CTP: From "noble" to "civilian" full offensive

CTP's "dark horse" CTcP debut

As early as 1995, BasysPrint of Germany had launched the first system using CTcP technology, but it was only an experimental product; Drupa2000, using the traditional PS version of the UV flatbed plate making machine officially launched, causing a comparison Great response, but not among the mainstream technologies of CTP's direct platemaking technology; Drupa2004, in the year's hottest JDF digital workflow advancement, CTcP technology based on traditional PS plate printing almost disappeared at the same time as thermal CTP. It was only after the year that it was just like "Cinderella" found its own "Crystal Shoes," and it suddenly became a "Princess," causing widespread concern in the printing industry. Other companies have also launched their own CTcP products.

The reason CTcP is popular is because of its unique advantages. Using square dot imaging to achieve high-quality printing with lower resolution, and can significantly shorten the RIP time, reduce the amount of processing data, save computer system memory, exposure speed and so on. The dot-matrix one-to-one digital imaging of the PS version can eliminate the phenomenon of network expansion and the occurrence of dirty spots at the time of plate making. Give full play to the potential performance of the traditional PS version. Can reproduce 1% to 100% of the outlets, and the controllable range of printing has also been expanded to 1% to 99%.

The printing plate was selected due to "living". For different jobs, either negative or positive plates can be used. For prints with main textual content, use the negative PS type (N type); if the image area on the plate is large (such as commercial prints), or some special inks are highly corrosive (such as UV inks) , positive type PS plate (P type, strong chemical resistance, high resistance to printing force) can be used.

The rapid, stable, and smooth integration with the traditional PS printing process ensures the stability of printing and ensures economical efficiency. PS printing machine on the machine and image copying ability through the market long-term testing, recognized, the technology has been perfect, and has been the most widely used in the printing industry. The introduction of CTcP can continue to use the original plateetter and developer solution; it can be networked with the existing network environment to achieve low-cost operation.

The development trend of CTP direct plate making technology

CTP direct plate making technology has entered the era of thermal, purple laser CTP and CTcP "three countries." The thermal CTP leads the CTP with high technological content, high plate making quality, and technological innovation. Violet Laser CTP Inner Drum is becoming a CTP rookie for ease of production, high speed of exposure, miniaturization of imaging unit, and technology maturity; CTcP uses traditional PS version, low overall cost, and converges with original printing equipment of printing factory The sudden emergence.

Customers need to be the driving force behind a single CTP device moving toward a fully digital workflow. A systematic and comprehensive solution can achieve high requirements such as printing and proofing at any stage of production, allowing last-minute changes, facilitating the elimination of human factors, facilitating the digital transfer of information, and facilitating the rapid discovery and resolution of problems. To ensure the efficiency and security of the entire system.

Prepress equipment resources are shared. A RIP, multiple output, production efficiency and technical level can be improved, and easy to achieve compatibility and mixed operation of a variety of file formats between systems.

Replaceable light source technology CTP equipment. In the CTP light source and plate material diversification situation, replaceable light source technology will ensure that customers invest in CTP equipment without the influence of light source changes.

Meet increasingly stringent print production requirements. It will further adapt to the requirements of high-speed output, diversified specifications, and automatic processing. At the same time, the resistance to India will be greatly improved, and it can meet the printing requirements of high-precision color printing network and other areas.

The CTP workflow will further specialize in different market segments. For example, for the printing of books and periodicals, it will highlight a powerful book layout function, accurately and securely handle double-byte Chinese functions, high-quality printing effects, printing plates with high resistance to printing, and adaptation to UV printing, etc.; printing for newspapers will adapt to the timeliness of publishing. Sexual requirements, highlight the super-high production efficiency of the plate making machine and the super-stability of the system operation, accurately and safely handle the double-byte Chinese function, and the data exchange function of the front-end editing and editing system, etc.; and will focus on the high stability of the printing plate for packaging printing. Sex and easy-to-preserve, strong UV printing adaptability, meet super large-format packaging requirements, etc.; for commercial printing and plate output center will meet its large format, high quality and high efficiency requirements to ensure the openness of the data processing process , compatibility and high speed to meet the requirements of quickly obtaining high-quality printing effects.

The matching of CTP and digital proofing is increasingly important. Such as remote proofing, screen soft proofing, digital proofing, etc., so that customers can preview the digital printing effect.

The characteristics of three-point technology and its application analysis

The application of thermal and violet laser CTP needs to change all conditions from development to printing. It requires enterprises to spend more cost and energy to carry out comprehensive technological innovation and production process innovation. It requires many trainings for employees and requires a long period of time. Adaptation period. At the same time, whether the future CTP is a thermal or violet laser is far from finalized, and different systems cannot be compatible or upgraded; we cannot predict what the future development direction will be. If more mature and stereotyped technologies emerge, they will cause the existing thermal or violet laser CTP systems to malfunction and become inoperable, and turn them into a pile of waste.

For general printing companies, the gap between the thermal input or the violet laser CTP, such as the overall updating of the plate-making equipment to the plate, is very different. Indeed, the thermal platemaking resolution can be as high as 400 lines per inch, but to match this number of lines, there are higher requirements for the use of special plates, as well as paper, ink, blankets, and printing equipment that are compatible with them. In the market, there are not so many jobs that have such a high demand for line counts. In particular, in the face of the increasingly low profit printing market, the noble and expensive thermal CTP technology is similar to the “golden saddle” for general printing companies. BMW may be a "luxury product" that is "consumable".

Although there are still some shortcomings in CTcP technology, such as the general PS version is generally low sensitivity, plate making speed is not satisfactory; DMD microlens up to 1.3 million, very sophisticated, will give routine maintenance and maintenance, failure to replace certain difficulties . However, compared with thermal and violet CTPs, CTcP does not cost much “one-time” investment, but only changes and replaces the process of one of the links, which enables the seamless link between the traditional PS printing process and digital technology to achieve new life and Promote. Even if the traditional PS printing process is replaced by a better process in the future, it is always much smaller than the “sacrifices” when the left is completely updated and the right one is completely updated.

Based on this, it can be considered that thermal, violet laser CTP and CTcP have their own advantages and disadvantages. Based on the actual needs of the market positioning of enterprises and technological transformation capabilities, we consider comprehensively from the aspects of time, quality, and cost. The best option for you. As far as the "consumption level" of the CTP family is concerned, if it is said that the heat-sensitive is an "elegant" with elegant temperament and pursuing perfection, the purple laser is a "petty petty" who pays attention to fashion and sentiments, while the CTcP is better at achieving advanced nature and adapting. Sexuality, economy, and the perfect combination of existing prepress and printing equipment, sharing the "civilian" of the most advanced technological achievements.

In addition to very few high-end printing companies, CTcP technology may be more suitable for the market positioning and actual needs of most printing companies. It should be these companies, especially book and book printing companies, are currently the ideal choice for CTP.