Difference in Print Quality from plates of Plate Exposure Machine & CTP Machine

Hi all,
Can anyone please clarify whether there is any difference in the print quality when you print out of plates prepared through the old Plate Exposure machine by first preparing the negative film and then exposing it on a plate and when you print out of a Tech Nova Plate prepared through the latest CTP process.
1. It's considered that the dots per inch on the plate exposure processed plate are slightly lesser than the dots per inch achieved through CTP process and hence print quality is affected ?
2. Some say, the only advantage is the speed in CTP would be more and the quality stays the same.

 

CTP is:
a. cleaner
b. faster
c. cheaper
Film is longer to make , higher in price and will in meny cases deliver good plates with potential bugs on the way - the more proccesses , the more options for problems.

BUt . the Modern CTP plates will npot hold as long as the old version - do not expect to run millions with them.
Yet . any one who calculates all the cost of the film proccess , go'es in the CTP direction.
Is it the same in India ? ....tell me

 

1. So you mean to say that preparing a plate through film exposure is costlier than CTP. That can't be the case. It's considered as a cheaper option. Only thing is it takes more time than the CTP Process. Please clarify.

2. What about the quality aspect (ignoring the cost and time of the process ). The final print output - does it have any difference ? There is a belief that CTP will expose 95-97% dots on the plate whereas Film exposure will expose only about 90% dots on the plate. So is there such a difference ? Because I don't mind if it takes time as long as I get the CTP quality of print output.

 

wrong wrong wrong

by the time you pay for film , chemistry , tapes & astrolon , work time & projector power you have covered the cost on the CTP and you still did not pay for the plate & chemistry that side.

Quality is the same if you do it right , but with film you have more prccesses that can go wrong.

The world is not stupid - it has gone CTP for good reasons

 

Okay. This cost thing is sounding new to me because a plate which cost me 125 bucks when I give it for film exposure is costing me 225 bucks when I give it for CTP.
I ll have to rework the cost because I was planning for a Film Exposure machine because can't afford to invest so much on a CTP at this stage.

 

Can you please give me an idea of availability of automated plate exposing machine where the washing and drying happens automatically in the machine rather than we cleaning the solvent with sponge.

 

to work with films you will need a film proccessor , and the a puch , a UV vacume frame , and then a proccessor. you can buy a proccessor for a 1000 Euro , some times less , but if you want a good machine you cantrust , it is about 3000 Euro used.

If you are thinking quality work , put the idea of working with a sponge away...
The less errors you put in the proccess the better - this is why CTP is recomended

 

The cost of a ctp plate is about 5-6 $
the price of the film is about 4 $ and the standard UV plate about 4.5 $
the old way need 2 kinds of chemistry , one for the film and one for the plate-in any case .cheaper by CTP

 

I may call it "The Sunset Industry" or "The Dusk Industry".

 

yes, totally agree. the world changes to CTP for good reasons.

 

cooladi006

ok lets clear this up ctp plates cost here in canada $3.41 per plate (ryobi 3302) $14.56 (sm102), not sure of the current prices of sub plates dont but them anymore. Anyways the plate cost has very little other cost to go with. The neg system you add chemicals, chemical waste disposal ($750 per 45 gallon drum) weekly maintance of hours not minutes like the ctp! Extra steps to get the plate striping, expoxsure of negs, developing neg, time wasted in cleaning the glass to get rid of lint and dirt, and then when its done your lucky if you get a dot the is sharp ! 6% or 7% to maybe 94% on a good day and then you have dot gain. NOW in the ctp world i work in i alway get first generation dots no gain, 1% to 100% and everything inbetween no issues. Most ctp system run a 200 line screen or higher if you want run FM screening and no more moray patterns. there are so many advanages to running ctp why would you want to loose money, and help out with cutting down polution. i have changed over at least a dozen shops in the last few years and there are all happy they did

FSA