Opting for CTP

These results have been proven for newer direct-to-flexo plate systems as well as for the more mature offset systems. According to Carolyn Miller, a print buyer advocate for DuPont Cyrel, CTP for flexo is having a profound effect for consumer product manufacturers.

Though capital investment for a CTP system can top the million-dollar mark, pay-backs as short as 12 months have been reported. Agfa has recently completed a CTP productivity audit showing printers using digital plates are saving 20 percent to 30 percent on makeready within the first months of implementation, and as much as 50 percent when they are fully competent with the technology.