The PlateRite News, which will output up to 35 plates per hour, will be on show from 19-22 June at Nexpo 2004 in Washington DC, the world's largest newspaper industry show.

Screen (US) president AJ Kakiuchi, said: "The PlateRite News is a solid first step in introducing a Screen thermal CTP device to the newspaper market. This is only the start."

But there are as yet no plans to bring the technology to Europe.

A spokesman for Screen Europe said: "Screen is very careful about launching products only when they're right for the market."

The spokesman added that the PlateRite News has been built exclusively for the US and Japanese markets and that the size of the US market made it an obvious first target for the company. "In terms of a European product, watch this space," he said.

The new machine will be able to handle plate sizes from 116x93cm down to 35x36cm, at four standard resolution settings: 1,000, 1,016, 1,200 and 1,270dpi.

Both Creo and KPG have already launched thermal newspaper platesetters in the UK.

Story by Josh Brooks