Latest developments in CIP4/JDF
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Foreword:
In the past, the development of computerization and automation in the printing industry was developed in the fields of prepress production equipment, printing presses and postpress processing, but with the high degree of informationization and digitization of the printing process, the data Exchange and sharing are possible, and the concept of CIM computer-aided manufacturing and MIS decision-making resource management system has been introduced into the printing industry, making the digital printing process fully coherent from prepress, printing and post-press processing without hindrance. CIP4 is a business strategy alliance formed by a number of printing industry suppliers and academic groups. The alliance is committed to developing a common file exchange and data sharing format to promote and achieve these ideals.
I. Introduction and development of the CIP4 Alliance:
The predecessor of the CIP4 Alliance was the CIP3 Alliance and the JDF Alliance. The two alliances were formally merged into the CIP4 Alliance on July 14, 2000. In principle, the content and architecture of the CIP3 Alliance are unchanged, but the content developed by the JDF Alliance has become CIP4. Therefore, the CIP3 and JDF alliances will be introduced first to introduce the CIP4 alliance.
1. CIP3 Alliance:
The original concept was developed in December 1993. The first draft of the archive format was completed in September 1994, and the prototype for testing in December made the possibility of the plan greatly increased. So 15 companies including Adobe, Agfa, Fuji, Kodak, MAN Roland The suppliers of prepress, printing and postpress processing such as Heidelberg and Polar formally formed an alliance in February 1995. The full name of the alliance is “International Cooperation for Integration of Prepress, Press and Postpress” (CIP3). Vertical integration with pre-press, printing, and post-press processing. By October 1999, there were 39 suppliers including computer, operating system, software, prepress, printing and finishing equipment manufacturers, and another large-scale international printing after ICC International Color Alliance. Research and Development Organization. The format developed by the alliance has been developed by the relevant manufacturers of the alliance since June 1997, and is in Drupa. It can be seen in the 2000 Printing Exhibition that almost all printing-related hardware and software vendors have already supported the CIP3 specification.
2. JDF Alliance
The JDF Alliance consists of four companies from the original CIP3 Alliance, Adobe, Agfa, Heidelberg and MAN Roland. The alliance was established in early 1999 and JDF is the abbreviation of Job Definition Format. Alliance members attempted to combine the content of management information and process information with hardware and software devices, and considered that in addition to the vertical integration sought by CIP3, it also achieved horizontal integration and attempted to integrate with the Internet.
3. CIP4 Alliance
Since the CIP3 Alliance was in Drupa 2000, in order to achieve the initial goals set by the original, the rest of the work was mostly for the regular update of the format definition, and to accelerate the commercialization of the post-press processing part, and the promotion work, while the alliance members When discussing the next-generation format and development direction, I found that it is consistent with the JDF alliance, and the JDF Alliance also agreed to let more vendors participate in order to become a common format in the future without being restricted to a closed system. After the Drupa 2000 print exhibition, on July 14, 2000, an agreement was reached to merge into the CIP4 Alliance. The full name of the alliance was added to the original three Ps by adding P-"Process Process" and became "International Cooperation for Integration of Processes." In Prepress, Press and Postpress”.
4. Member composition category and member introduction
Since the CIP4 Alliance tries to define and define a wider range than CIP3, and some parts involve non-printing parts, the members of the alliance feel that it is necessary to further brainstorm and accept suggestions from all parties. Therefore, the membership charter is revised. Admit new members and academic groups as much as possible in order to maintain the efficiency of the Alliance's operations and remain a commercial strategic alliance. The current membership is divided into three levels, and the rights and obligations are as follows:
II. The ideals and goals that CIP4 expects to achieve
1. Development of prepress automation
Since the development of computer technology led the so-called third wave of the digital revolution, computers have indeed played an indispensable role in the field of industrial production, and personal computers have evolved from the development of desktop publishing systems to the color that now completely replaces traditional manual processes. The electronic prepress system can be said to fully utilize the utility of the computer, and it has continued to develop towards a more concise and more automated process and increased productivity and convenience. The introduction of the concept of PDF process and digital master is the best example.
2. Development of printing press automation
In addition to increasing speed and quantity in these years, the printing machine has spared no effort in the development of automation and digitalization. For example, more automated printing machines include automatic plate changing, automatic car washing, increased convenience and precision of calibration, and reduced orientation. The Make Ready is moving forward, and in addition to the accuracy of the cross-line overprinting, the ink control and ink-and-wash balance are the most in need of experience and time and materials. Therefore, the printer industry has successively launched the "remote control ink slot key" with the "plate scanner" "In order to be able to pre-calibrate the ink fountain key before the official printing, the ink mark key is pre-calibrated to greatly reduce the adjustment time, plus the "printing sample concentration automatic measurement and feedback system" to maintain the printing process. Stability, reducing human dependence and negligence.
3. Development of post-press processing automation
With the increasing demands of consumers, the variety and complexity of post-press processing is increasing day by day. Various binding requirements have also produced relatively automated but complicated post-binding processing tools, such as computer automatic cutting and automatic hard-installing gutters. Etc., but a small number of diverse market demands make these machines often change settings, time-consuming and error-prone.
4. CIP3 integration
The three areas mentioned above have achieved good results under the development of their respective digitization and automation. However, in the face of increasingly competitive markets, a small number of diverse needs and a tight delivery period, the printing industry must further conceive. How to shorten the process and reduce manpower. In fact, we can find that a lot of information is repeatedly input in the three prepress processes. There is also a lot of information that is repeatedly calculated. The default value of the ink slot key is the most obvious, and the space is the most improved. The effect, as mentioned above, is that the printer has a "plate scanner" that scans the plate before the official printing to obtain the print distribution in the plate and pre-calibrates the ink slot button, but the plate scanner has been in existence since its inception. However, its practical level has been questioned, because the labels of the labels and models of different brands have different emulsion compositions, and the colors and contrasts are not the same. The data error obtained by scanning is quite large. High quality color prints are popular The 175 line, its dot is very small, the size of the plate scanner must be large, and the resolution must be high. As a result, the scanning speed can not be improved, which is unrealistic.
In the past, the distribution and adjustment of the ink keys of the printing machine took time and effort, and it was usually necessary to try several times in order to obtain satisfactory results, and it was necessary to use dozens of sheets of paper.
In the highly computerized prepress field, the PostScript standard page format language has been used. After the interpretation of the RIP dot processor, it is converted into dot data, and the large version of the software is used. Therefore, the "printer scanner" is actually Trying to get the distribution data of the network points, after the RIP is completed, it exists digitally. So the only problem is how to let the control computer of the printing press interpret the dot signals generated by RIP.
In the field of pure computer technology, it is not difficult to achieve the above objectives, but early prepress and printer manufacturers are developing their own computer technology, using different hardware and software, how to integrate a common industry. Standards, like music CDs are the same in the world, and do not form the same as the TV system will be divided into NTSC and PAL systems. Therefore, the CIP3 Alliance has jointly developed a standard PPF (Print Production Format) format to facilitate the exchange of file information.
5. Import of process information
CIP3's PPF format focuses on information sharing and barrier-free delivery between prepress, printing, and postpress processing, but there are still some improvements in the production process, such as the scheduling of production plans, which were required in the past. The experienced workman will arrange the production plan based on the customer's delivery date, the current production status of the factory and the raw material inventory. This part is more perfect if it is automated, the original JDF in CIP4. (Job Definition Format) will try to solve this part of the problem.
6. Import of management information, control and query feedback
In addition to process information, management information is also an important part, such as customer basic data, print requirements, company production costs, raw material costs, inventory, valuation systems, financial systems, and even MIS (Management Information System), can be combined with the production process to achieve "printing plant-wide informationization" to achieve computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) of the entire printing process, so the whole plant self-evaluation, receiving, scheduling, raw materials purchase, production , tracking, query, quality control, delivery, billing, collection, full process automation.
7. Import of Internet, wireless communication and remote remote control
The rise of the Internet and e-commerce in the past two years is also of concern to the CIP4 Alliance. Through the timely and non-geographical nature of the Internet, all systems can be mastered and controlled remotely, and the e-commerce mechanism will be regulated in the content of CIP4. in.
In short, the goal of CIP4 is to become the new printing industry standard. All equipment and processes must be supported, and retain good expansion, in order to cope with future development, and must integrate with existing processes and specifications to ensure the existing investment benefits. Incorporate into the existing MIS management system.
Conclusion
The printing industry has always been a highly developed applied science. Nowadays, the degree of computerization has been very thorough. It is indeed a big step in the direction of introducing the traditional human-oriented production methods into the recent standardization, standardization and automation. I believe the future. The development of printing technology must not be more than the advanced high-tech industries.