Closing the Loop

Imaging in the round

From a prepress standpoint, sleeves are an enabling technology for plate imaging "in-the-round." Most digital platesetter manufacturers, like Barco Graphics, CreoScitex, and Schepers-Ohio, offer the ability to laser image plate sleeves directly from digital data. Because it's a digital process, in-the-round imaging provides all the benefits of flat digital plates: greater integrity to digital proofs; improved reverses; sharper text; extended tonal range; smoother vignettes; higher contrast; much lower dot gain; and tighter register.