Offset pre-press is a standardized process conducted in-house by printing companies. The offset plate is a thin aluminum plate that is used to transfer images to the offset blanket.
The imaging process:
An ink-accepting coating is applied to a base material. The coating is light sensitive with a thickness of around 1μm, whilst the base material is usually a polymer. The plate is exposed and developed and the remains of the original (ink-accepting) light-sensitive coating create the image.
An offset plate is not only up to ten times more affordable than a flexo cliche but can be produced within several minutes. This makes the technology ideal for short run work that requires rapid turnaround times.