Experience Digital Printing (1)

In the 1990s, as high-tech computers such as computers, automatic controls, and lasers were used in the printing industry, digital presses were born, and the emergence of digital presses was able to meet the growing market demand for on-demand printing. The new technology of digital printing has been exhibited at DRUPA after the 1995 exhibition and has created an upsurge in the world. At the fourth and fifth Beijing International Printing Technology Exhibition held in China in May 1996 and May 2001, Foreign companies exhibited digital printing machines, which aroused great concern from the publishing and printing industry in China. Digital printing is based on its own characteristics and advantages, providing customers with a new full-service approach. Experts believe that digital printing will have a broader development prospect in the on-demand printing market in the new century.

I. Digital Printing Overview

Digital printing is a new type of printing technology that uses the prepress system to transfer graphic information directly through the network to a digital printer to print a color print. The digital printing system is mainly composed of a prepress system and a digital printer. Some systems are also equipped with binding and cutting equipment. Its working principle is: The operator outputs the manuscript (graphical digital information), or the digital media digital information, or the network digital file received from the network system to the computer, carries on the creativity on the computer, revise, arranges becomes the customer satisfaction The digital information is processed by RIP to become the corresponding monochrome pixel digital signal to the laser controller, emits the corresponding laser beam, and scans the printing cylinder. A printing cylinder made of a photosensitive material (without a printing plate) is sensitized to form an image that can absorb ink or toner, and is then transferred to a substrate such as paper.

Traditional printing is more complicated than the digital printing process. Traditional printing process: originals are computer-generated, output color separation film, proofing, imposition, sun PS version, upper print, four-color printing. There are many processes before and after, if problems such as loss of dots or inaccurate colors occur in these processes, some or all of them will be reworked. The digital printing process only requires the original computer to produce and print two processes. Easy to operate, from design to printing integration, no need for film and plate, no water ink balance, one person can complete the entire printing process.

Second, the digital printing market advantage

Digital printing is a fully digital production process, so it has its own characteristics:

(a) All digital printing methods. Digital printing is a fully digital process from computer to print. Processes do not require film and plates in the middle, and there are no cumbersome procedures for traditional printing processes.

(b) Variable information printing. The contents of digital prints can be changed at any time, that is, the contents of the front and back pages can be completely different;

(c) Printing in different places can be realized. Long distance printing can be done via the internet. Due to these characteristics, digital printing has its unique advantages in the personalized on-demand printing market.

Since the digital printing method does not require plate making, the auxiliary time in the printing preparation process is greatly shortened, the production cycle is short, and the conventional printing requires only 2-3 days to complete the printed matter, and the digital printing can be completed in only a few hours and can be maximized. To meet the customer's requirements of instant, digital printing can completely complete the difference between the two before and after printed content, is very suitable for the regular change of print content and layout of the personalized on-demand printing market. There is no limit to the number of prints in digital printing. It can print thousands, hundreds, two, or even prints. However, from the economic cost accounting, digital printing is suitable for the short-run printing market in small batches. The main reason is that the printing costs for printing one sheet and printing thousands of sheets are the same. In the case of large printing volumes, digital printing cannot be superior to traditional printing. The cost of Zhang. Traditional printing due to the additional plate-making fee, so that the total cost is higher, the less the number of prints, the higher the cost of each, the greater the number of prints, each cost is low, so the traditional printing of large quantities of print preponderance. From this we can see that in the personalized on-demand printing market where the number of prints is in the hundreds or so, such as book supplements, reprints of a small number of reprints, books reprinted out of print, and sample books, the figures have their own advantages. From the above, we can see that traditional printing is suitable for the large-volume printing market, while digital printing is based on the personalized on-demand printing market. These two printing methods have their own advantages and can complement each other.

Digital printing technology is based on digitization and can be printed offsite. Customers do not need to go to the company to exchange data with the enterprise through the network system and realize the output of printed materials. Even through digital printing, individual households can meet the needs of individuals at any time and place, any print content, any quantity, and so on. Digital printing services customers in an instant and personalized way, thereby ensuring an advantage in the on-demand printing market.