I've read a lot in this forum in regards to people asking which is the best direction to head. Most of the replies ask that the Post-er give information about their shop. So, I will attempt to do just that.
We currently have a 20x28 Sakurai 5-color press with an inline coater. Our current platesetter for this machine is a ESKO DPX/4 Poly platesetter. Our PDF Workflow is EFI OneFlow 2.0 using integrated imposition. This Flow also drives our Epson 7600 and 9600 for Proofing. Our press was profiled last January by a very reputable company (I don't want to use their name and get in trouble) and we are Gracol 6 standardized. The proofers were profiled to match the press, but they have always failed in that regard. (no matter) We are the kind of print shop that runs everything that comes through the door. We push about 600 plates a month for the Sakurai. We do have a smaller 4-color Hamada, and some Abdick 9800 Series, which we will continue to feed with a DPX platesetter we have had since 2000.
I am in charge of investigating which way to go for all three areas I mentioned in the Subject line. I've seen Apoge X 4.0 in action at a local company, and I was nicely impressed. I've also seen Heidelberg's Prinect system at this years Graph Expo and I really liked it alot. I have a webinar with Kodak Prinergy 4 tomorrow. I've read good things about Prinergy, but I haven't seen it. we will also be meeting with Rampage and Screen reps. For Platesetters, we've narrowed down to Agfa, Fuji and Kodak. We really would like to go Chem free, as well. We would like to get everything from the same company. It's possible that we'll move into a Komori 6-up 29" press, but that would be down the road. However, we want the Metal CTP to be able to make plates for that press. We do not have any JDF compliant equipment, but you never know what the future holds.
I'll stop because I can go on and on. Please posts any relevant thoughts you may have.
Fletch
We currently have a 20x28 Sakurai 5-color press with an inline coater. Our current platesetter for this machine is a ESKO DPX/4 Poly platesetter. Our PDF Workflow is EFI OneFlow 2.0 using integrated imposition. This Flow also drives our Epson 7600 and 9600 for Proofing. Our press was profiled last January by a very reputable company (I don't want to use their name and get in trouble) and we are Gracol 6 standardized. The proofers were profiled to match the press, but they have always failed in that regard. (no matter) We are the kind of print shop that runs everything that comes through the door. We push about 600 plates a month for the Sakurai. We do have a smaller 4-color Hamada, and some Abdick 9800 Series, which we will continue to feed with a DPX platesetter we have had since 2000.
I am in charge of investigating which way to go for all three areas I mentioned in the Subject line. I've seen Apoge X 4.0 in action at a local company, and I was nicely impressed. I've also seen Heidelberg's Prinect system at this years Graph Expo and I really liked it alot. I have a webinar with Kodak Prinergy 4 tomorrow. I've read good things about Prinergy, but I haven't seen it. we will also be meeting with Rampage and Screen reps. For Platesetters, we've narrowed down to Agfa, Fuji and Kodak. We really would like to go Chem free, as well. We would like to get everything from the same company. It's possible that we'll move into a Komori 6-up 29" press, but that would be down the road. However, we want the Metal CTP to be able to make plates for that press. We do not have any JDF compliant equipment, but you never know what the future holds.
I'll stop because I can go on and on. Please posts any relevant thoughts you may have.
Fletch