A Full Plate

But perhaps price isn't the point of CTP, at least not for the moment. Zilinskas takes the investment angle with many of his customers at PDI. "With CTP, costs go up initially with the addition of a second workflow and digital staff," he points out. "Employees with digital prepress duties are often paid more than those on the conventional line, and can still come out more expensive when considered against the productivity cost-savings of an automated platesetter." He tries to steer customers away from "viewing the prepress department as a money-making venture. Instead, the focus should be on the pressroom cost-savings CTP enables."