The Paperlinx subsidiary will distribute Xingraphics’ Fit XTRA Melior and Ipagsa’s Arte IP-21 thermal positive plates, plus Presstek’s Aurora Pro and EXP chemistry-free plates.

TPS has ambitious plans to grow its share of the pre-press consumables market, following the end of its contract with Agfa, and said its partnership with Chinese manufacturer Xingraphics in particular would help achieve this aim.

TPS business development director Steve Brading said: "Xingraphics’ growth has been meteoric – in a five-year period they’ve got to number four in the world in plates, so that was a massive part of our decision.

"Xingraphics, like us, is hungry to grow a position in the pre-press sector. We know it is a tough sector, because of the dominance of the big three, but Xingraphics is not satisfied with ranking number four – it wants to get into the top three."

TPS’s partnership with Glunz & Jensen for its Gecko, Raptor and InterPlater processors, will allow it to sell pre-press plate bundles, which Brading said could be financed in a variety of ways.

"Glunz & Jensen will supply us with the CTP equipment, but the commercial deal will be between us and the customer," he explained. "It could be us financing; there could be an uplift on the consumables; it could be linked to a paper rebate. There are lots of things we can play with to suit the customer."

TPS has been working with a number of select customers since November to establish reference sites for its new pre-media portfolio. Along with plates, TPS can offer processors, as well as servicing and installation support.

"We’ve got everything you’d expect to back up our sales," said Brading.

TPS PLATES PORTFOLIO

Xingraphics Fit XTRA Melior thermal positive. 1-99% at 450lpi. Run length 250,000 unbaked, 1m post-baked.
Ipagsa Arte IP-21 thermal positive plate. 0.5-99% at 450lpi; FM at 20 micron. Run length 150,000 unbaked, 1m post-baked.
Presstek Aurora Pro and EXP chemistry free thermal plates. 1-99% at 200lpi or FM screening. Run length 25,000