Chennai-headquartered Kapoor Imaging is a major importer and reseller of offset plates under its Topaz brand. With the ending of the anti-dumping duty on the import of offset plates on 3 June 2018, the company is planning to source and introduce a high-sensitivity plate. The product will specifically aim at the high growth CtCP output devices segment.
The company says that its Topaz UV-PH CtCP plate to be launched in Q4 of 2018 will be a first for the print industry in the country. And being more sensitive to UV lasers, it will be 20% faster; while at the same time it will have the capability of rendering fine dots at high resolutions – from 1% to 99% even at 175 lines per inch (LPI).
The improved sensitivity of the Kapoor Topaz CtCP plate should mean better turnaround times and improved productivity for prepress bureaus and trade shops. For printers the benefit of these plates, apart from the quality angle, is of improved run-lengths of 100,000 to 125,000 impressions using normal inks without having to bake the plates. The company says that the plates is usable with UV inks as well; however, it will then only be able to perform short runs within 5,000 impressions without baking.
High performance plates for the newspaper segment
It is possible to bake the same CtCP plates; however, they are claimed to then be capable of running above 200,000 impressions with normal inks and 50,000 impressions when used with UV inks. The emulsion layer and coating of the Topaz UV-PH plates are blue in color similar to many thermal plates. Apparently, they also deliver quality and performance that approaches thermal CtP offset plates. The company is also ready to provide a quality developer that will make processor cleaning easier.
Kapoor Imaging recently launched its 2-layer thermal TPU plates that can deliver up to 50,000 impressions unbaked even with the use of UV inks. This plate has been qualified for all thermal CtP output devices.
The Chennai-based importer and soon to be manufacturer of its own plates is also launching a Chem-Free Violet plate. This PPVG (which should save considerable amounts of chemistry and water used for processing) is aims at the newspaper segment for medium-length runs from 100,000 to 125,000 impressions.
