In his seminal book titled Crossing the Chasm, author Geoffry Moore argues that any new technology goes through four phases of market acceptance. To be a successful product from a business point of view, it must mature technologically and financially (costs must decline) to expand its appeal from a relatively small group of "early adopters" to the mainstream marketplace.

Whereas computer-to-plate (CTP) technology crossed the chasm in offset printing about three years ago, the flexo-graphic arena is still in an early-adopter phase. Part of the reason is technology, as label and package printers are likely to be either "pragmatists" or "conservatives," in Moore-speak, who demand a cost-effective solution. But we are getting closer to the moment when more flexo printers will take the plunge, as systems become more versatile and affordable. As in the offset arena, they may be forced to because an ever-increasing number of consumer product companies are demanding digital plates for their jobs.

To date, CTP for flexo has been dominated by two hardware vendors, Creo (now part of Kodak) and Esko-Graphics, and one plate vendor, DuPont Cyrel®. These are proven systems that offer many benefits to their users. But they aren't the only choices, and they may not be viable for label printers and converters whose preferred dealer carries BASF, Fulflex or MacDermid plates.

For operations such as these, another very promising system that should be considered is the Luescher FlexPose!direct. This is a positive-working laser ablation system that removes the background material from the plate, leaving only the image-carrying portion. Once the imaging is completed, the plate needs only to be washed with soapy water to remove the ash.

The most important benefit of this system—as well as its competitors—is that it delivers better quality. No more film means that optical (dot) gain is totally eliminated. And, with the FlexPose!direct, there's no chemical processing on the back end, eliminating more variables that can compromise quality and add to consumables, handling and compliance costs. In particular, the FlexPose!direct exposes the highlight dots such that they are slightly below the rest of the plate surface. As a result, users get better highlight details and can print blends because the highlight dots don't get "crushed" by the cylinder pressure necessary to print the shadows and solids, according to the company.

Another feature that has held back adoption is imaging in the round. The FlexPose!direct—along with the Esko-Graphics CDI—can image sleeves as well as flats, though it is not yet cost effective.

In terms of cost, a system capable of making 30 × 24-in. flexo and 35 × 29-in. offset plates costs less than $200,000. Whether this is the one for your operation is a decision that requires careful consideration. But the barriers to adoption keep dropping, and it may be time to take the leap.

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