CTP--The Digital DRUPA

(Editor's Note: The following information was provided by Kodak Polychrome Graphics.)

When the graphic arts industry last gathered for DRUPA in May 1995, no one imagined the coming computer-to-plate (CTP) revolution that would sweep the industry in just five short years.

At the time, projections of CTP adoption were minimal. Barriers ranged from the cost of CTP systems (anywhere from $300,000 to $750,000 in 1995), to printer reluctance to move away from film, to perhaps the biggest challenge—managing the digital workflow. The base of potential CTP users seemed small; estimates put the percentage of printers equipped for digital prepress at only 20 percent.