The Dish on Plates

The future of digital plates

"Without a doubt, once digital platemaking systems come full circle, they will be able to offer printers something they can always use more of—time," says Paul Zeinert, manager of technical services at Anderson & Vreeland.

While some suppliers continue making strides toward the "ultimate" in digital equipment, Zeinert says A&V has spent the last several years focusing on getting water-wash plate processing systems up to par with solvent-based systems. He reports A&V has come a long way, but still has some drawbacks to contend with. "Throwing a water-based plate system into the grind has several advantages, mostly concerning the environmental issues that go along with using solvents. We are trying to deal with ways to avoid rusting, as most equipment is not stainless steel. Finding additional artificial light sources [to eventually replace UV] is also coming into play," he concludes.