Kjeld Moselund, Esko-Graphics vice president product marketing for commercial printing, says "We are extremely thrilled with the Espresso, and believe it will be readily embraced by the industry. Creating a platesetter imaging conventional plates was not the real challenge: Esko-Graphics has already demonstrated that capability.
"What was most important was building a device that fits the business model of smaller commercial printers. Imaging lower-priced conventional plates at high speed provides an economic benefit. Doing so with a reliable, straightforward UV platesetter meeting high-quality printing standards offers a major competitive advantage."
Kim Graven-Nielsen, Esko-Graphics CEO, was more blunt: "We believe CTUP will be the next frontier for CTP."
The other major announcement from Esko-Graphics at drupa is the Scope workflow solution. The company describes Scope as a novel workflow environment encompassing a unique suite of pre-production software tools for the commercial print and packaging markets.
Fully JDF-enabled, Scope starts from an all-inclusive vision on the complete supply chain, integrating design with production, adding overall collaboration and project coordination.
Esko-Graphics continues to show a slight leaning toward the packaging business over commercial print, running at a split of about 60:40 "for the time being," Graven-Nielsen says.
"We are having more and more difficulty establishing whether a sale belongs on the packaging side or the commercial print side. It’s clearly merging as one sector."
Also launched at drupa was the PlateDriver Compact, a new 4-up platesetter that joins the existing PlateDriver product range. The device produces 20 4-up plates per hour and allows for screen rulings up to 200lpi.
The PlateDriver Compact uses a 60mW laser, which is equally suited to expose sliver and photopolymer plates.
Esko-Graphics reiterated its ’three legged stool’ approach, offering hardware, software and services to the industry. It also emphasised its company vision: "Clear ideas, smart tools, more value".
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