The firm showed KPG's Thermal Direct Non Process Plate as part of an environmentally friendly technology demonstration running on Heidelberg's new alcohol free press the Printmaster PM 74 Ecocolor. 

The plate is about to go into beta testing with UK customers and will be commercially available "before the end of the year".

"We're very happy with it," said KPG UK marketing manager Pat Holloway. "We wouldn't have shown it at Heidelberg if we weren't entirely happy with it."

The plate is developed on press by the action of the fount solution on non-image areas, which are removed on the first sheets during makeready. It requires no post-exposure treatment, such as the gumming or a water wash other non process plates use and no special extraction to device to be fitted to the platesetter.

"There's been a lot of interest because you don't have to change anything," said Holloway.

KPG has been showing the plate to interested customers at its Leeds site where they can run tests on a four-colour Speedmaster.

Heidelberg will also be showing the plate at its Tamworth and Brentford open houses later this month.

It believes that the processless plate is a good complement to reducing or eliminating alcohol using technologies such as Ecocolor. It claims that with IPA costs at 1 per litre alcohol elimination could save a B2 printer running two presses with two shifts nearly 10,000 per year.

Story by Barney Cox