Digital Press Technology

Introduction

            The introduction of the new technology has led to a number of changes in the way businesses are being done.  Various production units almost everyday come with new methods of ensuring that goods of high quality are produced and customers are satisfied to the maximum.  When production is high it means that sales will be high and more customers will be attracted.  Many firms have adopted the use of the new technology in order to increase efficiency and production within the shortest time possible.  The printing industry is not left out from using the new technology.  Most mangers are now shifting from traditional way of doing things to the modern technology where speed and efficiency is required.

            In the printing industry there are printing options that are needed by different kinds of people.  For example one many need products manual printing, employee handbook printing financial statement printing, training manual printing and many others.  The list is just too long.  Digital offset printings have therefore been developed by many firms to cover a wide-range of customers where quality printing is the offered. (Creswell, 2004).  However there are various types of digital color printing depending on the nature of the work to be offered.

Digital printing press

The digital offset printing press is a new technology that is really on demand in the color printing industry.  It offers the quality of traditional offset printing however it focuses and capitalizes on the efficiency of a totally digital workflow.

            A good example is the HP indigo printing where one saves time and money because files will go directly to press by passing the traditional steps of film separations, and film stripping.  The HP indigo printing press has made the workflow to be very fast and efficient. It is the perfect digital printing solution for truly short runs as compared to the traditional printing press.  The technology operates by building the speed and efficiency of electro xerography with high quality CMYK offset printing.  Due to this property it is capable of offering a remarkable printing value for output quantities from about one to over one thousand press sheets.

            To date many customers believe that digital printing press is the fastest and normally offers a wide variety of service, which can satisfy customers best.  For example providing wholesale prints of fine quality.

HP Indigo Digital Printing Press

            The HP Indigo digital printing press is regarded as a high quality digital production device, available at an entry-level price, for commercial and in plant printing firm.  The most common example of HP Indigo press is the HP Indigo press 3500.  The system offers the look and feel of offset printing with the superior liquid electrophotographic technology of HP electronics (Cresswell, 2004).

            It offers affordable solution that provides greater quality and versality for those looking to adopt digital technology for the first time and also those who would like to shift from light production color copier devices.  This is because HP Indigo press 3500 adds color value to the print, capable of producing large or voluminous prints, which enable those using it to earn a lot of profit.

Features and benefits

            The HP Indigo press 3500 is capable of printing more than one million color pages.  Alternatively the system is capable of printing more than 2.5 million monochrome pages each month.  The ability to produce huge prints makes it to attract majority of customers.  Attraction of more customers makes it to realize huge financial benefits or profits.  The other feature of the HP Indigo press especially the HP Indigo press 3500 is that it has the ability to adjustment free paper handling.  This improves efficiency and flexibility in the way job is carried or being done.  The system also offers simplified operation with the HP Indigo press production manager digital at the front end.

Technical Specifications of HP Indigo Press 3500

            It prints up to sixty eights pages per minute in four – color mode or one thirty six pages per minute in single color mode on all media without specification.  (Rhoton, 2001).  The system is also capable of accommodating four-color process (CMYK) and six – color HP Indic Rome (CMYKOV) as well as custom –mixed HP electro Inks.  Image size is about three hundred and eight millimeters by four hundred and fifty millimeters.  (308 mm x 450mm) or 12.1” X 17.7”. Media size is three hundred and twenty millimeters by four hundred and seventy five millimeters (320 mm X 475 mm) or 12.6” X 18.7”.  The media thickness is 80.30gsm (55 ibs text – 130ibs cover) coated, 65 – 300 gsm (45 ibs text – 110 ibs cover) uncoated.

The HP Indigo Press 5000

            This is also another type of HP Indigo Digital press that is new in the market.  The HP Indigo Press 5000 is a four color digital press with seven-color capability geared for mid-size to large-scale commercial printers. This digital press has capability of producing up to four – thousand full color pages per hour (Harald, 2005).  It also uses a number of paper handling and inks system innovation for instance multi-tray input that allows the operation to load one tray while the press prints from the others.  There is also a high – capacity paper output system, which features or offers a convenient sampling tray for easier proof checks.

            The HP Indigo press 5000 uses the front – end HP press production manger making it possible and easier to handle large variable data jobs much quickly and efficiently.  The HP production press manager is also capable of combining simplified operation with scalable, high performance RIP and Web –to – print connectivity. This is made possible due to the fact that production using the system is based on open standards.

            The system (HP Indigo 5000) has the superior quality, the highest productivity and the best workflow, which makes it to attract more customers. Another good thing with HP Indigo Press 5000 is that uptime is further maximized, which automatically alerts the HP Indigocustomer Care center when a problem occurs and allow a technician to remotely trouble shoot the press.  (Cress Well, 2004).

            Other benefit that is somehow common is one to one marking, which is experienced in short-run packaging, personalized direct mail and real-time targeted marketing.

Xerox iGen3Printing Press

            The Xerox iGen3 is also another type of digital printing offset press that has the ability to mix stocks with a run and built – in intelligence to maintain color fidelity and registration.  (Flamm, 1988).  This therefore makes it to attract many customers of different kinds. With Xerox iGen 3, turnaround is even faster as compared to other printing press.  Every page can be customized and personalized.  It also has the property or ability to combine color with black and white.  In addition to customizing every page, the Xerox iGen3 printing press also personalizes and adds more value to same page.

            Xerox iGen3 printing press also uses the customer data captured from CRM data bases, websites and call centers to drive variable text, images and graphics in marketing communication materials.

Application of Xerox iGen 3

            Xerox iGen 3 printing press is applied in short runs, printing of brochure, books, flyers, post cards, newsletters, catalogs, manuals, point of parched materials, sell sheets and more services that may be needed by different customers.  In book printing, the technology is capable of economically producing the exact number of textbooks needed and even printing more as needs arise.

            The Xerox iGen 3 printing press is also used in direct mail marketing campaigns.  It is also used in personalizing one to one communications.  The other application of the technology is that it is used in web fulfillment materials and preparing / producing statements and financial reports with unique text, images and graphics (Harald, 2005).

Benefits of using Xerox iGen 3 Digital Production Press.

            The advantages of using Xerox iGen 3 digital production press are many.  In terms of cost saving it reduces hidden costs of preparation, warehousing and distribution by printing shorter runs.  Many people therefore prefer it because of this property.  Another advantage is that there is increased return on investment (ROI) because of the ability to make messages printed market faster.  This is because it produces prints with high fined – quality cable of attracting customers.  The quality of work produced will determine whether the products will be on high demand or not.  With Xerox iGen 3 Digital Printing Press, prints are of high quality and easily sells. The other advantage is that it offers new business opportunities and revenue streams with short run digital color jobs, fast turnaround, and customized communications.

The most common type of Xerox iGen3 is the Xerox iGen 3 110 digital production press.  It is the latest to be developed among the various types of digital printing presses.  Currently it is regarded to be the fastest color digital printing press in the Xerox fleet.  (Chandaru and Vinay, 1996).

            Xerox iGen 3 110 is believed to be the hottest machine in the current market whereby most customers prefer it for commercial printing.  With unparalleled networking ability, its volume and speed is astonishing.  In the market it caters for customers who are specializing in digital printing and information processing.  As mentioned earlier it is capable of achieving full-color for large volumes of invoices and statements, which have traditionally produced in black and white in the data printing market.

            The technology also realizes one to one marketing.  One to one marketing is made possible by providing information that is tailored to individual customers based on rich customer information analysis.  This has made the new system that is selling highly in the market to attract industries such as credit card industry.  To date the demand for one – to – one communication in full color is rapidly growing and a new market has emerged that integrates the commercial printing and data printing markets (Chandaru and Vinay, 1996).

Advantage/strengths of Digital Printing Press

Digital printing press is believed to be an indispensable tool in today’s high traffic and fast paced world, which is continuously undergoing rapid changes.  The digital printings press has numerous advantages as far as satisfaction of customers is concerned.  The first advantage is about its flexibility.  With digital printing press one can be able to do custom print jobs to wide – format printing.  The technology runs a wide range of prints ranging from small to huge prints.  This advantage makes many customers to feel satisfied with the service delivered.

            The other advantage of Digital printing press is that it is accurate.  The fact that computers automate all printing presses, digital printing press has unique features.  The technology uses the concept of fine precision printing that makes it to be more popular than other printing press.  It has the property of offering printing very accurately by ensuring that sharpness is maintained (Cress well, 2004) to ensure that the print remains clear and crisp. Colors are also displayed in attractive manner and are rich and fine at the same time.

            The other advantage of digital printing press is the property of keeping attention to details. When we talk of attention to detail, the customer is served in such a way that prints come out more refined since the press technology is engineered to make each ink droplet count for something worthwhile. In addition to this, contrasts, with its shadows and highlights are more and well defined because the technology does have consistent and controlled printing patterns.  Due to this property it means that the ink and how it is projected or propelled from the cartridge paper are the same.  It produces the same effect through the same means hence maximizing consistency (Rhoton, 2001).

            The third advantage of Digital printing press is that it is fast by having short turnaround time.  It reduces the unnecessary printing steps involved used in other printing processes or technologies.  Through digital printing, plate making and color separation can both be skipped.  By doing this very small time is required in the process of print production.

            Low cost for short runs is another advantage of digital printing press.  It is the best choice where short run orders are made since each unit cost is affordable.  When the cost is downsized customers will be happy since the offset printing provides the optimum print quality for short run orders.

            Unlike the traditional / normal printing press Digital Printing Press avoids the use of film and chemicals.  This makes the prints to be of high quality having well defined properties.  Customer service is highly improved because of the high quality prints produced.

Weaknesses or Challenges of having digital press

            It is assumed that the new technology has brought numerous benefits in the way quality services are demanded by customers.  However there are challenges that are brought as a result of the new technology.  For example one of the biggest challenges for the printing industry is the technicality in the incorporation of digital printing with current offset technology.  Some printers see the transition as a natural evolution of the basic marketing function of their company and as a way of meeting customer’s high expectation by adding value and color to the print products.  One area where digital still lags is in the finishing department, most of the customers demands for one stop shopping that can take them from design to finished product, coupled with their desire for increased turnaround times.  It therefore means that digital technology has great challenge to ensure that it is competitive with offset (Creswell, 2004).

Conclusion

Despite the disadvantages of having the digital press technology the advantages are just quiet visible.  The new digital offset technology has brought a lot of benefits to the printing industry.  It is regarded as an indispensable tool in to day’s fast – paced world.  As compared to traditional printing press it is accurate, fast, flexible and pays attention to detail.  All these advantages in short make the new technology to produce prints with high quality and of a wide range capable of capturing the demand of different customers

References

Chandaru, V. and Vinay, V. (1996).  Foundation of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science.  London: Springer Publishers.

Cresswell, L. (2004).  Product Design:  Graphics with Materials Technology, 2^nd Edition. London:  Harcourt Heinemann.

Flamm, K. (1988).  Creating a Computer, Government, Industry, and High Technology.  New York:  Brookings Institutions.

Harald, J. (2005).  Mastering Digital Printing.  New York:  Thomson Course Technology.

Rhoton, J. (2001).  The Wireless Internet Explained.  London: Digital Press.