CTP FIELD REPORTS -- Set to Compete

"We've been much happier since getting back to running metal. The plates are more expensive, but we've gained time and labor savings," the company exec notes. "When we put these metal digital plates on the press, the register is almost dead on."

The 18-employee shop has a two-color, 40˝ Heidelberg Speedmaster press to service a greater range of its customers' commercial printing needs, but the machine is kind of an odd-man-out in the pressroom. The rest of its Heidelberg press lineup includes two (four- and two-color) GTOs and two (two-color) Quickmasters. After weighing all his options, Wood decided the best solution for his operation was to run a dual workflow. The shop continues to produce film on its ECRM Mako 3600 imagesetter to make plates for the 40˝ press, he points out.