We almost had to rename this month’s column “How We’ll Print That” since it was written so close to press time. GAM’s printer, Fry Communications, Mechanicsburg, PA, quickly learned what to expect from Kodak’s newest Thermal Direct Non Process drop-in plates: hi-rez imaging (1-98% at 200 lpi) via its Creo 3244 Platesetter, bypassing a standalone processor.

Introduced at Print 05 by Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group, the fourth-generation, pro-cessless plates are said to provide the accuracy, reliability and repeatability of thermal CTP media—without the time and cost required to install, manage and maintain a traditional, wet chemical plate-processing system. No processor means imaging could conceivably be done in the pressroom. And, of course, there’s no processing waste.

Manufactured in an ISO 9001 2000-certified facility, these plates don’t need any imager or press adjustments. Printers simply image, mount and run. Because the plates are developed on press via the dampening system, the platemaking cycle is shortened and, in turn, time to press is reduced and throughput capabilities are increased.

The new Thermal Direct was designated a “Must See ’em” technology at the show last month because it’s a process-free plate featuring a traditional grained and anodized aluminum substrate—there’s no rinsing, cleaning or post-imaging finishing required.

Laser energy is employed to write a negative image (via a “write-the-image” mechanism) into the plate’s ultra-thin polymer resin coating.

Thermal Direct is a drop-in product with the familiar look and feel of a pre-sensitized aluminum plate. The plates are compatible with all popular thermal CTP imagers (Creo, ECRM, Screen, etc.), as well as with a wide range of inks and fountain solutions (3-8 pH range). All developed coating is removed within a few makeready sheets, after which backgrounds are clean and inks are at density.

Despite the thin coating—38% thinner than typical processed thermal plates and 70% thinner than photopolymer violet plates—Thermal Direct plates are rated at run lengths up to 100,000 impressions.

Kodak also reduced the plates’ coating colorant, virtually eliminating ink roller glazing and still producing an image of sufficient visibility to determine press cylinder placement. Type as small as 12 pts. is readable, lessening the chance for operator error.

The front cover’s extreme close-up of the KAMA diecutter/foil stamper was printed in straight 4-color process—nothing fancy, just crisp CMYK reproduction from a Hantscho Mark 18 web press on 100-lb. Influence gloss text, a Grade 3 sheet from International Paper that Kodak chose for this project.

The new plates arrived at Fry four days before press time. “About the only adjustment we had to make was with laser intensity,” says Rick Fesler, one of Fry’s prepress managers. The CTP job was set to travel through Fry’s Kodak Prinergy workflow and the press’ closed-loop color and Quad Tech registration control systems.

To create more interesting dots, GAM senior art director Terry Ntovas added Photoshop “noise” to the top half of the impression setting wheel’s center (see above and front cover).

Readers can compare the reproduction quality of the new, ultra-thin-coated plates simply by flipping to one of the inside covers, which were imaged on Kodak’s processed Thermal Gold CTP plates.