More printers than ever are using process free plates, such as KODAK SONORA Plates, and many of them are wondering if it matters what platesetter they're using. The answer is yes.
Process free plates are imaged the same as any other thermal plate, but because they are not put through a plate processor or clean-out unit, the platesetter is the only device to touch the plate prior to the press, making it especially important. Although SONORA Plates are qualified on most popular platesetters, using a KODAK Platesetter to image SONORA Plates is the best combination.
One major advantage can be found with the superior imaging technology of KODAK Platesetters. The industry-leading pixel sharpness of KODAK SQUARESPOT Imaging Technology unlocks unique benefits with any plate, and these benefits are even more pronounced with SONORA Plates. SQUARESPOT Technology creates an accurate, incredibly stable dot, and process free plates eliminate the variation introduced by chemistry and processing. Together, you have true plug-and-play color reproduction.
If you have environmental goals, SONORA Plates plus a new KODAK ACHIEVE or TRENDSETTER Platesetter is the perfect union. You eliminate all the water, chemistry, and energy associated with plate processing, plus you save energy during imaging. The latest models of the TRENDSETTER Platesetter use only 770 watts of power while imaging, while ACHIEVE Platesetters use only 400 watts. That's up to 95% less than similar competitive devices. State-of-the art electronics, a new cooling system design, a high-efficiency imaging system, low-current draw drum drive system, and more all contribute to the very low power usage of Kodak's newest platesetters.
Do you have space restrictions? Another reason SONORA Plates and KODAK Platesetters go best together is footprint. Getting rid of the plate processor can free up a lot of space in prepress, and that space can be used to add automation, or even another platesetter, to increase your output and make room for more business. ACHIEVE and TRENDSETTER Platesetters have an extremely small footprint, and the new Multi-Cassette Unit (MCU) lets you automatically load up to 480 plates, with a footprint up to 65% smaller than other MCU's.
Printers wanting to grow their business might be considering a faster platesetter, and so the question comes up around whether a process free plate can keep up. Kodak's latest innovation, the KODAK SONORA X Process Free Plate, is extremely fast, with laser energy required of 120 mJ2, and allows all but the fastest platesetters to achieve maximum throughput. SONORA X Plates are currently in beta testing in the Americas, to be commercially available later in 2018. They launched earlier this year in Europe and Asia, and customers are now using them successfully in just about every application, including heatset web, long-run sheetfed, offset packaging, and UV/low-energy UV applications.
Process free plates are the future of offset printing, and printers can stay ahead of the competition by upgrading to a fast, fully-automated KODAK Platesetter for maximum productivity and excellent image quality, while reducing cost and environmental impact by going process free. Visit www.kodak.com/go/ctp and www.kodak.com/go/sonora for more information.