According to the firm Aurora offers savings for owners of Creo and Screen platesetters and is rated for run lengths of up to 50,000.

"Aurora plates are 100% chemistry-free, no chemical processing, baking or gumming is needed and this results in savings in time and materials," added Presstek.

Edward Marino, president and chief executive, said: "With Aurora we are making high-quality chemistry-free plates available to a large percentage of the thermal platesetter base."

Presstek said AB Dick would sell the plates in the UK but gave no date for their availability.

It has also teamed up with EFI to target small quick-print shops with a Facet RIP. The "affordable, high-performance" front end is for all Presstek and AB Dick digital kit including DI presses and Dimension, Vector TX52 and DPM platesetters.

It offers automatic in-RIP trapping, quick remapping of spot colours from the desktop and advanced proofing with ICC-based colour management.

Story by Jez Abbott