pf may june 2015 e version

Vol. XVI • No. 99 • juNe 2015

Rs. 20

Mr. V. Ganesh Kumar, B.E. (Ptg), B.Tech.(IT), MBA., Senior Manager, Heidelberg India Pvt. Ltd.,

Chennai, gave a lecture on ISO 12647 - LICENCE TO PRINT

on Friday, 12th June 2015.

Mr. Mammen Mathews, M.Com., F.C.A., Partner, Victoria Mathews & Santhakumar, Chartered Accountants, gave a lecture on

Importance and Understanding of Financial Statementon Friday, 8th May 2015.

Forum’s Technical Lecture onThe Art & Science of Relationships

byMr. K. Vipinendran, Associate Professor, Dept. of Printing Technology, Anna University

on 10th April 2015

May - June 2015 / Vol. XVI, No. 99 / Print Forum 1

From President’s Desk

P [email protected]

Dear Members,

An issue that all of us have faced in the recent past is the shortage of qualified and/or trained manpower. A concrete solution to this issue has been taken by the Karnataka Offset Printers Association (KOPA) and The Offset Printers Technology Trust (TOPTET) who have opened a training centre in Bengaluru. Congratulations to them on their achievement.

The growing importance and relevance of digital printing cannot be ignored. This is amply evident from the fact that even traditional printers are slowly embracing this technology. This issue has two articles about the key differentiator between offset and digital printing - Variable Data Printing (VDP), which also happens to be my area of personal interest.

The first article is about how the printing giant HP, with its Mosaic variable data software, helped print a million different shrink sleeve covers for Diet Coke bottles. These sleeves which became a sensational hit with the consumers even turned into collectibles. The next article is about the other major digital printer manufacturer Konica Minolta which has come out with its own variable data software called EngageIT, which works in tandem with InDesign to produce interesting variable data pages.

Continuing the digital printing discussion, the swift advent of this technology into the web printing segment was at display at the ‘2015 London Digital Book Printing Forum’. Another significant change brought about is the complete revolutionising of prepress operations. The articles about innovative concepts like ‘Plate On Demand’ is truly a sign of things to come in all our offices.

Our magazine which has kept us up-to-date with the latest developments in the printing field has a number of interesting write ups in this issue on areas of major growth in printing including flexo- printing.

Our Prime Minister’s key mantra of ‘Make in India’ is slowly catching up. Kudos to two youngsters, Santokh Singh and Khushwant Rai, for developing low cost Braille printers based on Dot Matrix printing technology. They have been recognised appropriately by the National Innovation Foundation which has given them the Innovation Award at the 8th Biennial National Grassroots Innovations Award function held in March at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The HP Print Excellence Awards for the Asia Pacific and Japan region was held in Singapore in mid June this year. 18 awards were won by 11 Indian printers and I am happy to inform you all that my company PM Digital Products was one among them.

We take new steps to improve participation in the forum, we should also look at improving participation in the magazine. Please make the magazine more engaging by sending in your articles to our editor.

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2 Print Forum / Vol. XVI, No. 99 / May - June 2015

KOPA’s training centre in Bengaluru 2How HP helped print a million different covers for Diet Coke 3Konica Minolta’s New VDP Software 4Manroland Web at Digital Book Printing Forum, London 5Software cuts ink coverage for cost benefits 6Canon opens training & support facility in Noida 6Succession planning 7REVO Digital Flexo Revolution: 7Celebrity touch to DCT initiative 8Preparation: prepress key to productivity 9Printing a heart-felt story 12Print-eractive! 13KBA UV Sheetfed Offset 14Ink Sequence - 4/C process & beyond 16Swiss take the plunge with digitally-printed daily 18Xerox Launches Color Press 1000i at Print Expo 2015 19Adobe Creative Cloud 2015 20New hybrid UV curing system 21Print Wikipedia, in 7,600 volumes, to sell for $500,000 21Full HD Flexo: a new standard for flexo plates 22How to use labels for brand messaging and awareness 23HP Digital Print Excellence Awards 2015 concludes in Singapore 24The MAN who ignited Many Revolutions 25New online video flexography course from IDEAlliance and FTA 26

Print ForumRegd. with RNI Under No. 71818/99

March - April Vol. XVI / No. 98The Official Journal ofThe Printing Technologists ForumChennai

In this issue . . .

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KOPA and TOPTET open training centre in BengaluruK a r n a t a k a O f f s e t P r i n t e r s Association (KOPA) and The Offset Printers Technology Trust (TOPTET) have set up a training centre at the Rajajinagar industrial town. The training centre is housed in the institution of Offset Printers Technology Center (TOPTEC).

A Balachandra of Rajhans during his tenure as president of KOPA, had established the Toptec institute. The training centre imparts training programs in pre-press, press and post-press segments. The facility has entirely been funded by the members of TOPTET.

The training facility, which began its operation from August 2014, has completed three batches in pre-press and one batch in press segment.

The new batch for the press segment will commence from the first week of August, and for pre-press from 16 July onwards. “The training programs will be conducted every month, August onwards, depending on the number of applicants,” informed the training division of Toptec team.

The technical training team said, “There is a shortage of skilled workforce in the printing industry. To cope with this problem KOPA and TOPTET has initiated the training centre. The aim is to train the workforce in the nitty gritty of printing.”

The centre is equipped with printing and cutting machines, among others to provide hands-on training for the workforce. The focus is to get them

employed in the press unit of KOPA members.

A special committee had been formed to create the curriculum, which would be suited for all stream types. “The training module is finalised to suit the candidates who want to hone the skills in the field of offset printing. KOPA and TOPTET do not charge any fee from the candidates who enrol,” informed a TOPTEC official. He added, ”On-the-job training at the computer-to-plate (CTP) machine along with pre-press software is provided at the centre.”

The curriculum covers the basics of various printing process like offset , gravure, f lexography. In pre-press a long with the fundamentals in-depth applications of software, colour management and maintenance is also covered.

A twelfth-grade pass can avail this training for a period of four months; whereas for two months practical training at designated presses is provided. After completion of training, a certificate is issued.

Apart from the technical training, the centre also conducts communication and personality development sessions. Also, guest lecturers from industry experts have been arranged on various topics in the curriculum. KOPA and TOPTET host technical seminars about the latest development in the print industry. n

Courtesy : printweek.com


How HP helped print a million different covers for Diet CokeWith digital printing you don’t need to changing anything to print something new on every second unit. And it does not cost too much extra either.

Printing has had limitations of scale ever since mechanical printing was invented. Now, however, digital printing is changing all that. How else could a million customers of Diet Coke get customised bottles, all with different patterns, no two alike. That is where HP Indigo Printers are changing the printing business. With these printers changes can be made on the fly, negating the need for minimum print runs or plate changes.

Such printing was impossible when the only option was traditional methods life offset printing. But if you are printing smaller runs, like labels on wine bottles, often just a few thousands, it is not very viable.

Roy Eitan, Director & General Manager for the Indigo vertical of HP says digital printing is changing the equation. He says HP creates the printers as well as the software Mosaic that helps create the millions

of patterns used on the Diet Coke shrink sleeves. With digital printing you don’t need to changing anything to print something new on every second unit. And it does not cost too much extra either.

“The traditional form of printing is better when you have long print runs. But digital is the only option when the print runs are small, like when printing a few thousand wine labels or a special edition box for a product. But it also lets you do things like adding the buyer’s name to the wine label or customising a storybook with the name of the child it is being gifted to,” he explains at the HP GSB Centre of Excellence where customers get to experience printing solutions and customise it for their needs. n

Courtesy : www.indianexpress.comIn certain markets Diet Coke offers the

option to print names on bottles.Durex prints individual messages on

condom packets ordered online in China.

In UK, this technology is used to do more useful stuff like printing the headlines on

bread packets.

Customised wine bottles from Australia.


Konica Minolta Announces New Sophisticated Variable Data Printing Software Tools Integrated with Adobe InDesign Page Layout Application

Konica Minolta, one of the world's leaders in information management focused on enterprise content, technology optimization and cloud services, announces the debut of EngageIT Variable Data, a professional suite of variable data printing (VDP) modules that offer sophisticated printing and data publishing features. This new product offers seamless integration with Adobe® InDesign page layout application for exceptional, personalized output fully supported by all Konica Minolta and other digital presses.

EngageIT Variable Data allows variable elements to be easily added to any InDesign document to create unique output in a wide array of file and VDP formats. It can merge text, picture, multi-line article or full-page information using data from most sources. All features supported by InDesign is supported by EngageIT, including type on a curve, runarounds, multi-page composition, kerning, tracking, drop caps and transparency.

EngageIT Variable Data offers other valuable features, including:

• Sequencing, which allows for the creation of multi-up "Cut & Stack" output

• CopyFit™ Module, which provides advanced, on-the-fly copy fitting capability

• EngageIT Rules Module, that can be used to implement sophisticated conditional logic processing

"EngageIT is menu driven and there's no coding language to learn, making it very attractive from an ease-of-use standpoint for practically all printing environments," says Sam Errigo, senior vice president, Business Intelligence Services, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, USA, Inc. "Its array of available modules and configurations makes it very flexible to accommodate a user's needs and budget."

Konica Minolta provides EngageIT in two versions: VDP Desktop or VDP Pro.

The VDP Desktop is an affordably priced, robust toolset that can process an unlimited number of database records, and produce multi-page variable output in PDF or PDF/VT format. The VDP Pro is the professional edition that provides up to 20 percent enhanced output performance and other advanced features, including master page swapping, embedded variables and style tags, and supports more VDP output formats than the Desktop version.

About Konica MinoltaKonica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is one of the world's leaders in information management

focused on enterprise content, technology optimization and cloud services. Our portfolio of offerings deliver solutions to improve our customers' speed to market, manage technology costs, and facilitate the sharing of information to increase productivity. The All Covered IT Services division offers a range of IT strategy, support, project and cloud computing solutions across all verticals. Konica Minolta has won numerous awards and recognition, including placement in the Leaders Quadrant on the Gartner 2014 Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services (MPS) and Managed Content Services (MCS). Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for eight consecutive years. Konica Minolta, Inc. has also been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for three years in a row.

For more information, please visit: www.kmbs.konicaminolta.us and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter @konicaminoltaus.

Konica Minolta bizhub is a registered trademark of Konica Minolta, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.

Press Contact: Kristina Marchitto, Public Relations Manager, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. +1 201.236.4399 n

Courtesy : www.globenewswire.com

What is the recipe for successful achievement? To my mind there are just four essential ingredients: Choose a career you love, give it the best there is in you, seize your opportunities, and be a

member of the team.

Benjamin Franklin Fairless


Manroland Web at Digital Book Printing Forum London

The ‘2015 London Digital Book Printing Forum’ took place at The Royal Society in London on 25 June, 2015. Around 150 people joined the event.

The target audience was anyone who has a stake in the development of digital book production - from large global publishers, self-publishers, printing companies and suppliers to the printing and publishing industries. Also Manroland Web Systems joined the discussion about how to make the printed book fit for the future and how to provide the most efficient and cost-effective technology in this sector.

The event was organized by Interquest, a USA based market research company specializing in the global printing industry, and is held on an annual basis also in London, Every year there is also a presentation of the results of market analysis from previous years that show how the market opinion changes. As Manroland Web Systems emerged into a top-supplier for digital book production during the last few years, the company took part at the event and added its knowledge to the discussions

that were all about the main topic: How to make the printed book more attractive to the customers in times of e-readers and tablets?

Printed books on the upgradeThe market research presented at the event shows: the UK digital book production currently is 13 per cent of the total (increased from 8 per cent in 2012). Interquest research shows that the market perception is that this will rise to 18 per cent - 20 per cent by 2018. The USA book production has even increased by 4.6 per cent and bookshops have seen a recovery. The sales of tablets and e-readers have slowed or stagnated. These are good numbers for digital book printers and this is mainly caused by the immense progress in productivity and quality that has happened during the last few years to support the digital book printing business.

Manroland Web Systems e.g. developed the FormerLine for digital book production on an industrial scale. The system was especially designed regarding the requirements and the intended book production of the customers. In

general, the FormerLine convinces by its variability, enabled by the continuously flexible cut-off from 145mm to 420mm. Together with the lift collator RS 34 from RIMA, the system produces stapled signatures or up to 8,000 glued and stapled book blocks per hour with up to 70mm magnitude in a highly efficient way and with great performance.

According to the required format and pagination of the signature, the customer can choose the relevant web lead over the formers. The strongest point of the FormerLine concept is to produce different formats and paper qualities in so called ‘batches’ which can consist of different books with different page numbers. Even each individual book can have a different pagination.

In keeping with the preferences of the market, the FormerLine is fast, flexible, and productive. The FormerLine runs with a web speed of up to 300 m/min. The combination of a variable cut-off, a maximum web width of 1067mm (model with 3 formers) and a production speed of up to 300 metres per minute shows the best performing digital printing system for book production at this time. The high efficiency explained by minimal makeready times, also for format changes, reel changes and industrial maintenance concepts, furthermore features the solution.

New technology means more successTechnology like the FormerLine helps the printers to reach the requirements of the market. The discussion at the event showed that there are several topics that drive the industry today. Besides slowing the growth of e-books, book printers care about a supply chain management: publishers want printers to be able to produce a ‘book of one’ print on demand (POD) or any number of books in a timely and cost-effective manner as an individual edition or in batched production using highly automated web based job entries. This different Business Cases were nicely shown

FormerLine offers numerous various production possibilities.


from different European Printers, presenting their company, their workflow and their printing systems to the audience. Publishers and printers try more and more to avoid holding stock and are moving to ‘Auto Stock Replenishment’ business models reducing inventory and cost of stock handling. The batch-production of FormerLine exactly fulfils these requirements of the industrial digital production. Shorter, more frequent runs and a reduced time to market are required.

There is also a growing need for added value. There were some examples of adding value to books including personalization, augmented reality, RFID chip insertion, inclusion of electronics within books.

Bright prospectsAll in all, the mood at the event was very positive about the future of the printed book. The e-book has found a place in the market but is not going to replace the physical book anytime soon. The challenges for book printers are to be able to supply a single book or several thousand books very quickly and to be able to distribute efficiently to the end user. Publishers and authors are looking for a multi-media, multi-channel solution with no inventory and an efficient supply chain from a single book upwards. That is where Manroland Web Systems can help by supplying and constantly developing best possible solution for the digital book printing. n

Courtesy : Graphic Repro On-line

Software cuts ink coverage for cost benefitsThe Print Academy in Bradford is the latest firm to install PressSave and PressProfiler software from Prepress UK.

The applications cuts down on needless ink coverage, and can save as much as 25 percent in overall ink volume.

Production director at The Print Academy Garry Burrows says: “I was very surprised that such a simple software package could save us this much money! The Prepress UK team explained the benefits of adding PressSave and it really did sound too good to be true.

“However, within just a few days of getting used to the product the benefits were obvious, and have really stacked up in the first few weeks that we have been using it.”

The firm estimates ink reduction of 22 to 25 percent since the software was installed. This also means a decrease in drying time for quicker on-press back-up, faster finishing, as well as a reduction in waste. Andrew Aldr idge , technica l manager at Prepress UK, comments: “PressSave works by applying Device-Link prof i les v ia an incredibly fast colour server, using a combination of Grey Component Replacement (GCR) and Total Area Coverage (TAC) technology while maintaining pure primary and secondary colours. “This all adds up to great benefits in cost, control and efficiency on press.” n

Courtesy : www.printmonthly.com

A good team, like a good show, comes into being when the separate individuals working together create, in essence, another separate higher entity - the team - the show - which is better than any of those individuals can ever be on their own.

Gary David Goldberg

Canon opens training and support facility in NoidaThe writing is on the wall. When it comes to Indian print industry, just the technology is not enough. There is a need to train the players about the technology and how it can be used for their benefit. In short, value addition is the key, and it is especially true in the context of the digital production printer segment.

In a step forward towards this, the professional printing products division of Canon India has set up a training and technical support centre

in Noida. The 4,000 sq/ft facility, equipped with the range of Canon printers like DreamLabo 5000, OCE vario print 6000, iPR1135 and iPR 800, TDS 750, TDS 350 and CW 300, hopes to empower Canon customers and partners with techniques and information. In short, the facility will house the range of Canon products from commercial printing segment to wide-format segment, from products priced at Rs 10 lakh to products priced at Rs 4.5 crore.

This is a first of its kind facility for Canon in India. As the name suggests, the facility will not only work as a demo centre, but also will run regular training programmes for its customers. n


Succession planningGrooming your successor and planning the transition are essential to the health of your business.Succession planning is an important part of every printing business strategy. The reality is that the business will lose talent over time, whether through retirement, promotion or staff attrition. And as is often the case, these leadership and talent gaps will occur when the business least expects it, just when the company needs the management and leadership talent to get it through a rough patch.

Creating a succession plan should not left until someone is close to leaving. Printing business owners need to start preparing now. They need a management succession plan to fill jobs as soon as they become vacant, and it has to be done seamlessly.

Good succession plans have several components in place and work around processes like mentoring, coaching, training and development, education, job rotat ion, and formalised feedback.

Most printers would agree that the vast majority of real learning and skills that people pick up happens on the job. This means printing business owners need to design the work so that learning takes place and skills are imparted in the workplace.

T h i s c o u l d i n v o l v e s p e c i a l assignments, seconding the trainee manager-leader into certain key roles, action learning where they develop problem solving strategies and web-based educational activities which can be scheduled at any time. Indeed, computer based technology has given business owners the scope to monitor development as it goes along.

Most importantly, they have to consider the employee’s ambitions. That means sitting down and talking

to the employee and finding out about their career preference. They then have to try to match their interests and career development with a future role in the company.

The important part here for the business owner to ask themselves where they see the business in four or five years’ time. A good succession plan is linked to what the business is all about, where it’s going, and how it will get there. If the succession plan is out of sync with all of that, it is doomed to fail.

In the event of the business owner planning to exit the business, the succession plan to the new owners, which can often be the managers inside the business, needs to be seamless. The succession plan in that case needs to have financing options and a timeline for implementation.

But in any case, business owners should be upfront about their succession plan. Doing that reassures everyone that the business is on the right track.

A succession plan is important because it signals to the rest of the company that the business owner is focused on everyone’s long term future by taking steps to protect the company from the upheaval that happens when there are unexpected departures.

It also assures clients and customers that they can continue to expect the same quality of service and products as the company goes through change.

And importantly, i t ensures employees that the company is focused on developing talent within the organisation. It reassures everyone that they have a career path and that with targeted education, training and coaching, they will move into key positions. That will align employees with the business objectives. n

Courtesy : www.proprint.com.au

The REVO Digital Flexo Revolution: One Year LaterAfter the successful launches of REVO’s Digital Flexo Revolution in Europe (June 2014) and the United States (September 2014), the project team of experts from Adare, Apex International, AVT, DuPont, Esko, Flint, Nuova GIDUE and UPM Raflatac gathered together on April 23 for the eighth REVO meeting. This time DuPont’s headquarters in Neu-Isenburg was the stage of the Labelexpo Europe kick-off meeting.

One year after the launch, the REVO Team has shown flexo printers how to compete against digital printing by digitalizing the flexo process and achieving true seven color separation. The REVO Team managed to create an absolute stable transfer from ink-to-plate and from ink-to-substrate, a crucial parameter for fixed palette printing. According to Daragh Whelan, Adare’s technical director, using REVO technology for almost 12 months, “REVO Technology uses LM UV flexo inks, digital automation “from pre-press to printing process” and extended color gamut, that allows the achievement of repeatable and predictable PMS shades without changing anilox and inks. The most important benefits of REVO technology are the repeatability and predictability of the printing results, short set-up times, less waste, total graphic flexibility to reproduce unlimited colors on the same job and fast change-overs that do not need any manual intervention from the operator.”

And, there is more. REVO will show its value to mid-web flexible packaging printers, an increasing new audience at Labelexpo Europe, where the REVO Plug&Play concept will be adjusted to printing low migration UV inks onto flexible substrates. n

Courtesy : Nuova GIDUE


Celebrity touch to DCT initiative

Posting ditigal content is open to the public, including students.Soon, actor Mohanlal will pop out of the Class X Biology textbook with lessons on Alzheimer’s; businessman-turned-philanthropist Kochouseph Chittilappilly will give inputs on organ donation.

They are among the celebrities who have signed up for the unique Digital Collaborative Textbook (DCT) initiative of the Education department. It will be rolled out in schools through IT@School to take teaching to the next level using interactive digital tools.

IT@School authorities in the district on Tuesday started a two-

day training camp for school IT coordinators (SITC) from 320 high schools across the district. They will train teachers in their schools who in turn will introduce DCT in classrooms with the aid of a projector.

“Malayalam medium textbooks from standard one to ten have already been digitised with textbooks in English, Tamil and Kannada medium to be done shortly. Based on teachers’ classroom experiences, topics in textbooks requiring further description for students have been hyperlinked with digital content including interactive video, animations, audio files and images,” Joseph Antony, district coordinator of IT@School, told The Hindu .

Click on these links and the likes of former chairman of ISRO G. Madhavan Nair, academicians Achuth S. Sankar and B. Ikbal, civil servants Nalini Netto, A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, and M. Sivasankar, ministers Aryadan Mohammed and M.K. Muneer will interact with students on relevant topics. The list of personalities and digital content will keep on increasing as IT@School authorities are in the process of mobilising digital resources created by teachers.

Teachers will get an incentive in contributing digital content as they would be paid Rs. 1,000, Rs. 2,000 or Rs. 5,000 depending on the quality of their work. All digital content, even the public and students can post them, would be uploaded after a thorough vetting at the media centre by a team of experts from State Council Educational Research and Training.

DCT is now accessible over computer at dct.kerala.gov.in. n

Courtesy : www.thehindu.com

10 Powerful Networking Tips when using Business Cards

Here are some proven reasons for how a business card can land you a job or help create that important business opportunity:

1. Never leave home without them.

2. Send when paying bills

3. Good manner when giving a business card

4. Don’t be shy

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals.

6. Make the most of every chance you get to network

7. Get involved more

8. Follow up

9. Personalize your contact with new people

10. You need a good slogan

Courtesy : veesham.com


Preparation: prepress key to productivityThe 21st-century prepress department has the hardware down pat, but what about the systems?

The prepress division is quite a different proposition to what it was two decades ago. For starters, it is more than likely to be exactly that, a division of a commercial printing enterprise, rather than a third-party business contracting with print clients. And the challenges it faces today are more likely to involve software, and process and control issues.

Knife-edge deadlines on shrinking volumes of print have taken the work away from all but the most specialised independent prepress b u r e a u s . A n d p r e p r e s s h a s transformed itself from a dark space, where creativity locked horns with smoke-and-mirrors technology, to a green-button department, where the equipment is tried, trusted and fast – files in and, in the blink of an eye, files out to plate setters and presses, or to digital presses, all locked and loaded for time efficient print runs, finishing and deliveries.

Yet in that intense space between files in and out, there is still a lot that can go awry. There are a myriad file formats, and files often arrive with errors. There is colour management – how high-end it needs to be and at what cost. How does prepress plug into Job Definition Format (JDF) and other downstream workflow automation?

And how can printers optimise web-to-print (W2P) into their systems and ensure files that come through W2P are usable, or at least made usable in a cost efficient way? At the happy end of the spectrum, W2P can be a truly integrated workflow, allowing a printer’s customer to upload files that can be rapidly and efficiently assimilated into a hassle-free workstream. But at the problem end, W2P can be merely a rudimentary gimmick for

your customers, enabling them to upload their files, but creating a mess – hours of double handling, file corrections and fuss. Chances are those prepress hours will be absorbed as on-cost to keep the customer satisfied. But is that the best way to operate your prepress?

Heidelberg ANZ managing director Richard Timson says printers can choose between a product such as Heidelberg’s Prinect Web-to-Print Manager or the possibility to connect to third-party W2P solutions that are capable of writing compatible xml files which generate production jobs in Prinect.

Timson says that when combined with Prinect functionalities smart automation and ganging, printers can produce jobs generated by their W2P solution with highest efficiency. In a completely integrated solution with Prinect Integration Manager, Web-to- Print Manager, and Business Manager, the business processes can be followed from job entry until final product, no matter if jobs arrive via the internet or in a conventional way.

Despite the demand to cater for different file formats declining over the years (a few Postscript or TIFF-files are still to be taken in but the vast majority of jobs are delivered as PDF), the complexity of the PDF files themselves has increased, says Timson. “Transparencies inside the files need to be handled correctly – and as many files come from people outside the print industry and need to be made fit for printing. Prinect offers a complete set of features to not only take in all widely used formats but to also preflight, correct, colour-manage and trap automatically according to the printers’ requirements to achieve perfect quality – including proofing solutions matched to the printing

results that can be made available for the print buyer to remotely approve.”

Timson reflects that the JDF buzz which tantalised the prepress sector in the previous decade (remember drupa 2004 being described as the JDF drupa) has subsided, but only because JDF now sits below the waterline, having become integrated into branded commercial systems.

He says, “Since its introduction, it forms the base of the Heidelberg Prinect Workflow, which uses it internally to control all tasks at the print shop. Also JDF connectivity to several MIS vendors has proved to work over the last few years.”

Currie’s national prepress manager Andrew Dunn has been in the industry for some 30 years and has worked in prepress in many parts of the world. “I have seen many changes in that time, and the main difference for a 2015 version of a prepress solution is the ease of integration and affordability of the products.”

He says Currie’s Founder ElecRoc, an integrated JDF/PDF prepress workflow solution, is easy-to-use and scalable, integrating the latest core technologies from Founder Electronics. “ElecRoc provides all the functionality required for job management, integrated JDF/ PDF creation, preflight, trap, imposition, PDF colour management, 3D preview, EcoInk (ink saving), Hi-Fi print, PDF compare, output load balancing, zone screen, CIP3 ink control, advanced screen, colour/screen proofing, and output device support.”

Integration is the key – and along with it comes affordability, says Dunn in describing the Currie prepress line-up, which spans the process from PDF file to finished print job. Products include remote file submission (Pentnet), PDF/JDF workflow solutions (Founder, Compose and Harlequin), CTP system (Cron), plates (Agfa), and densitometers and software (Techkon).


Allan Gardiner , Position Director Company Southern Colour Victoria

At Southern Colour Victoria, an array of contemporary prepress i n n o v a t i o n s h a s f o r g e d a comprehensive loop that makes it straightforward for all stakeholders to input and be kept up-to-date on the print job, in a time-efficient, productive way.

Allan Gardiner, a director of the company, says its Heidelberg H105 SupraSetter six-head external drum plate setter is eight years old and while there have been advances in CTP devices in that period, particularly in repeatability, it is the software and Heidelberg Prinect 2015 workflow now connected to it that drives efficiencies in prepress.

MetaShooter, Prinect’s CTP interface, connects the device to the Prinect production system. Prinect business manager at Heidelberg’s MIS, communicates to the production system using JDF-based exchanges and this is bi-directional.

“For example, we have introduced Plate On Demand. In our pressroom, we have Heidelberg XL106 presses with Prinect Press Centre as their front end. We run 24/7 and if, say, a printer late in the evening has worn a plate, or a plate has been damaged and a new one is needed, a plate can be requested from the press console, which talks directly to the CTP system,” explains Gardiner.

“It knows the version of the job because it has logged on through presets that have been determined in the workflow. It knows exactly what plate to pull from the queue on MetaShooter and serves it back to the CTP system. By the time the printer on the press has requested the plate, it has already been queued up and imaged as they walk into the CTP room to get it off the stacker.” The press also automatically feeds events such as plate changes, blanket wash, cylinder wash and production speed information back to the MIS through JMF messaging.

“And when a plate is being imaged

in CTP, the MIS knows about it through an automated JMF message, which helps for back-costing and stock inventory control. And from the pressroom, plate requests are logged against the job and rework events can be back-costed”, he says: “It’s little things like that which all add up.”

In terms of preflighting (although not a new concept), Prinect integrates out of the box with the Enfocus Pitstop preflighting engine “We can load custom action lists built in Pitstop and load them into Prinect input queues.

We have our own custom-built preflighting policies, but it also comes with standard ones you can just load.” And various lists of customer-specific preflighting rules can be loaded, along with required actions, such as ‘stop-job’, ‘flag-as-warning’ or ‘automatic repair’ for operations like setting white overprint text to knockout, font substitution or fixing trim-box geometry in a PDF file – to name a few.

An extension of this is the ability to preflight based on a set of rules or criteria against a certain customer, for example. Incoming jobs in the production system are created automatically by the MIS (Prinect Business Manager) upon acceptance of a quotation via JDF integration Production workflows. They can be selected with specific preflighting, trapping, proofing, colour management, automatic varnish creation, process calibration and event notifications.

“We do educate customers so the files we receive require very little attention, wherever possible, but you do need to have preflighting in your workflow,” says Gardiner.

Southern Colour has written its own W2P portal, utilising the Web Service API in Prinect. Gardiner says, “The Prinect software and our associated device integration are heavily based on JDF but there is a lot more to integration than just JDF. We use interfaces to connect

different systems. Vendors are realising they need to keep their systems open so that customers like us can interface other systems to theirs. It’s about having open databases and providing web service APIs to their customers.” In other words, it enables integration in accounting, warehousing, logistics and even CRM systems; not just production based transactions, which is the area handled by JDF.

Gardiner says the adoption of W2P systems and downstream workflow automation has made a significant difference to productivity, enabling Southern Colour Victoria to maintain a lean, highly skilled staff at its Keysborough print facility in south eastern Melbourne.

And its customers also obtain a much clearer picture, in areas like estimated and actual spend, from which of their cost centres, and by product. “One of our large customers has about 900 users on one of our inventory management systems and they place orders for manufacture. But they also have a very large user base that draws from that material.

“They want to see who is accessing the material and it gives them a good idea of the types of products they should be producing,” he says, noting that even the non-printed online content produced digitally by Southern Colour for DM campaigns can be analysed – by linking it to Google Analytics, so customers can study demographics and other marketing parameters.

Offering online solutions

Cormac Deffely, Position General Manager, Company Eastern Press, Melbourne

At Eastern Press in Mulgrave, south eastern Melbourne, the prepress department plays an integral role in the company’s comprehensive offerings in the fields of print management -- in distribution, storage, mail house services, promotional and PPE, and pick-and-pack services. There is online ordering, with a Storefront system integrated into its MIS, all


of it linking back into a Kodak Prinergy workflow, which feeds the pressroom. There sit a Speedmaster XL75 and coater, bought in late 2012, and an SM52 Anicolor, the first sold in the southern hemisphere, as well as an HP Indigo 3550 for short-run jobs and VDP, among other output devices.

Ancillary services in the management field are a great way to strengthen a customer relationship, according to Eastern’s managing director Frank Hilliard and general manager Cormac Deffely.

It was Deffely’s IT background that initially drew the attention of Eastern Press, a 32-year-old commercial print enterprise now with 33 staff. Since his arrival, he has laid the prepress foundations for the company’s VDP digital printing, as well as charting Eastern’s online-solutions strategy, which involves W2P. The company has now switched to a W2P system from US developer PTI Marketing Solutions, recently acquired by Ricoh, and whose channel partners, aside from Ricoh, include Canon, HP, Kodak, Xeikon and Xerox. Eastern has adopted PTI’s MarcomCentral, an online solution for providing marketing asset-management technology.

“We have been active in W2P for a number of years now and this avenue is responsible for a reasonable percentage of our revenue,” says Deffely. “However, due to termination of support for our current online system we have recently had to go through the process of identifying a replacement system. We looked at the available options extensively and the further we probed, the more one particular system stood out, MarcomCentral from PTI.

“It is feature-rich and highly configurable. It will provide us with the tools that will enable us to deliver real value to our clients through integrated marketing solutions in the online space,” he says. “Ricoh’s recent acquisition of PTI gave us the confidence we needed to purchase

MarcomCentral. We have a solid working partnership with Ricoh and look forward to the opportunity to work with their dedicated team again on another exciting project.”

E a s t e r n P r e s s h a s i n v e s t e d significant time in integrating its current W2P software into its MIS, as well as in direct connectivity to its digital devices. Reflects Deffely: “While we have had wins along the way, we feel the more sophisticated integration options available through MarcomCentral will provide for a new level of workflow automation for Eastern Press.”

Upgrading Eastern’s prepress systems is a l ready showing dividends. “We are starting to see the benefits of workflow automation in a number of areas but can also see the opportunities that exist were we to fully utilise the systems and infrastructure at our disposal,” says Deffely. “This is one of the challenges for a business our size, to put effort into further development of systems while keeping a busy production facility operating to maximum efficiency day-to-day. We feel that systems integration, automation and intelligent use of data, that is, removing manual touch points from your workflow, are certainly key requirements of achieving success in the print game today.”

Key upgrades in your prepress division

• Invest in a speedier CTP plate setter

• Eliminate time-wasting file errors by using preflighting software

• Adopt the latest colour management software and processes

• Set up a web-to-print system – your customers and prepress staff will thank you, and so will your bottom line. n


Amcor buys Indian packager for $35 million

Australian packaging giant Amcor has acquired a publicly listed specialty packaging company in India for $US26.4 million ($A35 million).

Amcor bought Packaging India Private Limited (PIPL) from parent company Essel Propack to expand its footprint in Southern India. PIPL has three plants located in the north and south of India and produces flexible packaging products mostly for the food and personal care markets. The business services multinational and local customers and generates annual sales of approximately US$40 million.

Amcor currently has four flexible packaging plants across the north and west of India. The acquisition expands Amcor’s presence into southern India as well as adding to its existing blown film and cylinder making capabilities.

“India is a very attractive market for flexible packaging driven by strong economic growth, favourable demographics and rapidly changing retail formats,” said Ron Delia, Amcor’s MD and CEO. “The PIPL acquisition provides an opportunity to further expand Amcor’s customer base and enhance our unique value proposition in this important, high growth market.

In March, Amcor became the leading flexibles packaging player in the African market with the acquisition of South African-based Nampak Flexible. n

Courtesy : http://print21.com.au


Printing a heart-felt storyAchance visit to a blind school for a school project turned out to be an eye-opener for Santokh Singh and Khushwant Rai, two Jalandhar-based the class XI students of Police DAV Public School, Jalandhar. They had gone to the National School of Blind to study the life of the visually challenged students for an English language school project but it was the slow printing process in Braille that caught their attention.

“We were really shocked to see that it took five-to-seven minutes to print a single page in Braille,” said Santokh. "We had never seen such slow printing before so this aspect made us realise that how difficult it was for the visually impaired and the management of the school, too," said Khushwant. The printing was done manually and was time consuming.

When the duo asked whether there were no printers available for printing in Braille their innocent question was met with a smile by the management. The authorities asked them to help out if possible.

The compassionate duo made up their mind to do something for these visually challenged students. Something as easy as printing should not be a hindrance in the path of education for the blind.

The duo initially tried searching for a Braille printer but was disappointed by its prohibitive price. The small-volume Braille printers cost between $1,800 and $5,000 and large-volume ones may cost between $10,000 and $80,000. This was too expensive for any blind school in India.

As their search for a low-cost printer coming to a naught, the duo decided to experiment. Zeroing down on dot-matrix printer, they decided to develop a Braille printer of their own.

Santokh always had a penchant for science and Khushwant had

already done a bit of innovation like developing electronic stethoscope, water level indicators and LED displays.

"We spoke to our computer teacher and asked for his help," said the duo. The teacher encouraged them and provided them with financial support from the school. It took them four months to develop the first prototype of the low-cost Braille printer but a lot of improvisation was still needed. Finally, after two years of working on the printer, the final product showed 90 per cent efficiency as compared the high-end Braille printer available in the market. And their braille printer cost just around $200 (Rs 12,000).

"We tested our low-cost Braille printer at National School of Blind at Jalandhar. They were very happy to see a low-cost Braille printer with such good efficiency as compared to actual a Braille printer," said Santokh and Khushwant.

The Braille printers are printers that are used to print Braille (language for visually impaired people).The prints of Braille are the embossed dots on sheets of paper.

A c c o r d i n g t o S a n t o k h a n d Khushwant, the low-cost Braille printer is a modif icat ion of conventional dot matrix printer. The dot matrix printers have 9, 18 or 24 pins, which strike over the ink ribbon. This prints letters on a paper when pins strike over it. The paper is supported by a roller when letters are printed on it. By altering the size of the roller and removing

the ink ribbon, the pins are made to strike the paper directly and give the desired impression.

Santokh is now pursuing computer science engineering in NIT Jalandhar and Khushwant is doing electronics engineering in PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh.

The duo bagged the innovation award by the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) at the 8th biennial National Grassroots innovations award function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in March this year for their compassionate invention. These printers can be easily installed in various institutions for visually challenged persons, government offices as well as private institutions.

"Currently, we are in Gandhinagar, Gujrat; working with the NIF on this project. Instead of using a factory-made dot matrix printer, we are now making our own printer, including the hardware and software. Perhaps we will be able to reduce the cost below Rs 7000, which includes our own application(Word processor) to run the device," said the duo.

The demand of this printer in blind community is very high. A blind school from where it all started is also interested in getting this printer. n

Courtesy : www.Chandigarh Tribune

The low-cost Braille printer developed by Santokh Singh and Khushwant Rai (left) is

a modification of conventional dot matrix printer and hardly costs Rs 12,000

A good team, like a good

show, comes into being when

the separate individuals

working together create, in

essence, another separate

higher entity - the team - the

show - which is better than

any of those individuals can

ever be on their own.

Gary David Goldberg


Print-eractive!

Technology that links print with the online and mobile world is developing fast - Documobi is at the forefront of making print work smarter. There is a fundamental difference in how printers and how agencies and marketers view image recognition technology that takes print into mobile, and Sophie Lancaster, client services director of Documobi - and daughter of chief executive officer Peter Lancaster - sums it up quite neatly.

'My experience of printers is that they say "oh, you scan print"; whereas agencies say "oh, you use a database and that means the brand can have this and that".'

It's a distinction that her father goes on to emphasise, saying: 'It's not about the scanning, that's just an access technology. If people get hung up on this technology or that they are totally missing the point. We can make stuff interactive that you simply cannot do with other things.'

The mantra at Documobi, Mr Lancaster said, is 'let's make print work smarter and harder and mobile first, which is what the brands are after'. It is about data-driven engagement between consumers and brands. Behind the scanning technology (which Documobi calls iPR - intelligent Print Recognition) is a full eco system and database, fully integrated with DirectSmile, that can link into a brand's CRM and tie in with loyalty schemes.

Mr Lancaster traces the development of Documobi back to January 2009, when Microsoft launched the MS Tag as an alternative to QR codes. He believed that print needed to do much better and he started researching the market, splitting his time between the US and the UK (he is Harrogate born and bred). This went on for a couple of years until the launch of Documobi in 2011 at Graph Expo. In the meantime, the app and all of the infrastructure around it had been created by developers around the world. Then, late in 2014, Documobi was granted a US patent for parts of its technology. Having achieved the patent, Documobi will be coming out from 'under the radar' according to Mr Lancaster.

'People are just experimenting with Augmented Reality and QR, but it's not really doing anything. For a start, whose app are you going to use? We came up with an entirely different proposition - one built from the ground up to work with print, packaging, billboards etc. - which makes us unique. We don't want anyone to download our app. Our proposition is that we embed our technology inside an existing brand app. It's not about the scanning - that's just an access point.'

Mr Lancaster showed Digital Printer a demonstration, in which the iPR technology was embedded in a major retailer's app. Products made interactive sit in that retailer's repository of imagery on the system, so that when, for example, a consumer scans a product with their mobile phone they will go to that retailer's content. In the example shown, the consumer was able to inform the supermarket that they required a gluten-free version of the product, leading to the recommendation of an alternative a n d a 1 0 % - o f f r e d e m p t i o n opportunity. Through the system, the consumer is also able to share the engagement through social media. While this description is simply of a one-off transaction, the information on it and the consumer's preferences

remain within the underlying database and are therefore accessible by the brand's CRM system to guide further activity.

'What we do is marketing,' said Mr Lancaster. 'It's building customer data. It's about acquisition, loyalty, all those things. We are data driven; this is pull, not push. We are trying to build a relationship between the brand and the consumer on the phone.'

Documobi is being used by a number of progressive printing firms in the UK - Mr Lancaster mentions the likes of Precision Printing, Pureprint, Brilliant Media and Latcham Direct - but these are the kinds of companies that are more likely to 'have the ear of the brand', and he is quite aware that selling this technology into a retailer or blue chip organisation is a tough task for a smaller print company. It was for this reason that iAM was introduced. Interactive Advertising Mail is iPR wrapped into a simple package that printers producing 'a modicum' of direct mail can use.

Again Mr Lancaster gave a demonstration, this time with iAM being used to apply for a credit card from a printed mailer via a mobile phone app. 'The call to action is stronger through a mobile app: you can do it at the kitchen table and get approval for a credit card in minutes; and it saves the brand the costs of having to rekey information from an application form. We have just driven a horse and cart through the redemption process.'

Smarter and faster - it's what consumers, especially the younger demographic, want, and mobile is the vehicle of choice. n

Courtesy : www.paperandprint.com

A key to achieving success

is to assemble a strong and

stable management team.

Vivek Wadhwa


A large international customer event took place once again at KBA-Sheetfed Solutions in Radebeul, Germany, near Dresden, with the LED-UV and Traditional UV Conference from June 24-26. The event was a resounding success with around 1,000 print experts from more than 30 countries in attendance. This high level of interest shows just how important the topic of UV printing in diverse variations has now become to the print industry and how important sharing knowledge is. KBA is once again a trendsetter and trailblazer in the relatively young field of HR- and LED-UV in particular.

Nevertheless, the event did not just focus on this technical topic. The visiting print pundits were treated to two new product developments at once with practical live demonstrations of the Rapida 105 PRO unveiled at Print China in April and the inline Rapida RDC (Rotary Die Cutter).

KBA Event Highlighted Practical Knowledge Transfer on UV Sheetfed Offset

When welcoming the guests, Ralf Sammeck, KBA group executive board member responsible for the new business unit KBA-Sheetfed Solutions, referred to the company’s all-encompassing approach in sheetfed offset. This includes technical and process innovations, intensive customer consulting, competent and fast-reacting after-sales service on all continents, user-specific solutions as a longstanding pillar of strength of the Saxon press manufacturer and setting benchmarks with Rapidas installed at other top performing printshops. At the end of the day it is all about helping our customers to be successful in the market. The KBA group has an exceptionally broad product portfolio and is a financially solid partner of printing companies.

Experts from the supply industry light up HR- and LED-UV from all sidesKBA key account manager Jürgen Veil also mentioned the company’s all-encompassing approach while presenting the podium discussion on cutting-edge finishing and curing technology. Technology partners from the world of printing inks (Flint, Epple, Inx), coating (Actega, Weilburger) and drying (AMS) answered a raft of user questions. When it came to ink and coating attention focused on the availability

of special series, opaque white, metallic or Iriodin, as well as their suitability for food and non-food packaging, the toy and the tobacco industries. Questions were also asked about the print services available, suitable cleaning agents and technological features. The discussion on dryers also focused on practical topics: how do you know when a diode is broken, who can replace these, how is maintenance work carried out on LED dryers, how can the curing of LED inks be measured with measuring technology and much more.

New Rapida 105 PRO with new TouchTronic operation

The new KBA Rapida 105 PRO medium-format press was presented in theory and practice as a raised six-color press with twin coaters for conventional inks, primers and UV coating. The new press scores points with its high level of variety in terms of kit (also perfecting) and fulfils the essential requirements of commercial and packaging printers. It will soon be on display in the KBA demo centre in Radebeul featuring a ColdFoiler for high-quality cold-foil finishing. With speeds of up to 17,000 sheets/hr. and a high level of pre-set capabilities, the press offers somewhat more comfort and performance compared to the Rapida 105 which is still available (see press release 15-023 from 13.04.2015). In terms of price and performance, the Rapida 105 PRO is positioned between the Rapida 105 and Rapida 106, which is the world’s number one press in its format class with speeds of up to 20,000 sheets/hr. and the shortest makeready times.International guests were amazed by high-

quality and real-world print samples.


Anne-Kathrin Gerlach, product marketing, also explained cold-foil finishing with ColdFoil Micro.

Anne-Kathrin Gerlach, product marketing, also explained cold-foil finishing with ColdFoil Micro.

The visitors were treated to a demonstration of a job change with a fast coating plate change and coating change as well as a substrate changeover from 250 g/m2 (160lbs) to 1.1mm-thick. The new intuitive TouchTronic operating system with a 16:9 touchscreen was a further highlight. All relevant information can be accessed on the touchscreen with a maximum of two touches. New features include comfortable job changing at just one press of a button (One Button Job Change) and the clearly arranged list of jobs. TouchTronic is expected to be gradually built into all new Rapidas in all format classes by the beginning of 2016.

Demonstration of the strengths of LED-UV in all format classes

A series of press demos was dedicated to UV and finishing: cold-foil kit in connection with HR-UV technology on non-absorbent substrates was shown on a six-color Rapida 106 with coater and ColdFoil Micro. When changing jobs the visitors saw a switch from self-adhesive labels to PP film. This was in addition to a demonstration of an automatic anilox roller change with AniloxLoader and automatic coating plate change with DriveTronic SFC. Various print jobs were shown for work and turn on a new five-color Rapida 75 with coater and LED dryer. One of the highlights of the demonstrations was the brilliant print quality on offset paper delivered by LED-UV.

KBA presented a job printed with in-mould film and low-migration LED-UV inks on a Rapida 145 (six colors with coater). This was followed by jobs demonstrating fast work and turn with three different types of paper (matt, gloss and offset). The focus of the job changes was placed on automation modules for fast setup. These include DriveTronic SRW (simultaneous roller washing) and DriveTronic SFC coater with AniSleeve sleeve changing.

Rapida 106 remains makeready world champion even with LED-UVThe afternoon program began with a keynote talk from David Bland of Blackmore Ltd. in Longmead, Great Britain. He is one of a raft of users who have already implemented LED-UV technology and he reported on his experience with this new technology.

Afterwards, an eight-color Rapida 106 with coater and perfecting for 4/4 production, showed what it could do. It was impressive to see that the sheets were dry immediately after passing through the LED dryer. Despite the sheets’ high-color imposition, the print quality on offset paper in LED-UV was outstanding and the production of 10 different jobs took place within

a short time. This included posters with Flying JobChange. The KBA Rapida 106 defends its title as makeready world champion even with LED technology. The press’ technological highlights include the cleaning and supplying of the coater with UV coating during production.

Launch of the KBA Rapida RDCThe Rapida RDC was also unveiled at the open house. It features a rotary diecutter based on Rapida components that can run at speeds of up to 14,000 sheets/hr. It is equipped with various automation modules for reducing start-up times (e.g. automatic cutting die change). Its intuitive operating concept is based on that of other Rapida presses. Job profiles can be stored shortening makeready when processing repeat jobs. Furthermore, it can be flexibly integrated into MIS systems offering the user complete transparency within their company. Existing systems, such as KBA LogoTronic, can also be applied.

Grooving and embossing took place in the Rapida RDC’s first unit and diecutting took place in the second. After a quick cutting die change in the second unit, the visitors were treated to diecutting of self-adhesive labels.

KBA invited the visiting print experts to a popular beach bar situated directly at the river Elbe in the evening. The guests had the opportunity to converse informally with each other, to network or simply enjoy the view of the historical old town of Dresden on a summer’s evening.

Source: KBA


Ink Sequence - 4/C process & beyond

In 4/C process (CMYK) or any multi-color printing for that matter, different inks are laid down in sequence in order to build the final image. The sequence that the inks are laid down can significantly alter the final printed result. Ink sequence can also impact whether the job runs successfully or fails on press.

Printing always involves a level of compromise and the choice of ink sequence is no exception. However, while there are few "rules" and surprisingly, virtually no documented information on this topic, there are several notable factors to consider when determining the appropriate ink sequence to use for any specific application, namely:

1 - Conformance to an industry standard. For example, ISO 12647-2:2004 for process control in offset l ithography standardizes the chromatic ink sequence to CMY – however, black is acceptable as either first or last down.

2 - Ink tack - the stickiness of the ink that allows an over-printing ink to stick to an already printed layer of ink.

3 - Paper absorption - both smoothness and tightness of the surface affects ink tack.

4 - Time - wet ink sticks/traps to dry ink better than wet ink traps to wet ink. E.g. unitized press (each unit lays down one ink) or common impression cylinder press (one unit lays down multiple inks) or single color presses where the next layer of ink is applied much later than the previous.

5 - Ink opacity - opaque inks hide underlying inks.

6 - Ink transparency - transparent inks combine with underlying inks.

7 - Ink coverage - the higher the coverage of an ink the less following inks are able to trap efficiently with it.

8 - The RGB to CMYK separation technique that was used.

9 - The printing method being used - i.e. sheetfed offset, flexography, gravure, etc.

In multi-color presswork the first ink down "traps" the one that follows. Tack - the stickiness of ink - is a major factor enabling inks to adhere to, or trap, one another.

In the proper sequence, the first ink down must have the highest tack. Subsequent colors have lower effective tacks, with a descending 2-to 4-point spread between them.

In this first example, a layer of Magenta was printed on a single color press. Then an overlapping layer of Cyan was printed in a second pass after the Magenta ink had dried (i.e. wet-on-dry or "dry trapped"). The ink film thickness of both colors was the same.

The result is very good ink film trapping with a blue where the two colors overlap not having a bias towards Cyan or Magenta.

The second example was produced on a multi-color press. Again Magenta is printed first down onto dry paper (i.e. wet-on-dry). Then a layer of Cyan was printed onto the still wet Magenta ink (wet-on-wet or “wet trapped”).

While the Magenta ink film was trapped well by the dry paper, the ink trapping for Cyan was not as good due to the fact that the Magenta ink was wet, and so the resulting blue where they overlap has a decided reddish cast.

In the third example, the wet-on-wet printing method was used again, but with the ink order reversed:

The result is that the blue, where Cyan and Magenta overlap, now has a decided Cyan cast. Note that this particular ink sequence is the standard for CM inks in CMYK process color printing.

RamificationsModern offset presses print all four (or more) inks in rapid succession, ‘wet-on-wet’. The first inks down usually adhere to the paper better than later inks. In some cases the later inks can actually remove some of the earlier inks, depending on the relative tack of each ink in the sequence. Either way, the amount of one or more inks remaining on paper is usually less than would be achieved on a “dry trapping” press, or with a drying system between each unit as is accomplished by some form of inter-unit drying system, such as IR (Infra-Red) heat for conventional inks, or UV (Ultra-Violet) light for UV-curable inks.

Wet-trapping can also introduce an unstable performance in darker tones and is often cited as one of the main problems in matching multiple presses to a standard characterization data set, even when each press uses the same paper and ink.

So:

1 - Dry-trap printing processes can achieve a greater color gamut than wet-trap printing.

2 -The sequence of the primary CMY inks helps determine the color integrity of the secondary colors (RGB)

3 -Changing the sequence of CMY inks can be used to enhance/favor specific secondary colors.

4 - Poor ink trapping in 4/C printing will be revealed in a loss of gamut, color bias, lack of vibrancy/chroma, and a mottling/splotchy appearance in the secondary colors (RGB)

5 - With graded tack inks, the tack


must be adjusted to reflect the ink’s new position. E.g. If first down Cyan tack is 14 followed with an overprint of Magenta with a tack of 11 then, to maintain good trap, if Magenta becomes first down its tack must be adjusted to 14 and Cyan’s tack adjusted 11.

6 - The further apart two ink units are on press, the better their effective trap should be. I.e. In a KCMY ink sequence, C and Y (forming Green) will trap better than C and M (forming Blue) or M and Y (forming Red).

AddendumBelow are the typical trap values (Status T, Preucil formula) for different types of presswork as well as the CIEL*a*b* values according to ISO 12647-2:

As noted, the ISO standard specifies that the chromatic inks are laid down in CMY sequence with K being either the first or last ink down. Traditionally, for most offset applications, the ink sequence has been KCMY.

The preference for this ink sequence is likely the legacy of the image separation methods used in the past. Prior to today’s desktop image editing applications, the conversion of RGB scans into CMYK images, was performed by software in the scanner itself. The conversion method utilized UCR (Under Color Removal) techniques to optimize the image for the press as in this example:

Note that in a UCR separation, there is very little Black ink coverage compared to the C, M or Y plates. Note also that there is a large amount of Y coverage in the image, in part, because the Y component in the separation is being used instead of Black ink to grey, or darken, the image. This means that laying Black ink down first provides a greater area of dry, non-inked, paper for the Cyan ink to trap to. In a KCMY ink sequence, running the transparent, high area coverage, Yellow ink last down also has the benefit of acting somewhat like a gloss varnish to add depth to the reproduction.

I n c o n t r a s t , f o r n e w s p a p e r production, Yellow is usually the first ink down with Black ink the last down:

The reason that this ink sequence is preferred over a KCMY sequence is both related to the use of UCR separation techniques as well as the inks being used. For newspaper work:laying Yellow down first helps to seal the paper thus providing a better surface for the Cyan ink to trap to. Black ink last down benefits from the three previous inks sealing the paper which helps the Black ink deliver maximum blackness and

contrast. Maximizing the coverage of the chromatic C, M, and Y inks and minimizing the use of Black ink in images also helped images to maintain as much of their vibrancy as possible given the poor quality of paper being used. Finally, the Black ink used for newspaper work tends to be of very poor quality compared to the C, M, and Y inks. If it was first down, it could travel down to the next printing units and contaminate them.

“A wrench in the monkey works” - GCR separationsIn today’s image processing workflow, the default separation method uses GCR (Grey Component Replacement) rather than UCR techniques. In addition, many newspapers and publicat ion printers are reseparating incoming image files in order to apply GCR techniques in order to reduce ink usage and increase color stability on press (more information is available HERE). A GCR separation, like this

example:maximizes the use of Black ink in order to reduce the amount of the more expensive chromatic C, M, and Y inks while delivering virtually the same final color appearance in print. For newspaper work, the use of GCR separated images in a YCMK ink sequence may lower the effectiveness of the Yellow ink to seal the paper and hence reduce the potential color gamut.

RamificationWhen evaluating the optimal ink sequence for a specific application, particularly the position of the Black printer, it is important to consider the type of separation techniques that were used to prepare images for press and how those separation methods impact both ink trapping and printability.


Addendum - Ink Sequence for a two-color press

The recommended ink lay down sequence for a two-color press is: first pass CM, second pass: KY:This sequence makes CM inks wet trap which helps align the color result with that of a four-color press. Also, because the primary chromatic colors are laid down together, it facilitates color assessment. Black, being achromatic does not affect color. Yellow, being the greying component of C + Y does not effect color as much as C and M.

Adding a 5th, 6th, or more inks to the sequence also adds a degree of complication.

Note that most presses with more than four colors are run with the first units empty and available, with the KCMY inks in the last four units. However there is no standard practice, so which units are available will vary from shop to shop.

The general guidelines are:

1 - If possible, keep the process colors together in their standard order (KCMY). This is to avoid color shifts that might occur if their inter-press unit distance changes. This also helps avoid wash-ups.

2 - If possible do not move the position of the KCMY inks. This is to avoid having to do a complete wash-up of press units.

3 - If the extra color(s) will not be over-printed by process colors it would preferably be last down.

4 - If the extra color(s) are opaque and will be over-printed by process colors it would preferably be first down.

5 - I f the extra color(s) are transparent and will over-print, or be over-printed, by process colors, its position should be furthest away from the color it will trap with.

This is to help make it a dry-trap situation increasing print-ability and reducing mottle.

6 - Metallic inks, whenever possible, should be last down unless they are specifically formulated to be first down in order to be over-printed (e.g. MetalFX printing). Note that metallic inks are usually varnish coated and that many printers keep the last press unit available for the varnish. This may then require that the metallic ink be first down even though it won’t be over-printed.

Some examples:Spot color will be over-printed by process colors:

Opaque spot color will over-print process colors:

Metallic silver:

H i - F i c o l o r p r i n t i n g w h e r e transparent extra process color inks will be trapped with standard process inks:

Courtesy : the-print-guide.blogspot.in

Swiss take the plunge with digitally-printed daily

Swiss daily newspaper Walliser Bote is in a hurry to be the first in the world printed entirely using inkjet web technology.Publisher Mengis in Visp, Switzerland, will team HP's T400 colour inkjet web with manroland's FoldLine finishing and Müller Martini mailroom technology when it switches production to digital in July.

Contracts were signed last month and team members are certainly in a hurry to be the first newspaper publisher to rely on fully digital production of its daily.

In addition to its variable format and cut-off folding system, manroland will also supply software for finishing and overall workflow integration. MasterQ software - which sorts the job data for job processing - will be integrated with provides Mengis' MIS system, while WorkflowBridge functions as an intelligent finishing controller.

The 22,000-circulation six-day daily Walliser Bote serves the Upper Valais region of Switzerland, renowned for Zermatt and the Matterhorn. With circulation decreasing and its existing 32 year-old press outdated, the publisher had looked for a new approach.

Digital printing will enable increased regionalisation for the newspaper and opportunities for other contract work for its printer, managing director Martin Seematter says.

These include production of book blocks, mailings, signatures and print products for personalised advertising. The folding technology "opens up never before imagined possibilities" with the entire press system strengthening Mengis' position and securing jobs.

The "beacon project" will see Mengis offer batch sizes of one and create new business models for readers and customers. n

Courtesy : http://www.gxpress.net

I knew I was going to be a journalist when I was eight years old and I saw the printing presses rolling at the Sydney newspaper where my dad worked as a proofreader.

Geraldine Brooks


Xerox Launches Color Press 1000i at Print Expo 2015

Xerox, a global business services, t e c h n o l o g y a n d d o c u m e n t management company launched its’ marquee digital press – Color Press 1000i at the seventh edition of Print Expo held in Chennai from 12th – 14th June, 2015.

Apart from launching Color Press 1000i, Xerox also launched the Xerox C60 with FFPS DFE based on the industry-renowned Microsoft Windows platform and showcased a fleet of digital printing equipment’s like Xerox Versant 80, Xerox C70

with the latest Fiery FS150 and Xerox Phaser 7800. Now offered in true Pantone metallic gold or silver specialty dry inks, the Color 1000i Press gives print companies a creative, competitive advantage.

With increased automation, the device keeps print environments at peak performance levels. The 1000i device includes an optional Specialty Dry Ink Station that enhances documents with metallic gold or silver dry inks or applies spot or flood creative effects with clear dry ink.

The 1000i can migrate lucrative foil stamping applications, such as invitations, certificates and business cards, to short-run, high-value digital production. Multi-pass printing with clear ink adds an extra textural/dimensional feel and the “pop” of the silver and gold inks.

New Xerox iGen 5 150 Press Adds Fifth Station for Expanded Gamut EffectsToday, Xerox announced the availability of a new member of the iGen family: the Xerox iGen 5 150 press. The iGen 5 150 model is the first of multiple offerings in a family that provides a choice of speeds, a range of feeding and finishing options, and an optional fifth imaging station. It’s the imaging station that is the biggest differentiator between the new iGen 5 150 and earlier iGen models. The fifth station is an LED-based, customer-changeable unit (CCU) that sits opposite the CMYK vector imaging systems within the main print tower cabinetry. It is important to note that the device runs the same speed in five-color and four-color mode.

Xerox’s first implementation of the fifth station is for color gamut

Commenting on the launch, Balaji Rajagopalan, Executive Director, Technology, Channels & International Distributor Operations, Xerox India said, “Xerox is the first in the industry to offer Metallic Gold or silver dry ink at rated speed. With this new device and our existing portfolio of digital presses we will storm the digital printing market and further consolidate our market share. The newly launched Color 1000i Press will help our customer expand their digital businesses by producing full-color applications with vivid images on a wide range of paper stocks.”Commenting on the Print Expo, Maruthi Badam, Regional Business Head, South & West, Xerox India said, “ The southern market has witnessed growth in new segments like photo-printing, publishing etc. and this has further prompted us to continuously innovate and bring forth new technologies. This region has always been significant to the overall Xerox business and continues to contribute almost 50% of Xerox production business.” nCourtesy : computer.financialexpress.com

extension. The iGen 5’s fifth station supports either an orange, blue, or green toner, which can be switched out using a cart and rack system. The process takes no more than 20 to 30 minutes according to Xerox. Xerox chose gamut extension to increase the number of corporate colors (such as those from the Pantone Matching System) that can be reproduced by the new iGen 5. Xerox will provide a gamut extension software tool to help customers decide which color to choose for the best match to any given Pantone color. The gamut extension colors will be offered only as in Xerox’s Matte Dry Ink.

The addition of the fifth station is an interesting expansion to iGen’s capabilities, and improves its competitive position versus

products like HP’s Indigo and Kodak’s NexPress, which already offer colors and special effects beyond CMYK. It is interesting that Xerox chose gamut extension via orange, blue, or green as the first implementation of the fifth station capability. This certainly must reflect Xerox corporate customer desire for such a feature. Yet at the same time, Xerox is enabling clear, gold, and silver special effects in the fifth station on the Xerox Color 1000i press. One wonders whether those effects may someday be available on the iGen 5 platform.

For those interested in exploring production digital printers that offer special effects and extra colors, InfoTrends’ “Ultimate Guide” provides the ability to select products from the database according to the ability to produce a digital varnish, gamut/tonal expansion, security inks, spot colors, and white. n


Adobe Releases Creative Cloud 2015 - The Top 10 New Features You Need to Know

Adobe Creative Cloud 2015 is now available to Creative Cloud customers, bringing the latest and greatest versions of popular Adobe apps to all paying customers. The new versions of the apps are available as free updates.

"Creative Cloud 2015 is our most powerful and comprehensive release to date," said David Wadhwani, Senior Vice President, Digital Media, Adobe. The update brings new features to popular Adobe apps as well as some brand new apps and integrations. Let's take a look at the top 10 new features in Adobe Creative Cloud 2015:

1. Photoshop has borrowed the concept of Artboards from Illustrator, allowing designers to maintain a design for each device/ resolution they are targeting in the same Photoshop file.

2. Artboards can be combined with the new Preview app - available for iPhone and iPad - to quickly preview the design on the device itself, without having to email yourself the file or waiting for the design to sync.

3. Photoshop and Lightroom get a new Dehaze feature, which,

based on the demo that we saw, does an excellent job of eliminating fog and haze from photos. Haze can also be added to a photo for artistic effect.

4. Adobe Premiere Pro now comes with Lumetri Color panel for colour corrections, which makes the process easier than before via sliders and other simpler controls.

5. Another feature that made for a great demo is Premiere Pro's Morph Cut, which smooths out jump cuts in talking-head shots to create a cohesive sequence that makes for much better viewing.

6. After Effects now has Uninterrupted Preview that allows artists to adjust a composition's properties and even resize panels without impacting playback. This feature alone will save video editors countless hours.

7. Adobe is also introducing Character Animator, which brings 2D figures to life using a webcam to track facial movements, record dialog, and apply movements in real time onto a pre-configured character.

8. Adobe is claiming 10 times performance improvements in Illustrator when compared to the version that shipped in CS6. It also comes with a new Chart tool (in preview mode, which means you will need to turn the preview features on), which makes it easier to create visualisations. Illustrator also supports up to 64,000 percent

zoom, letting you create really high resolution pictures.

9. Dreamweaver comes with a new project type that lets you create a responsive website. You can easily test your design on various screen resolutions and even actual mobile devices. Just scan a QR code on screen using the mobile device (or email yourself a short URL) and you can preview your project on your smartphone, tablet, or any other device.

10. Adobe is also introducing a new app called Hue, which allows you to instantly capture the light and colours of any setting and later use them in your project.

BonusAdobe has released Brush CC, Shape CC, Color CC, and Photoshop Mix on Android for the first time. Adobe has also updated many of its Creative Cloud apps for iPhone and iPad, including Adobe Comp CC, Photoshop Mix, Photoshop Sketch, Illustrator Draw, Brush CC, Shape CC, and Color CC. n

Courtesy : http://gadgets.ndtv.com

TCS announces premier partnership with Adobe for digital marketing marketing

Tata Consultancy Services, a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, has been selected by Adobe, a digital marketing and digital media solutions provider, as a premier partner, the highest level of partnership among Adobe’s global ecosystem.

This new partnership enables TCS clients to fully leverage Adobe’s Marketing Platform and its core solutions, allowing them to design and execute customized strategies and integrated marketing campaigns to suit specific target audiences and customer profiles. n

Courtesy :computer.financialexpress.com


GEW has developed what it says is the first futureproof hybrid UV curing system, addressing the needs of label, coating, and digital printers.

The company says ArcLED enables an investment in arc technology now to be upgraded later with LEDs, using the same lamphead casing and the same power supply and control.

GEW says operators only need to add the required LED cassettes and the Rhino ArcLED power supply will automatically recognise which type of

cassette is installed in the machine and adjust the Rhino control accordingly.

It says ArcLED is an industry first, switching seamlessly on the same press with the same Rhino power supply from DC power for the LEDs to high voltage AC for the arc lamps.

It is energy efficient with considerable e n e r g y s a v i n g s c o m p a r e d t o conventional electronic power supplies, the company says.

“An investment now in GEW’s ArcLED UV curing protects that investment into the future by ensuring an LED upgrade can be simply and cost-effectively implemented. It also gives the possibility to run a fully flexible hybrid curing system,” GEW says.

It says this combination of quick-swap lampheads, reactive detection

New hybrid UV curing system developed

Print Wikipedia, in 7,600 volumes, to sell for $500,000

In an ambitious project, a New York artist is creating a print edition of Wikipedia that runs to 7,600 volumes and is priced at $500,000.

Michael Mandiberg, who teaches at the College of Staten Island and the Graduate Centre of the City University of New York, has written software that parses the entirety of the English-language Wikipedia

of the required power and automatic switching will optimise processes, maximise ink compatibility and increase machine productivity.

The UV manufacturer says it is also the sole manufacturer of the advanced characteristic which gives the user the ability of fast and easy switching, a special feature of the ArcLED UV system.

The ArcLED UV curing system is the 'only futureproof technology for upgradeability and seamless swapping of arc lamp and LED UV systems', the company claims.

“Printing presses that today are installed with ArcLED technology can at a later stage in an uncomplicated way be upgraded from arc lamps to LED to fully exploit the advantages of both technologies without modifying the power supply,” a GEW spokesperson says. n


database and programmatically lays out 7,600 volumes, complete with covers, and then uploads them to print-on-demand site Lulu.com.

An exhibition in New York’s East Village will show the entire 11GB compressed file being uploaded to the site.

The exhibition will see the Denny Gallery’s walls lined with wallpaper showing the spines of the first 1,980 volumes in the set, supplemented by 106 actual physical volumes, each of which runs to 700 pages.

The first entry will be the 91-volume table of contents listing the nearly 11.5 million articles, according to Sky News.

Then there will be more than 500 volumes containing entries beginning with typographical symbols and numbers, starting with ‘!’ (the exclamation mark), ‘!!’

(notation for an excellent move in chess) and ‘!!!’ (a dance-punk band from Sacramento).

T h e r e i s a l s o a 3 6 - v o l u m e contributors index, listing each of the nearly 7.5 million named users who have made even a single edit since Wikipedia began in 2001, New York Times reported.

The entire upload is estimated to take 11 to 14 days after which the whole set will be available to buy for $500,000. Individual volumes are available for purchase online for $80.

Mr. Mandiberg , a seasoned Wikipedia contributor with nearly 2,000 edits to his name, first started batting around the idea for the project in 2009.

In 2012, he pushed the project further, throwing himself into what he called “a series of unending nontrivial programming tasks” necessary to formatting the data behind Wikipedia — all of which is freely available online — for upload. n

Courtesy : www.thejhindu.com

Artist Michael Mandiberg and his assistant Jonathan Kiritharan of the “Print Wikipedia” project, at the “From Aaaaa! to ZZZap!” exhibition at Denny Gallery, New York.


Full HD Flexo: a new standard for flexo platesFull HD Flexo and HD Flexo are the next steps in high quality flexo printing.

Full HD Flexo is a new process for making digital flexographic (flexo) plates. The improved plates are higher quality and print more consistently than standard digital flexo plates. Full HD Flexo may be implemented without scrapping existing equipment and working methods.

Full HD Flexo is adding perfect ink laydown with the right solid density, vibrant brand colors, supreme platemaking consistency and the only fully digitally controlled platemaking workflow available in industry.

Finally a valid alternative for offset and gravureThe quality of offset and gravure printing has always been somewhat of a Holy Grail for flexo. But, with HD Flexo and Full HD Flexo, the gap is closed. Bringing consistency, vibrant colors and increased print quality, Full HD Flexo raises the industry standard in flexo printing.

Flexo printing can now compete with offset for quality labels and with gravure printing for flexible packaging. In addition, digital plate exposure ensures greater consistency in plate production and in printing.

Full HD Flexo: how does it work?

The Full HD Flexo technology combines high resolution imaging at 4000ppi (HD Flexo imaging and screening technology) with digitally controlled main exposure inside the CDI. The digital Inline UV2 main exposure through a LED-array delivers a UV power density high enough to gain full control over the

polymerization process during main exposure.

The Inline UV2 digital main exposure now makes flexo platemaking fully digital. Human errors are reduced and the plate consistency is boosted enormously.

Controlling the dot shapeT h e u n i q u e F u l l H D F l e x o platemaking process can digitally control the dot shape: Full HD Flexo plates and sleeves now combine the highlight capability of HD Flexo and the solid ink lay down capability and print stability of ‘flat top’ flexo plates.

Full HD Flexo Benefits • Smoother, sharper images

with an expanded tonal range • Bright impactful solids and a

wider color gamut • Improved results achievable

with existing printing equipment

• Industry standard quality supported by all major plate vendors

• Suitable for labels and tags, flexible packaging, corrugated and carton print

F u l l H D F l e x o e x t e n d s t h e boundaries of flexo printing for flexible packaging. Depending on the screen ruling used, Full HD Flexo has different capabilities and benefits.

When printing with screen rulings between 110 -130 ppi, Full HD Flexo improves the quality of solids and whites, print consistency, press speed, and job changeover. Existing presses and anilox rollers can be used.

When using screen rulings of 130 – 150 lpi, Full HD Flexo enables the conversion of gravure work to flexo printing. Good image details and contrasts, highlights to zero and smooth vignettes can be achieved. Spot colors can be produced with higher vignette quality. Full HD Flexo combined with screen rulings


between 150 lpi and 250 lpi is the perfect solution to move gravure work to flexo. The print quality is stellar: excellent details, brilliant colors and smooth transitions to zero.

Smoother, sharper images with an expanded tonal rangeFull HD Flexo delivers exceptional printing throughout the entire tonal range; dazzling highlights, stable midtones, smooth gradients and solids, along with higher solid ink densities.

With Full HD Flexo, the screen rulings in flexo printing can be increased, while at the same time reducing the size of the smallest printable dot. This is achieved using a special screening technology and the higher imaging resolution, resulting in sharper images, smoother tints and a greater color gamut.

Greater run lengthsWith Full HD Flexo, makeready time on the press is reduced and plates deliver greater run lengths. Fewer washing cycles make sure that the press is optimally used.

A sustainable choiceConverters and brand owners want to improve quality while reducing costs both on press and in prepress. Time-to-market is reduced through simplified prepress.

There is a sustainable benefit as well. Printing flexible packaging on a flexo press instead of gravure reduces energy use and CO2 emissions by as much as 50%. Converters and brand owners can improve sustainability by taking advantage of the higher quality offered by Full HD Flexo.

Move jobs from gravure to flexoSeveral recent flexo print runs have evaluated Full HD Flexo against competing technologies. Evaluation print runs have proven the excellent color gamut of Full HD Flexo. A wide color gamut means that more PANTONE and brand colors can accurately be matched by process color builds. This was achieved without fundamental changes like forcing printers to use different inks. With such results, it’s no wonder that brand owners start switching gravure work to flexo.

An open industry standardFull HD Flexo operates with the user’s existing CDI equipment, plates and working methods, completed with specifically tuned dots and without tying the customer to specific plates or other consumables. There’s no need for complex and expensive process changes.

And, what ’s more , Ful l HD Flexo improves the quality and performance of your existing press equipment! n

How to use labels for brand messaging and awareness

Marketing and branding is all about communicating with your target audience. But that’s easier said than done. How exactly do you go about getting your brand message out to your customers? Using the internet is an obvious way to do so, but what about your offline audience?

Labels, labels everywhere!A simple and effective way of communicating with offline consumers is to let your labels do the talking. Labels are an easy, in-your-face medium to talk to your consumers without coming across as too pushy. Labels, after all, are part of the product that the consumer has purchased. When someone buys your product, they’re buying the label too.

Labels are ideal for cross promoting. For example, if you sell multiple flavors of cookies, you should use the packaging of one flavor to promote the other. You can do so by having a label on the bag that informs the consumer about the other flavor(s) they may want to try.

Save money on marketingWhat’s even greater about the label strategy is that you no longer have to spend money on searching for your target audience – you’ve already found them! The people reading your labels are already the ones buying your products, so you can be quite sure that they are interested in what you have to say and offer. Why not use labels to give them a discount or to thank them for buying your product?

Let your label become someone’s bumper stickerYou don’t have a brand message for your audience? No problem! Just print your brand logo and brand tagline onto a label and let them do their thing. Try to make your label interesting enough for people to stick it onto their cars, lockers, … Add a joke, a cool graphic or organize a contest that involves your label. By getting your logo and tagline out there through your labels, you are sure to create more brand awareness. And that in itself is a way of brand messaging, even if the message is indirect. n

We are the children of a technological age. We have found streamlined ways of doing much of our routine work. Printing is no longer the only way of reproducing books. Reading them, however, has not changed.

Lawrence Clark Powell


HP Digital Print Excellence Awards 2015 concludes in Singapore

At a spectacular event held at the Universal Studios in Singapore on 17 June 2015, HP awarded its 8th Digital Print Excellence Awards for the Asia Pacific and Japan region in which 11 Indian print companies succeeded in winning 18 awards. This year’s awards event saw more than 380 entries from 16 countries. Among the grand winners was Bengaluru’s Canvera Digital Technologies which also won in the photo book – art segment.

The other Indian winners are – Surat’s Klick Digital Press which won for its entry in the photo book – consumer category; Ludhiana’s Gee7 Printek which won the photo book – premium award; New Delhi-based Aakruti DigiPress for marketing collateral; Printonica picked up the winner’s award for marketing collateral and special recognition for its calendar entry; Macromedia Digital Imaging of Hyderabad won the outdoor advertising award and special recognition for retail POP/POS, books and manuals, and calendar categories. Savithri Digital Print Press won the award for best use of media in the photo book – premium category while Ludhiana-based Impressions Creative Agency was the winner in the decoration category.

L-R: Roy Eitan, general manager and director, HP Indigo and InkJet press, Asia Pacific and Japan, Dhiraj Kacker, founder and managing director of Canvera with his trophy and Gido van Praag, vice president and general manager, HP Asia Pacific and Japan

Special recognition was won by Delhi’s Chanakya Mudrak for its restaurant menu and books and manuals categories; Chennai’s PM Digital got a special recognition for its photo book – consumer entry; and Thomson Press received a special recognition for its entry in photo book – premium category.Gido van Praag, vice president and general manager, HP Asia Pacific and Japan, the ever-cheerful face of HP in this region who also presented the awards was effusive in his praise for the winners. He said, “Innovation is the key element which is pushing HP towards newer boundaries. I am very pleased and glad to be honouring these wonderful printers who also believe in innovating and staying ahead of the curve.” n

18 awards for 11 Indian printers

L-R: Roy Eitan, general manager and director, HP Indigo and InkJet press, Asia Pacific and Japan, Ramakrishna Musunuri and Naresh Kumar, managing director of Macromedia Digital Imaging along with Gido van Praag, vice president and general manager, HP Asia Pacific and Japan

The award winning photobook - consumer entry from Klick Digital Press

Prize winners at the dias

Our President, Mr. Chellappan, Managing Director, PM Digital Products won a Prize for Photo Book production

Flint Group introduces PluriTech SLU, a Universal Shrink Sleeve System

Flint Group Flexible Packaging EMEA is pleased to introduce PluriTech SLU, a universal shrink sleeve system. This technology has been developed to be used in conjunction with Flint Group’s standard NitroBase WZ61 concentrates suitable for rotogravure applications.

Many conver ters producing shrink sleeves are printing on a variety of different substrates which currently require multiple ink systems of different chemistry. According to Thomas Strohe, Commercial Product Director Flexible Packaging EMEA, “PluriTech SLU offers a technology that covers the majority of commonly used substrates such as Polyester, Polypropylene, PVC. By backing with the corresponding White it is even suitable for Sleeves with maximum product resistance.”

When using the one standard ink system PluriTech SLU for different purposes, the conver ter will benefit from simplified ink specifications, reduced inventories and press returns. Thanks to the avoidance of changing ink series / chemistry, set up times will be significantly reduced as time consuming cleaning cycles are obsolete.

PluriTech SLU can be in-house blended by using the standard NitroBase WZ61 concentrates and simply adding a TC (Technical Compound). Flexible Packaging converters can therefore easily enter the fast growing Shrink Sleeve Market.

For further information, please contact your Flint Group local sales or technical expert, or email [email protected]. n


The MAN who ignited Many Revolutions

The word revolution is disliked by many but progressive changes have taken place mostly by revolutions. A study of the world history will reveal that one man was responsible for most of the revolutions since 1500 AD. Revolutions prior to 1500 AD were military centric inrnhing violence thereby causing death and destruction. The revolutions after 1500 were more non violent. Many social and political revolutions broke out in the last 500 years because of this man's technological development.

The Man, I am referring to, was Gutenberg, born in Germany who d e v e l o p e d t h e printing machine. This device took knowledge to the m a s s e s w h i c h

were once the guarded secret of the elite in the society. Religion was the most dominant force all over the world and their leaders could frighten the masses in the name of God and religion and built their empire larger than an emperor.

The first victim of the printing machine was the religious leaders who were the custodians of the holy book. The printing machine brought the holy books in everybody's hand which decimated the dominance of these religious leaders. He sowed the seed of mass communication.

The first revolution was spearheaded by Martin Luther of Germany (1483 to 1546) who fought the protestant reformation against the Pope in Rome. It was not an armed revolution. The esotericism of religion started melting all over the world. As reading of books and news papers increased, knowledge expanded planting the ideas of a revolution. Social and political leaders started attracting the minds of the commoners who were looking for change and progress.

Revolution in IndiaSocial and political revolution started only after the introduction of print media by the British. The printing machine was first introduced in 1780 and the first news paper was Hicky‘s Bengal Gazette. Over the years the circulation and number of news papers and magazine increased igniting the revolutionary feelings and thoughts of the commoner in India. The first vernacular (Bengali) newspaper was Amrith Bazzar

Pathika 1868. The first Tamil news paper was ‘Swadhesamitran’ started by G. Subramania Iyer in 1882.

The print media brought to light several social reformists like Rajaram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Sagar, Dayanand Saraswathi, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and many more. The Hindu culture underwent several changes from extreme orthodoxy to liberal approach. The social and political revolution in India, unlike the West, was very peaceful and did not invoke any armed rebellion. The leaders of the revolution were well educated and upheld the value of India’s ancient culture, epics, Vedas and other literature but opposed only the conservatism of reaching them to the masses. All the leaders used the print media to reach the masses and were very successful.

The political awakening against the imperial British rule was also

caused by the spread of print media in Indian languages. The British colonial government put several restrictions on the freedom of Indian press as they realized that its freedom will boomerang on their domination. Subramania Bharathi who worked as Assistant Editor in ‘wade amitran’ took refuge in Pondicherry when the British were after him for his spread of freedom fire to the commoners through his magazine . He continued his propaganda of freedom through dailies and weeklies while in exile in Pondicherry. Most of the freedom fighting leaders was directly involved in some news daily or weekly. Gandhi would not have succeeded in his struggle against the British but for the print media.

The Modern RevolutionThe revolution started by Gutenburg shifted to the USA in the 20th century. The IT corporate sector revolutionized the technical aspect of written and spoken communication. William Gates specialized in the technicalities of written media and brought in numerous developments. The preparation for a thesis or a book which consumed two years of full time efforts until 1990 is now reduced to six months. The presentation quality has substantially improved in terms of editing, formatting and a few more reducing the burden of the old tedious methods of typing and proof reading. The e-mailing programme, gives an address to a person without having a physical place of dwelling.

The search engine called ‘Google’ introduced by Larry Page and Sirgy Brimm has become a part of life for many writers.

ConclusionGothenburg’s transformation of the means of revolution remains strong, only its technology has changed. It contributed to the development of language and literature whereas the new information revolution is more technological aiming at speed and reach. The importance of


language proficiency and literature value are going down giving away to technology. English, the dominant computer language is transforming and romanizing many vernaculars. The SMS exchanged by youngsters are in Tamil language but written in English.

Technologica l revolut ion i s so far peaceful, however, it has precipitated new types of conflicts like Cyber war, network hacking and hate campaign which affect the economic and social fabric of the world.

“Those who make peace fu l revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” (John F. Kennedy)

New online video flexography course from IDEAlliance and FTA G7, Flexography and the production environmentYour customers expect their print jobs to look the same, regardless of the printing method or whether their design appears on a cereal box, a newspaper ad, or on a frozen food package. A new online video training course for production and non-production personnel, explains how combined with FIRST, the G7 methodology enhances any flexographic workflow. The course has been developed jointly by the Flexographic Technical Association and IDEAlliance.

G7 is a set of specifications designed to achieve visual similarity across all print processes, including flexography. Using G7, all print conditions and processes are aimed at a common standard so that when prepress files are created, your customer can be assured that the end result will match their expectations. Better yet, G7 plants benefit from greater process control, reduced press set-up time, reduced waste and faster makereadies. The end result? High quality, repeatable results.

Designed for production and non-production personnel, this course provides the information necessary to enhance any flexographic workflow using the G7 methodology. At the end of this course you will understand: What G7 is, and why you need to implement it in your flexographic production environment; Calibration techniques for G7 and FIRST to achieve repeatable, accurate results; Optimization practices for G7 and FIRST to identify the best possible combination of print variables; Fingerprinting procedures for G7 and FIRST to successfully match a contract proof; Process control techniques for G7 and FIRST for maintaining stable press conditions, and reducing set-up time and waste; Global standards that reference G7 and Near Neutral Calibration; Procedures for matching standard proofs, versus custom datasets; How G7 provides efficiencies for both brand owner and printer; What the next steps are for G7 and FIRST certification.

The cost of the on-line course is US$ 450 for FTA and IDEAlliance members including members of IDEAlliance India. For all others, the cost of the course is US$ 900.

The instructors of the online course for the G7, flexography and the production environment course are Steve Smiley of SmileyColor & Associates and Joe Tuccitto of the FTA.

IDEAlliance is a global community of more than 1,600 brand owners, agencies, publishers, premedia and print service providers, and their material suppliers and technology partners . The not - for -prof i t association identifies best practices for efficient end-to-end digital media workflows – from content creation through delivery. Through its active committees, educational conferences, webinars, training and certification programs, IDEAlliance provides its members the forum for the exchange of information that results in the creation of the media production industry’s most valued standards.

In India, IDEAlliance India is based in Noida and can be contacted at [email protected]. or www.ideallianceindia.org.

FTA is a professional society dedicated to bringing all members of the f lexographic print ing community together by providing opportunities for the free exchange of technical ideas and discussion of mutual concerns. It is a proponent of maintaining and advancing quality standards and includes 1,400 member sites representing more than 50,000 individuals worldwide. Its Foundation (FFTA) is the educational arm of FTA and is dedicated to supporting and advancing the flexographic printing industry through certification and training programs, educational resources and publications, research projects and committees, and a year-round conference and exhibition program. www.flexography.org

Contact : Steve Bonoff, (952) 896-1908 / [email protected] n

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