Proofing Technology (GATF Prepress Technology Forecast Report)

The role of proofing is to maintain the consistent stability of the printed product. It is the most important step in the entire printing workflow. It can express customer expectations, control the quality, and guide the operator how to change from RGB to CMYK color separation process. The continuous progress of digital proofing technology presents three major trends: 1) Proofing a cross-technology platform for a print job; 2) Proofing remotely; 3) Accurately performing print production under various printing conditions, including packaging and printing Prediction.
The need for enhanced color management Since off-line color proofing 30 years ago, people are always happy to choose a technology-leading proofing system and use it throughout the process. Now, the image in the designer’s brain first appears on the monitor, e-mailing its electronic files, and doing layout and content editing. More and more drop-on-demand inkjet proofs are used as the initial color confirmation, after which color corrections can be verified on CFIJ (Continuous Inkjet) proofs, and the final results can be output to film or thermal halftone digital proofs. There is no doubt that when faced with the problem of proofing, people become more and more helpless. Therefore, it is important and challenging to use cross-platform color management with ICC device characterization files.
In response to this problem, some experts and scholars in the industry have expressed their opinions and opinions. The following excerpts are extracted:
For all kinds of proofing technologies on the market, customers can be well applied after good training. Comprehensive use of inkjet color proofs, thermal halftone proofs from CTP equipment, and digital layout proofs can save printers and their customers significant time and cost. ------Tom Conley, Printing Expert No matter which proofing technology you choose, the accuracy, stability, and calibration of your equipment are still very important. "Good enough" is the deciding factor in buying. Only when a sufficiently good equipment standard is achieved can the time and cost savings be used to balance the relationship between risk and production efficiency. There is no doubt that a high-quality consumer product advertisement form, packaging that plays an important role in product marketing, POP posters, and other demanding print products will require the most accurate proofing system. Fortunately, on-demand rapid (inkjet) proofing machines are growing very fast, and RIP software with excellent color management systems and special proofing media are gradually on the market, so even for some print jobs, it is even Can be used for contract proofing. In the PRINT01 conference, it can be clearly seen that the prices of printers from companies such as HP and Epson have significantly decreased, further bringing the relationship between users and digital technology closer.

Proofing technology in the printing industry is at a watershed stage. As an industry, we are shifting from the "matching" phase of the same density and dot gain values ​​to the absolute value of the color Lab, which opens the door for future proofing technology development. ------- United States Fuji Film Corporation, Larry Warter

Looking ahead to the future of remote proofing technology Due to the lack of trust in color management, data transfer time, and the need for training for collaborative and new tools, people are slow to accept online screen proofing technology. In addition, this is also related to the business model of ASP (application service provider) that provides online proofing technology.

“Many of my clients are looking for a web-based digital workflow. Using it, a work created in New York can be disseminated globally in a reliable and easy manner.” ------AGT/Seven , Ed Saturn

In the next two or three years, the application of remote proofing technology will grow steadily, especially for on-line contract proofing, and high quality remote contract proofing will also have high requirements. At PRINT01, a large sample proofing technology supplier launched the first remote hard copy contract proofing system, which can output color quality that meets quality standards. With this new technology, outputs can be made at multiple remote locations, which must match the color data of the original document.

“My clients use digital proofing as part of the overall process. However, with the development of remote proofing technology, we cannot underestimate the importance of relationships with our customers.” ------ Greens, Inc., Janet Green

Various changes in printing conditions There are indications that the Internet is inspiring consumers and designers to create new ways of mixing colors. In commercial printing designs such as "Green Haze", "Orchid Ice", "Copper Tan (Bronze)" and other spot colors, these colors cannot be marked with the standard CMYK color To copy. Coupled with the complexity of different paper raw materials, the widespread use of spot color paints, and the emergence of cross-media publishing, people will see an increasing demand for digital proofing systems in this area.
Due to the application of a variety of spot colors, a variety of different packaging substrates, different density grades of ink, and unique printing machine parameters in packaging printing, proofing for packaging printing is more difficult and has greater challenges.
The main role of the proofs referred to here is to reduce unnecessary errors in the printing process, thereby saving costs. When choosing which proofing system to use, it must be kept in mind that the color management systems used are different. High-end common proofing systems and digital proofing systems provide better accuracy. For special printing conditions, high-end proofing systems can use industry-standard target profiles or custom calibrations. In addition, the first or last printable dot of the target profile can also be changed.

"It is expected that the entire industry will grow by a factor of 100 in the field of digital proofing after 2002, and the number of digital proofs will continue to increase, while the system cost will drop substantially." --------Kodak Polaroid Corporation, Ken Theodos

Providing value-added services, shortening the production cycle, and strengthening the rapid development of customer relations proofing technology can enable printers to balance the image fidelity, the cost range of India and the production cycle. The most important thing is that in order to make full use of the continuous development of proofing technology, it must be perfectly integrated into the workflow. Proofing technologies with different price and performance levels should not be considered as only a component of the entire production process, but should be compatible with the system. After being calibrated, they can achieve the effect of traditional simulation proofing in the standard light source. Under observations, color scales are used in conjunction with the control of the entire process and are properly operated by appropriately trained personnel.

“In packaging printing, the biggest proofing problem is to show customers how to use specific colors and densities and the printing curve of the press. What is the quality of their prints?”--Platecrafters Co., Ltd., Terie Syme

Nowadays, there are many technologies and products available at different levels and at different prices. Therefore, it is very difficult to choose a suitable product. However, whether you are a print buyer or a consumer product manager in a design department, a prepress center, a print shop, or whether you are using digital technology or traditional film, there are still many common things in the proofing technology.