Computer to Film

Computer to film ( CTF) is the procedure, in which by means of a digital film recorder from a computer ( RIP) sent data directly exposed to film. Exposure usually takes place using a laser, then the film must be developed. The film can not yet be directly used for the printing process and represents only an intermediate step dar. It must initially be transferred to the printing plate by means of manual plate copy the printed image from the film. Here, a light-sensitive printing plate is placed in the plate copier film superimposed and turned on the light source, for several seconds. Subsequently, the exposed plate is developed.

CTF rang in the field of prepress and print a large-scale computerization and made sure that the profession of retoucher extinct. The previously very (time ) consuming manual creation of printed documents ( movies) could be reduced to a fraction of the effort by CTF.

CTF has now (as of January 2010) largely through CTP ( Computer to Plate) replaced. Only for screen printing digital film recorder are widespread even today, here again the complex and costly exposure and development process is already partially replaced by special large format printers that print directly on transparencies with special ink. By means of these films, the plywood can then be exposed.