Eight trends of future printing development can not be ignored

With the emergence of CTP, the digital development of printing industry is also growing faster and faster. In such a trend, what is the development trend of enterprises? In short, there are the following eight development trends.

1. Digital connection with customers

The printing operation is made into electronic documents, and all documents are transmitted through high-speed long-distance communication. In some cases, it may be a T-1 or T-3 line, ISDN or any other communication method; in other cases, it may be the file transfer through the Internet or Intranet. The documents transferred include electronic worksheets and self processing documents for different steps in the process of digital workflow, which organically connect customers and printing services, a phenomenon never seen before.

2. Remote proofing

Proofing is an important part of the printing industry. It is very meaningful to conduct proofing before entering the workflow, while it is more meaningful to be able to produce proofs in the customer's own office. The problem is how to manage the color of the files sent back to the customer. Whether it is inkjet proofing, thermal sublimation proofing, or other types of printing, the documents need to be professionally processed before they are sent to customers, so that the documents have certain color control. The debate with and without outlets will continue into the next century.

3. Waterless printing

The advantages of waterless printing in reducing waste and improving quality are obvious. However, there are only a few printing plate suppliers, and printing is also very special, which greatly limits its wide acceptance. At present, CTP system produces digital watermark free version through several suppliers, and some printing presses are ready for refrigeration system to wait for the access of waterless printing. Waterless printing only uses one kind of liquid ink instead of fountain solution. The market demand for this new printing method is increasing.

Random screening - and no film is used CTP system makes FM screening easier, and the era of FM screening is coming soon. The use of CTP system can make the work better, and its market share is also growing. In 1992, FM network just appeared, and few users used this network. And now I have a new interest in it.

4. CTP technology

The advantages of CTP technology are as follows: a. It eliminates some problems that may be caused by the process from film to plate;

b. The location can be faster, because the CTP equipment can make the location of the dot more convenient;

c. The printing cycle can be shortened by omitting the operation steps; d. In most cases, better quality can be guaranteed.

The current sales figures show that CTP is occupying this market.

5. Digital to dot to print

Pixel to page to product. Process control has always been automatic, from digital pages to products. Consider using the internal barcode for tracking. You can know the progress of all aspects of the job in the current state from the start of creating a job. If CIP3 is an open, non private method, it is an acceptable method. Otherwise, the market has to find a better way.

6. Technology integration

Putting an ink-jet system into a printing machine is an example of technology integration. I heard recently that a good example of system integration is the color printing service jointly provided by Indigo and Xeikon printers. First, use the Xeikon printing machine to print a large number of sheets, and then use the Indigo machine to print black ink to make the prints more distinctive. The integration of offset press and ink-jet printer makes the printing and copying effect better.

It is possible to output a digital file multiple times from one file - the file between the application file and the RIP file - to any proofing or printing equipment. Acrobat PDF is a promising method. It can move files from the device generating files to the device copying files, eliminating the incompetence of PostScript and speeding up the workflow.

7. Variable data printing

Whether using toner or ink jet, electronic printing is developing rapidly, just as some new mid-range digital color printing systems are entering the market. In less than a year, the sales of Xerox Docucolor system and Cannon CLC1000 system have exceeded all sales of high-end digital printing presses. They have the ability to output direct mail and customized products, and the typical application is the new anti-counterfeiting printing.

8. Digital advertising

Whether in TIFF/IT or PDF format, advertisements will be inserted into newspapers and magazines in the form of electronic files, because these objects will be output by CTP. The big news here is that "placed PDF" will allow these smart files to be directly inserted into QuarkPress or PageMaker pages. The files can include text, images, colors, fonts and other information.