CTP Experiences--Digital Devotees

The West Group has 8,000 employees and generates $1.4 billion in annual sales. It does a wide variety of printing jobs, including books and publications. It produces hundreds of millions of printed pages each year. The West Group acquired its first CTP system in 1994. It now has 11 CTP systems—three Creo- Scitex thermal systems and eight Citiplate Aqua LHP systems (UV). Using these systems, the company produces 450,000 plates a year and does 87 percent of its work in a digital workflow. Reprints are done with existing film.