Five points for selecting CTP equipment

Europe and North America have become major markets for CTP printing suppliers. To be sure, for most printers, the current problem is when to use CTP technology rather than whether to adopt the technology. In some areas of the printing market, the vast majority of printers have adopted CTP technology. For color printers, the main reason for CTP is to perform rapid color calibration on the press without worrying about the downtime caused by dust removal and scratches in the conventional process. In the printing industry, where printing processes are getting shorter and shorter, the advantages of CTP become more and more important.

Specifically, shortening the plate-making time allows printers to complete their jobs faster, thereby increasing efficiency and extending the life of major assets (printers); and using CTP technology to accomplish these improvements without increasing labor costs, if possible, Save more labor to do other work. Although different users have different CTP technologies, most printers who have not yet adopted CTP technology have apparently showed similar interest in CTP technology. Many large printing companies said that their future - part of the investment plan is undoubtedly CTP, the only question now is "what kind of CTP technology is the best"?

As people know, CTP uses laser to expose the plate to the imaging medium without using film: it can be imaged on-camera or off-line; the laser has green laser, purple laser or red laser: the platemaker type has inner drum type and outer drum type. Or platform type. At present, there are sales of platemaking machines suitable for various types of plates, speeds, and uses. This also explains the widespread existence of different types of CTPs on the market.

The competition among suppliers provides a good opportunity for users to select suppliers and CTP technologies, but it also confuses buyers. The challenge for suppliers is to ensure that buyers understand the differences between CTP technologies, various CTP technologies, and how to use CTP technologies.

First look at the motivation for stimulating CTP development. Different users have different business motives, and each of them has good reasons. The typical business motivation includes the following:

Labor costs

Large-scale plate-making workshops can use automatic CTP equipment to work day and night. If there is a surplus of labor, there are full-time personnel on board and unloading, but you may also consider using a manual CTP device with a lower cost. All of this depends on the preferences of individual printers and their process business and staff organization.

Whether to replace the laser imagesetter

For some users, the closeness to natural end-of-life of laser imagesetters is also an incentive to use CTP technology. Although imagesetters continue to be sold, due to natural replacement, many users are increasingly enthusiastic about CTP platesetters.

Lack of skilled craftsmen

For many printing companies, it is important to employ skilled prepress technicians. The degree of automation of CTP means that many traditional complex prepress skills are gradually being replaced by CTP equipment, which can save more workers.

quality

In the media - on the direct imaging to eliminate the film as an intermediate medium, so that the network quality to a new level. For some publishers, the increase in overall print quality means that the advertising industry is more prosperous.

Printing efficiency

For color jobs, rapid platemaking and schooling can make printing jobs run faster, presses work more efficiently, and revenue and profits increase gradually. A competent supplier will provide users with various CTP development prospects so that users can evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of various CTPs. However, if the printers are not the same in terms of resources, time, personnel, equipment and raw materials, I am afraid that the above conclusions are "somewhat difficult to do".

Suppliers often consult CTP technology best, and it is the speculation of the market rather than the supplier that has the final decision right. The CTP market is diversified and multi-directional. Any CTP supplier should make a fair evaluation of its own technology and products, and choose the right CTP equipment according to its own needs.