The application of CTP in newspaper industry

Compared with the China Standard Press, there are many differences in the CTP introduction work of the Printing Center of the Beijing Daily-Beijing Evening Newspaper Group (hereinafter referred to as the Beijing Newspaper Group). First, the Beijing Printing Group Printing Center introduced the CTP system more than China Standard Press for three or four years. Second, the Beijing Newspaper Group Printing Center is mainly engaged in newspaper printing, unlike the Chinese Standard Press. The center is entirely engaged in printing books and periodicals. Third, the Beijing Printing Group's printing center introduces the CTP system. It does not involve the introduction of a single technology, but it is handled as part of the Beijing Printing Group's color printing center construction project. It is precisely because of these differences that the introduction of their CTP technology is a bit more relaxed than the introduction of the China Standard Press. According to Sun Shugeng, deputy director of Beijing Press Group Printing Center, as part of Beijing News Group's construction of a color printing center, an expanded version, and a color newspaper, the Beijing Newspaper Group's introduction of the CTP system has undergone a long period of brewing and preparation.

For a long time, it has always been the dream of the domestic newspaper industry. With the combination of computer technology, digital technology and printing technology, the dream of making a colorful newspaper has gradually realized. Director Sun said that in fact, before 1995, he already knew the existence of direct plate-making technology. In 1995, after the CTP technology came to the top of the Drupa exhibition, the Beijing News Group carried out research in this area. However, after careful study, they believed that the conditions for introduction at that time were not yet mature. First of all, as a technology that has just come out, CTP certainly has many problems in terms of technology, design, and manufacturing. Therefore, the risk of introduction is relatively large. Second, the Beijing Newspaper Group’s own conditions do not have the requirements of the CTP system. Weighing again and again, the Beijing News Group decided to focus on improving its own construction. Since then, the Beijing Newspaper Group has introduced large flat-screen dot-copy scanners and imposition software and gradually realized the pre-press system's digital process. After Peking University Founder Company solved the problem of the interface between the CTP system and the RIP of Fontorius, Feiteng and other typesetting systems, the Beijing News Group began to engage in a series of negotiations on the introduction of CTP system projects with foreign companies in 1998. In 1999, with the completion of the infrastructure project of Beijing Newspaper Group's color printing center located in Beijing's Ciqu Township, a series of advanced equipment such as the German manroland high-speed tower rotary printing press, modern keel conveyor, and CTP system were introduced. installation.

Sun Zhuren said that in the introduction of equipment, the newspaper's leadership is very supportive, and has repeatedly stressed that the introduction of equipment should have a certain sense of advancement, there must be a certain vision of development, emphasizing high input will have high output. From an economic point of view, doing so is also in the interest of the newspaper. It is not easy for companies to make money. If something is bought out in 2 or 3 years, it is actually a waste. Everyone knows the truth of wanting to eat poor people, but when it comes to problems, there are still many people who are unconsciously greedy and cheap. Director Sun introduced that in fact the Beijing News Group has also learned lessons in this regard. For example, in the process of eliminating lead emissions, the country once revived a remodeling wind, transforming the printer into a resin version. At that time, the Beijing News Group did the same, but it turned out that this road did not work.

The Beijing News Group introduced the CTP system of Baltimore, Denmark. When answering a reporter's question on how to determine the equipment's introduction into the target manufacturer, Director Sun said that there are actually several reasons for this. First of all, from the equipment structure point of view, the equipment of Baoluo Defu is internal drum type, and its repeated positioning accuracy is relatively high. At the same time, thanks to the modular design concept, this equipment can be upgraded. Another major reason is that the Beijing News Group introduced the equipment of Baolu Defu Company when it was working on laser image-setters. The company’s products and agents’ services all satisfied the Beijing News Group, in order to maintain the technology. On the continuity of the decision, when deciding to introduce the CTP system, the products of Baoluodefu became a target of choice.

Sun Zhuren said that the CTP equipment they introduced was in place in 1999 and has now taken on the task of making plates for the Beijing Newspaper Group's full color printing. He felt that compared with the traditional plate-making process, the CTP system produced a very clean version of the layout, the transfer tone, high-light part of the network is basically no loss; printing, the ink on the ground evenly full; print and sample proofs, basically no change; More importantly, adopting the CTP system can greatly shorten the prepress processing time, which is very valuable for the newspaper industry with high timeliness. He believes that it can now be determined that the imported equipment has achieved the intended purpose. In response to the reporter's high operating cost of the CTP system, Director Sun also considered the issue. He believes that accounting for costs should be considered comprehensively. Now, although the price of a CTP system is slightly higher than the price of laser imagesetters, if you consider that the use of CTP technology only requires a matching punching machine, and the traditional process requires the use of a PS plate. Edition machine, developing machine and other equipment. If all imported equipment is used, investment in a CTP system will be even cheaper than investing in a traditional plate-making equipment. The total floor area of ​​a CTP system is smaller than that of traditional equipment, so its capital construction investment is lower than that of traditional equipment. According to the overall calculation, the hardware price of a direct plate-making system was lower than the price of a traditional plate-making process equipment.

On the other hand, the price of imported direct plate materials is now about RMB 140 per square meter (which already includes tariffs). If traditional craftsmanship is used, the price of imported film is currently around 50 yuan/m2, and the price of imported PS plates is basically the same. When the imagesetter runs, the film has protected areas around the front and back of the film. Therefore, each square meter of qualified film must waste 0.9 square meters. In this way, the actual consumption of film is nearly 2 square meters per square meter. Comprehensive calculation, the use of direct plate-making process and the use of traditional plate-making process, the cost of plate-making consumables per square meter reported area is basically the same. If the labor costs are included, the cost of adopting the direct plate making process will certainly be lower than the cost of adopting the traditional plate making process. Director Sun emphasized that doing cost accounting should respect facts. Since the times have been digitized, then cost accounting should be carried out in strict accordance with the digital method, and it cannot be said simply. The comparative cost should be the ratio of imports to imports, domestic and domestic ratios, and can not be directly plate-making according to the price of imports, the traditional plate-making process of consumables costs are calculated according to domestic. In the traditional plate-making process using domestic consumables, the price may be a lot lower, but the current situation, domestic consumables in terms of quality, in terms of stability can not compete with imported products. Moreover, if domestically produced plate-making consumables are successfully developed, the cost of consumables using the direct plate-making process will surely drop significantly.

Like Director Chen of China Standard Press, Director Sun does not say that they have some problems in the application of the CTP system. However, it is surprising that Director Sun also claimed that the main problem is the quality of personnel, experience, and the level of handling the problem. Although the equipment itself has problems, it is not very serious. At this point, two people coincide.

After interview

Due to the hurry of time, reporters could not follow up on all companies that had already launched CTP technology. Therefore, the content of the article cannot fully reflect the application of CTP technology in China. However, among these, there are still some common things that are worthy of reference.

First of all, the advanced nature of CTP technology is beyond any doubt. However, the introduction of technology is not for fashion. The introduction of the first step depends on whether or not you have the requirements in this area. It depends on the introduction of advanced technology, whether it can bring more benefits to the company.

Secondly, before the printing company launches the CTP equipment, it is best to establish a complete digital prepress workflow that suits itself, and to ensure that its operators have been well-trained and have extensive experience in this area. In this way, the launched CTP system is only adding an output device to the existing process, so it can be applied with ease.

Third, in the introduction, if possible, try to maintain a certain degree of continuity in technology. In this way, the operators will not have too much strangeness and they will be able to handle them with ease.

To the quality of science and technology, to the science and technology, to the technology to benefit, should be the basic principle for each printing company to introduce technology, and the introduction of the CTP system, printing companies should also be based on this basic principle. The current downturn cannot represent the future. CTP technology will certainly have a vast living space in China.