“The new CTP system is easy to use,” explains Peter. “It makes each job more quickly, the quality of print has improved, and jobs are easy to handle. There are a lot of benefits.”

The :Palladio 30M is a manual version of Agfa’s 4-up (B2) violet, flatbed platesetter suitable for medium-volume commercial printers looking for a cost-effective, simple solution for automated plate production. It fits plate sizes from 280x450 mm to 635x760 mm. It is particularly ideal for companies like PoMun moving to a digital CTP environment for the first time.

Most of PoMun’s work is full-colour and high quality but covers a wide range of commercial printing – from letterheads, business cards, brochures, and reports, to envelopes, stickers, invoice books, etc. 

The PoMun installation comprises a :Palladio 30M with inline Lithrone plate punching and an :LP68 online processor funning :Lithostar LAP-V violet plates, a :Sherpa 44M digital inkjet printer for proofing. At the front end is an :ApogeeX 4-up Light workflow system (including Preps for impositioning, InRender Trapping (IRT), Pitstop, and :Apogee proofing license). 

With four presses in operation, PoMun’s operators need to output different sized plates at different times. Because of this variation, Peter chose the manual plate loading :Palladio to eliminate the need to continually change plate cassettes.

The :Palladio’s specially-designed optical system allows uniform dot shape and placement across the imaged media. The 410nm violet laser focuses before and after reflection to ensure a consistent beam shape and the six-sided polygon mirror keeps imaging accurate at all resolutions (1200, 2400, and 3000 dpi). The long-life 30mW laser can image silver and photopolymer plates. Automatic plate registration positions each plate correctly on the transport table from the start and a vacuum-securing system prevents subsequent plate movement.

The :ApogeeX Light workflow is designed for operations relying on off-the-shelf applications, taking PS, EPS, and PDF files and rendering them for output. A graphic user interface automates tasks such as managing/tracking jobs, controlling output queues, requesting plate remakes, generating page and imposition proofs, or soft proofing screened and trapped digital films.

Before the Palladio installation, PoMun used an Agfa :Accuset imagesetter to make film before plate production. 

“We would spend a lot of labour time to put the film together then we would burn the plates,” explains Peter. “Each step would take a lot of time and with each step there is more chance that something will go wrong.” With the new platesetter, plate production is around 10-12 plates an hour with each plate taking just over three minutes to produce.

“It is easier to control now – we save labour time and our customers are more confident because jobs are turned around quicker then before.”

Peter has run the PoMun printing business for 14 years. In late 2004 the company moved from smaller premises in Mortlake to a refurbished three-story building in Ryde. Equipment was upgraded at the same time, including a new Lithrone 26 six-colour press (for high quality 4-colour A2 work on short to medium run lengths) and the Agfa CTP system. Some A3 presses were retained for simpler jobbing work. 

The new building presented some challenges for the Agfa technicians as the purpose-built prepress area is located on the top floor. It needed a special rigging to get the equipment through an old lift well. However, once in place, the equipment was installed and operating in just a few days.

Peter says he chose the :Palladio because of its technology and reliability and Agfa’s involvement. “I compared a few different makes in this market but chose Agfa because I am more confident with them. They have been supplying film and plates to us for a number of years and that has always been very good,” he says. “It is very important to have the best back-up service too.”