Application of CTP in China's Label Industry

When it comes to the development and application of CTP, we must first understand that to produce high-quality and high-stability printed matter, a good printing plate and a standardized plate-making process are the focus that we should focus on first. If only relying on the adjustment of printing is difficult to achieve the desired effect.

In general, traditional plate-making processes require processes such as output film, vacuum suction and UV exposure, plate washing, drying, and post-exposure. However, in addition to the problems caused by the film itself, such as the fact that the film is affected by moisture, is not easily preserved, and the inconsistency of the high-light dot size caused by the unstable laser energy, the traditional plate-making process often causes air entrainment and dirtyness during vacuum suction. Points and other issues. In addition, the proliferation of outlets, the inability of high-light parts to be washed out, the line breaks, and the dropping of spots have also plagued us.
In contrast, CTP plate making, first of all, omitting the steps of outputting the film, the process of vacuum inhalation is also directly replaced by laser engraving imaging. The entire plate making process is simple and standardized, and it is easier to achieve the goal of gradual change to zero; on the other hand, film production Because of the advent of the digital age, the company started to cut down on the production of film, causing the price of film to rise, making ordering difficult, and further increasing the production cost of customers. This is why Guangzhou Shangan Company has spared no effort to promote CTP technology in recent years.

Below, we will discuss the development and application of CTP from the following aspects.

Technical advantages of CTP

1. 1% delicate dots. Compared to the traditional version, the uniformity of the CTP flat screen is improved and the reproducibility is improved. Especially in the details, for example, the human skin can perform more delicately, and even comparable to the offset printing, 1% of fine dots can be clearly displayed. This can be said to be a leaps and bounds in stamp printing technology.

2. The network is stable. The size of the traditional plate-making outlets will vary depending on the film or vacuum suction, resulting in different dot sizes for each plate making. This has become a technological bottleneck that has long been unable to break through. In other words, each platemaking needs constant adjustment by experienced technicians to maintain stable quality. In contrast, the CTP version is controlled by a laser engraving machine. The dot size of each dot is stable and uniform. The quality control is easy and simple.

3. Save on media. In the traditional platemaking process, in general the plate must be slightly larger than the film in order to make the plate, but in the end it is still necessary to remove these plates larger than the film, invisible waste caused by the plate. But if you use the CTP version, there is no such a waste problem.

4. The plate making process is simplified and the cost is saved. As we mentioned earlier, CTP platemaking does not require film, and laser imaging instead of vacuum inhalation seems to reduce one step on the surface. However, we all know that the vacuum inhalation step is complicated and easy to produce wind and dirt. Problems such as points, if this step goes wrong, if it is not discovered in time, it will cause waste of the entire printing process, including huge waste of ink, paper, machine time, labor costs, machine downtime, and so on. Even if it can be discovered in time, it needs to be re-mastered, wasting resources. However, the CTP plate making process simplifies this most controversial step and develops into a standardized plate making process. This reduces the mistakes in the platemaking process and saves the cost of manipulating the film. This greatly reduces the cost.

5. The printing quality is stable. In recent years, Guangzhou Shangan Company has continuously promoted the CTP plate making technology. In addition to the simple operation of the CTP plate making, there is also a very important reason that the quality is stable. If the ESKO CDI laser engraving machine is used in combination, a full set of editions can be played in a single shot, even though the reprinting will not affect the quality; this is the biggest difference from the traditional version. If the CTP printing capacity is compared with the traditional version, the CTP printing capacity is more than 20% higher than the traditional version.

In summary, the CTP plate making technology has not only drastically reduced the expenditure on various costs, but also surpassed the quality of the traditional printing in the past, and has become a good choice for printing companies to improve their printing technology.

CTP version of the application of cost analysis

Because it does not require the use of film and margins, the CTP plate requires less plate area than the traditional plate in terms of use, and in the long run, it can save more costs and cause no waste. On the other hand, the CTP version is lighter in press, uses less ink, and is faster and more stable. It can save a lot of time and costs, and can also reduce unnecessary waste of media and paper.

In addition, CTP platemaking does not require the use of film, and saves management time and costs for film storage. Because it does not use film, it does not need to use potions, and it can also do its part to protect the environment.

It can be seen that CTP plate making can greatly reduce the user's cost in terms of time, manpower, and cost (plate material, ink, paper, etc.), and the overall calculation can save about 50% of the total cost.

Application Status of CTP in China

The development of the printing industry, especially label printing, in the Pearl River Delta region in South China has always led the domestic market. In terms of the application of CTP technology, there is also an increasingly mature performance.

The current status of the CTP market is sufficient to illustrate the importance of the CTP version - currently there are more than 10 large label printing companies in the country that have started to use the CTP printing workflow as their solution. This workflow not only improves print quality, but also reduces costs and standardizes the workflow.

Although, as of now, CTP has not yet reached the ideal state of popularity, it is precisely because of this, CTP is more expandable in the label market. From May 26, Guangzhou Shang An Company received a warm response from the workshop held at Guangzhou Tianhe Mediterranean Hotel. The acceptance of CTP by various printing companies has been increasingly improved. This point also proves that the market application of CTP will be overwhelming.