Talking about the Application of Digital Proofing in Output Center

As a new proofing technology, digital proofing is widely adopted in Europe, the United States, even China's Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan Province and Southeast Asia. The development of digital proofing in China began in 1995. After years of vigorous publicity and continuous improvement and development of hardware and software, digital proofing has many advantages such as its speed, low cost, easy operation, stability and reliability. Accepted and accepted by more and more people, there is no shortage of traditional plate-making output centers. Some of them even abandoned expensive and expensive proofing units and invested in digital proofing.

Here we will talk about the application and experience of digital proofing by several well-known plate-making companies in Beijing. Perhaps their ideas and feelings reflect the application of digital proofing in the output center. These several plate-making companies are well-known in the capital printing industry. They have their own merits. They are: the color proofing company with digital proofing business accounting for 90% of the total business, and Beijing Shuncheng Colors with prepress, printing, and printing. Printing Co., Ltd. is a division of the plate making company and is committed to the digital printing company's rainbow-colored production line.

1. The internal cause of conversion - customer needs

It is believed that for any exporting platemaking center, speed and service are the most critical factor in maintaining their strength in the fierce market competition. However, with the development and progress of society and the acceleration of people's living rhythm, customers have put forward more stringent requirements for output centers, which are specifically reflected in the speed and quality of output.

In an interview with the general manager of Rainbow Plates, he said: We believe that the most fundamental internal cause of our change and development is the needs of our customers. We must use various "methods" to retain customers. Therefore, we "have to" introduce new technologies and new equipment to meet their increasingly stringent needs, even if it is to give up expensive old equipment and familiar work processes.

Compared with traditional proofing, digital proofing has many advantages that can help us retain customers.

2. Experience in Digital Proofing Advantages

The advantages of digital proofing are reflected in several aspects, first of all reflected in the quality of proofing; secondly reflected in its impact on the entire prepress workflow. The survey shows that the following advantages are felt by each platemaking output center:

A) Digital proofing has completely changed the working status and environment of the output center. The traditional proofing process is complex. Both temperature and humidity have a direct impact on the proofing results. Therefore, traditional proofing requires a dedicated workshop. The shop maintains a temperature of 25 degrees per year, and the humidity is 50% to 55%. This environment is maintained. The cost is quite high. On the contrary, digital proofing can be as long as ordinary office conditions, and an ordinary person can be competent enough to work.

B) There are few variables for digital proofing, and there are many variable factors for traditional proofing. The factors affecting the quality of traditional proofing include: the length of the printing time, changes in temperature and humidity, the K value of the ink, saturation, etc.; and in the digital proofing, as long as the electronic file is ready, it can be directly output from the computer, if it needs to be changed Can be updated immediately, save a lot of trouble. Numerous facts prove that as long as digital proofing is used properly, its quality can be comparable to offset proofing and the error rate is also small.

C) Digital proofing uses six-color inks. The color gamut is wider than the color gamut of printing inks in the color gamut, and the color space range is relatively large; the digital proofing effect is delicate and the color saturation is high.

D) From the aspect of printing scale, the expansion rate of digital proofing is relatively small, and the color does not jump. For example, the dot gain rate of 50% offset proofing is 7%-8%, while digital proofing does not have this problem and is relatively stable.

E) If you only use digital proofing as a tool to replace the traditional proofing, this idea is too limited. In fact, it can be widely used in every aspect of production, including electrical processes, image processing, puzzles, production, filming, and proofing. In the past, when offset proofing was used, there were no conditions, and the results of scanning and electrophoresis were not good, and they were not known until the final proofing. Now that we have digital proofing, we can use digital proofing to print it out. At this point, customers can directly see the effect of this process, and if they are interested, they can immediately propose amendments. In this way, if there is a problem in any process, there is no need to wait until the end of the process. In this way, not only has the efficiency been greatly improved, time has been saved, costs have been reduced, and customers have been very reassuring. Each process can produce the best results, and the final printing quality is also guaranteed. HP 10PS “photos hands” A3 format digital proofing machine can play a full role in monitoring the quality of each process.

F) The traditional color management software comes with its own profile file. Because each printing company is different in different circumstances, two tests are required before being formally put into production: one is printing standardized testing, and the other is based on printing enterprise equipment. Tailor-made professional color management system for the company. So digital proofing software can actually be seen as an operating platform for color management. The establishment of digital proofing color management software also helps companies establish a color management system that suits them. Therefore, digital proofing has also played a role in promoting the standardization and standardization of printing enterprises.

3. Technology Innovation in Application Process

A. The Role of "One RIP, Multiple Output" Technology

Once RIP, multiple output refers to digital proofing, filming, exposure, and plate making using the same set of data after RIP, thus ensuring consistent output results for each process. If you do not use this technology, the film or the exposed PS version may not be consistent with the digital proofs.

It is through this technology that Shangpin Color Plates Co., Ltd. used the slogan of "first proofing, post-production, and error-free filming." Its digital proofing business volume rose by 38% in just three months (2001). )

B. RIP after the big version

After the RIP is completed, the small version of the PS file is passed through the RIP to generate 72 dpi and 254 dpi resolution files. During the imposition process, the system will automatically use 72dpi small version files to speed up the imposition. After completing the large version, if the digital proofing or filming, large version of the document will automatically find 2540dpi high-resolution files, in order to ensure high accuracy of digital proofing and filming. Before RIP, it is easy to make mistakes. If you make mistakes, you need to reinterpret the entire big version. RIP takes a long time. After the RIP is put into use, if there is something wrong with a small version, you only need to modify this small version and reinterpret the small version. Nowadays, the most advanced imposition technology in the world is the RIP technology.

C. Use a small format printer to make small samples (eg HP 10PS)

With a small format printer, such as the HP 10PS, proofing can be performed at every step throughout the prepress workflow, ie, with a small sample. For example, in the electric power, image processing, puzzles, production and other links in the proofing, customers can promptly find errors, and put forward amendments, without using the last proofing to find errors. In this way, not only has the efficiency been greatly improved, time has been saved, costs have been reduced, and customers have been very reassuring.

Rainbow Printing Co., Ltd. uses free delivery of samples for advertisements, magazines, pictures, and other printed materials. Before playing the final co-op, the size of the document is reduced to proofing, and the sample size is usually given to the beauty editor or designer so that they can find the mistake as soon as possible.