A Full Plate

Meanwhile, offset plate manufacturers have assumed a brisk pace of CTP product introductions aimed to build digital's appeal, even for those printers only willing to transition half-way.

The bimetal (copper electroplated to an aluminum base) plates offered by PDI simplify CTP implementation challenges by using the same chemistry and processors for both CTP and conventional applications. They can be sharpened digitally or chemically during processing so that digital files can be matched to conventional films, says Dwight Zilinskas, international sales/marketing manager. The plates do not require baking, which eliminates warping and cracking that may occur in other plates during the post-bake.