drupa Prepress Preview for One Stop Magazine |
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| 25.02.2004 |
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"Terminology that was once contained within the prepress department is breaking out and the full scale of the riot will be seen at drupa," says Lance O'Connell, Prinect and prepress marketing manager for Heidelberg UK. "There will be a colour management hullabaloo in Dusseldorf and digital data transfer and CIP 4 networking will be the remembered rally cries from this show. Prepress data will in future drive printing, finishing and business solutions, the ringleader in a closed loop gang."
Although the concept of linking prepress to press is relatively established (there are, after all, close to 400 Heidelberg Prepress Interfaces in place in the UK to link prepress to press) there is a migration down in formats from B1 to B2 and B3. This is similar to the way CtP took hold. "The trend will continue and colour changes will be made in prepress in future rather than on press with inking and dot gain remotely changed to suit the stocks in use. We are moving to a more scientific approach even in the smallest formats," says Mr O'Connell.
Likewise printers who have realised the benefits of transferring data in this way (better quality faster so with less waste on press and speedier make-ready) are prepared to extend those links to finishing and business solutions. The concept will move to commercial reality at drupa. Offset litho has learned a more holistic approach to production from digital printing.
Integration has made colour management a more focused issue, a subject which Heidelberg will highlight at the show to give customers ideas on calibrating and working to sustainable standards to maximise efficiency in future. Watch this space!
Proofing will remain but high end, high cost systems are now niche and more affordable solutions are needed and accepted in the market. Heidelberg is extending its inkjet options to sell the Epson piezo-based technology alongside the established thermal head Hewlett Packard options in its range. Both solutions can be driven by the Prinect MetaDimension networking software. "Paper proofs will continue alongside remote proofing in future just as offset litho, Direct Imaging and digital printing will operate in parallel," says Mr O'Connell.
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Heidelberg has had huge success with CtP and with over a decade of experience and a comprehensive range of products and a significant market share it expects to go further. Heidelberg did not wait for Drupa before announcing that it would sell the Polysetter, a polyester direct to plate solution, alongside its visible light and thermal options. In reality the B3 market is split 50-50 between polyester and visible light metal plates. Improvements in polyester plates and shorter run print on demand has fostered growth on that side.
The fully automated Polysetter 52 is a visible light internal drum platesetter. The polyester platesetter has a dual roll plate loading system allowing it to image two different plate sizes (for the Printmaster GTO 52, Printmaster QM 46 and Speedmaster SM 52 presses) in either landscape or portrait format. It has in line register punching and handles plates up to 460 x 550 millimetre (maximum image size is 405 x 546 millimetre) in four resolutions ranging from 1,200 to 2,540 dpi. Plate output is 17 press ready plates per hour at 2,540 dpi.
The Polysetter 52 is driven by the Meta Dimension RIP and has an on-line processor. The processor has a two bath design with active replenishment that reduces the amount of chemicals and ensures sufficient fresh supplies throughout the day.
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