I just finished the most complete article on this that I've seen in Screen Printing mag (June 2004 / Volume 94 / NO.6). It had some pretty frank talk by Coyle Reproductions and Belaire Display (large format display printers) and also 2 textile printers (along with blurbs from the manufacturer's, of course)
The gist of the article was that everyone who managed to pony up the considerable expenditure to get it in the shop and completed the sometimes long learning curve to switch mentalities from manual to direct to screen, every one said the change not only was cost effective but almost immediately became indispensible (I think the textile printer suggested that anyone who hasn't made the switch soon could never hope to stay competetive with him)
The comment in a previous thread about it being "too expensive" for this guy's shop reminds me of what people said about the switch from solvent based inks to UV curable inks 10 years ago
There is no doubt that when they were first being touted as the "next big thing" they were just not ready (as any new technology is at it's beggining) but the last 10 years (as the article I've mentioned states) has seen the fine tunning anything new needs to make it commercially viable.
Coyle states they've paid for it in 18 months of use, but Belaire says it took them 2 years to even get it running (of course if you knew anything about these companies you wouldn't be surprised by either statement)
Then again one company, whose name will be unmentioned, bought the Luscher 5 years ago and never could get it to work and just got rid of it and went back to film.
Apparently it's working fine for 45-55 line screens, other say they use it up to 75 line artwork, and use their film output for 85 line and higher. ( yes higher, what, you can't print 120 line?)
Anyway, don't take my word for it, read the article (it might just be available here at this website)
good luck
Rocky
What you write is interesting. We have been a player for eight years+ and put our first units in the field in 1998/99 and they are all still running smoothly today. We have transfer printers. T-shirt printers, towel manufacturers, POP, large graphic printers,etc. and we have just about run the screen printing table. We have unit placed where onle signs or spot colors are printed to one company producing bank credit cards with halftone and process color backgrounds to 120 lines. And...we can provide references!!! EVERY CTS unit that we have shipped world-wide for direct imaging to screen is operating TODAY. Our claims are factual and we standby to prove everything that we claim!!! Hugh Neville... Richmond Graphics
I have had over twelve years of experience of CTS, from waxed based systems through to the very latest Laser exposing units, not only using a a daily daily basis but also installing and setting up systems mainly in the UK and Europe, what do you want to know?
DJ
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