X-Rite Launches InkFormulation 6

X-Rite, a global company in the field of color science and technology, recently re-launched and ColorQuality inkFormulation software package version 6 for ink and printing machine manufacturer who formulate their own ink.
Upgrades include several new features and modules that will help speed up workflow and lets the ink formulation consistent results on a wide variety of substrate and ink film thickness, including transparent film and the substrate metalised.
The software serves as a calculating machine which gives a better prediction of ink interactivity with substrates. In addition, the formulation 6 also calculates the most cost effective based on the printing process, ink, illumination, pigment prices and the number of components and materials to be used.
Also included in version 6 this is the basic material module, a new module calibration film thickness as well as support for X-Rite Graphic Arts Standard (XRGA)....

Graphic Industry Predictions this year

As usual, towards the end of the year, various predictions about the likelihood that will happen next ditahun appear before the public. This can be related to predictions in the field of politics, economics, security, socio-cultural to natural disasters and much more. Related to this, the graphic arts industry did not escape from the affairs of his predictions. This time, the predictions appear Technoprint Managing Director, Mark Snee in the UK, told printweek some time ago.
Snee bring about opportunities and threats graphic arts industry in his country next year. According to him, an opportunity that can be re-taken from the printing industry in the country is reperasi services who for a decade no longer touchable. Nevertheless, in order to take a big chance, the capital needed graphic arts industry will be even greater country.
However, the resolution of economic problems in Europe generally have a negative impact on banks in the UK. In effect, banks in the country will be increasingly reluctant to disburse loans for business development of the graphic arts industry, so it becomes a huge challenge to the development of printing industry in the country next year.
On the other hand, he also suggested, particularly for printing machine makers, by not reducing the value of art from a printout with a printing machine, at least machines that are produced must be environmentally friendly. This is closely related to the campaign to go green around the world lately.

Print Output Tips movie / Plate

On the basis of how the output or print the film to CTP or equal to the time of print with ordinary printers, the difference is the media only. But with a few things to note in the output movie / CTP at the graphic design program:

1. LPI

for LPI usually on ImageSettter / CTP already gives a chance some LPI from the smallest to the largest, but in general LPI 45, LPI 65, LPI 85, LPI 133, LPI 150, LPI 175, so now create a file for output from graphics design software should not LPI setting.

2. Color

for any output color BW, Separation Process, or Special Separation. But if there is a special color to be color-programmed process of graphic design time to file postcript / PDF can be directly converted into the process.

3. Postcript or Pdf file



for now all the machines Image Setter / CTP can receive the file. But in the output file / print graphic design document is not always smooth with the type of file. Sometimes with a PDF file can not be but by using a file can be smoothly postcript this may depend on the design document file.

4. Font / Image

On the use of font or image on the document even though the design does not happen tpublikasi missing font / image font sometimes when the output at Imagesetter / CTP was not such a chill, such a font courir on the film / plate.

5. Overprint / Bleed

Overprint this term that often makes a mess of prints, sometimes the designers do not pay attention to this example in the publication of cyan color image inadvertently overprint on yellow background, even to the monitor display another cyan prints can be green, Similarly, the bleed, which is safety area beyond the cut line.

KBA machines purchased many British Printing

Alderson Printing Company, a printing press in the UK brand that is always fetched the huge profits, switch to using printing machines KBA Rapida 106. Ikhawal using printing machines Rapida because it wanted to regenerate the advantage when berekpansi. Rapida machine votes can provide benefits that, because through good printing technology can produce print-printing performance is very high.

The new technology from Anderson adds B1 Rapida 5 colors and replace one coater Heidelberg CD 6 color. Meanwhile, other machines will be done in the near future. Through a combination of these, the print process will be faster and reduce environmental pollution from a printed sheet of paper perlembar.

The new Rapida 106 is equipped with a reducing alcohol and automatic plate changers. besides, this machine also has an extended delivery of 2400mm, CIP3 and QualiTronic Professional. No less important is the use of these machines can save significant energy.

This printing has existed for 50 years years old, commanded by Peter Alderson and his brother Ron. "The last few years we had a lot invested in this printing to complement the uniqueness that is all in one place, which is also a preposition our sales," said Alderson.

He explains, tujuanya continue to invest in printing is to be able to move forward in line with new technological developments and to anticipate the increasing market demand. Even for that, he was willing to take the standard color very seriously and following strict quality element Tronic also so considered. "It is vital we improve efficiency without sacrificing quality," he continued.

Alderson continued, every opportunity always diidentifikasinya for immediately taken to the progress of his printing business. In Ipex 2010 ago, he was interested in the machines from KBA and eventually decided to use NFP. In addition to competitively priced, the technology could reduce environmental pollution, quality can still be maintained and efficient course.

Mitsubishi Names tow to the World Print Machine

Talking about the players of course Mitsubishi graphics Indonesia have guessed that the brand was originated from Japan. Because, besides products, automotive products and electronics are easily found labeled Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi name also color the graphics market homeland which can be found in PT Apecmas Nusantara.

Not hard to see the head office of Mitsubishi sole agent for Indonesia. The location is very easy to reach from any direction that is in offices of Jakarta City Grogol Permai. It is common impression was terbesit before entering office. But the impression it was always friendly sirnah because terancar impression of everyone in it.

Structuring the room was so neat and harmonious. The room is divided into several floors, each floor cool because full air conditioning. Immediate impression of heat and claustrophobic city sirnah. The visitors who come diiring into a spacious living room so that visitors had to be very comfortable. And the more complete again when the director of operations and marketing, JF Handoko Grafika Indonesia greet the editorial team.

Apecmas establishment leaves a very interesting story. when the exhibition at Jakarta Expo in 1986, one of Singapore's Mitsubishi eksclusive agent named APEC Singapore exhibit Mitsubishi machines in Indonesia. At that time, Mitsubishi printing machines suck up the attention of visitors. But when there are buyers who want to buy, the Mitsubishi refused because in Indonesia there is no official agent.

Maybe then a lot of disappointed players chart. However, because Mitsubishi does not want in the future if there are problems after sales, such as damage, inventory of spare parts that must be very difficult customer. And seeing these opportunities, then stood PT Apecmas Nusantara in 1989. and the story was continued, when in 2000 Apecmas Singapore releasing its shares to local people in Indonesia.

Mitsubishi printing machines arguably become machine like the machine you are the Apecmas sheet, web, offset and pre press. Sales from year to year continues to rise not less like a class machines from Europe as reflected in Indonesia's overall marketshare. So is the turn over from year to year is very significant that still survive and thrive until today.

In addition to Mitsubishi machines, other machines that are mediated Esko Graphics computer to plate and that is focussed on the commercial. But because Apecmas are associated with offsets, the reinforced is offset. In addition there Uchida machine which is a collator and drilling as well as folders. And most of the printing-printing requires four colors to finish mostly taken from Apecmas. And for the sale of every month is very high.

For Mitsubishi printing machinery was already in all cities in Indonesia, namely in Medan, Surabaya, Bandung and Yogyakarta. And the market sharenya very relative. Handoko not mention percentage. "If machined print, number two and three and often alternating with competitors. If this year number two, number three next year. And yet the number one, because number one there in the competition "he said.

And about the existence of Chinese machine players in Indonesia, was in no way interfere with Mitsubishi because it is a different market and segmenya. Mitsubishi to upscale segments. If the middle was a little prosentasinya, meaning middle which is going to be great. And the middle class usually take the Mitsubishi machines are used.

Apecmas itself is not an agent who plays the former Mitsubishi engine. Playing the former was only because the conditions that forced so. That is, when there is a new machine transactions there are conditions that Apecmas should take longer than the customer's machine. "I had to say. I do not have a place anymore. Direnegnerasilah term. We take the old machine he put a new engine, "said Handoko.

The size of the machine which it is mediated Apecmas ranged from 52, 72, up to size 94, especially the installation has been installed. And a pretty strong market share is in the magazine and newspaper because almost all the magazine in Jakarta that the Mitsubishi engine, let alone the magazine never stopped scoring.

Therefore, after sales commitment for magazine printing machines became a priority, especially when some time experience problems with the postscript engine if too late rising is a very big loss. No one market share for the magazine almost 60% and the rest for packaging and commercial.


Mitsubishi in the World
Mitsubishi markets are very good, especially in Asia Pacific such as in Thailand, Korea and Taiwan. In Thailand alone Mitsubishi sharenya 100% market. Indeed when viewed in historicalnya, they are generally the merchants who had to compete. For it must have a sophisticated printing machine but costnya Operating cheap.

Options were then fall to the Mitsubishi machines are believed to have criteria of low cost but sophisticated machine. And generally they survive. "For example, companies use mitsubishi and advanced on the market, other competitors would not want to wear too Because Mitsubishi has proven to be successful with good results good print and low cost operation," said Handoko.

Mitsubishi is a corporate enterprise, not a single peursahaan, where hundreds of products including printing machines which use the Mitsubishi logo. There is so much division. So to develop a new technology, can dipadupadankan of research and development of each division.

For example, how the technology shock to withstand earthquake vibrations in buildings in Japan is applied in the printing press so as not to cause vibrations that in turn produce the perfect print quality. teknlogi withstand these tremors are part of the Mitsubishi technology in another division, then later applied to the printing press division.

Packaging Solutions

Heidelberg offers comprehensive solutions for the folding carton industry

The wide variety of products manufactured by folding carton specialists ranges from simple folding cartons to cardboard with special surface finishing. Unique end products, a high degree of manufacturing expertise and the use of particular special applications are important distinguishing characteristics for packaging printers in the food, confectionary, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and tobacco markets. From administration to data handling, from printing to finishing, die cutting and gluing, and even logistics - Heidelberg offers the perfect solution for all the process steps of folding carton production.

Click here to download the latest white paper from Heidelberg USA: "Packaging Printing: Complete solutions from a single source"

This white paper provides an overview of Heidelberg's strategy and its portfolio of solutions for the market segment of package printing.

Pengaruh Kalibrasi Mesin Prepress Dalam Meningkatkan Kualitas Cetak

Seberapa besar pengaruh desain terhadap hasil cetakan?
apa pengaruhnya mendesain dengan sofware-software yg berbeda..?
apakah ada standar software dari percetakan karena ada beberapa software desain yg ada saat ini?

Untuk desain, sebetulnya yang sering jadi masalah adalah harapan designer, supaya desainnya bisa dicetak semirip mungkin dengan yang dibayangkan.
Nah, kondisi mesin itu kan berbeda-beda, jangankan sampai ke mesin offset (web/sheet feed), mau ke imagesetter atau plate setter saja pasti ada degradasinya kalo kita nggak mengenal karakteristik mesinnya.

Software apa saja engga ada masalah. Misal yang paling rumit saat ini adalah mengatasi transparansi /flatten image

di jenis vector, kalo file bitmap biasanya lebih aman…

Nah, kalau seandainya yang mengerjakan bagian prepressnya, kita sendiri, kita bakal kenal tuch kemampuan RIP kita, tapi, kalo dilempar keluar, tunggu dulu, belum tentu.

Image harus “disetel” sesuai dengan kemampuan mesin webnya, baik dari segi speed dan kemampuan cetaknya.

Waktu kita mendesain, kita udah setel seperti yang diharapkan pada mesin web, tapi kita lupa image setter kita juga punya andil atas tampilan. Hasilnya, jadi tetap enggak sesuai harapan.
Memang untuk cetak digital, karena variannya lebih sedikit jadi lebih sederhana... dari workstation desainer bisa langsung atau lewat PDF langsung ke RIP, server-nya printer.

Sedangkan, kalo kita pake offset, variannya lebih beragam dan yang menentukan kemampuan mesinnya juga ditunjang oleh beberapa item… itu yang sedikit banyak harus diketahui oleh desainernya agar tidak sering dikecewakan oleh hasil. Kalo masalah rekomendasi software.. mungkin umumnya adobe family… freehand juga sudah dibeli oleh adobe.

Dan di Adobe ini juga sudah cukup di dukung dengan sistem Color profiling yang cukup oke untuk kebutuhan cetak.
supaya bisa WYIWYG... what you see is what you get.

Apapun mesinnya atau metode cetaknya, kalo mau desain lebih save dicetak, varian yang akan dilewati harus kita ketahui detilnya.
Misal kalo mau di-outsourcing atau dikasih ke biro cetak, biasanya yang jadi patokan adalah hasil proofing yang dia kasih, dengan asumsi mesin proof nya sudah disesuaikan profile dengan kemampuan mesin cetak yang mau dipakai.
Kenapa begitu?... mesin cetak itu khan mesin yang paling mahal dan gede, jadi pembaruannya makan waktu yang paling lama, profile yang kita pakai itulah yang jadi acuan kita dalam membaca keterbatasan kemampuan mesin cetak.
Kalau keterbatasan mesin yang bakal kita gunakan itu bisa dibaca di bagian depan, desainer jadi lebih ‘pede’ bikin desain nya.
Jadi, jangan menyalahkan mesin cetaknya, kalo hasil cetak tidak sesuai…

Hal ini akan jauh lebih enak, kalo kita bikin film sendiri dan nyetak sendiri… karena kita bakal mengerti betul kondisi mesin-mesin yang akan dilalui oleh job tadi.

Standar Disain.

Tentu dengan tools dan parameternya, seperti

- standard warna (referensi color guide, pantone, tc, dll)

- standard komposisi warna (gamut color)

- pemahaman hue error (penyimpangan warna)

- standard delta error (Color management)

- tata cara melihat warna (lamp, tld 65, dll)

-ditambah lagi RIP nya pake versi berapa?

Kenapa begitu?
Kalo RIP-nya enggak langsung menempel dengan komputer desainer, biasanya desainer akan men-save job nya setingkat dengan versi software-nya.
Sebagai contoh = Pake Indesign CS4, tapi RIP nya masih jadul yang versinya pakai Postcript bukan PDF, model seperti begini, hasilnya nggak bisa diprediksi banget

karena kemampuan interpretasi RIPnya khan jadul, sedangkan software desainnya sudah jauh lebih tinggi ilmunya....

Di komputer designer, tampilan desain keren abis… begitu di RIP, gambar dan teksnya ada yang bopeng, ada yang misah, ada yg numpuk.. hal-hal yang seperti ini yang mesti diperhatikan.

Kalibrasi dan pembuatan profile segala equipment yang kita pakai selama proses cetak, sebaiknya dilakukan.

Tapi banyak pelaku yang mau melakukan hal ini mikirnya panjang banget. Bagi yang mengerti penuh fungsinya, mereka akan sadar betul, tapi yang ngertinya separuh, pasti ngeri banget ngelihat 'waste' yang akan terbuang.

Kalibrasi itu sebetulnya berfungsi untuk sebisa mungkin mengembalikan kemampuan masing-masing mesin menjadi seoptimal mungkin. Untuk mesin CTP dan CTF biasanya dengan berjalannya waktu, laser mengalami penurunan kemampuan, sehingga engga linier lagi. Nah, CTF atau CTP ini kalo mau kita buat acuan, harus dalam kondisi linier. Apa sich linier itu?… Linier itu kondisi raster 2%, keluarnya, ya 2% di film atau plate, 3% ya 3% & dan seterusnya. Setelah itu beres, baru dech kita coba melihat kondisi mesin cetak. Kita buat acuan. Kita lihat bagaimana mesin menginterpretasikan image tersebut. Ada dot gain.. kita lihat tintanya, rata atau engga… hal-hal itu kita benahi… selanjutnya setelah oke.. baru kita melangkah ke bagian profiling yang memungkinkan workstation designer bisa tahu kondisi bagian produksinya.Menutrut pengalaman sih...
Kalibrasi itu sebetulnya berfungsi untuk sebisa mungkin mengembalikan kemampuan masing-masing mesin menjadi seoptimal mungkin. Untuk mesin CTP atau CTF biasanya dengan berjalannya waktu, laser mengalami penurunan kemampuan, sehingga nggak linier lagi. Nah, CTF ato CTP ini kalo mau kita buat acuan, harus dalam kondisi linier. Apa sih linier itu... linier itu kondisi raster 2% keluarnya ya 2 % di film ato plate, 3% ya 3% dst... Setelah itu beres, baru deh kita coba nangkep kondisi mesin cetak. Kita buat acuan... na kita lihat gimana mesin menginterpretasikan image tersebut. Ada ntar dot gain... kita lihat tintanya rata ato nggak... na... hal-hal itu kita benahin... selanjutnya setelah oke... baru kita melangkah ke bagian profiling yang memungkinakan workstation desainer bisa "tahu" kondisi bagian produksi nya...

Bukan CTF dan CTP saja lho yang melewatkan proses kalibrasi... segala monitor, scanner (kalau masih pakai), proofer (juga kalo ada) seharusnya juga melalui proses kalibrasi. Misal di monitor, semakin hari cahayanya monitor kita akan semakin bergeser warna cahayanya... dari yang tadinya oke, jadi kelihatan lebih hijau atau merah... karena nilai phosphor RGB pemberi warna cahayanya mulai berkurang di dalam situ. Nah, dalam kondisi ini si pemakai juga harus tahu… ada alatnya untuk mengetahui nilai Kelvin si cahaya monitor.

plate/film linier kunci utama untuk kalibrasi mesin, artinya bisa dijadikan acuan untuk mencari seberapa besar mechanical dot gain mesin cetak kita. Jika sudah ketemu profile mesin (dot gain, density), maka data mesin tersebut bisa kita jadikan acuan untuk kalibrasi proofer. Sehingga, apa yang dikeluarkan proofer nantinya bisa di akomodir / dicapai oleh mesin cetak kita, penyimpangan warna akan sangat kecil terjadi. Pemasangan iklan atau customer akan tahu lebih dulu hasilnya, seperti apa sebelum dicetak. Phosphor RGB pemberi warna cahayanya mulai berkurang di dalam situ.
Na... kondisi ini si pemakai juga harus tau... ada alatnya untuk mengetahui nilai Kelvin si cahaya monitor.

Berarti jelas ada hal yang harus dijembatani antara kemampuan cetak dan kemampuan imaging plate dari prepress.
menarik untuk membahas WASTE yang mungkin terjadi selama prosesnya...ya dlm proses kalibrasi??

Untuk Waste...
Yang paling awal adalah plate auto film dari CTP atau CTF. Pada saat kita ngecek linier mesin, tergantung kondisi mesin... kita pasti ngecek allignment laser, kadang disini bisa beberapa plate/film yang kita output sampe allignment yang sempurna bisa kita dapatkan.
Kemudian baru melangkah ke nilai raster. Kita harus mengecek beberapa kali exposure untuk check density-nya. Untuk film, kita check dulu kepekatan image-nya, untuk plate kita gunakan step FOGRA.. hal ini sangat tergantung dengan jenis plate-nya juga.. untuk photopolymer misalnya kita biasa pake 2 gelap 3 bayang, dll… masing-masing pelat dari vendor juga beda settingan exposure-nya.

Setelah exposure beres… baru dech kita lihat persentase raster. 2% nya keluar berapa sampai 99% & banyak alat ukur yang bisa presisi mengukur nilai raster mulai dari 2% sampai dengan 98% saja. Tapi, itu juga sudah cukup.

Dari mesin prepress itu bisa dibayangkan khan seberapa banyak yang harus kita output. Apalagi men-standar-kan mesinnya jarang-jarang. Kalo kepepet aja baru dilakukan.
Banyak customer yang sadar banget akan nilai raster, melakukannya setidaknya 2x sehari, pada awal kerja (shift1 dan shift kedua)...
Setelah prepress selesai, baru kita buat acuan image yang akan kita cetak. Biasanya itu terdiri dari sekian banyak colour patches untuk membuat profile mesin cetak dan mesin proofer sekalian.

Nah, pada saat kita check tadi di mesin prepress tentang nilai raster, dll.. itu belum berhubungan dengan workstation, melainkan murni dari mesin.

Sekarang, karena kita mengirim acuan image.. kita lihat lagi di CTF atau CTP hasilnya… setelah diukur benar-benar linier, baru dech kita teruskan ke mesin cetak. image yang akan kita cetak. Biasanya itu terdiri sekian banyak colour patches untuk membuat profile mesin cetak dan mesin proofer sekalian... mungkin satu waktu nanti coba aku posting contoh acuan image untuk proses kalibrasi dan profiling yah... (tapi dimana bisa diposting yach?)...
Nah, pada saat kita check tadi di mesin prepress tentang nilai raster, dll... itu belum berhubungan sama workstation, melainkan murni dari mesin.
Na... sekarang karena kita ngirim acuan image... kita lihat lagi di CTF ato CTP hasilnya... setelah diukur bener linier, baru deh kita terusin ke mesin cetak...

Setelah sampai ke mesin cetak... baru kita mulai melibatkan waste yang lain lagi... kertas, tinta, dll... Seringkali yang punya mesin, nyetak asal ketebalan tintanya udah sama di bagian-bagian image yang sudah ditandai, nilainya sama... langsung berhenti... padahal... kestabilan tinta itu kan beda-beda di setiap mesin dan tergantung run length-nya juga, kadang kita bisa melihat bagian-bagian lain pada hasil cetak itu masih kurang tinta dll… tapi mesin sudah berhenti. Karena bisa dibayangkan, kertasnya sudah kebuang berapa banyak… dan lagi, mereka pasti nggak bisa mengerjakan job yang lain…

Ini di mesin cetak..

Kemudian setelah mesin cetak beres… kita peroleh hasil…

Kita melangkah ke mesin proof.

Segala proses yang kita lalui tadi... kita nggak akan pernah bisa menemui gamut yang sama... walaupun sama-sama CMYK.
Nah, kalibrasi untuk mesin proof ini agak banyak lagi kertas proof yang kita output.
Pertama... kita harus menentukan UCR dan GCR yang pas untuk mesin proof kita supaya kalo proofing cetakan hitam putih warnanya tidak bluish atau redish melainkan bisa pure black dan gradasinya.

Setelah itu baru dech, kita melangkah ke warnanya. Mesin proof ini khan dipersiapkan untuk merepresentasikan gamut warna yang lebih luas dari semua mesin yang kita gunakan dari work station sampai mesin cetak.. nah, kita harus menurunkan gamutnya supaya dia bisa merepresentasikan warna yang mampu dicetak oleh mesin cetak.

Terutama untuk image dengan warna-warna proses..

Belum lagi di mesin proof kita akan seringkali menemukan hasil dengan image bending,.. nah, kalo udah ada garis-garis bending… khan hasilnya juga tidak sempurna… hal-hal seperti inilah yang membuat wastenya jadi bikin ngeri.Mesin proof ini khan dipersiapkan untuk merepresentasikan gamut warna yang lebih luas dari semua mesin yang kita gunakan dari workstation sampe mesin cetak... nah, kita harus menurunkan gamutnya supaya dia bisa merepresentasikan warna yang mampu dicetak oleh mesin cetak...

walaupun waste-nya banyak pada saat proses kalibrasi dan profiling (biasanya sekaligus dilakukan)... lebih dilakukan sekalian, jangan dicicil. Karena waste nya bakalan lebih banyak lagi.
Atau kalau setengah-setengah, hasilnya tidak akan bagus... misal seperti yang tadi sempat disampaikan, karena takut menghabiskan kertas banyak, begitu tebal tinta di tempat yang ditandai sudah oke, langsung berhenti, padahal atas-atasnya masih ada yang belang, terus dipaksakan diukur, nah, bisa dibayangkan hasilnya. Bukan hasil yang diharapkan di kemudian hari, hasil tersebut enggak bisa jadi patokan… akhirnya waste yang tadi udah banyak makin jadi bener2 wasteless