had something back home in the labs. Most were based on Presstek or Scitex imaging units. However, very few of these prototypes ever made it into production. The rapid advance in speed and flexibility of off press platesetters wiped out most of the advantage of an on press system.
As with the majority of DI presses, the GTO-DI and Quickmaster 46-4 DI adopted waterless offset printing. This was primarily because the plate imaging units were pretty bulky and the only easy way to fit them to a press was where the dampening rollers would normally go.
Quickmaster 46-4 DI was in production for almost a decade, with several updates to keep to competitive. Heidelberg eventually stopped making it at the end of 2005 with about 3500 sold has not replaced it with any DI model.
For a few years Heidelberg made a larger DI press based on a modified Speedmaster 74 B2 press, with conventional units and wet offset. It was very expensive and only sold in modest numbers for a few years.
KBA, Germany’s third major press maker, now makes the only B2 DI press, the 74 karat.
Of all new machines talked about at drupa 2000, only the Presstek-Ryobi joint venture SRA3 portrait format press actually shipped. This proved successful over the years and is still sold worldwide as the Presstek 34DI and the Ryobi 3404DI. At Ipex 2006, Presstek launched a new generation DI press the B3 landscape format 52DI.
Screen has also made DI presses for ten years, and its current model is the Sra3 format TruePress 344, launched in 2004. This is notable for using wet offset.
New Look Website for The Printing House Website – 15th July 2009
We’ve been working hard over recent months to try create a new look and new content for our flagship brand The Printing House Website. When you find some time, please take a look and feed back to us. Some of the new content includes A Guide to Preparing Print Ready Artwork and information about our Large Format and banner printing service.
We’re a bit sad and are so excited by our new site that we’re now rebranding Print Buying Direct, Golf Club Centenary Books and School Prospectus Made Easy – so keep an eye out – we’ll email when its available on line.
Keep watching all our sites as we are continually adding new content.
To be continued…
See part one of this blog on digital printing here. Also – what does the future hold for printing – part 1
All about the new Printing House Website
Order your Appointment Cards online at Print Buying Direct – prices from £13.50 for 100 cards printed in full colour. At print buying direct we are market leaders in the printing of appointment cards and can produce them for doctors, hairdressers, dentists, physio, beauty salons, nail technicians, garages, massage therapists – for anything really. Just visit our Appointment Cards web page for more information.
Our business cards are some of the best in the business – printed in full colour on our £200,000 state of the art digital press – you’ll be proud to hand out business cards that we produce for you. Our business card prices are also very cost effective – 100 full colour business cards for only £10!
Don’t forget we’re still running our Letterheads promotion – 2000 full colour letterheads (headed paper) for £125 delivered! We’ve been producing letterheads since 1991 for hundreds of customs as diverse as Bentley and Royal Mail.
See Part 12 of this blog on Print finishing, See also our Blog on Spot UV Varnishing
Print Buying Direct and School Prospectus Made Easy are both brands of parent company – The Printing House Ltd of Crewe, Cheshire, UK. Keep visiting both websites for details of our latest offers and promotions. For more information School Prospectus including School Prospectus Design or School Prospectus Printing (we also specialise in college prospectus) see our www.schoolprospectus.info website
Have a look at our Newsletters webpage for help and assistance with writing and designing your newsletter. It deals with, company newsletters, college newsletters, school newsletters and employee newsletters in particluar. Our blog often focuses on newsletters and we have a page which specifically helps with newsletters as a marketing tool.
TOP TIP: Add that feel of quality to your company brochure by first applying Matt Lamination then a Spot UV Varnish. The UV Varnishing actually ‘lifts’ your pictures to give them a glossy impact.
Our Digital Brochures (turn page technology) are really taking off now – get your brochure put online from only £15 per page.
One of the mainstays at Print Buying Direct is Leaflets. We are experts at Leaflet Design or Leaflet Printing Check out our Banner Stands (pop up banners) only £99. Design service available.
