Digital Patesetters--Shopping the Output Odyssey

"Every printer is different, so one of the most competitive components of the platesetter marketplace is the ability to create a system to suit almost every workflow process, data volume and automation level," he explains. "Customers want maximum flexibility in configuring their CTP environments."

For the flexibility factor, Creo and Heidelberg Prepress have teamed to make Trendsetters and Platesetters upgradeable, with options such as the Trendsetter AL with auto load. The two technology providers are also friendly about one another's digital workflow solutions: DeltaTechnology from Heidelberg Prepress and iMPAct from Creo. Both solutions are being used in PDF workflows.