Does anyone have any insight on the performance of this machine? I run a tiny publishing company that puts out art books, stationery, and the like. I've been using an old vertical camera to make plates (too time consuming) or I've been outsourcing plates from a service bureau (too expensive, too much lag time). So I've been looking into upgrading to an affordable in-house ctp system.
Xante's platemaker machines can be had on Ebay for around $1000 or so, but I'm not that impressed with the lpi. The general consensus seems to be that its ok for linework, not so hot for halftones. A lot of my work is one or two color photography or illustrations that look best with a fairly high lpi.
The Speedsetter seems like a good middle ground between the platemaker and a higher-end ctp system. But I haven't seen any of these systems on any second-hand or auction sites. I also have no idea how much a system like it would cost. I don't have a fortune and like I said, I'm a tiny shop funded by book sales and arts grants, rather than printing jobs.
P.S.- As a designer, I am in lust stochastic screening, and I wonder how xante's "perfectblend" screening compares, and how much this "extra feature" costs.
Xante's platemaker machines can be had on Ebay for around $1000 or so, but I'm not that impressed with the lpi. The general consensus seems to be that its ok for linework, not so hot for halftones. A lot of my work is one or two color photography or illustrations that look best with a fairly high lpi.
The Speedsetter seems like a good middle ground between the platemaker and a higher-end ctp system. But I haven't seen any of these systems on any second-hand or auction sites. I also have no idea how much a system like it would cost. I don't have a fortune and like I said, I'm a tiny shop funded by book sales and arts grants, rather than printing jobs.
P.S.- As a designer, I am in lust stochastic screening, and I wonder how xante's "perfectblend" screening compares, and how much this "extra feature" costs.