Films are hard to find, expensive and their production is no longer reliable. This situation turns every attempt to make your cliché into a game of Russian roulette.

Let’s analyse the problems tied to using outdated film repro units and explore possible solutions.

With the development of digital technology, analog systems have become increasingly complex. Old films repro units are on their way out – it’s only a matter of time.

Just like cassette players, telex machines and black and white TVs, the films generated by the repro units that pre-press professionals have relied on for years are now disapearing.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED TO ANALOG FILMS

Films.ensure a perfect vacuum with photopolymer plates and achieve a black density above 4.0 are now a rarity and the situation is getting worse.

People working with analog letterpress or flexo phtopolymer plates, magnesium plates or low screens plate productions face several challenges including:

– Films increasing prices

With the shutdown of mailn film manufacturers and decreased market availability, end-users prices have spiraled out of control.

– Inconsistent film batches

Market shrinkage has forced film manifacturers to cut costs, sometimes compromising raw material quality. This causes defective batches, frequent remakes of plates and material waste for users.

– Rising disposal costs for film unit chemicals

Chemical disposal costs for film units have significantly increased in recent years. In order to cut costs, users may delay replacing chemicals which can. lead to quality issues in the films.

– High maintenance costs and lack of spare parts for film units

Beyond expensive routine maintenance, owners of old films face last-minute emergencies. Spare parts for these machines are scarce and just as expensive

This scenario affects the entire supply chain, form owners of old film units to plate department managers using these films and underscores the need of modern and efficent alternatives.

Whether produced in-house or through a repro-house, the situation is becoming unsubstainable and time is running out.

It’s important to face the truth and choose the right solution which can replace such a old system.

WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES TO FILM REPRO UNITS?

If you have a low screen production of plates featuring fine lines and characters, BLACK MAT solutions are a good option. these are modified printers equipped with special toners that enable the production of films ideal for platemacking.

The benefits of this system include ease of use, the elimination of disposable chemicals (exept toner!) and reduced costs. For more details, please click here

If you require high quality plates with halftones and higher screens, a Computer to Plate system is the best choice. With a resolution of 4000 DPI, CTP systems allow the creation of HD ready plates. Click here for more details

If you want to produce digital, letterpress or flexo plates in-house,

If you also want to produce films suitable for screen printing frames,

If you are looking for a user friendly solution with simple maintenance,

If you don’t want to be tied to expensive maintenance contracts,

Contact us now for more details