DIGITAL PLATESETTERS -- Growing by Twos and Fours

A problem popped up when the shop tried to go digital, though. "We couldn't get the digital waterless plates to hold the line screens we wanted, which is 300 lpi," the company exec explains.

The solution: abandon waterless printing. Since it already was familiar with Presstek Inc. from having used its waterless plates, Pony X Press checked out the manufacturer's digital plate offerings. That research led it to using Anthem plates imaged by a Creo Trendsetter 400 thermal platesetter. The shop later became a beta test site for the Presstek Applause plate.