"We went the CTP route for a variety of reasons," he noted. "Number one was the demand of our customers. We also recognized a significant acceleration in turnaround and a dramatic increase in quality."
There's a limit
Not that CTP can be perceived as a panacea for all production problems occurring in a four-color workflow. Among a few limitations, says Andersen, are certain proofing issues (the plate output may not match proofs, plus the quality of a proof may be limited by a "higher cost vs. lower quality" consideration); possible increased costs of reprints and high cost of plates, as well as sometimes having to convert supplied film to electronic format (for example, with Creo Renaissance or Eskofot scanners) and having to proofread multiple proofs supplied by the separator and printer. "At this time, it is more economical to update film than plates," says Andersen.