The near-term outlook for digital color printing - the era of the fourth revolution
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Laser peeling transfer is a technology used by LoqEsoan in 1976, which is in DRUPA. The dry process of the prepress project introduced at the 95th exhibition, which uses digital files driven by the Polaroid Group as an important technology, is based on the Platesetter, from the special color version of the ink-receiving The polymer is transferred to the plate. The dots are 5 micron fine dots and have a printing resistance of 200,000 impressions. This method is costly and has become a problem in the future due to the disposal of the plate.
The technique of thermal crosslinking has been applied to the thermal plate of Kodak, and the oxygen in the film is released by irradiation with an infrared laser of 830 nm. This oxygen becomes a catalyst to crosslink the resin in the film. Without cross-linking, it is disposed of by the aqueous treatment solution. After post-baking, it can reach more than 2 million prints. Because cross-linking can also be done by UV irradiation, the plate-making machine is also used. Because the plate receives heat and light, it needs to be operated under yellow safe light during operation.
Unprocessed inkjet technology
This new version of the technology has not yet occupied a favorable position. CtP plates can be easily obtained using an inexpensive on-line imager without development and post-processing, and can be used immediately after imaging, which is an ideal technique.
Inkjet technology has been characterized by three features: (1) no processing; (2) no laser and other optical devices; (3) the imaging portion of the inkjet device is vertical and the device is inexpensive. However, it is not considered that the ink jet device has no problem of speed and resolution.
Plate. On-line imaging machine. Laser composition
The front end for CtP digital printing systems, or the system for prepress engineering, includes digital files (generally based on PostScript), RIPs for replacing files with points, and laser devices for imaging images on image carriers using point combinations. . In the CtP system, the Platesetter consisting of RIPs and lasers must be completely interchangeable with the version being used. The respective plates have an inherent spectral sensitivity, so it is necessary to use a laser suitable for them.
At present, there are 18 types of metal plates, and for this, more than 20 types of on-line image forming machines have been produced. The imaging machine on the plate is divided into an outer drum scanning type, an inner surface scanning type, and a flat scanning type. All use gas laser or solid laser, wavelengths of 488nm, 532nm, 670nm, 830nm, 870nm, 1064nm, etc., using a variety of products. In addition to a single beam, there are beams of 8, 16, 32, 48, etc., and a split beam laser device is also utilized. The longer the wavelength (about 800 nm or more), the greater the spread of the laser beam, making it difficult to focus. In addition, the split beam laser can only be used for scanning outside the drum.
As for CtP, there must be a close working relationship between the printing side and the manufacturer of the image forming machine. According to this, in order to obtain the required results and the necessary training, services and so on. For the on-board imaging machine, a considerable investment ($95,000-700,000) is required, so careful consideration should be given to the selection of CtP. This is because once the plate has changed, it has to be purchased with a new version of the imaging machine or laser device. .
Recent Outlook on CtP Digital Color Printing (1997-2001)
From the general trend, printing has been oriented towards the short version of the live, but the total print volume is 35%, and the number of prints is still more than 10,000. Therefore, the general printing of the use version still plays a leading role. Without the digital printing of the version, in the printing of more than 1000 sheets, the cost is not worthwhile. Due to this situation, CtP has attracted the attention of most printers. Not only has the quality improved, but productivity has also improved.
In the January 1997 issue of American Printer magazine, Kennard Cloud said: "Assessed by experts, the demand for metal in the world is 186,600 square meters per year. By the end of 2000, CtP will take 20-30% of it. ."
According to the technical forecast of the GATF in 1997, the number of CtPs started in the world was 566 units at the end of 1996. By the end of 2000, it had become 2024 units, half of which were owned by North America (US and Canada).
Most of the models use silver halide and dye-sensitized photosensitive resins, but thermal CtP was also widely used in 2001. That is handled in the bright room, there is almost no dot gain, by binary imaging (only when the energy exceeds the threshold), and post-processing features that are less or completely unnecessary.
Creo is the lead manufacturer of thermal imaging cameras, with more than 75 devices on the market using Kodak and Presstek versions. Presstek has more than 50 devices in use around the world. Furthermore, Gerber Linotype - Hell (now Heidelberg), Optonics, etc. are also related to the thermal system.
Presstek originally planned to produce CtP, which is inexpensive and has excellent performance, in February 1996, using the new Catalina Coating technology. Most of the plates used are of a multi-layer structure, so coating is difficult, and good results cannot be obtained by using a conventional coating apparatus. The new Catalina Coating technology is a vacuum evaporation device that forms a film with a thickness error of less than 5% on a variety of substrates. Based on this technology, it is expected that the CtP version can be produced at low cost.
Computer to Plate On -press(CtPs)System
Presstek's thermal imaging technology, which leaves little or no dry residue and does not require liquid handling, constitutes a concept that has not been imaged on a printing press. Presstek initially tried this in 1991. That is, the image recorded by the discharge destruction on the GTO-D14 color machine of Heidelberg could not obtain satisfactory image quality and was not accepted by the public.
After 1993, the discharge destruction recording method was changed to a high-quality Pearl thermal laser stripping technology. The Pearl technology uses a sharp laser from a laser diode (IR) to illuminate the silicon and aluminum layers to form very small pixels below 5 microns.
At the DRUPA 95 show, MAN Roland introduced the new DICO Web for lithography and gravure. This is a CTC for a seamless roller that can be used for both offset and gravure printing. It uses a special laser head to directly transfer the image to a hydrophilic seamless plate. After the transfer is carried out, the image portion is subjected to ink, and the non-image portion is hydrophilic. At the end of the printing, the surface of the plate is automatically washed by the cleaning device to restore the hydrophilic surface. Then make it image again. It can be printed as usual. In addition, it also introduces the method of transferring the film onto the film by thermal transfer and then transferring it to the hydrophilic plate, that is, the plate making takes two steps.
DICO Web Gravure is the use of a roller that forms a recess similar to an anilox roll on a metal surface. A fluid polymer is coated on the drum to fill the recess. The image is formed by thermal illumination, and the laser is focused on 30 micrometers, and the digital imaging file is used to make it work, and the polymer layer is subjected to various depths to form a concave hole. The printing uses water-based ink, which is not directly or a blanket cylinder is placed between the plate and the cylinder, and the offset printing method is adopted. The printed image was removed from the surface of the plate using a pressurized sprayer. The roller was wiped dry and the polymer was applied again, followed by the next printing.
In November 1995, Creo proposed a new technical solution for CTC's On-Press system. Just like a clean blanket, a thermal version of the polymer can be simply removed with a solvent and washed and coated on the machine. It takes only three minutes to image the seamless plate. After printing, the sleeve is washed, recoated, and imaged. The sleeve can be used multiple times until it is replaced. MAN Roland's DICO Web system and Creo's on-board processing require years of technology to be practical, which is to support the research and development of enhanced competitiveness in the new short-run color printing market.
Recent Prospects of CtPs Digital Color Printing
The potential of On-Press imaging is to increase the value of CtP and CtPs technology, and to provide an effective price/performance ratio for printing below 400 sheets.
User evaluation of Heidelberg Speedmaster DI said that the machine reached the usual starting state a few weeks after the setup, and the startup and preparation work were very simple.
With the new Catalina coating unit's Presstek technology, by the end of 1997, PearlDry and PearlWet had reached a life of about 200,000 impressions. Printers that have been reinforced by Speedmaster DI, from reporting magazines to high fidelity, can range from 400 to 200,000 prints.
The author believes that offset printing is one of the most difficult processes. It is very sensitive to dust. Once it is dusty, it causes ring white spots in printing. The printing machine is generally operated in a clean room. The printer found that there were gray spots on the plate that would not use it. This is especially true when the image portion is found. In the environment of the printing shop, starch and floating particles are often found. For the on-board coating of the plate, it is advisable to make it as an idea, but it may take a lot of time to implement it.
Computer to Print (CTPt)Systems
CTPt is a non-printing, that is, the way each image is formed at the time of printing. This situation can be extended to a unique process that can print variable intelligence for each different content.
In order to ensure the speed and quality of the general printing efforts. Driven the progress of CtPt digital printing system. However, the speed and quality of the current general offset printing has not yet been reached. Most can do a 4-color print that is equivalent to a single color print or a partial monochrome print.
The main technologies to be utilized are electrophotography, inkjet, ion or electronic electricity, magnetic powder imaging, hot stamping, sublimation transfer, electrocoagulation imaging, and the like.