• Computer-to-Print
  
  Variable imaging, also known as Computer-to-Print, is a totally digital workflow, including the design process, prepress functions, and print output. Computer-to-Print systems, such as digital presses, utilize a digital print engine that allows the image carrier to be reimaged for each printed impression. Common to all Computer-to-Print systems is the ability to produce print applications in which every page that is printed is different. This is known as variable data publishing. Some of the output processes that use this plateless technology are electrophotography, ink jet, ion or electron deposition, magnetography, thermal transfer, and thermal dye sublimation.

Direct imaging uses electronic files to create films or plates for printing. Direct imaging technology includes the following:

• Computer-to-Imagesetter
  
  Computer-to-imagesetter involves the electronic preparation of a print application including the design process and then outputting it to film from an imagesetting device. The film is then used to create an image on printing plates which are mounted on a conventional press to produce printed documents. The output of the films used for imaging plates is becoming less common as a majority of printers convert to a more complete digital workflow.
  
  
• Computer-to-Plate (CTP)
  
  Computer-to-Plate, or digital platemaking, can be divided into two groups: Computer-to-Plate and Computer-to-Plate-on-Press.
  
  
  • Computer-to-Plate
    
    Also known as digital platemaking, a Computer-to-Plate (CTP) workflow includes electronic design and direct imaging of printing plates from the computer files. After digital imaging, the plates are mounted on conventional presses for print output.
    
    
  • Computer-to-Plate-on-Press
    
    With this technology, the image is transferred directly from the digital files to the image carrier already mounted on a press. An offset press with this capability is known as a direct imaging press. A direct imaging press is much like a conventional offset press except that the image carrier (plate) can be reimaged for every press run, thereby eliminating the step in a conventional print workflow of manually mounting different plates onto the press for every job that is printed.