While the company was happy with its outsourced supplier of CtP plates, the decision was made to bring plate production in-house to tighten deadlines and gain better control of production facilities.

Managing director Ian Wolf told ProPrint that the system, utilising a Screen PlateRite 4300S platesetter and Xingraphics’ FIT Xtra thermal plates, would speed up production and remove the need for producing film for outsourced plate production.

“We’ve always had imagesetters and produced our own film, but CtP was quite expensive to move into,” said Wolf. “We found that our plate supplier always did a good job of it and it was one less thing to worry about, but we needed to go into making plates. For example, we had a press waiting for plates for a while yesterday, and we could stop that with in-house plate production. This is probably the single main impetus for us changing, even though the people we use for plates are very professional.

“There are a number of people out there using the Xingraphics system and doing well, so we thought we’d go with it. We have people here who are already conversant with that particular workflow so it’s a matter of just installing it and starting, instead of going back to square one.”

Ferag Australia’s Ray Bounsall (pictured with the system at PacPrint 09) pointed out that the Xingraphics CtP system was a combination of Screen imaging and Xingraphics thermal plate technology, with the ability to update to Xingraphics’ new processless plate – available later this year – when the company desired.

“This system provides the best in imaging quality and also environmentally-friendly technology in the one system,” he said.

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.  

Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter