COMPUTER-TO-FILM -- Flat Out the Best

Seybert Nicholas is primarily a 40˝ sheetfed printer, but it also operates a couple of smaller presses. Therefore, Hennessey says the imagesetter's capability to handle different film sizes gave the prepress operation the flexibility to support the plant's range of presses.

He estimates that about 85 percent of the group's work currently is done computer-to-plate. The imagesetter serves as a backup to the platesetter and still outputs the film used to make plates for the smaller presses. The company also continues to use film for reprint work, since changes can just be stripped into the imposed flats.