How does CTP square spot technology improve ink-water balance?

CTP Square Dot Technology significantly improves ink-water balancing efficiency and stability through the following core mechanisms:

• Edge Sharpness: A 10.6µm x 2.5µm square laser window creates a rectangular, stepped dot with uniform energy distribution. This reduces edge energy attenuation compared to traditional round dots, resulting in sharper dot outlines and less risk of dot diffusion during the ink emulsification process.
• Precise Raster Matching: The square dots are strictly aligned with the printing screen, eliminating gaps when joining round dots and ensuring uniform ink transfer.

• Fast Ink-Water Balancing: Kodak CTP's Square Dot Technology uses constant laser energy exposure to achieve a stable ink-water ratio at the initial printing stage, reducing plate waste (traditional processes require 50-100 sheets, while Square Dot Technology can reduce this to less than 20 sheets).
• Temperature Compensation: A patented temperature control system eliminates the effects of ambient temperature fluctuations on dot expansion, maintaining long-term ink-water balancing stability.

• FM screen mass production adaptation: Supports precise dot reproduction from 1% to 99%, making it particularly suitable for high-line-count FM screen printing and reducing the interference of ink fluctuations in traditional AM screens.
• Defect Prevention: Dynamic autofocus prevents hotspot defects caused by dust particles and ink imbalances caused by plate imperfections.

This technology, through the synergy of physical dot optimization and an intelligent control system, accelerates ink balance throughout the entire process, from platemaking to printing, reducing overall scrap rates by over 30%.