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The printing industry has treated the IT function as an after thought. Big and small printers alike have traditionally looked at business management information systems, as opposed to application production software, as overhead rather than a strategic resource. Lamparter reflected on studies conducted by PrintCom Consulting Group that concluded there are fewer than 2,000 North American printers who had a single MIS system installed that was running on the latest software version available from the supplier and was utilizing the full compliment of software modules available. Don Goldman, Senior Project Manager for MIS supplier PRISM and moderator of this MIS panel, concluded, “If you don’t make a MIS (strategic) commitment to drive your company, your company will be out of business.”
IPA’s President Steve Bonoff in speaking on prepress and proofing trends indicated the three primary change drivers being “shorter product life cycles driving the need for integrated marketing campaigns, promotion spending driven by ROI and globalization driving the need for more effective brand asset management.” Monitor or virtual proofing is a clear trend for large magazine and catalog publishers. With dedicated proven packages costing less $2,000 soft proofing appears posed for general acceptance except for the lack of standards. Standards efforts are being compiled around ICC technology, which is at the heart of color management. Manufacturers still want to differentiate their own product offerings, which slows this standards process somewhat. Printtools.org is the one stop web site for a free monthly newsletter and the latest info specifications, standards and digital calibration tools.
Back in the early days of GATF’s TechAlert Conferences, the Foundation initiated a highly successful annual digital proof comparison among most all proofing choices available. Utilizing their standard digital targets suppliers returned digital proofs that were spectrophotometrically measured against actual press proofs and, at the outset, analog contract proofs. This truly was the only way to achieve an apples-to-apples comparison of what was available. Suppliers readily cooperated despite the obvious possibility and even probability that their earlier attempts would not “grade” as well against the more mature offerings. The net result was a credible venue, which allowed the supplier community one of the fastest R&D learning curves to improving their product(s).
IPA picked up on the need for an on-going comparison by hosting an Annual Color Proofing Roundup. The objectives continued to be the same as initiated by PIA/GATF that of a systematic and accurate method to compare color proofing systems, a comprehensive independent quantitative evaluation and the best means to provide informed buying decisions. Next summer at the 4th Roundup the suppliers will receive the digital file the morning of the conference to assure no advance tweaking.
The debate over the screening conundrum continues. Stochastic or frequency modulated screening seemed to correct the moiré effects created in certain textile images, for example, by the conventional and long standing AM screening methodology. The resulting smaller dot sizes of the initial FM efforts made proofing difficult and inconsistent as film often lost the smaller dots plus print results have frequently appeared grainy. The use of CTP brought this technology main stream though did not totally eliminate the press problems. The latest technology generation, called concentric screening, is offering greater press latitudes by keeping the proven AM modulation in the midtones and using the FM algorithms in the finicky highlights and shadow areas. This has resulted in increased fidelity and easier press performance, even on web presses as the 255 lpi screens still deliver 28-31 micron dot sizes to the squeeze-happy web presses.
CTP is a mature proven technology with only the last remnants of the smaller volume plate users to come on board. If you believe that myth, you would have been sobered by British Consultant Andrew Tribute’s assessment of the dynamism of CTP developments. In fact the latest generation of processless plates coupled with the ever cheaper violet diode lasers has spurred on the next generation CTP devices and the resulting replacement market surge. The leading 8-up devices at the turn of the millennium were putting out a very acceptable 8 plates and hour. The current generation is at least 20 plates an hour with leaders reporting 40 plates an hour.
In addition to the chemistry cost savings of the processless plates, the basic CTP market for plates has brought those prices down and near par with the old conventional analog plates. In fact the price war on plates being created by CREO was one of the motivating forces behind Kodak’s purchase of that flagging enterprise this past year.
Many of the processless thermal plates can be imaged in the first generation CTP devices but the increased heat and intensity required results in a 25-40% slow down factor in throughput. The next generation processless violet plate can also be imaged in many of the earlier models but with no degradation of speed.
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