ON-PRESS IMAGING -- Firing on All Cylinders

There are other issues that can factor into the on-press imaging buying decision, beyond those directly associated with costs. Most are of greater potential concern to shops already running conventional color sheetfed presses.

* What happens if an imaging unit goes down? The manufacturers point out that the duty cycle for an on-press imaging system, over a set time period, is significantly less than that of a CTP system used at anywhere near its capacity. This is because the on-press system is idle during the press run. Therefore, the life expectancy of the laser should be increased, they assert.