Applications: Printing

High power semiconductor lasers are used in the printing process for a wide variety of print media including magazines, posters, and newspapers. The most common application is thermal Computer-to-Plate imaging, where diode lasers are used to write printing plates. QPC high brightness semiconductor laser technology is also enabling a broader range of printing applications where high brightness sources are required such as flexography and eventually on-press imaging.

Thermal Computer-to-Plate (CtP) imaging has significant advantages over traditional analog film and plate technology which use UV lamps. The elimination of film from the workflow dramatically reduces the make-ready or start up time for the printers which allows the printer more flexibility to get jobs on and off press with reduced start up time for each job and enables the printer to wait longer to go to press than with the analog process. Additionally, the Thermal CtP process allows the user to work in white light as opposed to a dark environment. Printing quality is generally improved by removing the film intermediate, while at the same time removing the costs associated with the imagesetter, processor, stripper, etc.