Film Output

Discussion in 'Platemaking' started by ziggy33, Dec 30, 2014.

  1. ziggy33

    ziggy33 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2010
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    Location:
    Rice Lake WI
    Hey Hey Hey the company i have been using for film output has retired and closed his doors. So I need a new company that can output negatives for me. I am located in Wisconsin (USA) and would like a company that is relativity close.
     
  2. discountprintingservice

    discountprintingservice Senior Member

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    Location:
    Georgia
    I recommend you bite the bullet and go computer to plate. Sure as you find a film bureau they will likely close in time too, film is obsolete and when the film/chemistry that is out there is gone you will be forced to do something else.... See the last post I just commented on about entry level CTPs.

    However if you do wish to stay with film, screen printers are now using inkjet printers (and have for years now) to output b/w negatives for burning their screens. I know some offset printers including myself who have done the same with good results. Laser printers can do it too but quality is not quite as good. You can also use the inkjets to print film positives instead of negatives and then switch to positive acting plates instead of the traditional negative acting plates. They work well and run good on press. (Graphic Arts Supply Co. sells the plates). This would reduce your costs and increase your productivity and turnaround times by doing it in-house but again I highly recommend you go for some form of direct to plate system as this can increase your quality, productivity, turnaround time, and reduce labor and other costs (film, masking sheets, metal plates, developers, etc.) More than likely (depending on your film volume) you could easily justify a nice used CTP system and offset those costs when factoring in the extra printing you could handle with time saved by CTP....
     
  3. ziggy33

    ziggy33 Senior Member

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    Location:
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    Yeah I know CTP is where its at but a ctp to aluminum plates is pricey and i won't use anything but metal plates. Boss won't let me spend an arm and a leg on a machine like that, small mom and pop shop here. I did try some really nice thick poly plates from a cheaper CTP but i really want to be able to save plates so that doesn't work for me
     
  4. discountprintingservice

    discountprintingservice Senior Member

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    Location:
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    Our CTP plate cost is less than $3 for a duplicator size plate so for us it is worth the labor & materials cost saved by not using film & metal plates, stripping, burning & developing plus our CTP plates require almost no adjustments when going on press saving more on labor costs...Ours will output 20+ plates per hour at 175 line screen @ 2540 dpi. With customers frequently changing files we would rarely have the need to reuse plates even if we could, but I am quite certain that your raw costs of a film negative, masking sheet & metal plate cost are more than $3 just in materials alone before adding any labor. If you PM me I will be glad to help you locate some good affordable CTP units. You should be able to find them for less than $2500 in good condition, the first one I bought years ago was a DPX Genesis (capstan) for $50 + freight off craigslist and used it for years until we sold it when we upgraded to a DPX 5080 (drum) for $1800. Only issue we had with it was just last week a hard drive failed but we are back up an running for less than $200 in repair costs...will be glad to help or even explain how the benefits out weigh the materials/labor costs to the boss...let me know if I can help...
     
  5. FFR428

    FFR428 Senior Member

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    Location:
    CT
    Zig the CTP poly machine we have can also rip film. I forget the name brand but will look today. It's a older machine but still runs great. They used it for years for 4C film for metal plate jobs before they got into the Indigo's. It's pretty effecient and the tanks only hold a gallon of chemistry and reserve feed tanks another gallon each. It will add new chemistry as needed and sends the used stuff to a waste tank which is nice. Uses the same chemistry activator/stablizer as poly plates. Some of the other CTP machines tanks hold 5 gal each. And this one has the same maint rotation for chemistry 4-6 weeks.
     
  6. Meny

    Meny Senior Member

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    Location:
    Israel
    No issue

    get yourself an ACCUSET by AGFA for under 1000$ and you can run film or poly at a good quality for years ahead
     
  7. FFR428

    FFR428 Senior Member

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    Location:
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    Zig ours is the same Purup-Eskofot DPX-5080 Discount was talking about. I agree a very good machine. Here's a pic of ours. Like 4 ft square give or take. We ran a door hanger job for election season and it was 500+ plates to output. Ripped thru them silly! :D I thought for sure it would $hit and fry the old girl out but she ran like a champ. These were like $25k machines back in the day. Hope you can find a easy solution. All the film houses here closee down years ago. Better to have in house control of things anyway! Good luck.
     

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  8. ziggy33

    ziggy33 Senior Member

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    Location:
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    Been looking around the past two days now trying to find a DPX 5080 for sale but haven't found anything if you know of any for a decent price let me know! thanks guys
     

  9. Don Prints

    Don Prints Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2012
    Messages:
    24
    Location:
    Eastlake, Ohio
    Hey Ziggy check out http://www.wirebids.com/ if no auction up yet
    Call:Boggs Graphics - (440) 564-9675
    Ask for Chris or Jack and let them know what you are looking for, they just had one on the auction that ended on the 8th
    Boggs Graphics Equipment LLC
    9988 Kinsman Road
    Novelty, OH 44072
    (440) 564-9675
     
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