Digitalization changes the printing environment (I)

The rapid spread of digital technology has brought great changes to the printing industry.
The most important one is CTP (Computer TOP late). In particular, the digitalization of prepress projects has reached an almost complete state.
In the field of printing and printing, due to the combination with prepress engineering, digital-based automation has made great progress. Machines and devices that meet the needs of many varieties, small batches, short delivery times, and high added value have been gradually developed. roll out. Powerful printing companies have introduced these new technologies, sought to rationalize their operations, and increased their productivity. They have established a posture corresponding to the digital era.

The expectation of PDF as a standard format for graphic arts is notable as PDF. There have been Acrobat4.0J sold by Adobe of the United States and New CID font sold by Sensen of Japan, which has made the PDF environment in printing obtain considerable progress. Acrobat4.0J was developed as a new solution to the PDF authoring software "Acrobat". You can load Japanese fonts, and send PDF files to a remote factory or remote processing site for remote printing (subject to limitations such as RIP). New CID font (For Macintosh fonts) In addition to CID fonts that can be loaded into PDF, you can also assemble two fonts, OCF (Original Composite Font) and New CID, on a single Macintosh, and change the font name from the original CID font. .
As one of the workflows that can promote the digital environment, there is Apogee produced by Agfa. It is not limited to the version of the OS or application software. It is a PDF-based open digital workflow that supports everything from image integration, CTP, and digital printing. Consists of Apogee Phot, Apogee PDF RIG, Apogee Print Drive. Prinergy, co-developed by Heidelberg and Creo, features a simple and flexible PDF (Print Ready PDF) for printing. If the printing company can simply complete the PDF including the necessary conditions for color management, overprinting, OPI (Image Automated Exchange Function), and so on, remote control proofing can be used, and the user can quickly make contact, and the flexibility of the workflow is easy. It can also be greatly improved. Scitex's Briague has become the digital front end of the workflow process. It manages the summarization of all data formats from input to output, which is the key to a safe and productive workflow.

Fujifilm's digital front-end system, Valiano, is a versatile RIP system that manages the various jobs required before output, and can handle a variety of input and output formats. It is designed for very smooth output management. Similarly, Workflow RIP's CelebraNT PLUS is an expanded version of the RIP-enabled page number data and the proof output function from the combination of the points. In the final output stage, a non-returnable workflow can be constructed.


Communication that affects the form of operations Recently, the most noticeable is the communication network. According to the application of communication, the forms of operations such as printing and plate making have been affected in various ways.
Scitex's Vio can perform integrated services from improving application software to user support. Hardware, application software, communication equipment, etc. are all available in a full package, and no additional investment advertising companies, frame-making companies, printing companies, etc. are required. SDL relies on digital data for information exchange, once Vio's network is used. , can carry out horizontal collaborative work.

Vio has three services. The job exchange service uses the job progress sheet to manage sending and receiving manuscripts. This greatly simplifies the man-hours required to manage operational data, eliminates the need for redundant semaphores on the communication line, and delivers the report to the destination at a high speed, which is a service that achieves a highly efficient workflow. The remote control item proofing service is to output the model name of the PS-compatible printer. After logging in to the center with the paper specification and color matching information (ICC Profile), it can be output to a remote location. A printing company that intends to output proofing to the other party needs only to access the center, select the other party's print information, and output it from the DTP software to the other party. Remote software proofing services rely on the use of application software called Render View. High-resolution high-resolution image data is also accessed in the central database and displayed on the Web browser on the monitor screen for high-speed display. An on-screen calibration can be achieved with the customer without the need for data transfer for correction.

WAMNET provides a reliable, secure, and high-speed communication network system by providing a communication server NAD (Network Access Device) that uses a UNIX system as its core, communication hardware, and software required for communication. NAD, communication lines, software, etc. can all be rented without compensation, so the initial costs are completely unnecessary. In terms of services, the NAD transmission speed is 400 megabytes per hour. If you do not set up NAD, change the transmission adapter and use the Center Server of the ATM line. The hourly rate is 400 megabytes. The ISDN line can be used to connect WAMNET to the ISDN line service, which can be up to 50-200 megabytes per hour. For Internet users who have not joined WAMNET, there is also a connection service to Internet users who perform data transmission and reception.

The communication application software GTRAX was jointly developed by Fujifilm of Japan, Dainippon Screen, and NTT Communications. It is to unify digital machines through the Internet, provide production environments that are not restricted by distance and time between customers, frame-fixing companies, and plate-making companies, in order to achieve labor-saving production projects and reduce production costs. The process of planning-to-printing is linked organically with companies in order to achieve parallel publishing (relying on the Internet database, the production of printed materials, the entire process from planning to printing and publishing in parallel).

The eye-catching CTP thermal positive plate version is the DTP that promotes full digitalization of the prepress project. Afterwards, the digitization that continued into the printing process was CTP. There is no doubt about the rationalization of the printing process, not only shortening the preparation time in the printing process and increasing the productivity, but also expecting to reduce the environmental burden. The CTP plate is broadly divided into three categories: silver salt, photosensitive resin, and heat-sensitive. Recently, however, manufacturers have been working hard to develop a thermal positive plate.
Thermal plates now have the first generation of thermal negative plates and the second generation of thermal positive plates. The heat-sensitive negative plate needs to be heat-treated and developed. Therefore, in addition to the preheating process, an incubator and an automatic developing machine must also be provided. In the case of a thermographic plate, no preheating prior to development is required. Shorten the corresponding operation time, detail the cost of buying a thermostat box in the thermal positive version, especially the Brillia LH-PI produced by the Fujifilm company combines multi-layer sand technology and high-precision CTP technology, performance is first-class The feature is to adapt to the needs of the bright room processing.

In addition, Kodak Polychrom's Electra 830 that can reproduce high-quality images was developed to meet the requirements of the CTP version. In Europe and the United States, 200 sets of Platesetters are used, and Japan is also officially sold. Agfa's Agfa thermostar is a 1-99% reproducible network with a resolution of 200 lines. The PS version has the same printing characteristics as the Hyundai Syru, and the digital and analog plates can be combined on the press. With a resistance of 150,000 sheets, over 1 million sheets of resistance can be obtained by baking.

For the CTP version of the imaging machine, there have been many manufacturers to develop, such as Japan's Dainippon Screen Plate Light Fujifilm's Luxel Platesetter, Heidelberg's Trendsetter, Seitex's Lotem, AGFA's Galileo, Barco's Gerber/Crescent Wait. Mitsubishi Paper Corp., on the other hand, advocates the addition of a selection system to the company's image-integration machine, and it will be able to export the real-time CPT digital version of Real CTP. In addition, a new system capable of drastically cutting down the thermal CTP working capital has been developed, such as the Kodak Polychrom CTP plate development system manufactured by Kodak polychrome, and Mitsubishi Chemical's LT-I, LT- that has improved the development stability by substantially improving the soap. G.