PLATESETTING SYSTEMS -- Generation Gap in CTP

By the end of 2004, the installed base of CTP devices in North America had reached nearly 12,000 units, including metal and non-metal systems, according to a new plate market study recently published by PRIMIR (the Print Industries Market Information and Research Organization).

Completed by State Street Consultants in Boston, the "Life Cycle of Analog and Digital Lithographic Printing Plates" study predicts that sales of replacement metal CTP systems will exceed new installations in 2007. This projection is based on a seven- to 10-year life cycle.