In addition to CTP systems, Direct Imaging (DI) presses, digital presses and print-on-demand (POD) systems also bypass conventional platemaking. These technologies, although younger than CTP, are evolving rapidly.
For example, this past summer, the first four-color POD systems were being touted by printers such as Delta Direct Access, Valencia, Calif., and DeHart's. All of these technologies use different hardware, yet they're related. "Which process is better?" asks Don DeHart. "You be the judge. Conventional process, CTP and DI processes, web vs. sheetfed systems, and digital presses all have a place. I believe that rather than being competitive, they're complementary. These different systems … offer the end-user the chance to read a book that looks and feels the same, although it was printed on a different system."