CTP Why Are You Waiting?

Smaller formats, chemistry-free alternatives and a variety of imaging technologies are motivating in-plants to successfully—and profitably—bring computer-to-plate imaging in-house.

By Vincent De Franco

Doug Fenske is one of the growing number of in-plant managers who have realized the benefits and profitability of converting to a computer-to-plate (CTP) workflow.

"It's just awesome," he enthuses, referring to the productivity gains he's enjoyed since leading the transformation of the Minnesota State University at Mankato Print Center to CTP.

According to Fenske, the range of new opportunities and benefits includes perfect registration, faster imaging speeds and significant process improvements.

"It's just so cool," he says. "Changing over from one to four colors is just a minor adjustment—that is so sweet."

Making the transition easy was the fact that Fenske's in-plant already had experience with a digital workflow, previously imaging film on an Agfa SelectSet imagesetter. He was able to minimize the overhead costs by investing in an economical CTP box, an ECRM Mako2, which was not only attractive due to its relatively low $50,000 price tag, but also because he could continue to run his existing Agfa Apogee RIP.

Quick Look

• Chemistry-free and process-free systems are gaining in popularity, as they offer a simplified, cleaner CTP process and significant savings.

• Up to 30 percent of all plate costs are associated with chemistry.

• Violet, visible-light CTP offers a lower-cost solution in the long term over thermal systems and potential speed advantages over process-free.

• Desktop paper and polyester platemaking devices are increasing in sophistication.

• RIPing software is also evolving to accommodate the needs of in-plant printers.

With the low cost of the investment, Fenske has already realized labor savings, reducing his staff by one because his setup times have gone down by as much as 75 percent. He estimates that the total time required to image a press-ready plate has decreased from four hours to about 30 minutes, partly due to the elimination of the need to re-image film to add color bars and other marks, since the imagesetter could only handle 13˝ film. In addition, he is also able to increase the line screens he prints from 133 to 150.

"Because the Mako2 is not a closed system, we lay the plate out in subdued light, so any dust particle will image on plate," he explains. "We really have to make sure the plate is clean." Despite this minor drawback, Fenske still believes the benefits far outweigh any drawbacks.

"I've been kicking myself for waiting so long, but we really had to wait for an economical device that was right for us," he concludes.

No Longer Just For The Big Guys

Increasingly, in-plant managers like Fenske are realizing that CTP is no longer the domain of the large commercial shops. Virtually all CTP platesetter and software developers are moving down market with their products, eager to accommodate smaller printers and in-house facilities that want to enjoy the productivity improvements that CTP promises.

Presstek is one of the vendors that has been focusing its products on the lower end of the market from the beginning and, until recently, was the only vendor marketing processless plates. Its success with providing Direct Imaging (DI) technology to OEM partners like Heidelberg has been followed by its own Dimension XL platesetter, which is now in its third generation of development.

The company has always offered chemistry-free technology in its imaging products, and is enjoying the recent surge in "process-free" and "chemistry-free" popularity in the marketplace, particularly since Drupa 2004 where many vendors demonstrated such CTP devices and consumables. Although many in the industry use the terms 'chemistry-free' and 'process-free' interchangeably, they are, in fact, different.

• Chemistry-free systems have no consumable products and no regulated waste stream but have water rinses with drain disposable effluent.

• Process-free refers to systems with no plate developing steps at all after imaging.

According to John O'Rourke, Presstek's director of marketing for CTP Products, CTP is all about step reduction, and process-free CTP removes yet another step from a complex process.

"The reality of CTP today is that you image a plate then do 'stuff' to it, i.e. chemical processing, which by its nature is complicated," he explains. "Printers need to maintain, monitor and replenish chemistry, they need to keep the machine running and stable, and the labor and material costs are intensive. Plus, if something is wrong in the processor, you may not realize it until you are on press."

Presstek's Dimension XL platesetter offers process-free platemaking using Presstek's Applause thermal ablation plate; chemistry-free platemaking is available using Presstek's Anthem plate. The environmental benefits are unquestionable and can be particularly appealing to in-plants at corporations with strong environmental mandates, as well as office-type in-plant environments.

But the real case for process- and chemistry-free systems is the financial and efficiency advantages. Industry studies have shown that as much as 30 percent of the total plate costs for a printer are associated with chemistry.

"You have to store it, tie up capital, maintain it and dispose of it, then you have to pay to haul it off," explains O'Rourke. "We make it all go away."

Reducing the need for a processor naturally makes for a smaller footprint, another advantage in-plants might consider when evaluating CTP options.

Desktop CTP

Another alternative to full blown CTP for in-plants doing short runs is a desktop device that allows printing on paper or polyester plate, like the PlateMaker 4 from Xanté. Plates from the two-up, 13-3⁄8x19-7⁄8˝ machine are designed for printers with portrait presses.

"Our device is really pushing the limits of what a laser printer engine can do," says Chris Estes, director of worldwide marketing for Xanté.

The machine is engineered to run myriad paper and polyester plates manufactured by Agfa. Its press characteristics are similar to that of a metal plate, without the chemicals associated with conventional plates.

Options for the in-plant printer are now becoming abundant as larger vendors like Agfa enter the scene. According to Susan Wittner, Agfa's director of marketing for North America, the lower cost of ownership associated with Agfa's new line of four-up violet visible light devices makes an attractive proposition for in-plants.

"There are no real bad choices when it comes to the CTP technology that's out there," says Wittner. "It's a matter of how much speed you need, what price is right for you, the plates that offer the characteristics you want."

Long-lasting Laser

Agfa continues development in violet, thermal, and chemical-free CTP, but Wittner believes violet is the lowest cost-of-ownership solution, not due to a lower price tag for the system, but rather due to the longevity of the laser.

"In the case of violet, the laser will last for years and years without the need to replace heads, as is the case with thermal devices, so from a service point of view, violet will be cheaper," she says.

Agfa demonstrated its own thermal, chemistry-free plates at Drupa, with the introduction of the Azzura plate, expected for fourth quarter 2004.

"This plate is a great opportunity for in-plants, but it is a bit slower, since machines generally run slower with chem-free. Plus the pricing on the plates themselves tends to be a little higher," she says.

Wittner disagrees that there is a groundswell in demand for chemistry-free, but says there is definitely a lot of interest out there.

"If all was equal, like the cost of use, cost of plate, productivity, etc., everyone would want chem-free," says Wittner, adding that the trade-offs must first be evaluated. "For in-plant people in more of an office environment, or for manufacturing environments where there is more pressure to reduce waste, the technology definitely makes a lot of sense."

Also offering options to CTP-minded in-plants are software developers such as RIPit Computer Corp. According to the company's advertising director, Steve Willis, printers are able to drive any output device in their plant using its OpenRIP Symphony product.

"This is fantastic for in-plants because one of their biggest problems is to continue operating old equipment as new equipment comes in, causing them to continually invest in new RIPs," says Willis. "The beauty for the in-plant is if they don't have the budget to update an output device, this allows them to drive all of them, and get better results because they get a level three RIP with all the features their older Level two's can't do, such as in-RIP trapping, zone trapping and hybrid screening."

Although the CTP choices for in-plant printers increase each day, the decision to move in this direction still comes down to comparing the efficiencies gained to the total investment costs involved. But as Presstek's O'Rourke points out, "at the end of the day, the in-plant has to remain competitive with the outside world, and CTP is a yardstick now—without it, you may not be as attractive as the outsourcing alternative."

You can contact Vincent De Franco at vdefranc@sympatico.ca

Find Out More

Agfa

www.agfa.com

alfaQuest Technologies

www.alfaquest.com

Creo

www.creo.com

ECRM Imaging Systems

www.ecrm.com

Esko-Graphics

www.esko-graphics.com