ON-PRESS IMAGING -- Firing on All Cylinders

* While several of the more recent digital press introductions use a conventional offset printing process, the majority of the systems run waterless. If a printer's current operations are all conventional offset, management may be hesitant to introduce this new variable into the plant.

In the final analysis, the on-press imaging value proposition may come down to how much is time worth? The capability's sweet spot is quick turnaround (often the same day) of short runs (1,000 impressions is a good average). These parameters make it hard for any other workflow to be competitive. There's little opportunity to make plates ahead of time, and a single CTP system typically can't make a full set of plates in the time it takes to complete such short runs.