Juggling plates - computer-to-plate printing - includes related article on companies involved in digital platesetting

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Dec 15, 1994 by Steve Wilson

Yet when color accuracy is at stake, most publishers would disagree. The color that appears on a monitor and the color that comes out of a press are vastly different. Color management software, designed to correct this problem, has problems of its own. Unfortunately, industry experts say a program that can color-manage effectively won't make it to the market for at least a year.

In the meantime, printers are using the time to perfect their CTP operations and outfit various plants with direct-to-plate equipment. Capito says Publishers seeks another imagesetter, data management software and significant increases in the amount of file-server memory for the upcoming conversion of its unnamed client's 20 magazines. "These are tens of thousands of files that require hundreds of gigabytes of data," he says. "The only people who use this level of data management are the CIA and NASA."

Memory may fail you

Fortunately, most magazines don't need that kind of computing power. The switch to CTP may, however, require some addition of memory and storage capacity. "I feel we're somewhat underpowered to handle the level of digital color we will need," says Advanstar's Schoor. Spectroscopy, which does its scanning in-house, has had to double its computer power from 4.5 gigabytes to nine to accommodate the new requirements. That type of expansion is not necessary for a publication like Scientific American, which works on a one gigabyte network and has its scanning done by a prepress house. "It's only a question of how you choose to transport those high-resolution files from the vendor to the printer," Sasso says, adding that Scientific American uses a SyQuest removable cartridge to haul images to and fro.

Although magazines can resolve difficulties with data storage and transport fairly easily, advertising and proofing problems remain barriers to publishers seeking to take advantage of the lower costs, time savings and quality improvements potential in digital printing. In 1995, however, computer-to-press will enter the next generation, with introductions of new equipment and technology slated at Drupa, the biennial printing exposition held in Dusseldorf, and the world's largest printing trade show.

WHO'S WHO IN DIGITAL PLATESETTING

Digital platesetters, which write images from computer files onto metal or polyester plates, are the final link in the direct-to-plate process. Of particular interest are products by Cortron and Misomex, which produce plates using both photomechanical and digital methods. These may provide solutions to problems arising from the need to combine mechanical advertising pages with digital editorial pages on the same plate. Also look for Kodak and Linotype-Hell to introduce platesetters in 1995.

Cortron: Minneapolis-based Cortron makes a "dual medium" step-and-repeat platesetter that combines digital and photomechanical methods. The Digital PageStripper is part of a system that incorporates Cortron's imposition software, which drives the platesetter.