Epson 7900CTP

[SnappySteve]

Has anyone seen plate samples or printed samples from the Epson 7900CTP? I am interested in finding out more about it.

[Happyprinter]

Are you talking about the VIM System that uses the 7900? If you are then I can give you some feedback as we have been using it for about 7 months.

[SnappySteve]

This one: Epson Stylus Pro 7900 Computer To Plate System - Epson Professional Imaging - Epson America, Inc

I had never seen it until I was paging through the latest issue of The Big Picture

[jsnkiefer]

Saw it @ Graph Expo last week. Supposedly not available until November. It inkjets the image on a metal plate. The plate is then baked for 6 min. to 'harden' the image to the plate. The complete system (printer, RIP, oven) is about $10,000. Since it uses regular Epson ink when you're not making plates you can be printing proofs. Image/registration looks very good. Downsizes are speed and
maximum plate size of 24".
Glunz & Jenson make a suspicuously similar machine, the iCTP 2000/2400/3000 series. Same technology, but can't be used as printer. It's faster and the higher series can output larger plates.

[greenplates]

Glunz & Jensen has been making their system for about 6 years. They have a great deal of expertise in this technology. They'll give you better image, better registration, longer run lengths, much cheaper plates. It comes down to what you are willing to build your company on. I think years of experience speaks volumes. My suggestion is to have both VIM and Glunz & Jensen produce plates for you from the same file so you can compare side by side. Make it challenging for them. You'll see the difference.

[SnappySteve]

Glunz & Jensen has been making their system for about 6 years. They have a great deal of expertise in this technology. They'll give you better image, better registration, longer run lengths, much cheaper plates. It comes down to what you are willing to build your company on. I think years of experience speaks volumes. My suggestion is to have both VIM and Glunz & Jensen produce plates for you from the same file so you can compare side by side. Make it challenging for them. You'll see the difference.

We received demo plates from VIM last year. Unless their technology has accelerated, we were not impressed. I will contact Glunz & Jensen for a demo. If I am not mistaken, they made the Quicksetter Poly Imagesetters that Heidelberg sold.

[jdaghir]

I saw it at Graph Expo also. Halftone screening had that inkjet dither look to it which always seems a little grainy to me in comparison to traditional AM screening. Epson told me they are working on a stochastic screening option that should result in smoother halftones but it isn't ready for release yet. Rip was Fiery based I think but I didn't get a chance to play with it. They were printing process color on a Ryobi 3302 with the plates at the booth. Looked pretty good although I thought the fleshtones were grainy. Registration was dead-on but that's not all that difficult on a 12x18 sheet. Spoke with the press operator (he wasn't affiliated with Epson, he was just a hired gun) and he said that in his opinion the plates ran like conventional metal plates and the plate to plate registration was very good. Plates are supposed to be good for around 20,000 impressions so comparable to poly plates but not conventional metal plates. As I understand it the difference between this and the G&J system is that G&J uses a special ink on conventional plates while the Epson system uses conventional inks on special plates. I'm not familiar with the VIM system. The advantage of the Epson system is that for $10k you get a system that can be used as both a platemaker and a proofer/wide format printer. Disadvantage is that the plates might cost more. I think it might be a good fit for some niche applications like a smaller shop that mostly runs poly plates on a 12x18 format but occasionally needs a metal plate for a larger format press. But I suspect that if you need to make very many plates a faster and more automated poly, violet or thermal system would be a better choice.

[SnappySteve]

Good Info - Thanks! We are a smaller shop that runs poly from a DPM2340. We run all 2 color Quickmasters for offset but may look into a used 14x20 4 color press. We are watching some of the newer technology because of all the service cuts Presstek is making and are concerned about where we will be if the DPM service gets sketchy. We have no tech left in our area - closest is 70 miles away in Denver, so on a "snowy day" scenario we are down with no plates. That's not good.

We have a Quicksetter in storage that we picked up for nothing from a shop closing down, so in a worst case scenario we could bring that up. Just watching what is out there. Plus, we would eventually like to get away from chemical based plate making.

[greenplates]

I believe the VIM and Epson system is one in the same. It just now goes under the Epson name.

[itek]

I come from a Vendor, and have sold both but we are based in Europe so can't help you directly.

The Epson product is a VIM plate, they are trialing. It is also similar to an Indian product called Technova.
We found the VIM /EPson direct plate to be difficult to run on press, users need lots of water at start up and it will ink up when stopped.. and can not be easily cleaned. Virtually all plate cleaners our customers tried were fatal to the plate. So far we ahve not had any of our customers do over 3,000 impressions... I know they claim 20,000 but that's a tad enthusisatic if you ask me.
Also, there is no registration system to speak of, so single and 2 colour non critical work is fine, but decent close register work becomes a challenge in fact 4 colour is easier.. But if you make 20" or larger plates then you will have your work cut out, keeping them WET and in register.
As another poster says, the EPson/Vim plates are expensive.. we found, the G&J plates at $1.10 per sq ft (Eqv) for 6 gauge, and $1.20 per sq ft (eqv) for 8 gauge. I see poly plates at $1.56 per sq ft for the ABDick system ? But the VIM/Epson plates were $2 per sqft going to $4per sq ft making it expensive for everyday work.

Having said all that... We found the system (due to its price point) great for people looking for a proofer... and wanting the option of running an occasional plate if your normal system broke down.. But we couldn't place it at a print shop that wanted to run their business on it. .. So.. it has a place, and if you are looking to make the occasional plate... OR if you do lots of single colour or non registration critical work then I think its a good solution.

If you really need to do normal commercial printing / platemaking.. you want the G&J system, or a new poly system.
The G&J is Metal plates, and the plates run like normal plates. The quality is much higher than the Epson / Vim system, and indeed higher than probably your old DPM. Run length is no issue due to their special ink, and some of our customers can do upwards of 250,000 which is much higher than G&J say.. But then the G&J system is more expensive... I think the list price in Europe would see it at around $20,000 - $25,000 US..

My suggestion is you ask BOTH G&J and VIM/Epson for plates.. send them both the same file and try them back to back.. but try to run 10,000 impressions and make sure you start and stop like you normally would... make your decisions not based on spec, but how you would use them in day to day life.