Pros and Cons of Pre-, Post- and No-bake Plates

"The adoption rate for this product is so high because many printers never had ovens in their production environment, and didn't want to start baking just because of thermal plates," says Crawford.

The downside of baking, whether you do it before or after the plate is imaged, is that you have to spend the time and the money on this additional step in the process. You will also have to spend the money to acquire the baking ovens and money to house and run them. And, as with any process, you run the risk of losing additional time and money if the steps aren't done correctly.