Thinking about building a better print brand but not sure where to start?
CTP screen technology might just be your answer.
CTP plates give printers better quality control and consistency. It’s a huge opportunity for print brands – but most print shops aren’t even considering it.
In this ultimate guide on how printers can build their brand with CTP screen technology, we’ll cover:
- What is CTP Screen Technology?
- Why you should use CTP Screen for plate making to build your print brand
- How CTP Screen Technology Creates Better Print Quality
- How Printers Can Build Their Brand With CTP
- How To Choose The Right CTP System
Let’s jump in.
What Is CTP Screen Technology?
CTP stands for Computer-to-Plate. That means images are sent directly to the plate with no film or chemical processing required.
The benefits are huge.
Expect faster turnaround, better registration, and sharper printing that clients will be able to see straight away.
There’s a wide range of CTP systems to choose from when purchasing screen plates — everything from desktop systems for small shops all the way up to high volume, thermal CTP systems that are ready for commercial printing applications. Each CTP system will expose a plate using a laser directly from a digital file. The end result? More consistency and accuracy during the plate-making process.
Shop owners that have yet to take the leap into CTP technology are stuck in the film factory of the past.
Why Use CTP Screen For Plate Making for Brand Building?
Hint: it’s more than just tighter registration.
Quality is how printers build brands with CTP screen technology.
When every single print job that comes out of your shop is crisp and clean, your customers will notice. They also become more likely to return and do business with you again. That’s how you start to build a print brand that commands respect.
Cheap chemical processed plates that have shifted in colour or misplaced layers of half-tone are how you fail to build a brand. Customers simply won’t return.
Better quality control starts with ditching film plates and going CTP.
Thermal CTP systems led with 49.53% of the market share in 2024, due to its reliability and razor sharp image quality. Clients notice when images look better. If your print shop is still offering subpar quality work, it’s time to make the change.
How Does CTP Screen Technology Create Better Print Quality?
Clients notice. That’s not hyperbole, that’s just fact.
The better the quality of your printing output, the more likely you are to retain clients and build your brand.
So how does CTP create better quality printing plates?
- Dot gain is minimised because the exposure comes from a laser (versus manual film exposure).
- Registration is better because going digital to plate eliminates tolerance stacking commonly seen with film rolls.
- Colour accuracy is improved because plate exposure is consistent, creating consistent ink density from one print job to the next.
- Turnaround time is faster because there’s no film to load, process, and then expose.
Loads quicker too.
CTP technology has been shown to reduce production time by 30%. No more waiting around for film to process before exposing your next plate. Buy a CTP plate maker and watch the time savings stack.
Faster = happier clients.
Repeat happy clients = brand building.
How Printers Can Build Their Brand With CTP Screen Technology
Uh oh. Did you start to think a magic “brand me” button just appeared on your screen?
Yeah. Now open your eyes again.
Becoming intentional and knowing what you want your brand to stand for is step number one.
Lead With Quality As Your Messaging Cornerstone
Print businesses love to compete on price. If you’ve done anything in your business to lower prices, you’re playing a race to the bottom.
It’s far more beneficial to compete on quality. As long as you have the right tools in your production facility to back up that quality promise.
CTP screen technology allows printers to output work that absolutely blows traditional plate-making processes out of the water. Tell clients that. All of it.
- Show them older workflow samples compared to CTP samples.
- Throw press-ready samples in your proposal/pitch package.
- Make sure your printers explain CTP capabilities when talking to clients.
It’s that easy.
Specialise in Service Categories That Demand Quality
We previously mentioned that the CTP plate market hit USD 1.5 billion in 2024. It’s also projected to reach USD 2.8 billion by 2033. Keep that number in mind. Where will your print business fall into that demand?
Think about service categories like high-end packaging design, luxury commercial printing, and short-run catalogues. All of these market segments demand quality printing plates time and time again.
Focusing your print business around one of these niche categories (and aligning your CTP competencies to serve them) is a quick way to stand out from the crowd.
Don’t want to be everything to everyone? That’s okay. Just be the absolute best at something specific.
Build A Reputation For Consistency
Nobody loves having a print job go wrong.
Unfortunately, that’s part of running a print business. Mistakes happen. Clients will let you know when they do.
CTP screen technology makes it possible to tighten up quality all over your production process. Starting with plate-making. The more consistent your plates are running, the less likely you’ll be to incur expensive callbacks or disgruntled clients.
Building a reputation takes time. But, start churning out consistent, quality jobs with the help of CTP, and your brand will start to build itself.
Invest in the Right CTP System
If you haven’t already noticed, CTP systems aren’t one size fits all.
Picking the right system to support the work you’re doing is critically important. Otherwise, you could end up buying equipment that’s overkill or just not capable of handling the plate jobs your business is running.
Think about how many plates you produce on a daily basis. What kind of printing do you specialise in? Commercial? Packaging? Newspapers? Maybe you’re looking to hit certain sustainability goals by investing in chemistry-free processing. And what presses are currently in your shop? Will you need a large-format CTP machine to support them?
Asking these questions — and answering them honestly — can save you a lot of headaches down the road. Don’t let the equipment drive what your business is about. Find a CTP system that suits what you’re already doing.
Wrapping Up. CTP = Better Print Branding.
Alright, that’s a lot of info to digest. Here’s the quick recap:
- Using CTP screen technology for plate-making cuts down production time and improves quality every time
- Thermal based CTP systems are the most popular because clients can see the difference in quality for themselves
- Building a brand in the print industry comes down to one thing: consistent, quality output
- Invest in the right CTP system for your production needs and you’ll never look back.
CTP allows you to put out better plates quicker. Clients notice when their print jobs look good. That’s how you build your brand.
