The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss., purchased two Creo Inc. Trendsetter News 100 computer-to-plate platesetters.

“We thought thermal CTP would offer us the best quality and long-term pricing,” said Kirk Martin, prepress manager at the newspaper.

Trendsetter News platesetters feature Creo’s proprietary Squarespot thermal imaging and Staccato FM screening techniques. Creo maintains that the methods yield sharper and more detailed printing.

The platesetter’s laser automatically detects plates’ edges and compensates for temperature-related expansion and compression.

“The plates require no calibration, they’re daylight loading and there are no slip sheets to contend with,” Martin said.

The News 100 units produce up to 100 plates per hour; The Ledger uses approximately 200 plates per production run, Martin said.

Martin said the increasing number of thermal plate vendors — there are now three — made it feasible for The Ledger to adopt thermal CTP.

“Having more than one vendor will help ensure we have alternative” plate suppliers.

Multiple plate vendors should also drive down plate costs, he said.

“The costs of the plates were factored in at the start of the project,” Martin said. “We know they’ll be price reductions as more users hop on board.”