Documenti di Didattica
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Prepress Basics
Communication intention of the customer Media consultancy ideas sketches, rough drafts Ideas about the final product layout: binding proof Production planning Digital prepress
Prepress
Press
Postpress
Text
Image
Graphics
ABC
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Computer, software, fonts Scanner, Digital camera Computer, software
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Color receptors in the eye Colors of the spectrum
Model: A prism splits white light into the colors of the spectrum The visual perception of the beams takes place in the eye, the brain adds up all of the spectral energy to create a sensation: An image is formed from the information received gray or colored! White: The total of all colors of light is received Black: No light = no color visible
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Mixing colors of light Primary colors: red, green and blue Mixing these primary colors at full intensity produces white light. Increasing the addition of the colors of light leads to increasingly lighter mixed colors, if the intensity of the radiation is reduced, the lightness and color strength go down
Examples of technical equipment that "creates" colors by additive mixing are televisions, monitors, projectors, video devices
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Scanning
Digitization of images: Scanning Scanners perform a computer-controlled digitization of single-color and multi-color images Three color separations are created by incremental scanning the original and concurrent color separation using RGB filters Software converts these RGB data into cyan, magenta and yellow, taking corrections into account The black color separation is produced either by using a special filter or by computation
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Screen technology
Screening of images
- Different tone values in the image are converted into extremely small binary print elements - Tone values can be represented by variablearea halftone dots: white paper completely reflects incident light rays, halftone dots of different sizes absorb more or less light! - The brain does not recognize individual dots through the eye, but rather a reflected brightness value
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Screen technology
Screen ruling For an autotypical (variable area) screen, the distance between the halftone dots from midpoint to midpoint is always the same The screen ruling gives the number of halftone dots in lines from midpoint to midpoint per unit length, e. g. l/cm lpi = lines per cm = lines per inch
The more halftone dots per unit, the finer the screen
1 cm
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Screen technology
Screen ruling
The screen ruling (called screen frequency) specifies the fineness of the screen in the rendering of the picture information. The choice of screen ruling depends on the printing process and the surface of the printing material Rough paper surface = smaller screen ruling (< 54 l/cm) High quality and smoother paper surface = higher screen ruling (> 60 l/cm)
0.100 mm Halftone value = 50% Halftone value = 50%
40 l/cm screen K
80 l/cm screen K
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Screen technology
Screen angle Every autotypical, symmetrical screen has a regular structure, e. g. horizontal and vertical screen lines In four-color printing with autotypical screening, the individual colors must be angled, in order to avoid Moir Moir = formation of interference pattern Least noticeable angle = 450, standard practice for monochromatic halftone prints and for the key color in the image Standardized angle positions: 00, 150, 450 and 750, where Y is always at 00 Examples of Moir effects
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Screen technology
Screen output technology Laser systems in imagesetters output digital print pages to film or directly to a printing plate via a raster image processor (RIP) The smallest representable element of the imagesetting system, an imagesetter pixel, is called a dot The size of a dot is dependent on the resolution (fineness of reproduction) of the output system
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Screen technology
Screen output technology The resolution of an output system is given in dots per inch (dpi) For a screen ruling of 60 l/cm, a screen cell has an edge length of 1 cm : 60 = 0.01666 cm = 0.166 mm If an output system has a resolution of 2500 dpi, a screen ruling in the print of 60 l/cm (152 dpi) gives: Number of possible tone value levels = (2500 dpi : 152 dpi)2 = 256 256 = 16 x 16 imagesetter pixels
Rel
Dot
Rel = Recorder element Dot = Imagesetter pixel The laser beam requires for an area of 1 cm2 60 x 60 x 256 = 921,600 switching operations
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Screen technology
Classical dot shapes and dot contact
The four basic dot shapes.
Round
Square
60 line screen (60 l/cm) K K=0.166 mm 0.100 mm Halftone value = 40% d+0.010 mm -> 47% K
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Screen technology
AM (amplitude modulated screen) FM (frequency modulated) screen
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Screen technology
In autotypical screening the halftone dots for the colors are arranged at specified angles. They form visible rosettes. Frequency-modulated screening uses neither set angles nor patterns of the same shape to distribute colors.
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Screen technology
What is FM or stochastic screening? Halftone dots are arranged randomly (frequency modulated) Dots are all the same size Their position varies Dot size is measured in microns ( meter or 1/1000mm) A 28 FM screen corresponds in gray values and definition to a conventional screen of about 300 lpi = 120 line screen
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Screen technology
Large number of finely distributed small halftone dots Distance or number of dots varies Dot size remains constant Advantages Avoids Moir and offset rosettes Increase in detail resolution Disadvantages Tighter specifications due to smaller dot size Greater dot gain
Much better reproduction of small type sizes particularly for script types.
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Creating documents
Creating digital documents Entering texts, graphics, pictures Integration of all elements of a print page according to the page layout Digital proofing Position proof Color proof Go-ahead by the customer
Type
Type
Type
ASCII code
Morse signals
A A B B 1 2
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Imposition
Preparation for the output of digital pages When printing several pages: Imposition on one printing form Imposition: The arrangement of the pages on a print sheet, so that after printing, folding and processing, the pages are in consecutive sequence. Imposition takes account of the: number and format of the pages size of the print sheet production in the printing press as well as folding and binding
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Imposition
Preparation for the output of digital pages:
Trim
Head
2 Printing lay
Trim
15 14 Foot
Trim
Trim
Head
The arrangement of the pages is determined with the aid of a folding layout After printing and folding: trim on three sides!
Gutter
Gutter
11 10
Trim
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Output technologies
Output of digital pages Computer to film Product = film for copying processes Computer to plate Product = printing plates, imaged externally in an imagesetter Computer to press Product = printing plates, film imaged internally in the printing press
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Output technologies
Output of digital pages RasterImageProcessor (RIP): conversion of the digital data into a bitmap of binary elements, the imagesetter pixels (dots) Imaging: Transfer of this binary information, e. g. by laser, onto film or printing plate Basis: Page description language PostScript and a corresponding software, e. g. software RIP Prinect MetaDimension
Text
Text
Digital document
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Output technologies
Output of digital pages Possible functions of the RIP Conversion of all text, picture and graphics data into a bitmap Assignment of screens to images Color separations of color images Trapping OPI: Substituting low-resolution image data in high-resolution original image data (Note: In laser and inkjet printers the RIP is already installed)
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Data formats
What do the following stand for in the process?
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Prepress Document
PDF file
PDF view
Workflow
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Management
Prepress
Press
Postpress
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Color management
Color management system Prerequisite so that all components in a workflow are optimally aligned in accordance with the specified color standards Applications
Digital proof Production-based simulation of the intended printing process Preview of the print result and binding basis for the go-ahead
Profiling
Calibration
Standardization
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Color management
Color rendering problems in individual process steps
Scanner
Monitor
Proofer
Press
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Color management
ICC profiles
Problem: Graphical representation of the color space of a device Color spaces have different shapes and dimensions, i. e. each device has its own defined color space Basis of color management: ICC profiles describe the color reproduction of an input or output device according to ICC guidelines
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Color management
Process
Standardization
Optimization Prepress
Process control
ICC profiles
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Color management
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Color management
International standards Commission Internationale dclairage (CIE) Specification of the Lab color space 1976 Device-independent Based on human color perception International Color Consortium (ICC) Specification of ICC profiles 1994 Computer-independent Manufacturer-independent
-b -b -a -a +b +b
+a +a
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Color management
Information transfer using ICC profiles ...
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Color management
Profiles for input and output devices
Scanner
Monitors
Proofer
Printing presses
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Imagesetter systems
Design features
Capstan imagesetter (flat-bed) Flat-bed systems image via a polygon mirror on roll material, which is transported in synchronization with the rotation Internal drum imagesetters Image on material that is cut to size (sheets cut to size from the roll) External drum imagesetter Direct the laser beam line by line onto a rotating drum, on which the material to be exposed is fixed
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Capstan imagesetter
Capstan system
Synchronization of the optical system Polygon Adjusting the luminous intensity mirror between the center and the edges of the material due to different beam lengths Suitable for film and polyester plates Low production costs Laser source Material
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CTP imagesetter
Internal drum imagesetter
digital data
Mirror
Plate
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CTF imagesetter
Internal drum system
High production costs with internal drum, film cut to size, high repeat accuracy Identical beam length in all positions Simple optical system (prism) Only one laser beam for exposing, from roll to sheet, from roll to roll Connection to the online processor Integrated register punching system for films and polyester plates
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CTP imagesetter
External drum imagesetter
digital data
optic drum
plate
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CTP imagesetter
External drum imagesetter
Short beam path means higher power output Exposure is performed using more than one beam at the same time Up to 384 laser lines per revolution at the same time Short exposure times Variable optical system Thermal printing plates
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Printing plates
Advantages and notes
Very short production times High-quality printing plates Optimum register accuracy Shorter makeready times Less waste during makeready All elements must be in digital form A digital proofing system is compulsory
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Integrated production
Production control and monitoring
Invoicing Delivery Historical costing Feedback of data Production monitoring Production planning Process planning Material administration Job input Quotation Cost estimation Inquiry
JDF
Speedmaster CP2000
PrepressInterface
CtP exposure RIP Proofing Imposition Proofing Color management Trapping Color conversion Preflight PDF production
The JDF is a manufacturer-independent interface language Enables communication between devices in the graphics industry Is supplemented by status information Connection to MIS systems (vertical market software) Specification by the CIP4 consortium Described by so-called "ICS Interoperability Conformance Specifications Based on the XML file structure
Prepress Basics