Prepress & CTP Platesetters — Complete India Guide
Every CTP (Computer-to-Plate) platesetter brand in India — Screen PlateRite, Kodak Trendsetter/Magnus, Agfa Avalon/Advantage, Heidelberg Suprasetter. The technology that replaced film, every model ever made, India installed base, and agent contacts.
Computer-to-Plate (CTP) is the process of exposing a printing plate directly from a digital file using a laser, eliminating the film intermediate step that was standard in prepress before the late 1990s. CTP transformed offset print production — plates are made faster, more accurately, and with better dot quality than film-based imagesetters. By the early 2000s, CTP had replaced film in virtually every significant Indian commercial and packaging print plant. Today, a CTP platesetter is as essential to an offset print operation as the printing press itself. The four dominant CTP brands in India are Screen PlateRite, Kodak Trendsetter/Magnus, Agfa Avalon/Advantage, and Heidelberg Suprasetter — together accounting for well over 90% of CTP installations in India.
CTP Brand Comparison — India Quick Reference
| Brand | Country | Key India models | Laser type | India market position | Est. India base |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen PlateRite | Japan | PlateRite 4300II, 8600N, 8900NX, DL Series | Violet laser / IR | Largest installed base in India — price-competitive Japanese quality | 1,500–2,000+ |
| Kodak Trendsetter / Magnus | USA | Trendsetter 800 Quantum, Magnus VLF, Magnus Q800 | IR thermal | Strong in large commercial and packaging — thermal quality benchmark | 600–900 |
| Agfa Avalon / Advantage | Belgium | Avalon N8, Advantage DL, Advantage LF | Violet laser / IR thermal | Strong in quality-focused commercial and packaging plants | 400–600 |
| Heidelberg Suprasetter | Germany | Suprasetter A52, A75, A106, S74, S105 | Violet/IR depending on model | Preferred by Heidelberg press owners for single-vendor workflow | 300–500 |
Screen PlateRite has the largest CTP installed base in India — driven by competitive pricing, excellent reliability, and strong dealer support. The PlateRite range covers everything from B3 format CTP for small commercial printers to very large format (VLF) CTP for newspaper and large packaging plants. The PlateRite 4300, 8600, and 8900 series are found in hundreds of Indian offset print plants. Screen was also one of the earliest CTP brands to establish a strong India distributor network, giving them a first-mover advantage in the Indian market. Screen CTP range ↗
| Model | Years | Format | Plates/hr | Laser | India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlateRite 4300 / 4300E | 2002 – 2015 | B3–B2 (430mm) | 8–15 plt/hr | Violet | Entry CTP for small commercial printers. Very widely installed in India's smaller commercial print plants making B2 and below plates. Parts still available through Screen India. | Discontinued |
| PlateRite 4300II / 4300IIS | 2008 – 2020 | B2 (430mm) | 12–18 plt/hr | Violet | Updated 4300. Good India adoption at commercial printers using B2 presses. Used PlateRite 4300II: ₹5–15 lakh. | Superseded |
| PlateRite 8600N / 8600NX ★★★ India CTP standard | 2005 – present | B1 (830mm) | 20–36 plt/hr | Violet | The most common B1 CTP in India. Found in hundreds of Indian commercial and packaging print plants. The 8600N violet laser CTP is considered the value standard for B1 plate making — reliable, cost-effective, good quality. Multiple generations. Used 8600N: ₹15–35 lakh. Screen CTP ↗ | Current |
| PlateRite 8900NX ★★ Premium India B1 | 2012 – present | B1 (890mm) | Up to 50 plt/hr | Violet / switchable | High-speed B1 CTP. Used by high-volume commercial and packaging printers needing faster plate output. Premium Screen CTP for India's large press operations. Official ↗ | Current |
| PlateRite DL Series (drum laser) | 2018 – present | B1 and larger | Up to 60 plt/hr | Violet LD | Latest Screen PlateRite generation — LED-based laser for longer head life and lower maintenance. Growing India adoption. Official ↗ | Current |
Screen India contact: Screen Graphics India Pvt Ltd, Mumbai. screen.co.jp/gps ↗
Kodak's CTP range (originally developed by Creo, acquired by Kodak in 2005) uses thermal infrared laser technology rather than violet laser. Thermal CTP is generally considered to produce slightly sharper dots and better ink/water balance on press — which is why Kodak CTP is favoured by quality-focused commercial and packaging printers. The Trendsetter series (B2 and B1) and the Magnus series (B1 and very large format) are installed in India's top-tier commercial and packaging print plants. Kodak's Prinergy workflow is the most widely installed production workflow in Indian premium print plants. Kodak Commercial Print ↗
| Model | Years | Format | Plates/hr | India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trendsetter 400 / 800 | 1998 – 2010 | B2 / B1 | 8–20 plt/hr | First widely-sold Kodak (Creo) CTP in India. Established thermal CTP quality reputation. Many still in service. Used Trendsetter 800: ₹10–25 lakh. | Discontinued |
| Trendsetter 800 Quantum ★★★ India commercial standard | 2005 – present | B1 (830mm) | Up to 30 plt/hr | The most widely installed Kodak CTP in India. Thermal IR laser, excellent dot quality. Found in India's top commercial and packaging print plants. The Quantum imaging engine delivers best-in-class sharpness. Used Trendsetter 800Q: ₹20–45 lakh. Official ↗ | Current |
| Magnus VLF (Very Large Format) ★★ Newspaper India | 2008 – present | VLF up to 1,300mm | Up to 40+ plt/hr | Very large format thermal CTP for newspaper printing — makes broadsheet and tabloid printing plates at high speed. Used by India's major newspaper printing plants (Times Group, HT Media, Jagran, Eenadu). Kodak CTP ↗ | Current |
| Magnus Q800 / Q2400 | 2015 – present | B1 / larger | Up to 60 plt/hr | High-speed thermal CTP. For India's high-volume commercial and packaging operations. Official ↗ | Current |
Kodak India contact: Kodak India Pvt Ltd. kodak.com/print ↗
Agfa's relationship with the Indian print industry predates CTP — Agfa film and chemistry were standard in Indian prepress through the 1970s–1990s. When CTP arrived, Agfa was a natural choice for plants already using Agfa consumables. Today, Agfa sells CTP platesetters, offset printing plates (Azura, Violet, and thermal), and prepress chemistry in India. The Avalon and Advantage series compete directly with Screen PlateRite and Kodak Trendsetter. Agfa's offset plates are sold separately and can be used on other brands' platesetters. Agfa Offset ↗
| Model | Years | Format | Laser | India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agfa Advantage DL | 2010 – present | B2 (520mm) | Violet LD laser | Entry Agfa CTP for B2 format. Used by smaller commercial printers who run Agfa plates and want a full Agfa prepress solution. Agfa CTP ↗ | Current |
| Agfa Avalon N8 / N24 ★★ India commercial | 2012 – present | B1 (830mm) / larger | Violet LD laser | The primary Agfa CTP for India's B1 commercial and packaging printers. Good quality, competitive pricing. Used by plants with Agfa plate preferences. Avalon N8 ↗ | Current |
| Agfa Advantage LF (Large Format) | 2015 – present | VLF / newspaper | Violet LD laser | Very large format CTP for newspaper printing. Used by India's newspaper publishers who prefer the Agfa workflow. | Current |
Agfa India: Agfa India Pvt Ltd, Mumbai. agfa.com/offset ↗. Also sells Azura, Violet, and Thermal printing plates separately from platesetters.
Heidelberg's Suprasetter CTP range is positioned as the CTP choice for plants running Heidelberg presses and Prinect workflow. The advantage: a single vendor for press, CTP, and workflow — plates made on a Suprasetter with Prinect presetting data feed directly to the Speedmaster press for automated ink zone presetting. For print plants wanting the highest level of Heidelberg workflow automation, Suprasetter + Prinect + Speedmaster is the complete integrated system. In India, Suprasetter CTP is found primarily at Heidelberg press owners who have standardised on the Heidelberg ecosystem. Heidelberg CTP ↗
| Model | Format | Laser | India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suprasetter A52 / A75 | B3 / B2 (520mm / 750mm) | Violet LD laser | Suprasetter CTP for smaller Heidelberg press operations — B2 and below. Used by Indian commercial printers running Heidelberg SM 52 and SM 74 who want a Heidelberg workflow end-to-end. Suprasetter A ↗ | Current |
| Suprasetter A106 / S74 / S105 ★★ India Heidelberg plants | B1 (1060mm / 740mm / 1050mm) | Violet / IR thermal | B1 format Suprasetter — the choice for plants running Heidelberg XL 106, SM 102, or CD 102. Fully integrated with Prinect for automatic ink zone presetting. The A106 is Heidelberg's flagship CTP with simultaneous plate loading. Used Suprasetter A106: ₹20–50 lakh. Official ↗ | Current |
Heidelberg India CTP: Heidelberg India Pvt Ltd, Gurgaon. Contact through heidelberg.com/in ↗. Plates: Heidelberg Saphira plates available through Heidelberg India consumables.
- Basyprint / GLUNZ & JENSEN (now Glunz & Jensen): Plate processors and CTP for newspaper. Some India installations at regional newspaper publishers.
- Luscher: Swiss manufacturer of UV CTP platesetters — used for UV-offset packaging plates. Limited but specialist India presence.
- Hangzhou Cron (Chinese): Lower-cost CTP from China — growing adoption at budget-conscious Indian commercial printers. Competitively priced but limited service depth.
- Ceres / HuaRui (Chinese): Chinese CTP brands available in India through import agents — primarily for newspaper and lower-tier commercial applications.
| Feature | Screen PlateRite 8600N | Screen PlateRite DL | Kodak Trendsetter 800Q | Kodak Magnus Q800 | Agfa Avalon N8 | Heidelberg Suprasetter A106 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | B1 (830mm) | B1 (830mm) | B1 (830mm) | B1 (830mm) | B1 (830mm) | B1 (1060mm) |
| Laser type | Violet laser | Violet LED | IR thermal | IR thermal | Violet LD | Violet LD |
| Speed (plates/hr) | 20–36 | Up to 60 | Up to 30 | Up to 60 | 20–36 | Up to 40 |
| Plate types | Violet sensitive | Violet sensitive | Thermal | Thermal | Violet / thermal | Violet / thermal |
| Auto plate loading | Optional | Yes | Yes | Yes | Optional | Yes |
| Workflow RIP | Harlequin | Harlequin | Prinergy | Prinergy | Apogee / Arkitex | Prinect |
| India installed base | Largest ★★★★★ | Growing ★★ | Strong ★★★★ | Mid ★★ | Strong ★★★ | Significant ★★★ |
| Used price India | ₹15–35 lakh | ₹30–60 lakh | ₹20–45 lakh | ₹35–70 lakh | ₹18–40 lakh | ₹20–50 lakh |
| Best for | Value B1 CTP | New LED quality | Thermal quality premium | Very high speed | Agfa plate workflow | Heidelberg ecosystem |