CTP Troubleshooting--Covering All Bases

"That involves everything from press chemical compatibility [with digital-style plates] to plate exposure, to calibration between the dot on plate and the final printed piece," Brustad explains.

As the film stage is eliminated by the very nature of CTP, so is the crucial point at which mistakes can be detected before going to plate. However, when one door closes (the elimination of film), another one usually opens: enter preflighting. This allows printers to make the appropriate adjustments during the earliest stages.