The printing process has really leapt forward in the past decade or so but it is still amazing how much work will be needed to produce just one newspaper. Used CTP (computer to plate) set ups have taken a lot of the hard work out of the process, but the newspaper still passes through many hands before it hits the streets. Screen platesetters is also one of the processes and this article will try to explain the full procedure needed to get out that much loved daily.

Because of the extraordinary costs involved with any kind of printing equipment these days, there is a thriving market for second hand machines. As this new technology takes off, of course, the price will eventually come down. In the meantime, those who want to try out some newer technology are well-advised to go online and source some superb equipment so that they can bring their operations into the twenty first century.

In the days gone by, manual reading of all the print was necessary. These guys got so clever at reading print back to front that they read almost as fast as the rest of us. However, mistakes did slip through and we all know how upset people get when something appears which is not quite right. With the screens being used now, it means that even reporters in the field can put in their article direct and just before the whole thing goes to press. This is how those breaking news stories get into the newspapers get into print so fast. It also means that more than one person can be working on a page too and this makes organizational sense.

Even photographs can be entered into the format and really cuts down on all the stripping and separating the color prints which all took time. Nowadays though, with the advent of this new equipment, it is all done seemingly in the blink of an eye. It is amazing to note however, that there is still a need for a human input since a computer will not pick up words that sound the same but have a completely different meaning. The computer cannot check to see if the text matches up with the photograph it is supposed to represent. The older way to sorting out this process needed a copy editor to make sure that the layout was attractive and easy to read. This is still necessary since no computer could determine something as abstract as this.

It is obvious then that even thought the computer age is upon us, humans will always feel the need to take care of the details themselves. Finding a good outlet that sells all the most modern equipment is the first step in taking a publication to the forefront of technology. If it is second hand, this should bring down production costs eventually and should see the equipment paying for itself over time. What a great way to try out new equipment too before opting to buy brand new machines!

Author Bio: Stewart Wrighter recently reviewed printing equipment and was impressed with the technology used today in used CTP. He replaced his screen platesetters in his printers.

Category: Business
Keywords: used CTP,screen platesetters