Feature -Everything's Going Digital

First Published in PRINT ACTION

In days of Old when Typographers were Bold, And QuarkXpress wasn't Invented, They used to Pour Lead into Molds Instead, And Set Type quite Contented.

A remarkable transition in our industry has occurred since that time. Every passing year brings forth a new challenge in digital technology. It seems that almost any day, there is a new way to do almost anything. More or less everything we touch these days is digital. The future for digital methods is nothing short of phenomenal! The only factors preventing one method from overtaking another is related to unit cost, quality, speed of production, and availability. Keep cool, do the research, while maintaining a balanced perspective, bearing in mind that jumping too fast into a new unproven technology without extensive examination of the facts, has often been the undoing of many a previously successful business! In other words, let the people with "deep pockets" try it first. A good idea, keep an eye open for developments you can integrate into the present, without compromising existing profitable operations!

Things you can do now to update at minimal cost:

a) Consider changing the CPU in existing work stations to 2.4 Ghz or higher.

b) Buy a larger, now lower cost, higher resolution color monitor, and higher (if it will help with production).

c) Upgrade to one of the new inexpensive 30 to 80 Gigabyte hard drives. Use removable hard drives. Watch for CD-ReWritable (CD-RW) drives which hold up to 650 MB or more of write-many capacity.

d) Expand computer memory to the maximum, using inexpensive RAM, 512 or more is now quite common..

e) Imagesetter. If you already have one, look into utilizing the existing unit to produce plates. Upgrade theRIP to a Level 3 program.

f) If you do not have an imagesetter consider buying a low cost reconditioned unit to run polyester plates or a used platesetter. Many older imagesetters are just as accurate an the newer ones. The L330 accuracy of .6 mil on a four page separation, has not been exceeded to date by newer capstan machines. (Drum imagesetters are typically .1 to .2 mil accuracy). Remember a software RIP will speed up an existing imagesetter ten times or more.

Technologies you should use in the future:

a) Publishing through the Internet, PDF files.

b) Do-It-Yourse1f printing using Ink Jet and similar printers.

c) Competition from larger companies who have invested in color Laser Printers and other expensive technologies.

d) Look out for larger conglomerates who will have multiple machines to run colour printing from a customer's own floppy,CD, or Removable Hard Drive. (Picture a "Walmart" of the Graphic Arts.).

e) Greatly expanded use of CD ROMs instead of the printed word. Think digital and you will be able to predict some of the future!

Note: Fred Simper has been associated with almost every facet of the prepress and printing industry for some 50 years!

Fred Simper. May be reproduced in full at no charge, with credit.