Computer to plate is one of several different ways to print.
Your digital art is sent from your file on the computer to a machine that burns the image on a poly plate, seperating each color to be printed on an individual plate. The plates are then placed on the rollers on the printing press and inked up for printing.

There are other ways that plates are made, one is a Poly Plate which is made through a camera type of machine. Your art is placed underneath the glass and is shot by the camera and burned onto the poly plate. The poly plate is developed through the machine and after it drys is ready to be put on the press for printing.

Another way to make a plate is called Metal Plates. These are alluminum plates that are burn by using a plate burner. First a negative is made of your artwork and then the negative is placed carefully on top of the plate in the plate burning machine. The negative and plate are vacuume sucked to make sure that the negative is as flat as possible on the plate and then the image is burned on the plate by a bright light. The chemicals on the metal plate stay on where the image was burned and the rest of the chemicals are washed away.

Any Questions Call 623-780-2100

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