To: Paul Abramowitz, In referrance to a digital "REUSABLE PLATE" is probally the spray on technology mentioned prior post. But it opens up an interesting avenue for research. The following information was gathered that should answer your questions.
The present Presstek plate being used today by printers, along with all other metal plates that are made now, either the digital or the conventional plate are reusable, if they didn't wear out on the first use due to the amount of impressions.
Of significance for Presstek plates is the fact that they take almost no preparation for storage, if they are going to be saved for re-use later (the press operator only has to wipe them clean of ink while they are still on-press). The competitors conventional plates and other digital plates require a time-consuming, pain-in-the-rear process called "gumming" that applies a coating on the surface of the plate to protect it during storage from oxidation. If not done properly, the plate will not run well, possibly not at all, when they try to re-use it. No press crew likes doing this, so it frequently is done haphazardly with bad results on attempts to re-use. On Presstek plates, due to the unique nature of the plate construction, no gumming is required for storage. This is a BIG DEAL to pressroom managers and press operators, because of the time and material savings. So the reusability of a plate is one of the direct benefits of the Presstek plate technology.
Neil |
