Thermal CTP's Next 100 Days

Also, processing trains for some currently available thermal plates impart post-imaging trauma (inconsistencies, cracking, etc.) in their pre- and post-baking requirements. The ability of daylight operation is perhaps the only real, practical benefit of thermal plates, Musselman concludes.

Still, this fuels further debate. Several of thermal's grandfathers—Presstek and Creo included—argue vehemently that extensive reliability tests conducted over the past few years have been substantiated by, in Presstek's case, some 700-plus digital imaging presses using the exact same lasers as Presstek's CTP devices.