Remote Proofing Technology Across Time and Space

In the face of the swearing-out and promotion campaigns of the swearing companies, isn’t the printing company among us seriously considering the advantages of remote proofing technology? Affordability is obvious: it avoids the difficulty of postal mail for long distances and can easily send proofs to print customers. Once the customer is satisfied, printing can start in a few minutes. Remote proofing technology should be vigorously promoted. So, what made printers and prepress designers become comrades in the battle for cost reduction and faster delivery time?

Perhaps, there are some complex problems that plague the new workflow method of remote proofing. For many printers, it is still unresolved that they intend to acquire a brand new way of telecommunication and purchase hardware and software to apply to remote proofing. In addition, the printers have to configure the proofing equipment in the printing customer's office, and then train the galaxy printing customers how to use the proofer (can also guide your customers through the data line); it seems that the above problem is remote Proofing techniques are difficult to overcome.

In this article, we will guide you through the key issues of common concern in remote proofing; digital communications, cost, confidence in digital proofing, calibration of proofing equipment, and current products. In addition, this article will also introduce some of the experiences of printing companies that have benefited from the use of remote proofing workflows.

Several technologies of digital communication

A key part of applying remote proofing is digital connection technology. Using digital telephone communication lines, Postscript, PDF, and TIFF-IT files can be transmitted directly. Unlike traditional Modems, modems need to convert digital signals into analog signals. Those who are considering the use of remote proofing should feel fortunate because today's hardware has improved. In many cases, software and telephone communication lines are quickly and easily proofed remotely. The biggest benefit is that the cost of data communication lines has dropped, which is even lower than ADL (Asymmetric Digital Line), which has been put into commercial operation.

No matter which file transfer method you choose, you can't avoid the need for telecommunications companies to provide communications. When you commit a trick. If this communication line is a typical telephone connection (mainly for voice communication), according to the acronym we call this a plain old telephone service (POTS), and the POTS line is a pair of unshielded copper wires. Inside a plastic or rubber bushing, then connect it to the exchange center somewhere close to you.

The switch that controls the communication line can only deal with analog signals in the form of sound waves. This is why you need a modem (MOdulator/DEModulator). It converts the digital signal in your computer into an analog modulation (sound wave) signal, and the analog modulation signal at this time can be processed by the POTS switching equipment. The conversion of digital signals and analog signals back and forth slows down the speed of file transfer. At the same time, due to the intervention of noise, the file transfer process is also prone to errors.

Using a telephone communication line capable of processing digital information to transfer files is faster, and we call it a data communication line. Data communication lines that are commonly used today include 56K lines, ISDN (Integrated Service Data Network), frame relay, T1, and Digital Subscriber Lines.

Many data communication lines are the result of the 56K makeover. When it comes to 56K lines, we mean data communication lines that guarantee a minimum throughput of 56Kb/s. The most typical throughput of these data traffic lines is 64 Kb/s, which shows the file transfer speed obtained by 56K data communication lines that are commonly used or leased.

There are two ways to use 56K data lines, namely, common use and lease. For rental use, no matter how you take up the line, the monthly fee is calculated at a par value. If you have not used the line for a year, the monthly bill will still come to you; for joint use, you only pay for the line you actually occupy. Of course, the cost per minute is still very high. If you want to transfer high-capacity files, the cost of leased lines is a little cheaper.

The most typical example of an alternate use is an ISDN network line. There are two ways for ISDN lines: BRI and PRI. The BRI connection includes two data load lines, each with a maximum throughput of 64 Kb/s and an analog connection interface. All signals flow in a pair of copper shaft cables. The BRI networking architecture is also called "2BS and 1D." The ISDN BRI file transfer rate is approximately 1MB/min.

The PRI, which is rarely used, uses 23 very independent digital channels with a throughput equivalent to 1.5 Mb/s T1. The ISDN PRI file transfer rate reaches 10MB/min.

Cost problem

The Print Shop (FCP), located in Rochester, New York, currently uses ISDN BRI to transmit compressed files to designated customers for remote proofing. "This way of working is a feature of our company. It seems that ISDN is running flawlessly," said company owner Weil Schieber. “We recommend that print customers who are interested in the best have an ISDN line. In different parts of the United States, there is a difference in the cost of investment. Therefore, there are differences in the monthly communication costs.”

Despite the differences in costs and availability between regions, the Huacheng Printing Company has astutely predicted that the future development trend is to install ISDN remote proofing at print clients. Schebel said: "Now we have 3 subsidiaries using ISDN, and some other companies are also considering using ISDN networks."

ISDN offers a simple, affordable solution for printers who need to transfer medium-sized files from time to time. The most typical way is to install hardware and software on a computer workstation so that it becomes a "file transfer workstation."

ISDN is a popular choice for small companies to perform file transfer and remote proofing because ISDN switching technology and dial-up networking technology are mature, which means that communication costs are calculated by taking the time actually occupied by the line. You can dial in as any regular telephone and connect to any other ISDN user. However, for larger file information and the use of communication lines with high load, the T1 with faster file transfer speed is a little more economical.

Selecting a T1 communication line can achieve a faster transmission rate because it combines 24 64K circuit switching, so the total transmission rate reaches 1.544Mb/s. At the same time, this means of communication means that the data connection is a point-to-point single-end leased line (that is, the T1 circuit is permanently occupied by two users). Of course, you do not have the ability to dial up to connect users at other sites.

Many printers attracted by the file transfer speed of T1 communication lines are concerned with the technical limitations of peer-to-peer communication in this technology. Luck is really good, and now printers and printing customers access such as Vio and Wam! Net network can overcome the disadvantages of single-end communication. All users of the private network can connect T1 communication to a file server at the center of the network, which enables files to be transferred between any two users in the networked private network.

Mr. Patrik Aho, the prepress manager of Banta Publishing Group in Long Prairie thinks with Wam! Net networking is a smart move. He said: "Wam!Net's sales staff can help you solve difficult problems and provide information. We don't have to sell printing clients the advantages of file transfer and do some installation work."

According to Mr. Aho, the data networking performance with printing customers is reliable. He said: "Wam!Net is confident in the reliability of its network. Although our business is so numerous that it exceeds the drive capabilities of network access devices, we do not have the equipment to replace it because of the superior performance of the Wam!Net network. ."

Of course, the current T1 data channel will lead to an increase in the administrative expenses for the company's monthly remote proofing business. Many users will think that investing in building high-capacity communication lines is reasonable because communication lines can not only accept proofing data from the printer, but also can transmit the original document to be output.

Although the high cost of communication on the T1 line is an obstacle to a certain extent, more and more printing clients of Banta are interested in remote proofing. "Put the cost" on Wam! Net network to save time transferring files is very important for publishing companies. "This is what Aho of Banta said.

Even the choice of remote proofing equipment is a factor that affects the investment. “Kodak's dye sublimation proofer DCP9000 is significantly different from the Appoval proofer. Appoval requires an operator to operate the proofing site. The management and maintenance of this equipment is even more expensive.” Added.

Therefore, if the widely used stumbling blocks for remote proofing are not the digital networking technology, the cost of data communication lines, and the cost of proofing equipment, what will hinder the promotion of remote proofing? Perhaps the problem lies in the confidence in digital proofing technology. Some printers still dislike and suspect any kind of digital proof that does not require film.

confidence

Digital imaging will inevitably have some error traps. For example, Postscript errors, improper font substitution, and color distortion. There is no doubt that many printing companies reluctantly give up digital proofing that requires a lot of control, especially because people blame the prepress department for the cause of the error, and even the customer's own mistakes are blamed on the prepress department.

Banta plans to make the proofs consistent with the printing plate, so it combines the remote proofing process with Creo's workflow. Banta preflights the Postscript files that fit the printer's requirements and then rasterizes the imposition data on Creo's RIP.

The RIP rasterized document was sent from the Banta company to the printing customer. Here, the document entered a “busy folder” that provided data for the Imation Rainbow dye sublimation proofer, and the other was printed using a laser printer. Customers can also use the above-mentioned file data that Banta processed with RIP. The use of RIP to re-proof the file grid means that Banta staff do not have to worry about font errors and inappropriate font substitutions for proofs sent to the customer.

Of course, this kind of safe working method also reveals the biggest shortcomings of remote proofing, that is, printers simply do not know what proofs printed by customer proofs are like. Banta delivered the rasterized data to customers to avoid changes in Postscript's interpretation. Other printers simply avoided using remote proofing as the only proofing solution.

Schebel, president of Huacheng Printing Company, said: "Our company's packaging and printing business generates a lot of revenue, so we will not risk all remote proofing. The final proofs are generally not remote proofing, but we will use soft proofing in printing customers. Screen on the printmaking content. If the screen shows an error, or if there is no consensus with the printing customer, you can use the telephone to communicate with the customer.”

Calibration of proofing equipment

Of course, there is a potential problem that is not easily noticeable and that can be accurately positioned - incorrect display calibration. If red is too red, or gray turns brown, who should be responsible for this? Is a printer or a printing customer? Every new ribbon, every new dye and packaging substrate is a potential source of color cast. Some printers are reluctant to send regular pre-press personnel who can calibrate the proofing machine to the standard level to calibrate the proofer. . Many printers assume responsibility for aligning the proofer and maintaining the proofer.

When profiling financially savvy customers, printers may be willing to invest in equipment and materials to ensure sample compliance. Some printers who have dye-sublimation proofers for their customers actually buy a large number of ribbons in hopes that the live color reproduction will be as uniform as possible.

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