The world of CTP (2)

The CTP Plate requires some supplements. The indispensable printing plate for UV CTP was originally Lithostar Ultra-V of Agfa, so Agfa has an advantage in the UV market. However, at PRINT01, Mitsubishi Paper promoted the aluminum-based Silver Digiplate AlphaV. Although Fujifilm has not yet named it, it plans to sell 60mJ/cm2 in the United States this year. Because it is a high-sensitivity photosensitive resin, the price is better than Agfa-based Agfa and Mitsubishi Paper, and it is also good for printing knife, and there are few problems with pasting. Mitsubishi Chemical also exhibited LV-I, a high-sensitivity resin, which was soon put on the market.
KPG published a new product called Sword, the European version of the hot European version. It is completely compatible with light, no preheating, no baking, and a printing force of over 400,000 sheets. This also suits UV/EB inks. It also published Thermal Gold, which has been recognized as the 830. Mitsubishi Chemical's Thermal Plate LT-2 does not require preheating or roasting, so it can obtain dot reproducibility from 0.5% to 99.5%. Fujifilm took a trial of a thermal plate without a platemaking project, and it was difficult to see the defects of the image part without ink. The so-called unscreened project is a controlled scouring technique. With the help of exposure, the film is not lost, but it floats. When printing, it is transferred to a number of sheets to add paper, and the layout becomes very clean. Fujifilm intends to apply this technology to the DI technology provided on the plate for on-board imaging. Agfa also produced Mistral, a thermal-free plateless project. In addition, the Thermo Lite for DI is also an unprinted project that does not generate impurities and is suitable for DI technology on-board imaging.
Workflows The usual prepress project has long been a digital prepress project. The core of CTP's workflow is Adobe's Extreme or Level 3 CPSI RIP. Although similar to each other, the digital workflow is not simply the output of overprinting, pagination, finishing, etc., but the future CIP 4 Differences have emerged with regard to the expansion of extension management. Moreover, the tendency to use the added-value RIP synthesis system 4 is strong, but the machines that work independently have begun to appear in the direction of software being combined in an open manner.
For example, Heidelberg's meta Dimension, whose internal format is PDF, and workflow management is based on JDF, with an additional value of RIP, it is stated that it is easily introduced by small and medium-sized printing companies and consists of possible modular systems for expansion. of. It is developed for small and medium-sized printing companies that can use ProSetter, which is relatively inexpensive. In contrast, Prinergy is positioned as a large-scale coherent system. In addition, Heidelberg's JDF uses Prinect's thinking to rely on production management systems and database connectivity.
The JDF is being recognized as a standard format, and this JDF is exactly the job ticket that CIP3's PPF and Adobe advocated to be unified on an XML basis. Any manufacturer who operates a digital workflow has expressed support for JDF. This is not only a prepress project but also a printer and a postpress printer.
Dainippon Screen's TrueFlow 2.0 also provides JDF support clothing. Komori's press makers and postpress machines also show JDF support services, but the reality is to look at CJP3's Print Probuction Format (PPF). Exercise content. Whether JDF is really making good use of the management of automated production systems and linkages with data from different industries is being developed in the future. However, Adobe, which had previously been highly respected by JDF, is aiming at PDF workflows rather than printing, but with the help of XML. The foundation is linked to electronic transactions and the company's basic database. In addition, the formats and manufacturers and groups related to this vary according to their respective purposes.
Japan will formally decide PDF-X as an ISO standard within this year. The United States Digital Advertising Distribution Association (DDAP) has adopted TIFF/IT as the standard electronic delivery format, but as the next format, it is proposed to be converted to PDF-X. This is because considering the key CT images of TIFF/IF, in the uncompressed case, there are too many file specifications, and after the RIP processing of PDF-X, the scan lines of CT and LW become compressed by JPEG, etc. PDF output as a reliable, easy to transmit on the Internet.
In terms of workflow, another feature is the user-configurable pipeline processing interface. It has acquired Maxwork Flow from Harbalquin's Grobal Graphics, Nexus from Artwork Systems, etc., and has used Adobe's Extreme as its core product. In addition to the aforementioned Heidelberg, Dainippon Screen, Fujifilm's Celebra IVT Extreme Ver. 5 can support transparent program elements and facilitate the use of decentralized structure formats. In addition, Enfocus Certfied PDF has attracted attention, but after PRINT01, Fujifilm decided to adopt it, and Heidelberg's meta Dimension also provided most of the OEM's programs. Most of the major Adobe Extreme sales companies provide Enfocous Pitstop or generic programs as OEMs.
Concluding remarks PDFs have been popular in Europe and the United States. Japan has just begun. It is generally started from the construction of the CTP system and its workflow, from the use of the PS to the PDF recipients, the finalization of the 1bit TIFF and in line with the trend of the future to carry out, it is expected that the CTP is to improve quality and productivity, or reduce costs, but In order to improve operational efficiency and shorten delivery deadlines, it goes without saying that the workflow before and after the job must be optimized. (Finish)