Using Platesetter for final high-res output?

Apologies for wading into territory I know so little about but I am wondering about the possibility of using a platemaker - thermal, chemical process, etc - as a possible final output device for super high resolution fine art prints. Output would need to be stable - not fade or darken over time, would need to be on white, clear or possibly silver-metal background, and would ideally be something that could withstand sitting for long periods of time without being used. Looking for something a few years old I could purchase used. Any thoughts?

 

It all depends on what type of medium you want to end up with for your prints. CtP Platemakers are pretty limited in that they will only make aluminum based plates, which are usually meant for printing. A contact frame with a light source on the other hand, is different in that it uses film. So it gives you more options as to what you want to expose that film based image on to - different types of paper, aluminum, etc.

 

Thanks for the info alibryan. In sticking with the CTP for a minute, is that process exclusively thermal? And are the plates that are used always blue aluminum? Metallic aluminum could be fine for a final print surface. I am imagining a thermally produced image is not going to be stable over time, if there were periods of direct sun exposure or heat it seems like it would fade or darken.

With film based systems it seems like the concern would be with the chemistry going bad if it sat for longer periods of time. Are some systems better in this regard than others?

 

I’m no expert on all of these processes, and can only tell you what I know from past experience:

A) CtP plates are aluminum based, but have different types of (blue) emulsion coating on the surface. These are imaged on a Platesetter, which is made exclusively for imaging aluminum printing plates. Some of these plates are negative acting, and some are positive. Many types of these plates are then processed with an after wash/developer (thermal) which finishes that imaging process and makes it (semi)-permanent. I don’t know exactly how long the different types of images are good for after developing - some may last forever.

B) Film based systems are of course much more versatile, as there are more choices for mediums. The mediums themselves are kept in light-safe boxes until needed, and do have a shelf life. Before exposure, some will last longer on the shelf, than others. The chemistry for both the film and photographic paper mediums can be stored in airtight bottles and then poured into trays for developing, when needed. Afterwards, you can put the chemicals back into bottles for airtight storage until needed again. This makes for easy clean-up and increases the life of the chemicals, considerably.

 

Ahhh, I thought most of the film based systems had a chemical process built into machine. So in your experience these systems still require a darkroom type environment to process the exposed film?

 

No. The film based exposure system I’ve been mentioning is a contact frame with a light source - typically used in open daylight, with low light-sensitive medium materials. Ones such as aluminum plates, contact films, contact paper, blue-line paper, etc.. Only some of these use developer and fix to process, but all of them can be processed in normal lighting.

It’s old school technology but sounds similar to what you might have in mind as far as finished product goes. Good luck with whatever you end up doing.