Presstek 34DI

banjoman

Well-known member
Anyone having GOOD luck with this machine? I have read a lot here about all the toning and picture framing and problems with the machine. We are thinking about a purchase and I'm trying to make a decision. I also wonder how accurate the specs are, can you get 20,000 on a set of plates. I also saw where on a Heidelberg SMDI which is more money but it states you can use the DI plates or regular plates. That would make the larger runs we get every now and then easier. This will be the only 4 color we have and we have been getting by with an old 25" Solna and a small 2 color Hamada and ready to make a change.

Banjoman in NC
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

Roger you have a tough decision. Ptek is based on the razor and blade theory. If you use their razor you must buy the blades from them also and this includes service. I prefer not to depend on one company to supply my needs. I would think you know what the word Proprietary means.
I would suggest you look at the Screen 344 True offset press. The print quality is amazing and the features on the press are a press operators dream. ScreenUSA is a great company!
Best of luck with your purchase!
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

Hi all, first post, here goes...

I would think *VERY* carefully before buying a PTEK 34DI, i have just discovered this site and am in the process of outlining all the troubles we have had and still are having on our 34di.

We demo'd the 34di and the screen machine. we took three jobs, the screen failed miserably on two, the 34di was ok.

Since then its been a nightmare.
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

Why did the Screen demo fail? And where was the demo? Did you demo the Ptek34 in thier showroom in Hudson or a customer location? Some times they only take you to a finely tuned machine for a demo.
Any way best of luck with your DI.
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

Hi OG,

The screen failed because it would not feed on translucent paper, and they
could not figure out how to make it do this. Also, the max thickness was
only 300mic I think, we needed 450-500mic.

It also had problems with roller striping in solids.

Both machines were demo'd in their own showrooms here in England. Both
finely tuned !
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

Even the Ptek DI ghosts in solids. I have seen this on many press's. If that stock ran on a ryob it will run on any press including the 344 IMHO. The 344 is a great machine and people need to look at more closely.
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

Hi Banjoman,

It all depends on what you expect. If you think you are getting the answer to every printers dreams, then you will be disapointed. Mechanically it seems quite sound, heavy frame, excellent gripper layout, big impression cylinder.

There are not enough ink rollers so striping can be a problem but we have learned to live with that. Our troubles might be an isolated incident or a 'friday afternoon' machine. They are **VERY** temperature sensitive, dont believe otherwise. our range is 21-22C and thats it. They put out a LOT of heat (we have the IR dryer).

The Ptek engineers in england can tend to be a bit 'we know best' in their attitude, even though the customer may have been printing all his life, this can be annoying. Plate lif has not really been an issue for us, we can easily get 15,000 on a set now that we have fixed the other troubles. You **MUST** follow the maintenance schedule religiously, half hour per day, two hours on a friday, that is if you are on a standard weekday shift.

The best way we have found to obtain maximum colour matching to a proof is to profile the press and use this profile in the rip's colour management. This is a massively complicated area that Ptek know nothing about and i cant go into specifics as i dont do it all myself. Ptek will try and get what they think is reasonable, we needed much more.

Register, well its a portrait machine so expect a little wobble at the back edge. Changeover times, 20 mins, they say 50 sheet makeready, to get to our colour acceptance level can take 500 sheets, i did say that we need extreme colour matching didnt i! But it will get there in the end.

For a small machine it will print good solids although you can expect some colour variation from front to back as the rollers really are too few and too small. Its not terrible though.

Forget the **GREEN** eco friendly sales hype. Using 25kw of aircon all day is definately not green and outweighs any small savings in alcohol or makeready times etc.

Although it is flawed, it does not seem to have much competition.
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

The Screen 344 is similar from what I've read, about what does this machine cost in comparison to the Presstek? I'm not locked in to anything and still may get a conventional press with a platesetter.
Thanks for all the great info, it's hard to make a decision and if all I had to rely on was the sales staff from a company then every press you look at is the best and never have problems and is the perfect press and on and on, it's good to here some real experience from someone who has the machine.

banjoman in NC
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

IIRC, the screen was slightly cheaper, around £200k, our ptek ended up around £220k but we really wanted waterless printing, the dot is much sharper without damping.

Going back 9 months with the knowledge gained so far, i would probably be looking at a standard press + platesetter. I just dont think the technology is there from either screen or ptek yet.

Unless you are willing to accept some problems. Its just too cutting edge techno-wise, the bugs havent been ironed out yet. It needs more support from ink manufacturers, better temp control as in chilled plate cylinders, a few more bigger ink rollers and far better blanket washes, i'm buggered if i'm paying a quarter million £ and still wiping blankets by hand every couple of thousand !

Good luck on your decision
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

Hey Guys great discussion here about the DI waterless copier and the true conventional press.
Ink and water has been the best choice for many years and IMHO still produces the highest quality printing available today. Waterless ink is dull and flat while true litho inks have gloss and pop up the colors. Even pantone has to make a new book for these waterless copiers.
It is important to have a forum like this for all to express their views both good and bad about these companies selling digital products and wanting to dictate and use their leverage to force people into using their products.
How many people here still use ABDick and Hamada and Ryobi and Heidelberg presses?
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

I heard about your demo. The problem that day was the machine had been used for engineering training previously, and had not been set up and tested for demonstrations. Also the regular demonstrator (me) wasnt available to do the dem that day. As I wasn't there I obviously cant comment on it completely, I can tell you that after that disaster heads rolled and proceedures were set up to prevent it happening again.

BTW 400 mic is now officially supported from the factory, but some of our customers have been running 400+ for years
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

Thats fair enough SM, but the question remains - Why were we invited to a demo on a machine that wasn't perfect in every way?

It's like asking for a test drive on a new car and finding out that it had a flat tyre and no fuel in it!

Dave
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

I couldn't agree more, very embarrasing for us and a bit " stable door, horse bolted" etc. I'm not trying to argue with anyone or question anyone's decisions. all we can do is say sorry for wasting your time that day.

Stu
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

I went to a shop and got a hands on demo of the 34DI and got to talk with the pressman in depth and the supervisor and was impressed with the machine. It does have the same characteristics of a regular offset press, it will ghost and it does have some problems here and there with certain jobs but it's a press. It was fast, registration was good and the jobs they printed looked great, I did not see washed out looking copy at all. I saw a hickey every now and then but I get them now with our 4 color. I will let you know what I think of the machine as I get it broke in and I'll be honest about it, if I don't like it I will tell you straight up. The thing that I worry the most about is what if PTek folds tomorrow, where would that leave all the owners but there is another plate manufacturer out there now so I think it will get better as time goes on and more machines are introduced. Most of the customers I print for are looking to save money and always want to get a better price. I do very little SUPER HIGH QUALITY stuff now so that isn't an issue for me.

banjoman
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

The 34DI is a great press.. has its downfalls but I wouldnt switch back to a conventional press.
You can get plates from VIM - alternate manufacturer from Israel, we are currently testing them out at our shop and going back and forth between the two suppliers to see which works the best. As long as you do your maintenance on the DI, you wont have any problems.
As far as washed out colours, its not the inks.. the rip has to be calibrated and fingerprinted to ISO7 standard to match a traditional press.
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

Amin,
How are the VIM plates working out? Are they good or bad? It is nice to know other people make supplies for that machine.
With the Ptek boys laying off more service reps and the other problems they are having a second source of service/supplies is a good thing.
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

Did any of you consider the KBA Genius 52? If so, why was that not the one installed?

Thanks,

Al Ferrari
 
Re: Presstek 34DI

Al,
Welcome to the discussion. Maybe enlighten us all about the KBA products and why you feel they are so good? Who makes the machine and the plates they require to operate?
Why do you think waterless is better than toner?
 

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