The 34 is the successor to the 46 Karat, which was launched in 2001 by KBA. In October 2003, AB Dick took over the responsibility of selling the 46 in the UK. It was Presstek that originally licensed KBA the European rights for the press, so when it bought AB Dick in 2004, it effectively took back its own model.

According to Presstek European sales and marketing manager Ray Hillhouse, the waterless offset machine offers higher quality than other, similar-sized, DI presses. Hillhouse says: “Presstek DI technology has been around since the mid-1990s, when it was on a Heidelberg platform. This machine evolved with Presstek, bringing improvements in quality and productivity.”

Instant print
The 46 Karat, which was halfway between A3 and B3 in size, automated the whole printing process. Once the file was ripped to the press, a set of plates could be made instantly. One plate took four minutes, while the whole job cycle lasted 10 minutes. The press had an integral infra-red drier, so that sheets were almost dry when exiting the press and could be quickly turned to print on the reverse.

The 46 was able to run at speeds of up to 14,000 sheets per hour (sph), and could make up to 7,000 impressions an hour. It could print on stocks from 0.06mm to 0.3mm, with a maximum image width of 330x450mm. Upon its launch, it was popular among smaller printers and shop printers, which needed it for fast-turnaround work and smaller runs.

When Presstek bought AB Dick, its presence in Europe grew and, consequently, it set up its own UK-based sales force. “We worked with KBA, promoting the press to the European market. It was a natural progression for us to brand the Karat under our name and then launch the 34DI,” says Hillhouse.

When the 34DI launched this year, Presstek introduced a new version of its ProFire Excel imaging head. “The key advantage of this imaging head is that it produces a spot size of 16 microns, allowing a resolution of 300lpi over the 200lpi that the old ProFire used to image,” explains Hillhouse. It also means that stochastic screening is now possible, and the stability and life of the lasers has increased. A new 34DI-E can be bought for around £170,000 from Presstek.

Sweet spot
Regarding the strength of DI presses and who they appeal to, Hillhouse says: “All types of printers that require high-quality offset work can benefit. The sweet spot for DI run lengths is between 500 and 10,000 prints.” He also says that, with the launch of the 34 and 52 presses at Ipex, commercial printers that have not considered DI before are now looking into it. “People used to say DI was a niche product. If that is the case, the niche seems to be growing.”

Despite the growing demand for new machines, secondhand 46 presses are still somewhat of a rarity. Presstek takes in any used 46 machines, cleans them, then brings them up to speed with the latest software specifications. The price of a secondhand model is, of course, based on its condition and impression count. A recent 2002 model was sold for around £150,000.

Exel Graphics, based in Crayford, Kent, is one of the few dealers that has a Karat 46 in stock. Sales manager Alan Puttock says: “Secondhand DI presses have not really caught on in the UK yet, but we hope them to do so in the near future.” Exel Graphics currently has available a four-year-old, four-colour Karat 46 with automatic plate loading. “It’s a good machine and we have our own engineers or subcontractors, who can install and look after them,” says Puttock.

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SPECIFICATIONS
Speed
• 7,000 impressions per hour (14,000 A4 sph)
Imaging time
• Four minutes, (under 10 minutes for the complete job cycle)
Max image width
• 330mm
Max image length
• 450mm
Max stock thickness
• 0.3mm
Min stock thickness
• 0.06mm
Price
• Used 2002 Karat 46: £150,000
• New 34-E: from £170,000
What to look for
• A service contract
• Electronics