The package – consisting of the Kodak Magnus 400 CtP imaging device, Prinergy Evo JDF workflow, Matchprint ProofPro rip and Thermal Direct processless plates – offers a complete four-page CtP prepress solution.
Kodak’s all-in-one processless plate package could have been tailor made for Print Design Australia. In their 25 years of business, previously under the name of PrintStop, Jeff and Dianne Giblin have established themselves as an efficient, forward-thinking company in Victoria’s regional Geelong. Customers are provided with a comprehensive service in-house, from design to print, without the need for sub-contractors for various processes.
Because of the high standards set at Print Design Australia, customers are also accustomed to premium quality output and their expectations were paramount in the Giblins’ search for a CtP solution to replace the existing system.
The Giblins had confidence that the solution offered by Kodak would meet all their requirements.
Environmental considerations figured prominently in the selection of the Kodak all-in-one processless plate package for Print Design Australia. Chemistry-free technology has a minimal environmental impact and increases the safety factor for the platemaking operation. As the plates develop on the press, there is no need for a stand-alone processor or water-wash unit. This has eliminated the cost of buying and maintaining a processor, the logistics of electrical and plumbing hook-ups, and the purchase of chemistry along with its attendant storage, handling and disposal.
The fact that one system could replace the three previous machines was of instant appeal to the Giblins. Although the company is housed in a purpose-built, state-of-the-art printing manufacturing plant, they are still conscious of making the best use of space in a growing business, and the small footprint conserves valuable floor space, while the modular design allows for an easy upgrade path.
The exceptional photo-realistic printing and consistency achievable with Staccato screening was a further factor in Print Design Australia’s choice of system. The Magnus 400 platesetter offers high quality screening up to 250lpi and Staccato 25 micron screening. Additionally, variable continuous resolution makes it easy to match the resolution to each job’s requirements.
As the platesetter has a large six-up drum size, an extensive range of plate sizes can be imaged at speeds of up to 21 plates per hour and jobs can be processed quickly with minimum lead times.
In the case of Print Design Australia, around 175 plates are made per week for the company’s two-colour GTO 52, two-colour Hashimoto 52 and six-colour Shinohara 66 presses. Although the Magnus 400 supports conventional thermal plates, the company’s choice of Thermal Direct plates has not only significantly reduced costs by eliminating expensive chemicals and the need for a processor, but it has also removed time-consuming steps as well.
Using the Prinergy Evo workflow solution for controlling prepress, plate and film production has created a unified workflow with outstanding performance and output quality.
Multiple workflows can be active at one time providing a flexible, open framework to automate and track job status, and this has allowed Print Design Australia to increase throughput with less manual effort. The operator can also customise processing parameters on the fly for greater control and flexibility.
The inclusion of Matchprint ProofPro rip has allowed Print Design Australia to take advantage of inkjet for all types of proofing, from concept to contract proofs, all of which can be produced economically to a high standard in minutes. The company has found the system easy to use, easy to learn and easy to maintain.
In the three months since the Kodak all-in-one processless plate package system has been installed, Jeff Giblin has noticed a number of benefits. “We have experienced a 15 to 20 per cent increase in quality, along with a 10 per cent decrease in makeready times. There is less plate wastage, no waste chemistry to store, no disposal costs and no chemistry or film to worry about. All we have to do is order the plates. After running through Prinergy Evo and MatchPrint to check jobs, the platemaking is dead easy,” Giblin says.
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