Unit 5 Digital Workflow and CTP Technology

Digital Workflow Would Become the Mainstream of Development in Printing

a. Speedy development of digital processing and internet information exchange

All-digital workflows are on their way. They will soon replace the traditional analogue imaging and desktop processing system. With all-digital workflows, you would experience highly resoluted and reliable digital performance in graphical processing, proofing, output, and transfer. It will also enable no-film involved Computer-to-Plate system to take the lead. Multi-media documental output is no longer a dream anymore. Prepress production line has becoming more integrated, professional and diversified. The main development trends of application software are openness, cross-platform functions, intelligence and standardization of documentation format.

On one hand, application of new technology has blurred the existing division of labor. All the traditional work processes related to printing plate production can now be gathered together in one single place. On the other hand, there are rising needs for customization and increasing demands for creativity in design. Design production, plate production and printing are running into 3 separate streams of development in printing industry. Polarization would become the inevitable phenomenon in printing industry. In one extreme it is the monopoly of a few big corporations. And there will be a flock of small enterprises in the other extreme. Not much room would be left for medium enterprises.

The implementation of digital workflow is the irresistible trend of development in printing industry. Maturing printing technologies such as copy dot scanning, digital proofing, computer-to-plate, and digital workflow gradually remove the obstacles to the implementation of digital technologies. Advanced output technology, together with intelligentization of digital workflow management will also improve the efficiency of digital printing operation.

b. Prerequisites to the widespread adoption of digital workflow

i. Common use of highly accurate and functional digital camera, color scanner and intelligent color proofing software.

ii. Promotion of computer-to-plate machines and digital proofing technology.

iii. Strengthen the application of software, especially those intelligent softwares that may promote automation and production efficiency.

iv. Highly compressed data transfer, multi-media record output, new international documentation formatting, standardization of data processing and transmission technology should be universally applied.

v. It is necessary to develop a unified and powerful Chinese word base for the Chinese processing system.

The focus of the implementation of all-digital workflow lies on the development of prepress technology.

Computer to Plate Technology — The New Trend of Development in Prepress Industry

i. Conventional plate production featured by imagesetter, film and PS plate will not be able to keep its leading position in prepress industry in the twenty first century at present, the sales turnover of computer-to-plate machines and its related products such as CopyDot film scanners are experiencing tremendous growth.

ii. CTP technology greatly improves the efficiency of plate production. The entire production circle of printing is drastically shortened and printing quality is much improved. Both prepress and printing industries place much focus on the development of CTP. According to American GATF rating statistics, CTP has been rated as No.1 advanced printing technology for 4 consecutive years since 1997. Internationally renowned prepress suppliers and plate manufacturers such as Purup-Eskofot, Agfa, Dai Nippon Screen, Scitex, Heidelberg, Kodak, Fuji, ECRM have all developed full line of CTP products which were seen in Drupa this year.

iii. For the development of the printing industry, every revolution of the prepress technology always brings the printing industry one big development. At the same time, the advance of the printing industry can not be independent of the improvement of the prepress technology. Now we can say that in the next decade the development of the printing industry will depend on the development of the prepress industry. The focus of the prepress is the improvement and popularization of the Computer-to-Plate technology.

iv. The CTP and digital printing have been the key problem in the developing system. It will implement the total digital workflow and improve the efficiency greatly.

v. The digital technology has almost replaced the traditional technology. The designs and pictures can be transferred by network or through electronic medium. The corporation of the pan-region, pan-country, pan-continent will be a common thing. We can communicate with each other through the internet. We can offer the need, exchange information, remote proofing, and production tracking etc. The product can be designed in somewhere of the world, and printed in another place of the world.

vi. Along with the technology progress and competition, the enterprises require more on the automation of the prepress industry. And the CTP is one of the most important factors that can improve the automation of the printing industry. From the view of this, we can see the significance.

Somebody said that the development of the printing and prepress technology would come to one end. That is to cancel the prepress concept, and to achieve the direct printing from the computer direct to printing press. Maybe after ten or twenty years, we can see some idea of this trend.

The development course and speed of the printing technology is always out of our expectation. It constantly fulfills our need and wakens our imagination, and challenges us and gives us opportunity to realize our dream. In the totally new age, we together will expect and welcome the opportunities along with the development of the printing technology.

Key Technical Terms

imagesetter 照排機

PS plate PS版

digital proofing 數字打樣

all-digital workflow 全數字工作流程

analogue imaging 模擬圖像處理

desktop processing system 桌面處理系統

digital camera 數碼照相機

intelligent colour proofing software 智能彩色打樣軟件

pan-region 跨地區

pan-continent 跨洲

Purup-Eskofot 寶祿德福公司

GATF 美國印刷技術基金會

cross-platform 跨平臺

Drupa 德魯巴印刷技術博覽會

multi-media record 多媒體記錄

computer to plate system CTP系統

highly resoluted 高分辨率的

color scanner 彩色掃描儀

data processing 數據處理

pan-country 跨國

Kodak 柯達公司

Dai Nippon Screen 大日本網屏公司

Supplementary Reading

Job Planning and Layout

Job Planning

Communication is conveying a message from one person or group to another. Printing is the primary vehicle for communicating graphically.

Messages are printed in order to communicate. Printed messages may serve many different purposes. The specific purpose will depend upon the need of the individual or group that is communicating. For example, printed messages can be used to inform, influence, stimulate, question, and entertain.

Planning is essential to the printing process. Careful planning will enhance the effectiveness of the printed product. Planning will also contribute to efficient production.

THE PLANNING PROCESS. Planning is a process. It is an integral part of graphic communications. Planning begins with acquiring data about the job to be done. It results in a series of decisions relating to the printed product.

In order to plan effectively, accurate information is needed. One way to obtain this information is to ask questions of yourself and others involved in producing the printed product. Some information-gathering questions that should be asked are:

● What message is being transmitted?

● Why is it being transmitted?

● Does the type of message require a particular kind of treatment? For example, must it be dignified or can it be humorous?

● How will the finished product be used?

● What audience do you wish to reach?

Information gathered in this way will help you decide important questions relating to format,style, size, method, number, schedule, and cost:

● What form will the product take? Will it be a single sheet, a booklet, an entire book?

● Are illustrations to be used? Will they be line drawings, photographs, or a combination of both?

● What size will the finished product be?

● Will the sheets be trimmed, folded, perforated?

● Will the sheets be bound? How?

● By what method will the product be printed?

● What type of paper will be used? What color paper?

● Will colored inks be used? If so, what colors?

● How many copies will be printed? Will reprints be needed?

● How long will it take to complete the job?

● How much will it cost?

After these decisions have been made, the next step is to develop a graphic plan for the printed product. This plan is called a layout.

Preparing the Layout

A layout is a graphic plan for a printed product. The layout shows the arrangement of type, illustrations, and other elements to be included. It also conveys information about how the job is to be printed.

LAYOUT SYMBOLS. A layout reflects the visual appearance of a job to be printed. It need not and generally does not contain the actual elements to be included in the final product. Symbols are often used to represent these elements. See Figure 3-1.

Type Matter. Parallel lines are generally used to represent small type (10 points or less). Medium type, 12 to 18 points in size, is usually depicted by a series of wavy lines. Words in 24 point type or larger are generally“roughed in” to size.

The weight of a typeface can be conveyed by the heaviness of the lines drawn. Spacing requirements can be suggested by changing the distance between the parallel or wavy lines.

Solids, Reverses and Tints. Solids may be represented in two ways. The solid area can be outlined and the word solid written in its center.A charcoal pencil may also be used to darken the solid area.

Reverses are treated in the same manner as solids. Either outline and label these areas or darken the reversed areas with a charcoal pencil.

Tints and shaded areas are usually represented by outlining or by shading with a pencil.

Photographs and Line Drawings. Illustrations can be indicated by outlining the areas they will occupy. Diagonal lines or sketches of the illustrations should be included in the outlined areas.

Colored Effects. Color can be represented in a layout with pastel chalks, colored pencils, or colored felt-tip pens.

LAYOUT TOOLS AND SUPPLIES. Items essential for preparing a layout are paper, pencils, a straightedge, a line gage, and a place to work. Two or three charcoal pencils of different hardness are especially useful. These pencils can be used to suggest not only the shape but also the tone of the printed image. Felt tip pens can also be used for this purpose.

Drafting instruments, especially a triangle, T-square, and drawing board are helpful. However, they are not absolutcly essential for preparing a layout. Other useful items are a type catalog, a clip art book, an ink-color chart, and a variety of paper samples.

Exercise

Q&A

1．Explain the features of digital workflow in printing.

2．List 5 points of prerequisities for widespread adoption of digital workflow.

3．Explain what is meant by the CTP technology.

4．Explain the obstacles of the CTP technology's popularization and the opportunity of the technical developments.

Complete the Sentences by Filling in the Blanks

1．CTP technology greatly ________the efficiency of plate production. The entire production circle of printing is drastically ________and printing quality is much________ . Both prepress and printing industries ________much focus on the development of CTP.According to American GATF rating statistics, CTP has been________ as No.1 advanced printing technology for 4 consecutive years since 1997.

2．The________ and ________of the printing technology is always out of our________ . It constantly________ our need and________ our imagination, and________ us and gives us oppor tunity to ________our dream. In the totally new age, we together will________ and________ the opportunities along with the ________of the printing technology.

Put the following into Chinese

After the color separations have been produced, the use of a pre-press proofing system is suggested. The probability of error is high in color separation work because every original is different and the process is usually performed under time restrictions.

The primary purpose of a color proofing system is to catch errors or mistakes prior to the press run, where corrections would be expensive, mistakes will reduce profits and could prevent potential future work from a customer.

There are two traditional methods of proofing color separations, and a third technique that is evolving with the new electronic technologies.

The first traditional method is to proof with a set of inks on the press. The second is to use a photographic or photomechanical proofing system. The photo-mechanical proofing systems are more popular and more economical.

Photo-mechanical proofing systems are categorized into single sheet or laminate color proofing systems and overlay color proofing systems.

The third technique of pre-press proofing is emerging from electronic pre-press technology. The electronic or digital color proofing systems can be either soft proofing on the visual display terminal, or hard copy proofing using recorders, cameras, or ink jet printers.

Many pre-press proofing systems are available. Each of these systems has their own advantages to the industry.

Regardless of which proofing system is selected, some basic requirements should be observed. Basic requirements of a proofing system include:

1．The proofing system should match the press run or ink capabilities.

2．The proofing system should have consistency in results.

3．The proofing system should have a minimum of operator skills required.

4．The proofing system should have customer acceptance.

5．The proofing system should be practical for in-plant use (pressroom).

6．The proofing system selected should work from both negative and positive final films (separations).

Most large color separation houses will use several different systems of pre-press proofing. This is done in an effort to give the client a selection or choice.