Creative Financing Brings CTP to Riverside

Getting money for new equipment is not easy for any in-plant, but community college in-plants in California have a particularly difficult time, thanks to the state’s continuing budget problems.

“There is very little capital budget money,” remarks Rich Finner, associate professor, Graphics Technology at the Riverside Community College. “In education, it is particularly difficult to stay abreast with technology.”

So when Finner’s in-plant wanted to upgrade to computer-to-plate (CTP) technology, the seven-employee District Printing & Graphics Center had to get creative. First, the Graphics Technology department applied for a $35,000 Vocational and Technical Education Act (VTEA) grant. VTEA funds are distributed by the state in response to surveys filled out by students, explains Finner.

“VTEA grants are in a normal cycle at our college, and our department submits yearly VTEA grant proposals,” he says.

The department was awarded the grant about 12 months later.

Then Graphics Technology approached school administration with a proposal to claim part of the funds the college had received from an AB1802 state grant. About six months later, the department was able to secure $30,000 of the AB1802 funds.

Altogether, this money covered about half the cost of the CTP equipment the in-plant wanted, a Fuji DART PlateRite 4300E system. Its price tag: $120,000.

To make the deal happen, Fuji made available a cost-added-to-plate lease option to fund the balance. This is paid by customers through a materials-only chargeback system.

After 18 months of effort, the in-plant installed the Fuji DART system last summer.

“We’ve been able to save an enormous amount of time in prepress,” Finner says. But that’s not all that was saved. In addition to eliminating film, the CTP system uses processless plates, allowing the in-plant to get rid of chemicals. This fit in perfectly with the new VOC standards mandated by California’s Air Quality Management District, as well as the school’s own desire to “go green.” The shop also switched to low-VOC solvents and alcohol-free fountain solution, and set up a paper recycling program.

Because 200+ students use the equipment in RCC’s Graphics Technology department, Finner says the new technology will allow them to get more real-world experience.

“It’s important to close the technological gap in a career/technical school to ensure students are learning current industry standards,” explains Finner. “The Fuji DART system allows staff to produce live projects for the three-college district in an environmentally-sound manner, with greater quality, in a total-digital workflow. For the students, it brings the lab to industry standard, preparing them for the workforce.”