Purchasing Polymer Plates

Hi Ash,
There are a few companies out there, and they all use the same plate material. Here is our shameless plug! Ha. We actually offer letterpress polymer plates. Our rates are 50 cents per inch with a $15 minimum order. We can do 152, 95, and 94 plates.

You can find out more about our services here:
http://www.oldcitypress.com/letterpress-polymer-plate-making-service/

You can also order plates here: http://www.oldcitypress.com/letterpress-plates/

Thank you,
Pete
Old City Press

Anybody who makes Polymerplates and the also the needed Film has only raising cost, not falling. The number of Service bureaus (a Service Bureau was a Company which took your File and turned into Film) had been drastically reduced in the last decade, to the point there we had here over 100 of them and now less than 10, if that.
The equipment is aging (imagesetters) and required costly maintenance, the wet chemical processing of Film is not getting any cheaper. Best: As long as the plate is processed in a commercial unit versus home made, the plates should be fine. There are only so many places wo offer this service, order from each than the need for a plate arises and see which provider you feel comfortable with.

www.Krauseintaglio.com

Typenut, at least one vendor (Crown Flexo) use no film at all. They produce their plates via direct laser imaging from the digital file. This is similar to the way almost all offset plates are now made as well.
—
Michael Hurley
Titivilus Press
Memphis, TN