Software - Web-to-print

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor The front end of the printing process, or what happens "pre" the press, used to be a fairly contained, well-defined set of steps. Then the digital age dawned and, ever since, the changes have kept on coming. Another whole step, premedia, has even been added to the process. At Drupa 2004, computer-to-plate (CTP) production, digital proofing (remote and hardcopy), screening alternatives and, of course, the all-encompassing workflow and CIM concepts were the primary areas of focus in new product development. JDF support was pervasive, but came across more like a background buzz than a force destined to reshape

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor There's always a danger of any promising new technology or big idea becoming just so much hype. As expectations are built up, so too can be a sense that it all sounds too good to be true. All the talk of computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) and Job Definition Format (JDF) is approaching, or already reached, the point where some in the industry are tempted to tune out. Skeptics believe there are a number of reasons to doubt that implementation of CIM/JDF will bring the promised benefits or, at a minimum, they question the ROI. For that reason and others,

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor Proofing has been one of the most contentious aspects of the printing process, especially in the digital era. The expectations of print buyers, of course, have been a big contributing factor. Debates have raged within the industry as well, typically with the issue boiling down to whether a given proofing solution is "good enough." Ironically, the question beginning to be asked now is whether a proof is needed at all. The current state of proofing was nicely laid out during two sessions at the recent VUE/Point 2004 conference. One session was set up to focus just on remote

by marie alonso Business Development Consultant The three most prominent features of JDF are its ability to carry a print job from concept through completion, its ability to bridge the communication gap between production and management information services, and its ability to do so under nearly any precondition. JDF, JOB Definition Format, is without question the most significant and viable integration initiative targeting print connectivity today. The road to realizing the benefit from JDF integration has been a long one. There have been many milestones along the way—and Drupa 2004 is the biggest one in the ultimate quest for print connectivity. JDF

"On a $1,000-per-hour web press, it's almost unimaginable how expensive it is to not match color on the press," says Michael Graff, senior executive vice president at Sandy Alexander Printing in Clifton, NJ. These days, however, plate remakes due to color issues are down to 20 percent of what they were before, Graff reports. "We've had a perceptible improvement in time of matching proofs, and our makeready time is down considerably." Repeated rounds of color proofing used to be very costly for Que-Net Media, as well, reveals Brian Gaughen, color quality manager of the Quebecor World subsidiary in Los Angeles. But, recently,

Every now and then, somewhere in Florida, a group of former printing plant owners lunch together. I have it on reliable sources that most are relieved to be out of the business—an industry they once knew and loved and was so good to them. But, oh my, scary future changes will for sure shake print's very foundation, leading to tough times, declining profits and perhaps more failures than growth. This is not a unique viewpoint. As a former owner myself, I have talked to many other former industry executives and, all too often, I hear thinking similar to the Florida lunch discussion. No

By Margaret Motamed There has been much recent discussion in our industry relative to the progress of the JDF initiative and the impact it might have on the future of printing. As CIP4's chief marketing officer, the worldwide standards body responsible for developing and testing JDF and PPF, my challenge has been to increase the visibility and awareness of not only JDF, but of all of the activities being undertaken by CIP4 to promote computer-based integration of processes within the graphic arts industry. The printing industry has been slow to adopt the principles of computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), which have been in use

ASHINGTON, DC—A five-year agreement has been reached between the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) and the International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress (CIP4) to develop JDF-enabled application testing, product testing and certification programs. Under terms of the deal, GATF will cooperate with CIP4's interoperability and other working groups to develop certification testing methods for different classes of printing and prepress software, systems and equipment. "To specify exactly what individual classes of devices need to do with JDF, CIP4 members are developing Interoperability Conformance Specifications (ICS) that will provide the standard for individual classes of devices," notes James Harvey, CIP4 executive

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor To paraphrase Albert Einstein, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the result to change. File preparation for print almost fits that definition, except no one has really expected the results to change. For going on 20 years, the graphic arts community has been vexed by missing fonts, RGB images, inadequate image resolutions and other issues that result in "bad files." What has made this situation all the more frustrating is that the problems and remedies are commonly known. The disconnect between the design/creative and production stages of the process

By Marie Alonso Business Development Consultant Integration. that's the simplistic way to offer a microscopic definition for the goals of computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM). However, CIM is far from simplistic. In reality, it's quite massive—a vast concept for digitizing, automating and integrating print production processes. Whether the banner of choice is JDF (Job Definition Format) or less distinct and clear approaches to integrating one's MIS/print management system with both production and administrative tasks, CIM is real—in theory, if not in true application. Which brings us to a critical point: Workflow. How do today's technical and management consultants, information managers, prepress directors, pressroom operators and,