Talking about the Relationship between Color Printing and Computer Technology

Abstract: By analyzing the color printing process, the requirements of computer hardware and software technology in the process of color prepress are put forward. The composition of the color prepress system, the development prospects and problems of the color printing technology are introduced.

Keywords: printing technology; prepress technology;

Color printing technology is generally divided into prepress technology, printing process and postpress processing in three stages. Modern color printing technology has appeared in color separation and electronic color separation. The traditional photo separation and electronic color separation plate making technology divides the image using photo separation or color separation by an electronic color separation machine and then combines the image and text together by hand-made imposition to form a complete page. Due to the complicated process and inconvenient operation, For a long time these technologies have been mastered by a few people. With the development of computer technology, electronic prepress technology has developed rapidly. The desktop publishing system (DTP), which uses computers as its main tool, has become the mainstream in electronic prepress technology with its advantages of convenience, intuition, and speed.

The desktop publishing system (DTP) mainly deals with graphics, images, and text, and combines the processed graphics, images, and text into the layout, and then outputs the entire version. The biggest feature of DTP is to take advantage of the computer's WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get Is What You Get) advantage to complete the design of the program and the layout of the layout on the computer screen. This means that the text, graphics, and images will be formed into a complete page. This complete page is operated by digitization. It is simple, accurate, and easy to measure. At the same time, the overall quality of the output layout is better than traditional manual imposition.

1. Color Prepress Technology and Computer Technology

Color electronic prepress technology came into being with the development of computer technology. The development of computer technology mainly includes hardware and software. The color electronic prepress technology handles large amounts of images, graphics, and text. The data is numerous and very complex, such as an A4 format color image. If the printing accuracy requirements (300 to 350 DPI) are satisfied, the file size is larger than 24 MB, if the format is increased. The data will increase exponentially. The development of computer technology has made it possible.

1.1 Color Prepress Technology Requirements for Computer Hardware

Computer hardware directly determines the speed and quality of data processing, display, storage, and transmission. It mainly includes the following aspects:

1.1.1 Speed ​​of operation

The speed of computer computing directly determines the processing speed of graphics and image data. Therefore, the CPU frequency that determines the computing speed of computers has become an important standard for measuring computer grades. Generally used for color prepress technology computer CPU frequency should not be less than 100MHz.

1.1.2 Display Technology

In the process of color prepress processing, graphics and image processing effects are all reflected by the computer monitor. The display is an important input-output window for human-machine dialogue. The related display technology has become an important aspect of the color prepress technology. Generally, the display point distance should be less than 0.26mm, the refresh frequency is greater than 72Hz, and the display memory is larger than 2MB.

1.1.3 Storage Technology

In the color prepress processing technology, the processed electronic files are often dozens or hundreds of MB, so the storage and backup of data become very important, and the use of large-capacity, high-speed storage devices becomes inevitable. These devices have a built-in hard disk (such as SCSI interface 10GB), external active hard disk, rewritable CD, M.O. (capacity 640MB, 230MB or more), tape drives and so on.

1.1.4 Network Transmission Technology

In the process of prepress processing, because the amount of processed page data is large and there are too many pages, it is difficult for an individual to complete it within the time required by the customer. Therefore, it is necessary for multiple people to complete the same task through network technology. In addition, remote layout transmission is more inseparable from the remote network technology.

1.2 Requirements for Software in Color Prepress Technology

In the development of computer technology, software technology is indispensable. Software is the life of a computer. Any computer can only have vitality through related software. In software technology, the operating system is the computer's underlying management software, which directly determines other software. As early as the mid-1980s, Apple Inc. launched the MacOS operating system based on the graphical interface while launching the Macintosh model. Because of its significant advantages, the world-renowned software manufacturers (such as Adode, Aidus, etc.) used it as a platform to develop graphics. , image software, which began the establishment of a color desktop system. In the 1990s, the development of the prepress system was accelerated by the Windows 95 and Windows 98 operating systems developed by the Microsoft Corporation of the United States. A large number of graphics and image software previously running under the MacOS operating system were migrated to work under the Windows platform. It is worth mentioning that, with a large number of foreign software in the world today, a group of domestic software developers dominated by Beijing University Founder has emerged. The majority of users love it.

2. Color electronic prepress system

The composition of the color electronic prepress system includes three parts: data input, data processing, and data output.

2.1 Data input

Common data includes graphics, images, and text. Graphics and image input generally use scan input, and currently there is also a direct input using a digital camera. The text input is often input through the keyboard, and other methods (such as OCR, etc.) have a limited range of use.

2.2 Data Processing

Data processing includes the modification of graphics, images, production, and text layout, etc., which are generally performed by PC or Mac computers in related software.

2.3 Data Output

There are several cases of data output in the prepress system: printouts. Use black-and-white, color printers to design, produce, program, and export as proofs. Photographic output. The customer-determined design drafts and plans were output using a laser imagesetter, and CMYK four-color films were available for printing.

3 Development Trends of Color Printing Technology

Color printing technology has developed rapidly, and traditional plate making processes and production processes are undergoing severe challenges. There are two kinds of technologies currently entering the market:

One is the direct computer output plate technology. This technology eliminates the process of film in the traditional prepress process. Instead, it produces a PS version that can be directly on the offset press. This has the advantage of reducing the dot change caused by intermediate processes and reducing the production cost.

One is digital printing technology. This technology uses a computer and a digital printer directly connected, without the need for plate-making and direct reduction of computer data into print, this technology is one of the latest technology in the current printing technology, its advantage is to meet the printing industry's dream of on-demand printing and high fidelity Printing, but because the technology is still incomplete, there are many problems that affect its popularity.

In short, color prepress technology is a new technology, a technology related to computer technology and printing technology, and it develops with their development. This new technology is constantly affecting all aspects of color prepress technology. There are many problems and many problems waiting for everyone to study and solve.

Reprinted from: Zhuzhou Institute of Technology Color Design and Making Center