Higher quality and lower production costs were the main factors in the Idaho Press –Tribune’s decision to implement Higher quality and lower production costs were the main factors in the Idaho Press –Tribune's decision to implement CtP production utilising the PlateRite News 2000 from Screen, according to Joe Hansen, production/information technology director. The company also recognised that digital technology represented the future of newspaper prepress.

“Thermal plates have come such a long way, at some point conventional newspaper offset plates will be harder to get,” Hansen stated.

The history of the Idaho Press–Tribune is long and winding, but always forward moving. The paper began publication in late 1883 in Caldwell, Idaho. Name changes, mergers and relocations culminated in the present seven-day morning newspaper owned by Pioneer Newspapers, Inc and based in Nampa, Idaho.

A multi-phase $6.7 million (Rs 29.70 crores) expansion project was completed in October 2005 at the Idaho Press–Tribune's property on Midland Boulevard in Nampa. The project started in 2002 with the addition of a new press and inserting equipment after a 22,000-square-foot production facility was built. In January 2005, the conversion of the old pressroom and distribution centre started, creating state-of-the-art offices for the news, circulation and information technology departments. In addition, new space was created for the advertising, marketing, business and administration departments.

During an average month, the prepress department images 5,000 34 × 22 1/4-inch plates for the newspaper company's Dauphin Graphic Machines (DGM) 440 press. The daily paper accounts for 40 per cent of the plate output, while special sections and a thriving commercial component account for the remainder. Local weeklies, real estate publications and stitch-and-trim booklets are printed for commercial customers on newsprint, book stock and hi-brite grades.

“CTP images a hard dot that reproduces very well,” Hansen said. “The dot gain on press is minimal. Register is greatly improved over the film workflow. Our overall quality is definitely better.” Print quality isn't the only advantage of Screen CTP that has worked in the Idaho Press–Tribune's favour. “Mechanically, the PlateRite is a dependable production machine,” Hansen said. “That was evident right from the time of installation. The platesetter was up and running within a matter of days. Since then, we have experienced no downtime or any other problems.”