PRINTING PLATE UPDATE -- New Precious Metal

MPM's Molkenbur sees long-term economic and environmental trends pushing plate manufacturers toward processless, or at least reduced chemistry, technologies. But, she says vendors still need to overcome concerns about stability and limited platesetter options.

For now, Mitsubishi Imaging is focusing on its Silver DigiPlate polyester plate, Molkenbur reports. "With trends in the market pointing to shorter run lengths, we see SDP polyester plates as the ideal fit for many printers," she explains.