In the field of digital printing, CTP (Computer-to-Plate) technology has become the mainstream, of which thermal CTP plates and violet CTP printing plate as the two mainstream CTP plates, each has its own merits. In this article, we will compare the characteristics of these two technologies in detail, to help readers make more informed decisions when choosing.

Thermal CTP technology utilizes the characteristics of heat-sensitive materials, under the action of the print head heating, the digital image is transferred directly to the surface of the printing plate. Its core advantage lies in rapid plate making and digital production, which greatly reduces plate making time and improves printing efficiency. In addition, the thermal CTP plates have low sensitivity to natural light, can be operated under bright room conditions, and the quality of the plate after exposure is stable, the dot reproducibility is good, the resolution is high, and it is suitable for medium and long version printing. However, thermal CTP plates also have some limitations. For example, its plate-making process requires high thermal energy, higher equipment requirements, and different specifications of the plate may affect the cylinder balance, the need for specific counterweight balancing device. In addition, thermal CTP plates require complex plate fixation and stabilization techniques in high-speed rotation to ensure imaging quality.

Violet CTP technology uses a violet laser diode as the light source and realizes plate making through the photopolymerization imaging mechanism. Violet CTP plates have the advantages of low cost, high sensitivity, good development stability and high print resistance. In the process of plate making, the plate is adsorbed in the cylinder, and the laser beam is irradiated to the rotating mirror through the light path to form the exposure image. As the distance between the plate and the rotating mirror is constant, it can ensure that the size of the laser point and the focusing distance remain unchanged, thus improving the accuracy and stability of plate making. Violet CTP plates also have the function of automatic laser energy calibration, which can accurately control the laser energy reaching the plate to ensure the accurate reproduction of dots. In addition, the violet laser is characterized by instantaneous illumination, low loss and long life, which further reduces the cost of use.

Thermal CTP and violet CTP plates have their own advantages, the choice needs to be weighed according to the specific needs. Thermal CTP is suitable for the pursuit of high efficiency, stability, high quality of the medium and long version of the printing; and violet CTP with its low cost, high sensitivity, high print resistance and other characteristics of the printing enterprises focusing on cost-effective and environmentally friendly and energy-saving preferred. Regardless of which technology is chosen, stable equipment performance and standardized operation should be ensured in order to give full play to the advantages of CTP technology.