Photopolymer Plates.
Photopolymer plates have experienced many changes over the years.
Louis Minsk, an employee of Eastman Kodak, patented the 1st synthetic photopolymer plate in 1952. Time, Inc. introduced the 1st photopolymer-based letterpress plate in 1957 for printing magazines Jump to 2002 when DuPont’s Cyrel Fast technology entered the market, eliminating the need for solvents in plate processing and melting unexposed photopolymers.
Photopolymer plates differ from other technologies by applying a light-sensitive coating to the surface of an aluminum plate, exposing it to light, causing the coating to harden in image areas and remain soluble in non-image areas.
Advantages.
- Coatings provide more durable and abrasion-resistant image areas
- Produce longer print runs up to 250,000 impressions
- Have been known to print runs of more than 1,000,000 impressions
- Dye-sensitized photopolymers can be etched by lasers
- Requires more energy for exposure
Disadvantages.
- Requires a chemical treatment after exposure to remove the coating in non-image areas
- Cannot print as high of a resolution as silver-halide plates
Choosing between Thermal plates and Photopolymer.
There are different ways printers can determine what plates the need for specific platesetters. The first step is to test the plates you may be considering on your platesetter and presses. Of course, this means purchasing various types of plates. Once you’ve determined a plate works, you need to consider direct cost — including plates and processing expenses — and indirect costs, such as purchasing a processing, or baking unit.
True in any industry, it pays to hire an expert for advice and equipment warranties. Lyte Global is one such expert and has earned a global reputation as the most dependable source for reconditioned prepress CTP equipment, parts and service. For a complimentary consultation about your imagesetters’ plate needs, call Lyte Global at 091-3515-4139 or contact us below.
