Development of digital printing technology: In the fierce market competition, the decision-makers of enterprises should focus on the long-term development of enterprises, make preparations in advance and act as soon as possible, otherwise they will lose market opportunities, even lose their living space and be squeezed out of the market. With the rapid development of science and technology, it is particularly important to pay attention to the changes and progress of technology. Driven by the development of digital printing technology, the changes of China printing industry in the past ten years have fully explained this point.
Digital Printing 1: Farewell to Lead and Fire
At the stage of bidding farewell to lead and fire, electronic publishing system replaced traditional typesetting, transformed the technology and environment of traditional typesetting, and laid the foundation for the digitalization of publishing and printing, which should be said to be an important milestone in the development of digital printing technology. The significance of the development of electronic publishing system is not only to bid farewell to lead and fire, but also to lay the foundation for the long-term development of publishing and printing digitalization, which is of great significance.
Digital Printing ii: Remote Printing
More than a decade ago, readers could not read the daily newspapers published in different places that day, especially in remote areas of China, which often made news obsolete, not to mention the timeliness of news. Using digital communication technology to replace the transmission of samples printed in different places in traditional publishing greatly improves the timeliness and accuracy of publishing in different places. At the same time, it also laid the foundation for today's remote network publishing and printing.
Digital Printing III: Colors and Images
It seems to be yesterday that people debated whether the desktop color publishing system can replace the electronic color separator. With the development of image processing technology, color separation technology, color management technology, image scanning technology, image information exchange and other technologies, this debate has become history. Desktop color publishing system improves the plate-making efficiency of color characters and pictures, organically combines art and publishing, and makes us have creative design in publishing and printing, turning the simple information transmission process into an art.
Digital Printing IV: Farewell to Paper and Pen
The emergence and development of network technology, network editing and publishing technology, information tracking technology, information exchange technology and information publishing technology make it possible to realize the digitalization of publishing and editing by using computer and network technology. This technical development stage belongs to digital publishing, and the most important thing is to take a key step to realize full digital publishing and cross-media publishing.
Digital Printing V: Efficiency, Quality and Management
When you open any publication related to this industry technology, there are many introductions about computer-to-plate (CTP), film scanning, digital workflow, digital proofing and remote proofing, printing factory management system, on-demand and fast printing, all of which are aimed at achieving the goal of high efficiency, high quality and management of printing and publishing.
Digital Printing VI: Cross-media Publishing and Network Publishing
The same set of digital information content is distributed through different media, that is, cross-media distribution. For example, the same file can not only be printed on paper and published in the form of newspapers and books (paper media publishing), but also generate, manage and publish high-fidelity, reliable, interactive and personalized digital content on any device at any time and place through the network (network publishing).
From the point of view that printing is information processing, the demand of processing multiple outputs at one time will put forward higher requirements for the development of digital printing technology.
Digital Printing VII: Digital System
What is a digital printing system? Digital printing system is the digitalization and networking technology of the whole printing process, covering computer-to-plate, digital workflow, digital proofing, on-demand and fast printing, which is the necessity for the printing industry to adapt to the development of the information age.
Second, the market positioning of digital printing system
Digital printing has fast printing speed and high quality. In addition, digital printing has no requirement for printing quantity at all, and the cost of single sheet is fixed, which makes the input of digital printing machine low and the return high. Although digital printing appeared late, now the technology is basically mature and the application space is gradually expanding.
From the practical application of the current market, digital printing system should be clearly positioned in the printing fields such as fast and short edition, on-demand, personalization and variable data.
Third, the development status of digital printing
According to the technical sources, the existing digital printing equipment on the market can be roughly divided into the following four categories.
1, digital printing machine-developed from copier technology and digital technology.
Typical representatives: Toshiba, Konica, Ricoh, Canon, Xerox, Ossie, etc. This kind of equipment generally includes three parts: scanning part, laser printing part and folding and binding part. It has comprehensive functions and can be used for scanning, copying, printing and digital publishing.
Figure 1 Functional Diagram of Digital Printing Machine
This equipment belongs to a multifunctional digital printing system, which is a kind of digital printing. It has changed from a single output device to a digital input and output device.
Characteristics and advantages of digital printing machine;
The output speed is 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100 pages per minute or even higher, which is widely used in the market;
Due to the addition of digital technology, the quality is stable;
Simple equipment operation and clean working environment;
The digital "group" service system has become a reality, making users more convenient;
The system has low cost and strong competitiveness;
It is these characteristics of digital printing machine that we expect its development prospect to be broad.
2. Digital multifunction machine-developed from printer technology.
This kind of equipment has the same principle as the former, but because they don't master the core technology of high-speed laser printers (except Canon and Xerox), most manufacturers' digital all-in-one machines can only compete in the low-speed market (below 30 pages per minute), and even compete for the fax machine market and printer market. It is difficult for this kind of equipment to enter the digital printing market.
3. Digital printing machine-developed from printing machine technology, digital technology and electronic ink technology.
The typical representative is HPINDIGO.
4. Digital printing machine-developed from printing machine technology plus digital technology and on-board direct plate making technology.
Typical representative: Heidelberg Di.
Fourth, the development prospect of digital printing system
According to different digital technologies, we can design systems with different functions.
1, the combination of simple CTP technology and small offset printing technology forms a non-integration;
2. The combination of on-board silver salt plate making technology and small offset printing technology;
3. The combination of high-speed inkjet technology and small offset printing technology can realize low price.
4. With the development of technology, the function is stronger and stronger, the quality is higher and higher, and the application is more and more extensive.
Five, the development of digital printing errors
Digital printing has developed rapidly, but there are also many misunderstandings.
Myth 1: High cost
Cost usually consists of three elements: depreciation, materials and labor. However, the high automation of digital system will reduce the expenditure of labor cost to a certain extent; Equipment depreciation is determined by the investment when purchasing equipment; Material cost, taking toner medium as an example, most digital machines are divided into powder, but the life of most equipment drums is over several hundred thousand, and the price of powder will gradually decrease with the expansion of application; Compared with traditional offset printing, digital printing does not need plate making, so it will save plate making cost. It is worth mentioning that with the increase of users and the maturity of technology, the overall price level of digital printing presses has declined. This has also brought the wages of digital printing under control, prompting more customers to accept digital printing.
Myth 2: Products can't be preserved for a long time.
First of all, you can do your own experiments to see the difference in the storage time of digital printing machines. Put the printed matter printed by traditional ink, electronic ink and toner in the sun. After a few days, you will find that the printed matter printed by digital printing machine has better color durability than the printed matter printed by traditional ink.
Secondly, many people think that the printed copies of digital printers will not be kept for a long time like traditional laser printers and copiers. That was not the case. Take dry toner as an example. With the continuous improvement of printing high resolution of digital printers, the particles used by digital printers are finer than those used by traditional copiers and laser printers. In the process of high-temperature melting, toner can be dissolved in the gaps of paper like ink drops.
Myth 3: Digital printing machine is a simple digital process.
Because the digital printing process is from computer to computer to paper, it requires that the digital printing machine should have the functions of automatic imposition, correction and binding. Therefore, the software function of the system is very important.
Myth 4: Printing Quality of Digital Printing Machine
Although the quality of digital printing is not completely equal to that of traditional printing due to the difference of mechanical structure and consumables, generally speaking, with the continuous improvement of imaging system, the improvement of imaging accuracy and output resolution, and the enhancement of media tolerance, the digital printing machines launched by various manufacturers can meet the needs of high-grade printing and are still developing towards higher quality. In particular, there are more and more multi-color digital printing systems, which can use four or even six colors at the same time, and spot color printing can also be satisfied.
Six, several key software technologies of digital printing system
Most digital equipment providers are developed from copying and printing equipment, with no printing technology background and few key software technologies of digital printing system. Example:
1, full digital printing workflow software
2. Integrated and unified output software that can meet various printing and typesetting result formats.
3. Printing data resource management software
4. On-demand and variable printing production and support software
5. Remote network service software
Due to the lack of software support of the above key technologies, most equipment providers have to be located in the office market dominated by copying and printing.
Offset screen printing calendar packaging box adhesive desk calendar trademark laser anti-counterfeiting trademark Taizhou calendar packaging box brochure poster publicity paper first bag accepts all kinds of printing business.
1, offset printing: various color samples, calendars, desk calendars, packaging boxes, brochures, posters, exquisite picture books, handbags, stationery, envelopes,
Color box, advertising paper, handbag, packaging and decoration, brochure, tickets.
2. Leather labels: all kinds of leather trademarks, decorative labels, zipper labels, key rings, commemorative badges and other rubber, plastics, PVC, etc.
3. Embroidery: computer-woven silk weaves all kinds of decorations, sewing satin, plane trademarks, decorative labels, luggage belt.
4. Embossing: all kinds of clothing tags, self-adhesive stickers, bar codes, crystal plastic drops, laser anti-counterfeiting labels.
5. Screen printing: all kinds of screen printing ribbons, non-woven fabrics, tape trademarks, shipping marks, PVC plastic labels, and processing with supplied materials.
6. Machine printing: all kinds of ribbons, trademarks, shipping marks, washing labels, roller stickers and special non-woven tapes.
Printing of packing boxes, calendars, desk calendars, handbags, exquisite picture books, samples, brochures, posters, laser anti-counterfeiting labels, stickers, trademarks, etc.
The appearance of digital printing has solved many problems in the current market. Every company wants to minimize the cost of storage and transportation, and digital printing technology ensures that reprinted printed matter has the same effect as the first edition. It serves the fields of print on demand, personalization and variable data input and printing. "The most striking feature of digital printing is that it can be printed in one page. Combining IT technology and Internet technology, web-to-print can be realized. " At Konica Minolta booth, Haidong Lu, deputy section chief of Beijing Digital Printing Department of Konica Minolta, gave a demonstration and introduced it to reporters.
In foreign countries, digital printing is showing great vitality. Xiao Nan, deputy manager of Kodak Graphic Imaging Group in Greater China, said that as far as the US market is concerned, the number of printing companies has been decreasing in recent years, but the revenue of the printing industry has continued to grow, most of which comes from the growth of digital printing revenue.
Status: Lack of understanding
Digital printing has many advantages such as simplicity, rapidity and flexibility, which makes its potential application range very wide, from large format printing to the printing of books and brochures. It is an extremely important means of producing media. However, at present, the development of digital printing in China is limited, and many commercial printing enterprises lack understanding of digital printing technology, so it is very difficult to apply it. High-performance color digital printing equipment is mainly used in some professional fields, and its share in the printing market is still relatively low.
At present, the color quality of digital color printing has reached a high level, which can be comparable to that of four-color offset press in many cases. For example, Nexpress2 100, HPIndigo and XeroxiGen3 can provide high-quality color digital printing. Nexpress and HPIndigo can also provide printing in more than four colors, even polishing, with a wider range of colors. Xiao Nan took out a foreign newspaper printed in digital color to prove the practicability and effectiveness of digital printing to reporters. She reflected that in foreign countries, the works of digital printing business come from a variety of printing; In China, digital printing is mainly used for invoice printing. Haidong Lu said that government agencies, printing houses, advertising companies and printing houses can all use digital printing equipment. Xiao Nan pointed out that digital printing can save costs for customers, improve customer response rate, show differentiation and enhance brand image. "I hope the company's customers and customers can understand digital printing and digital printing technology." She preached.
Prospect: the general trend
Relevant information shows that in the United States, 33% of digital printing work in 2006 was diversified and personalized. The growth rate of customized printing in the printing market has reached 65,438+04%, and the growth rate of live parts directly from web-to-print has exceeded 65,438+000%. Judging from the number of copies printed, 78% of the four-color offset printing live parts have been reduced to less than 5000 copies. For printing enterprises, it is the general trend to develop into digital printing. At the same time, the rapid development of digital printing technology has brought great business opportunities to various fields of the printing industry, and digital printing has become the most promising printing method.
For the development trend of digital printing, FrankJ J. Romano, a famous American printing expert, believes that digital printing will be a supplement to offset printing, silk screen printing and flexography, and compete with it; Networked laser printers will challenge copiers, copiers will challenge digital printing, digital printing will challenge offset printing, and inkjet will challenge all; The quality of digital printing will no longer be a problem, but its production capacity, reliability and size still need to be further solved; Offset printing is improving to provide more economical and competitive products, but its market will continue to be eroded by digital printing; Digital printing will affect all aspects of the printing industry and will be widely used in works of art, packaging, label printing, textiles, books, advertisements and other printed matter.
Romano predicted in his lecture on the current printing situation in the United States in 2006 that by 20 12, the market share of the once unified offset printing will drop to 60%, and others will be occupied by means such as variable data printing. By 20 15, the income generated by offset printing will fall to about 45% of the total income of printing industry, while digital printing will rise to 30%, and the rest will be occupied by auxiliary services.
A staff member of China Printing Technology Association said that although the development of China's printing market is different from that of the United States, from the historical experience, it is only a "progressive" difference. The key is whether we can get a glimpse of the future of digital printing in China in the American market.