How to do next when photographic film disappears?
The first few wave of rumors in the past that photographic film manufacturers will announce to stop manufacturing as well as photographic film is about to terminate the production and disappear again recently. For printing and plate making industry how to respond it, how to choose alternative plan to face this problem for future production requirement?
The following three ways to provide to the sector to do the choice:
A. LaserBlack Enhancer: Although the size of only A3 / A4, it is difficult to meet the use of the industry, the dot gain rate may also be less than 10%, but for those small plate makers is a very affordable method, the reason is cheap equipment, table-top machine can be used in the office either from a A3 laser printer or a small four-in-one A4 machine with also good results, use of tracing paper the cost is very low, if to be printed with many colors can use the film for good registration with a laser printer to print, and then go through the LaserBlack machine to dissolve the black toner powder into a thin black layer covering the black image area to make a higher black density over3.50, which is good enough for a variety of printing plate making. (LaserBlack Enhancer currently marketing 20000 units worldwide). Small, economy and convenient, and with the application of Photoshop… and other software color separation with screening dot also can be made. Many users of the industry love it, especially for stamp / nameplate / stickers / T-shirts and all other printing industries.
B. CTP (Computer To Plate) without film imaging technology This is a direct inkjet imaging on the plate latest technology, the image directly on plate can be omitted the film, and because of direct imaging, film and plate are “Zero” distance in between, so that the image is very sharp and can save the vacuum suction process (especially the screen frames) and the plate handling trouble and damage (especially when the large plate). Required material is only Inkjet ink, do not have to use film, can reducelot of cost also eliminates the need for a lot of steps, operators can also be more rapid operation to reduce operating time. The principle is to move the printer on a flatbed, any plate just put on the bed then can print the image, the time of printing is the same as on the film. The flatbed can equip with UV lamp for direct plate exposure. Not only IR (infrared) lamp can put on the head section of printer to dry up the ink, but also add LED / UV to do exposure right after image print. This second option is current a hot item for corrugated printing plate and screen plate making industries. Their future is not afraid of the disappearance of photosensitive film.
C. CTF (Computer To Film) inkjet image on film: If you insist using film to make plate to be in accordance with the traditional way, then this computer to film system should be the choice. Because of the current inkjet printer / film / ink / RIP software, has a substantial improvement than 2 or 3 years ago. If you want to make a 175 lines 1% dot of the light / dark image is now simple and easy. And if that 175 lines film is good for multi-color printing then that some of the printing length of the size needs to be very accurate jobs will be out of problem. The dimension accuracy can be up to 1/10000 (0.1mm per meter) precision. Even the photosensitive film in the final drying process after high temperature results are the same, not have to say, through the lens image distortion and error deformation.
CTF due to a variety of film and inkproducts confusion, quality / price difference is also great, (no strong brand can support consumers) believe that there are too many users had tried CTF in 4.5 years ago, but unfortunately most of them were disappointed, because the results and the fact that differs too far at that time.
Good equipment has to follow the Japanese made system, although the cost is expensive, but in the image precision and setting conditions for process, the advantages of the machine itself is greatly. If compared to save of thousands of dollars in CN manufacturing machines, although the same is using of Japanese nozzle assembly, but the accuracy and setting conditions are different too much.
The use of super black ink, is a very important issue also,
in addition to the nozzle often blocking problem, the smooth printing, the zero
failure of an inkjet printer are our dream. In addition, good black ink also
allows the machine to use the more option to increase a lot of functions, and
can activate the precision of the print result with higher black density.
RIP software, in fact, is the soul of CTF film production, in addition to the above-mentioned various printer precision, dimensional stability, the density of black area, with a variety of options, etc. are actually given by the RIP. NozzleBlack RIP is the only software that uses Macintosh system to control inkjet printers. It is a software that has been written by a number of operators who have experienced more than 20 years in color separation and screening field. As long as they are satisfied, you can ensure that the quality of our CTF film and photographic film is no difference. NozzelBlack printer + film + ink + RIP is the only choice for making 175 lines 1%
The disappearance of the photographic film does not have to panic for you.
