CTcP technology is a technology that inherits the advantages of CTP and can continue to use traditional offset printing plates. It is the implementation of computer direct printing plate on the traditional PS plate, so that the issue of plate material is no longer an obstacle to digitization, so that printing companies can easily enter a "digital world." The emergence of CTcP technology, especially at the 2003 China International Printing Exhibition, CTcP as a new computer-to-platemaking technology officially debuted in China, its rapid development has attracted the attention of people in the plate printing industry, especially SMEs. Become a highly competitive direct platemaking technology after thermal CTP and violet laser CTP.
Technical advantages of CTcP
(1) Low cost
The first is the low price of plates. Although the price of CTP plate material has dropped, it still has a big difference with the use fee of the ordinary PS plate. The CTP plate is about twice the CTcP plate material, and the price of the processing kit is the CTcP plate processing kit. 3 to 10 times. Assume that: a medium-sized printing plant plate consumption: 3000m2/month, ordinary PS plate and CTP plate price difference: 20 yuan/m2, then CTcP process and CTP process plate material cost difference is: 3000m2/month x 20 yuan /m2 = 60,000 yuan / month, the printing plant can save only 720,000 yuan per year in the material expenditure.
Second, the device is simple. Its light source uses UV lamps, its life has been increased to 2500 hours, and the price is less than 1/10 of the laser light source, so the cost of operation and maintenance of the equipment is very low.
(2) Good compatibility with traditional processes
Since the CTcP system is still using the common Ps plate material that is familiar to the printing industry, the manufacturer can undoubtedly continue to use the various chemical liquids, developing equipment and punching devices in the original plate making process, thereby well realizing the plate making system and printing. Machine compatibility. For example, the proportion of the original liquid can be maintained at the plate making stage; at the printing stage, the original printing pressure continues to be used due to the nature of the plate. At the same time, the dampening and washing processes on the printing press can all remain unchanged. Therefore, printing companies do not have to worry about the problems caused by the change in printability, and they do not need to spend a lot of time and energy to complete the matching of the printing plate and the printing press.
(3) Excellent imaging quality
CTcP technology uses square pixel imaging, with clear and sharp edges, which can reproduce the tone and gradation of an FM network with a diameter of 17 micro and an image with a 200 l/in screen, and can also perform image duplication of 250 l/in screening. . The FORGRA association in Germany tested the resilience of different types of CTP technology. The results show that the CTcP system and the thermal CTP system have the best network reducibility. And with the development of DMD technology, the resolution of CTcP platesetter can be further improved, and the imaging quality will be better.
(4) Reduce print debugging time and material loss
With more and more short-lived prints in the entire printing industry, change-overs and on-machine debugging have become regular tasks. Reduce print debugging time, can obviously save time and cost. The CTcP plate making is more accurate than the traditional analog plate making, so the waste of consumables such as water, paper, and ink is reduced when the machine is commissioned.
(5) simple operation
All UV materials (printing plates or proofing materials) can be operated in the bright room, can easily print a variety of sizes of the plate, can also handle multiple plates, can be on the same plate multiple times exposure.
(6) No need to change the current hardware configuration
CTcP can use 1-Bit/Tiff format data, and can use RIP data, can use conventional developer and processing chemicals, without using a special network interface and process flow.
(7) Wide supplies supply
The quality and processing stability of conventional PS plate materials are well known, while CTP plate materials currently have fewer suppliers of plate materials, require strict processing conditions for plate material development, and storage instability.
CTcP - the new version of the PS version
The PS version has always dominated the position of offset printing. Its excellent water and ink compatibility, high resistance to printing and image reproduction capabilities, simple operation and stable quality control all provide a good guarantee for offset printing. . In particular, the production scale and sales system of the domestic PS version have been very mature, and the PS version has the characteristics of high quality and low price. Therefore, the CTcP technology makes the traditional PS version shine new vitality.
At present, some large plate manufacturers, such as Lekai Glue, and Agfa are committed to the development of new high-sensitivity PS plates and have achieved great results; China Printing Technology Institute's latest development of a new plate P -4G type high-sensitivity positive PS version, the photosensitive speed than the current production of the PS version to double, thereby shortening the exposure time, improve the efficiency of plate making work and prolong the service life of the printing machine. The Huaguang UV-N plate has been successfully applied to the Wenxin Group's newspaper printing; Huaguang UV-P plate has been widely used in Changsha, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Kunming and other commercial printing plants. The sensitivity of the two plates is not only in China, but also the most sensitive media in the world. The graded land meets the customer's requirements for CTcP plate making time. These are all ready for the CTcP platesetter to open up the market in China. The use of CTcP in China
In the field of packaging and printing applications gratifying. At present, many domestic and large-scale packaging and printing companies have introduced CTcP technology to complete the design and plate-making of multicolor and spot color packaging products. Among them, the most representative ones are Yonghong Printing Group, Yusi Printing Group, and Shanghai Baoyin Caitu Metal Co., Ltd., which are mainly printed and printed folding cartons, various kinds of clothing labels, and signs, and other paper-based packaging prints. Ningbo Sanhe Printing has comprehensive printed matter. In addition, CTcP technology is also favored by some professional prepress plate companies, such as Dongguan, Guangdong's largest graphic output, plate-making company ---- Yinhe Printing Arts Co., Ltd. and so on.
At present, most of CTcP's customers are concentrated in South China and East China. More and more printing companies upgrade from traditional plate making to direct computer-based plate making, and regard CTcP as the secret to saving plate making costs, improving quality, improving efficiency, and increasing the competitiveness of enterprises. arms. This market area is constantly expanding. First of all, the rapid development of the Bohai Economic Circle, coupled with the promotion of the Olympic concept, has driven the rapid development of the service industry, including the printing industry, with strong demand in Beijing and Tianjin. In addition, other capital cities and economic hotspots have also shown strong demand.
At present, the traditional plate direct platemaking technology is suitable for China's national conditions. It takes into account the improvement of technological progress and benefits, and has a certain living space in China. Moreover, China is a large-scale production and use of the PS version, so this technology has special significance for China. For printing companies that expect to enter digital computer prepress processing and platemaking, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, CTcP is one of the approaches that can be considered.
Although the CTcP system enters the market later, but with the decline in equipment prices and the sensitivity of the PS version, the advantages of CTcP will become more and more obvious, will surely get more and more attention and recognition. It is believed that CTcP platesetters with the advantages of high quality, high technology and high returns will surely have a better tomorrow.