For the traditional printing industry and packaging and printing industry, the workflow refers to every step of the production process from the beginning to the end of the production of a specific type of product. In the commercial field, these steps include trapping, screening, RIP (raster image processing), imposition (imposition), color management (color management), proofing (proofing), platemaking (plate making), and other labor-intensive jobs. For packaging and printing, it is necessary to add the image and structure information to a single product information file, but also to deal with countless ink adjustment, eliminating dirty spots and other problems, as well as some unique problems in packaging and printing, so the more traditional Printing is more complicated.
The integration of workflow is self-evident for companies that produce consumer products and retailers who want to shorten production links, reduce waste, and save costs. The integrated workflow platform integrates and optimizes all workflows (from management to production, from pre-press to post-press processing). The fine-tuned interaction between the various PST components improves the efficiency of the production workflow and has a higher process transparency, thus accelerating the entire job process. For printers in the packaging and printing supply chain, if they want to invest in an integrated work platform, they first need to understand the complexity of packaging and printing and various integrated packaging work platform products.
1 Connection of various processes
Automation is a prerequisite for integration. The evolution of digital prepress workflow is also indispensable. Many of the time-consuming and labor-intensive tasks in the prepress workflow have been gradually replaced by automated processes that have fewer and fewer human interventions. No matter from a business perspective or a production perspective, an integrated workflow is a system that seamlessly integrates these automation steps. The purpose of workflow integration is to improve efficiency and accuracy, reduce unnecessary waste, and shorten the time of the intermediate links, thereby providing a competitive advantage for printers. The basis of workflow integration is JDF. JDF can effectively communicate the existing various workflows and allow parallel work: it provides a detailed description of printed jobs at both the production level and the customer level, making full use of existing technologies, and existing standards It acts as a lever. JDF can simplify different workflows and achieve interoperability of operations, thereby producing accurate, predictable and repeatable end products.
From a product point of view, a JDF workflow and digital data transmission can enable effective pipelined interaction of key data in the supply chain. After the integration of all systems and equipment, data transmission between each other does not require manual operation. The user management information system (MIS) in the JDF drive system can provide two-way transmission of data. Distinguished representatives of integrated packaging work platforms are: Agfa ’s ApogeeX, EskoArtwork ’s Backstage service and Webcenter prepress solutions, Heidelberg ’s Prinect, and Kodak ’s Prinergy Powerpack.
2 Integrated working platform
EskoArtwork's Backstage serves a JDF-based system module for workflow automation and error correction. It is a component of software tool series 7 and is an open digital workflow solution for highly automated and efficient processing of packaging graphics. BackStage runs in an open PDF environment, combined with a new job-oriented interface, with extensive system job parameters and an optimized graphical user interface. Backstage's C / S software can provide large-capacity data management, offline operation, expert centralized operation, automatic list and interaction of various links. It also integrates user management information system (MIS) and enterprise resource planning system (EPR) other commercial software systems. Web-based WebCenter is a digital asset management system for packaging design and commercial printing operations in the supply chain. Combining version control, document history, and secure access, it can handle any file type, including graphics data and job parameters. It can also post tasks on BackStage through a JDF channel. Users cooperate in real time and share information. For example, graphic designers can see structural designs, Diemaker can see production software, and printers can see pre-press graphic files.
Heidelberg's Prinect packaging work platform is a solution that integrates structural design into the final product and MIS. Prinect makes pre-press, printing, finishing, cutting, folding, binding, even quality control and financial management, and truly forms a pipeline, and can integrate different levels of process equipment. Prinect Signa Station packaging professional imposition software can not only accept data in various formats, but also calculate the most economical production mode of different sizes. The designer of Prinect simplifies the function of a component and improves the speed of draft processing. The shape and size information of each component has been directly written into the JDF and thus provided to all links. Prinect can also collect and store feedback information from various links, such as the running time of the entire process, the speed of progress, and the required paper. This information is passed to MIS to analyze the value distribution and the repeatability of the work. Heidelberg claims that Prinect will improve the efficiency of the workflow, especially packaging and printing.
Kodak's Prinergy Powerpack workflow is an efficient, high-level, end-to-end prepress solution for packaging printing. The new automated design not only enables Prinergy Powerpack users to achieve packaging product display, but Kodak ’s Pandora software can implement complex layout design, allowing operators to control the entire layout information, such as size and positioning, from source files to final output, maintaining accuracy Sex and reliability. At the same time, using Kodak mobile products can achieve additional services, such as re-collaboration, job submission and adoption.
Agfa's PDF-based ApogeeX is also a highly automated working platform using JDF. ApogeeX can automatically manage work output to a wide range of devices, can achieve work management, PDF trapping, and is compatible with other systems and devices. The PDF-based design allows PDF files to be rendered locally in the workflow without the need to synthesize transparent artwork, so the PDF workflow at the output is also more efficient and reliable, and the enhancement of JDF integration features allows ApogeeX to be used for other print production programs such as MIS systems, printing and post-press equipment provide unparalleled support. It is a comprehensive output management program that gives you the flexibility to make changes at the last minute, allowing you to record pages and impositions (including PDF and digital film), establish accurate proofs, and transfer work to different devices and Workstation, etc.
3 Choose according to your needs
Continuous development and change is the driving force behind the continuous progress of the printing industry. Today's packaging and printing plants are always facing fierce competition. If you want to be invincible in the long-term development, you must continuously improve efficiency and optimize the entire operation process from pre-press to printing to post-press. While accelerating the operation speed, the quality of printing is the key. The necessary condition for maintaining a competitive advantage is that all links in the entire production process can smoothly and effectively cooperate with each other. Equipping a complete and unified system is the only way to do this.
The market is full of production process solutions for different packaging and printing needs. For the various needs of printing companies, such as shorter preparation time, higher printing quality and optimized workflow, taking into account factors such as modularity, size, structural configuration, and seamless connection with previously installed equipment , And choose the work platform that suits you. Only by paying attention to product dynamics can you have a long-term competitive advantage.
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