CTP suggestions

[CSimpson]

We currently have a polyester plate maker and a 2-color portrait press. We plan on acquiring a landscape 4-color press and would need to upgrade our plate maker. Most runs would be short between 1000 and 5000 and every once in a while runs of approximately 25,000. I would like to go chemical free if at all possible, and would like the plate cost to be reasonable. I haven't looked at CTP technology in ten years so I am a little lost, what would you guys suggest I look at?

[Joe Duffy]

Depending on your volumes, lower cost solutions like:
iCtP work. ECRM makes a reliable lower cost Violet platesetter to produce metal plates also - then you could choose your plate vendor. The solutions form Prestek works but will worm hole you into a sole source supplier for the short term.

Hope this helps alittle.

[Happyprinter]

We just purchased our first CTP unit. We searched for about a year and finally found a used Fuji Dart 4300 at a very reasonable price. It was less than most of the used violet systems we looked at and allowed us to run chem free plates. So far, couldnt be happier. In this market, do a lot of looking. It will save you a great deal of money.

[jaison]

I would like to suggest you to go for an Agfa Avalon N4 model, especially Chemistry Free - which is Azura. Please contact your Agfa dealer or send a private message to me so that I can help you by giving the contact details.

[Mike Meredith]

Don't know where you are on this but here's what we did. We upgraded 5 years ago to a 14 x 20 4 color. We added a screen ctp metal plate in addition to our current poly plate maker. It did very well using the azura plates chemical free. it's a little pricy but polyester, regardless of what you're told, will stretch making it impossible to run tight registration. the tail of the plate is where you will run into the issue.

It's exciting jumping onto the 4 color world - congratulations especially during a crappy economy. We've since also bought a 28" 6 color with coater - and a new automated screen 4300 auto load and unload - it's a dream.

We now use metal plates for everything - never any screen dot issues fading or not printing properly, no chemistry to fuss with. It's great. I fought the transition from ploy to metal but I'd never go back.

You're entering a new world of money making jumping into the 4 color world. Do it well.

[UnlimitedBT]

Hi, as Mike Meredith says and as general rule proven to be always right - if you're up to do something - do it right. A chem free seems like a right thing to do.