Some people think that the imagesetter market has died, but the fact is not the case. While the filmless plate-making imaging process has received widespread attention, it can be seen that the image-setter is still commercial, based on the huge daily usage of the imagesetter, as well as the investment in research and development of manufacturers and the steady pace of development of the new imagesetter. The real driving force in the printing field.
An equipment supplier publicly stated that every time a CTP platesetter is produced, seven imagesetters of the same size will be installed. This comparison also discounts the real situation because the productivity of the new typeetter has rapidly increased and does not require too many equipment to meet the same production needs.
The role in digital production
Imagesetters provide a transition process for printers to successfully enter digital production, thus promoting the development of CTP. As an intermediate step in entering the CTP, the imagesetter makes the printer feel safe, familiar and trustworthy.
Today, almost every visionary printer is preparing to enter the CTP production process, but people do not have all the necessary conditions to enter the CTP process. Many people believe that after installing an imagesetter, there is a computer-to-film process that is more likely to resolve problems after an error than the process of imaging on a metal plate. Even if the printer has completely adopted the CTP, it would be a good idea to have an imagesetter as support. Equipment suppliers have seen a significant increase in the sales of 8-page imagesetters. The huge increase in sales of CTP started on a small base. The huge increase in CTP did not affect the sales of imagesetters. From the consumption of film and the sales of related products including imagesetters, people also See signs of steady growth. The use of CTP, on the one hand, has also helped expand the sales of imagesetters. Printers have switched from a 4-page imagesetter to an 8-page imagesetter and then to CTP. Moreover, the current price of imagesetters is declining, which also promotes sales.
Choose an image machine
Some printers believe that installing a CTP production line has replaced the selection of a new, high-speed, high-efficiency phototypeetter production line. But in reality, as a company named Prisma Graphics did, it was also considering introducing CTPs at the beginning, but customers liked to look at the proofs of outlets, and the CTPs were expensive, so they eventually bought Fuji. Sumo imagesetter. Mr. Don Frank, general manager of the company, said: “In November 1999, we purchased the Sumo imagesetter, replacing the aging 2-page device. The Sumo imagesetter gave us speed, reliability, and the productivity of an 8-page device. Print cycle Faster and fewer duplicated links."
In order to meet the needs of customers, some imagesetter manufacturers are producing imagesetters that can both expose films and expose polyester plates. This is a very promising market. It is predicted that more customers will use polyester plates. The new photoetters from Heidelberg have changed the size of the rollers to accommodate the rapid growth of polyester plates. The new design allows operators to work on individual rollers. Do more business.
Sales did not decline
Some people think that there is no market for phototypesetting machines, but on the contrary, the total demand for film is on the rise and it is believed that it will continue until the year 2000. In 1999, Purup-Eskofot’s products expanded more than three times as expected. The company’s sales in the global market are estimated to sell 200 metal plates of CTP equipment and about 500 imagesetters in 2000. The sales of ECRM's imagesetters are also very stable. The company’s global market supervisor, Mr. Joho Devito, said: “Our company’s Phototypesetter sales volume increased by 12% in 1999. As far as the global market is concerned, in the Asia Pacific and Eastern European countries and Latin Some regions in the Americas have seen significant growth.†In early March 2000, ECRM's imagesetters used light-emitting devices to strengthen their position in the international market. Devito said: "Once customers have asked us to provide thermal CTP devices, now light-emitting devices provide us with the conditions for the rapid production of such devices. However, our company does not plan to continue production of light-emitting devices using optical components."
Printers are attracted by the speed and productivity of the new Phototypesetter. For example, a company named United Press & Graphics installed a new screen type 5055 imagesetter from U.S. Screen in February 1999. The company's general manager, Daryl Zign, said: "The documents have become more and more complicated and the old photo machines have We couldn't adapt to the digital files provided by customers, and the speed of Katana 5055 imagesetter has tripled, which has enabled us to gain 60% of our production capacity, which has increased our sales by 28% within one year,†he said. To: "Since the new film and media can be output faster, it has become easier to correct mistakes during the printing process. Once a customer looked at the plate and wished to make some changes, we re-rastered the file. The output film was exposed and the prints returned to the press within ten minutes."
New major equipment
In March 2000, Heidelberg prepress company launched a new major equipment line - including 4 pages of Prime setter74 and 8 pages of Primesetter102 imagesetter. Primesetter74 replaces Herkules Basic and Herkules Elite devices, while Primesetter102 replaces Signnsetter Pro.
C&M Press, a short-run book publisher, has switched from a general production system to a direct plate-making operating system after installing an Agfa Avantra 30 Imagesetter to expose polyester plates. The company’s General Manager Rob Malkin said: “With Avantra30, our printing business has expanded and we are able to print a small number of reprint textbooks. Before we have this machine, we cannot reprint textbooks with high-quality pictures. Now we have The polyester version has benefited from replacing the metal plate.†The reason why the company purchased the Avantra30 is because of its fast production process, which can output small format and large format plates, and can work continuously with the least delay.
Prepress studio is the buyer
Even the prepress studio continues to purchase new imagesetters, and Jen Mar Graphics installed a Fuji Sumo imagesetter. Provides plate-making film and short-run digital printing services to customers including publishers, advertising agencies, and commercial printers. They provide images processed with TIFF-IF or DSC2 files to help printers enter the CTP system. Although the company acknowledged the advanced nature of the new process, they have not recently purchased a plan for a non-film computer-to-plate machine.
Although sales of the new image-setters are steadily rising, manufacturers still foresee the day when CTP sales surpass the photosetter. A Kodak company spokesperson said: "Undoubtedly, CTP will eventually have an impact on rowing machines and printed process films. Worldwide, all imagesetters in 2000 may reach 7,000 to 8,000 units, and these orders will come from Prepress and small commercial printers that need to upgrade equipment and built-in operating systems."
The history of imagesetters is far from over.