Who uses a Printware CTP for process work?

[itsaprintshop]

I am hoping to reach out to pressmen (or owners) who are able to print decent process work using their Printware CTP. I am finding that the printware unit is just not all that is cracked up to be. We bought a Dual roll printware CTP at a time in which we were only using a 1 color press for spot color work. Due to budget reasons we couldn’t buy both a press and a CTP at the same time. Fast forward 3 years and we are finding that under the right conditions, full blue moon included, I find myself aging to quickly in making 4 plates register. The press technicians have been in and out over the last few weeks are getting tired of hearing about registration issues, and printware is saying we need to have a tech come out. I think after all the tech bills we could have afforded a DPX by now.

Here is a recap of the conditions:

- 8mil plate material loaded on the more direct path to the laser in the CTP
(8mil on the upper, 5mil on the lower)
- Tight guides holding the plate material in place
- A brand new Hamada H234, with auto plate loaders.
- Full blue moon optional, but very helpful

I can come within close with keeping pictures and graphics looking decent... but keeping when text is full color keeping that in register is impossible... also it seems as if over the course of 250 -300 sheets one of the two plates stretch.

Suggestions?

 

[Tommy B]

printware

printware

Are you using poly or paper and is it the Mitubishi or Printware private label?

 

[jsteip]

Poly CTP

Poly CTP

I'm a former AB Dick/Presstek TSR.

A couple of things I have found in the past regarding Poly Plates are;

they will stretch, press pressure settings are extremely important, mount is also important, (you have auto loaders should be fine) 8mil Poly are needed, when analyzing your registration remember what you're selling (the work/image) not the marks!! try to work from centers as much as possible and "split" the mis-registration towards the corners. Be sure trapping is applied to the max allowable by the job layout, minimum .030 pt. Printware is a capstan device will also cause image stretch at the imaging stage, try to use 4 plates in a row (I'm sure you do) and don't use near the start or end of a roll. The plates also come back to size so you can unload and reload them to bring them back to size.

(that blue moon you speak of can be from all of the banging of you're head against the wall)

I hope this helps, they will and really do work.

John

 

[itsaprintshop]

re: Who uses a Printware CTP for process work?

I am using 8mil poly printware private label. Forgive me not knowing, is trapping is an element that must be done during the layout, or is it something that can be applied in the settings in the rip?

I do realize the text and graphics are far more important that registering for crop marks. Crop marks a good starting point but are always off a little.

I called the salesperson from printware a day or two ago and the first question i asked him was can this machine produce plates for a process job. He answer was a shocker... "It can but it takes work" and that he has many people who do... I called a couple of them to get some advice and they all said it takes a lot of patience ... but it will work.

Still chipping away... getting closer, just wish the stretch wasn’t a factor.

Thank you all for your help.

If anyone has some tips... bring it.

 

[Tommy B]

Poly Plate

Poly Plate

Ok from past experience with Mitsubishi product they had to change the back of the material because of a static problem with auto loading presses. Can you try to mount manually to see if that fixes you registration issue. As for strech you might tr a pack of "platestrips" these are very small strips of metal with a peel off adhesive and you put on the top and bottom of your plate prior to punching or mounting. Readily available at xpedx or Mac paper or Kelly paper stores or you local dealer.

One of the most common problems is making the gripper too tight, that can also cause plate stretch

Poly plate can be very good at 2 color and 4 color work at 175lpi or less.

Good Luck

 

[JDuffy]

We are running poly plates and printing 4 color on Didde web presses using the same ctp as you, but 5 mil plates. A few things we have found:
The plate setter is repeatable if all operating conditions are well established and followed.
Most of the issues with the SetPrint - the Agfa supplied Printware branded material - is in the processing. The chemisty must be fresh! We run 1000 plates per week and change chemistry weekly. Printware claims we can go 2-3 but as soon as we go over 5 working days the change in the print quality is amazing. I know you do not believe it helps regisration but the better the plastic, the better the image!
We also had a complete fountain solution evaluation and found a huge difference in the image quality by changing to a a fountain solution with a built in alcohol sub. We also found after testing that printing at a lower line screen with a higher dpi produced the best results on the press.
We can hold register but packing and roller strips are also keys.
I felt like killing the printware group 9 months ago when I got here but after a expensive tech visit, a expensive training class for my lead operator and an increase in the monthly consumable cost we are now running almost flawlessly! The results have paid for themselves in a decrease in bad plates and wasted press time but the solution is in both places.

 

[KCrom]

We have the Platestream 46 Dual. We also run 99% of our process work on our Heidelberg SM52 5 color with poly plates from the Platestream. The easiest way to tell if your problem is with the platesetter or with your press/pressman is to measure/check your plates before mounting them on press. If they are in register, then you can focus all of your efforts on your press. We use 8 mil Mitsubishi plates(poly).

 

[CostaRicaPrinter]

Poly plates - 4 color work

Poly plates - 4 color work

Hello,

We have a Platestream 46, and we do our 4 color work on an AB Dick 3000. There are several factors we've found for successful 4 color work, but it can be done well.

1) The rollers in the platesetter need to be cleaned with the "D-ink" solution. We were getting "slip" in the platesetter, which made some images longer than others. The folks in Minneapolis helped us identify this problem.

2) Trying to do 4 color work on 12x18 sheets is a challenge. It can be done, but there will be waste. The plates will have to be "stretched" from time to time as you print. I don't think that poly plates actually stretch - I believe that they bend and tighten at the lead edge gradually, and this makes it seem as if they are stretching. But it seems to go in "jerks" - so when you are printing the second pass, all of a sudden your registration is out. We now print smaller pages, 1 up (book covers) and have had great success doing it this way.

3) Before starting printing, drop the rollers on the plates for awhile, and run some waste sheets through, and then re-tighten the plates before starting the FIRST pass. This will help "stretch" the plates as much as possible.

All this sounds like a lot of work, but it isn't. We love the poly plates, inexpensive and great quality. We use our Century 3000 for book covers, and have been putting out some fine work. We are now considering trying the 5 mil plates. We'll see what happens.

Bill G.