Map Printing Digital Problems

With the continuous emergence of high and new technologies in the world today, the pace of technological innovation has been greatly accelerated. Relatively speaking, the lifespan of individual technologies has also been greatly shortened. Many technologies have already been eliminated or failed due to lack of research or use. New technologies for printing also exhibit such features, and fatally, new technologies in digital printing and electronic publishing are particularly dependent on capital, which also seriously hinders the application of new technologies. In addition to this problem, the digitization of the map has been highlighted from the technical perspective. The major highlights of the map are the following two major issues.

Technical support can't keep up

1. Defects in the knowledge structure and operational skills of practitioners

In the process of map printing, map mapping and map printing are two specialties, but the digital map printing makes the boundaries of the two professions increasingly blurred. On the one hand, for cartographers, in addition to the need to master the expertise in map design and cartography, it is also necessary to consider in the cartography, for example, the thickness of the line drawing and the size of the fonts produced. How the trapping design is carried out during the printing process, and the inevitable influence of the dots in the printing process on the influence of the color design. There is even a need to become familiar with and master knowledge of the principles of gray balance, ground color removal (UCR), and gray component replacement (GCR) because these are the information that map mapping software must include in the data files provided to prepress. . On the other hand, in addition to mastering the expertise of map publishing, plate making and printing, map printers must be familiar with the production software and environment of the map data files before publishing, and the format characteristics of map data files, because they need to The source of the problem in the process of making a row to make their own judgments, and quickly determine the responsibility to modify and solutions. Like variable digital printing (VDP), printers need to be able to effectively manage and use databases in addition to their familiarity with printing expertise. They must understand how front-end data file providers create and use databases, and future personalization. The quality of short-run or on-demand printing depends entirely on the quality of the information in the database.

At present, the most problematic issue in the digitization of map printing is the distribution of maps before printing. When there is a problem before printing, there is a blind spot between the two majors of cartography and printing, and it is impossible to find out who is responsible in the end. Moreover, both parties cannot provide each other with a comprehensive and highly operational prepress quality inspection standard or list. In addition, the ignorance of new technologies and the unfamiliarity with new hardware and software application technologies have left them with a common lack of new knowledge gaps and business skills, which has made the technical support for this phase of the business weak. As we all know, despite the development of software and hardware technologies, the automation and intelligence of the entire map production have been greatly improved, but this does not mean that practitioners do not need special knowledge or can reduce the requirements for the level of awareness of new technologies. For example, the problem of color management, although there are many specialized CMS softwares, implementing complete color management not only means understanding the separation operation of the CMS software, but also means not only adjusting a lot of devices, but also implying that it must be known. And standardize all the technologies and equipment used for input, display, processing, and output in the production process.

2. Insufficient technical support for hardware and software suppliers

Most hardware and software suppliers only seek short-term benefits. For customers who introduce new hardware or software, they only perform simple short-term training. As for the technical problems that users put forward, in most cases, they will tactically simplify complicated issues. The user knows but cannot know why, because the universal software used by the map prepress system is not designed for maps. As for allowing them to actively understand the special needs of customers, it is more conducive to the current stage of business planning for which technology to invest in the future or which system to introduce, and to introduce new equipment or to conduct quantitative analysis for them as cost-effectively as possible. Personalized technical services, etc. are even more impossible.

For example, most suppliers of digital printers only provide the cost of a single printing. Map printing users are more concerned with overall operating costs. This includes not only consumables, but also all maintenance, spare parts, and technical support. Take the NexPress digital press as an example. Although most of its spare parts are replaced at regular intervals, it is still quite different from the offset press. The manufacturer recommends that the organic photoconductor should be replaced around 250,000 prints. Imaging drum, transfer roller. If this is calculated, it means that the NexPress machine with a heavy printing business will need to replace the imaging roller and the transfer roller at least once a week, and these costs will not be counted in the single printing cost provided by the merchant. For another example, if a map printing user wants to become a buyer of CTP or DI equipment, the supplier has to consider more technical specifications and parameters for them than the average user. In addition to price issues and issues such as the choice of thermal laser or violet laser imaging, the choice of large format, and the choice of plate, special consideration must also be given to data storage capabilities and network transmission capabilities (because map data tends to be large). Platform reliability and predictability for map data (because the map data used for publishing is converted from dedicated map publishing software), especially compatibility with map data and integration with user's original hardware , as well as the proofing method and system determination, proofing and plate making use the same RIP and so on. Faced with so many problems, relying solely on product promotion and simple short-term training of the merchants, it is very difficult for the users of the map industry to make many judgments on their own.

Map publishing users have weak demand for new technologies

The demand force mentioned here has two meanings: First, it refers to demand capacity, and second, refers to the degree of demand eagerness.
1. Users are difficult to cope with the endless changes in new technology development

With the rapid development of new printing technologies and the continuous introduction of new products, the rapid development process has made it difficult for map publishing users to cope with such unexpected information, knowledge and changes. The market is pushed out, which undoubtedly increases the complexity and uncertainty of their concerns and choices. For example, we are planning to start upgrading PageMaker 7.0 to the existing 6.5 version. Adobe announced that it will stop PageMaker's upgrade and R&D to launch InDesign 2.0 layout software. When AMDbe is excited about InDesign 2.0, Abobe launches its features vigorously. Full-featured, collaborative, and streamlined design and publishing software, Adobe Creative Suite. In addition to InDesign CS, the latest version of InDesign software, Photoshop CS, Illustrator CS, GoLive CS, and Acrobat 6.0 Professional Edition are integrated together with a new Version Cue software for file management features; many new products are dazzling and difficult to weigh and decide. In addition, the particularity of map data itself and specialized map publishing software makes it more difficult to select new technologies for introduction. At present, such a situation has basically taken shape: the map printing and publishing technology seems to never catch up with the rapidly developing digital printing and publishing technology.

2. Inadequate development of digital technology for map publishing

In the field of map printing and research, the digitalization of map printing is due to excessive attention to the development direction and research purposes of other technologies in the map field supported by map digital technology, such as map pattern recognition technology, map database technology, Digital mapping systems, geographic information systems, etc., have overlooked and reduced the technological development space that map publishing itself can expand. For example: At present, digital map printing, prepress data format problems caused by more, but now has R & D and R & D of cartographic and publishing software is still very little consideration can be directly generated PDF format map data files; online map , often in TIFF or JPEG and other image formats to communicate and publish, even if some of the larger GIS commercial software to achieve the online map capture function, but it is too much trouble, but also need to rely on browser manufacturers open data interpretation plug-in or develop specialized The software interface program interprets the map data only. This map, which has lost the vectorial data format, not only greatly limits the quality of online maps, but also reduces the application of online maps to a large extent. The development of such concepts as remote proofing of maps, automation of map printing and publishing, map network publishing, and even the pan-net publishing of maps is far from the current map publishing.

3. Try to pay more for the new technology

The map production industry often has its own views on the printing of new technologies: the cost of pursuing and trying new technologies may cause itself to become more problematic and more difficult and suspicious than traditional technologies. The following is an example.

(1) Investing in CTP system means higher working efficiency, shorter operating cycle, better printing plate, and quality of printed products. However, reliable digital proofing is a prerequisite, and RIP issues must be resolved and strict. Color management. Although the color management system is reliable for the color reproduction of prints, whether it is in the prepress or in the printing field, the process of color management is very complicated and time-consuming and laborious.

(2) The digital workflow is bound to be the direction of future development. There are already many mature solutions on the market, such as Agfa's Apogee, Creo's Prinergy, and Screen's TrueFlow, although they all support work tickets. (Job Ticket), but they are all independent work summons. They are different and incompatible. Which one is better? Although the CJ4 proposed JDF can define job tickets more openly and more clearly, and then integrate the printing supply chain, the pre-press cores - RIP and imposition software are not always able to support JDF (such as Heidelberg, Agfa and Net. Screen has its own layout software) How is this long road to JDF?

(3) There are too many problems with CTP technology. It is difficult to understand: Which of violet laser technology and thermal technology is more suitable? What is the potential cost of CTP? In addition to the cost of the plate, there are issues such as the life and cost of the CTP laser head, and the maintenance cost of the machine. Moreover, the method of calculating the cost of the supplier is always a distance from the actual. How much is this distance in the end? The water-free printing DI printer has a short prepress preparation time, fast color balance, stable printing process, less waste, and no environmental pollution. However, can the benefit and cost of the system and printing be offset?

Reprinted from: GIS World