COMPUTER-TO-PLATE (CTP) AND THE "DISAPPEARANCE OF FILM": ROI ISSUES

• CTP is revolutionary, but it's not for everybody; cost saving isn't a sure thing

• to achieve ROI, "digital infrastructure" must be in place: hardware, software, and system management that can store, move, and keep track of very large files

• digital files created and RIPped for proofing on someone else's system may cause problems when RIPped to your platesetter

• "CTP jobs do not have the safety net of film"...no film means no blueprints

• new digital proofing options must be evaluated; some have no halftone dots

• CTP systems are expensive to buy, maintain, and operate; cost of operator training is also a factor

• "A RIPped file for a six-color job of 8-up plates could be 8 to 10 gigabytes of data...film has a fantastic volume of data compared with current storage systems"

• there are still a lot of film imagesetters and contact platemakers out there...film- based prepress will be like radio, hanging in there because someone's bound to want it, even in a digital age

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