Opting for CTP

Buisse says he recently completed live comparison tests for a narrow-web flexo label printer that confirmed better results with digital plates. His company built the test jobs, and incorporated the printer's dot gain compensation curves. Banta Digital of Menasha, WI, imaged the plates on a Thermoflex device. "With the digital plates there was less gain than with conventional plates," says Buisse. "As a result, we held smaller percentages in the vignettes and were able to successfully match an item printed offset."