@jochegwyn Hi Jo,
Sorry it’s taken so long for me to reply – I’ve been swamped with conference work! To get a good impression on your press, you may need to add packing, or make adjustments to the platen using the large screw on the back of the platen. I suggest that you do a quick search in the forums to see if this question has already been asked, and if not, go ahead and post it – you’ll get plenty of good advice from the other members.
 
I recommend doing the same to find plate suppliers in the UK. I’m in the US, and use Boxcar, so I don’t know of any off the top of my head, but we have some other members in the UK that might be able to help you out.
 
Best,
Jessica