It’s clear that it hit the spot as the machine sold in "significant numbers in the UK and worldwide," according to Swann. The machine had a number of things in its favour: it was compact, chemistry-free, highly productive and offered pinpoint sharpness on plates with a tonal range of 1-99%, claims the company. As it is thermal the Dimension uses daylight working Anthem Pro plates, thus negating the hassle and cost of purchasing and disposing of chemicals. In addition the plates do not require gumming, baking or special cleaning fluids.
Designed for ease of use
Presstek says that the machine was designed for maximum ease of use requiring fewer steps to produce plates than its rivals and in doing so streamlining the plate production process. The Dimension uses Presstek’s ProFire imaging head and can image a plate at 2,540dpi in just over three minutes. "The thermal-grained positive writing aluminium plate has the non-image area carbon layer removed by water wash after imaging by the ProFire laser," explains Swann.
The entire Dimension range was upgraded in 2005, which also saw the launch of the 425 and the 450 – these new models were around 40% faster than their predecessors. The key element of the upgrade was a move to a higher-powered and therefore faster laser, the ProFire Excel. The Excel uses a single-image data board that replaced the nine separate boards that were utilised in the previous version of the ProFire laser. As a result it offered faster imaging and a smaller dot size.
In total eight different versions of the Dimension have been launched – the 200, 225, 250, 400, 425, 450, 450 with auto-loader and the 800.
The auto-loader version of the 450 became available in 2007 and optional extras for other models in the range include FM screening. New models sell for between £40,000 to £65,000 depending on the model and specification.
Presstek will take back used machines in part-exchange. These machines are then fully refurbished and sold directly to customers or through dealers. Swann says that you can expect to pay £25,000 to £40,000 for a used machine, although in PrintWeek’s For Sale & Wanted section a Presstek Dimension 425 Excel, in "excellent condition", was recently advertised for £12,500.
Spares are readily available and Presstek has a large UK engineering team based in London, as well as dealer support throughout Europe. If you’re thinking of buying a secondhand Dimension, the two key things to look out for are the overall condition of the machine and the age of the lasers.
SPECIFICATIONS
Max plate size 680x780mm
Min plate size 240x240mm
Max image size 604x750mm
Max resolution 1,200x2,540dpi
Weight 900kg
Footprint 1,460x830mm
Price
New: £40,000 to £65,000
Used: £25,000 to £40,000
What to look for
- Overall condition of the machine
- Age of lasers
