Karat Digital Press has closed its Israeli operations and transferred all the staff to CreoScitex, which will provide the imaging systems and software for the 74 Karat DI press.


Klaus Schmidt, director of marketing at Karats parent, KBA, said the 15 staff would be joined by CreoScitex staff to make a team of 25 working on the Karat.


Although CreoScitex has taken over development of the imaging system there are no plans to switch to the SquareSpot technology it supplies for Komori and Heidelberg DI presses.


CreoScitexs Brisque remains the preferred digital front-end for the 74 Karat.


"Customers either buy Brisque for the Karat or are already using it," said Schmidt.


"Using other software is not planned for the next couple of years. We dont want to mess around with software, we want to penetrate the market," he said.
Schmidt also said there would be some further changes in the coming months as Karat was further integrated into KBA.


Plans to introduce a coater are well underway with a prototype out in the field. A coater will permit faster finishing and has been in demand from the US (PrintWeek, 12 April).


Story by Barney Cox