The Big Three and their Motivations  

There has been extensive coverage of the recent moves by AGFA, Fuji, and Kodak, the three top plate suppliers, to acquire or expand into non-offset technologies but less has been said or written about the state of the plate business itself, upon which all this expansion depends. An astute analyst of the destinies of the main suppliers and their forays into other product areas would be wise to keep a keen eye on the main game -- the offset plate business.

To understand the crucial and central position of the offset plate for today's graphic arts suppliers, consider that Kodak did not have a significant plate offering less than 8 years ago. One plant in Colorado was the extent of Kodak's plate manufacturing resources, and that plant was dedicated to direct-to-plate technology, which would hasten the demise of its core products in the printing field - graphic arts film. Plates are Kodak's backbone now.