CTP--Still Testing the Waters
Richardson reports that, based on Creo's experience, processless plates will perform every bit as well as the current crop of conventional plates, and they will be drop-in compatible with Creo's thermal platesetters. As such, Richardson predicts, a wholesale switch to thermal and thermal processless materials is possible—in fact, eventual, resulting in the processless utopia for prepress within the next decade.
Peter M. DeWalt, president at Reynolds-DeWalt Printing, is looking forward to the deliverance of Richardson's prediction. DeWalt gives thermal CTP four out of five stars at present, with the last star on indefinite hold until the consumables portion of thermal CTP hits higher performance and commercial availability levels, giving the industry more choice and less processing.
"We are anxiously awaiting the commercial availability of thermal printing plates that require no processing," DeWalt states, noting that his company recently introduced Kodak Polychrome Graphics thermal plate technology into its operation, working with a new Scitex Lotem 800V thermal platesetter.
"At this time, I do not believe there are significant quality benefits between the DuPont/Agfa Silverlith SDB and the Kodak thermal plate, but I certainly do look forward to working in a daylight environment," DeWalt contends. "That may just be my opinion, but I feel it's valid nonetheless."
Dave Bartram, CTP marketing manager for Kodak Polychrome Graphics, understands the sense of caution and optimism expressed by many commercial printers deliberating the thermal plate purchase.
"Even though the great success of Kodak's thermal plates, working in tandem with Creo and other thermal CTP imagers, can hardly be overstated, I have a hard time putting the terms 'CTP' and 'utopia' together in the same sentence," Bartram reports.
"With that said, let me take a crack at overstating my case. The Kodak Polychrome Graphics thermal plate 830 now constitutes about 70 percent of the total U.S. off-press CTP business, with visible light and thermal plates finishing 1997 at roughly equal volumes. Yet our sales of the thermal plate 830 product increased 300 percent in 1998.
