CTP--Still Testing the Waters
Jim Crawford, PS plates product manager, Fujifilm Graphic Systems Div., forecasts 1999 to be a very big year for the commercialization of Fujifilm's Brillia LH-NI and Brillia LH-PI thermal plates. The Brillia LH-NI requires prebake and postbake to be press-ready for runs exceeding 1 million impressions.
Fujifilm's most promising thermal technology for expansion into the short-run web and commercial sheetfed market, however, is the Brillia LH-PI, which requires neither prebaking nor postbaking to achieve its pressroom potential of 300,000 impressions—a tremendous benefit to commercial printers that are unaccustomed to having baking ovens in their prepress environment. The LH-PI only requires a conventional-size processor, so a small footprint develops, rinses and applies finishing gum to make the plate press-ready.
"Thermal should continue to grow in the U.S. market due to the promotional efforts of platesetter manufacturers concentrating on this technology," Fujifilm's Crawford suggests. "It is unlikely that all printing establishments will universally need or want thermal technology, therefore, the landscape for the next five years should offer competing technologies that are the new tools of the trade."
Keep in mind, Crawford continues, that there are new technologies such as blue-laser diode and low-res screening geared for high throughputs to support short-run color that will continue to challenge the capability envelope for thermal.
"Much has been made about processless technology—typically, the promises depict a panacea, while the reality shows an alternative method to obtain a sellable sheet for the customer," Crawford cautions. "While processless can eliminate an effluent waste stream for the printer, questions will challenge the true viability of the technology."
For instance, Crawford asks, how will the printer have to alter the plate making process to accommodate the new technology? Will other process variabilities be introduced? What is the run-length capability of the plate? What are the pressroom chemistry characteristics?
