Offset In The Digital Age

Digital presses are making in-roads into offset printing territory, but by no means is offset dying, according to offset vendors.

by CAROLINE MILLER

IT SEEMS as if all everyone is talking about lately is the rapid growth of the digital printing market. And as the output quality of digital presses comes closer to that of offset printing, some are even questioning the future viability of offset.

Not Mike Grego, though.

"Offset printing is alive and doing well," says Grego, marketing manager for Sakurai USA. "Digital direct-to-paper has taken a bite into the small-format, short-run work that was typically performed on duplicator presses. The majority of the work still requires the quality and cost per piece that is obtained only by printing on offset presses."

Dennis James, A.B.Dick's manager of product planning, agrees.

"Some portion of the offset process will always be part of the best-quality solution," he says. "Offset quality still provides true color combinations, fine screens and copy durability. There are enough people still using these principles that it won't disappear overnight. Offset printing won't have the same market share it once owned, but it won't go away completely."

However, James does admit that offset may see some decline in the future.

"We believe offset printing will find its way to the digital age. It is declining in some small and analog markets, but direct-to-press systems are becoming much more common. New processes will further develop this trend, making it easier to receive and print files with offset color varieties and quality."

But Komori's Marketing Manager Doug Schardt argues that while the offset market is compressing, it is not necessarily shrinking.

"Offset printing is an evolving process," he says. "Run lengths are going down, makeready times are going down, stock diversity is going up, chemical supply stability is improving and stock quality is going down. As a result, markets are shifting. For example, the web is reaching down into traditionally sheetfed markets. Sheetfed is taking work from duplicator shops and the Web is taking work from all markets."

The Impact Of Digital

While the offset market is shifting, digital presses still have a long way to go to compete.

"Digital printing has its place in the market but is far from taking over," states Sakurai's Grego. "You will see a growth in DI [direct imaging] presses in the small format. This solution is much more cost effective. If substantial growth is going to take place in the half size and larger markets, several things must change.

"A half-size DI press is very expensive. The laser technology does not have the same life expectancy as a traditional printing press. When you are imaging plates, the press is not producing. This makes for a very expensive platemaker. Currently we can makeready an automated press with CTP [computer-to-plate] faster than a DI press.

"There are many more issues at hand," Grego continues. "Until it is proven that a DI press can cost justify its productivity over a conventional automated press with CTP, larger-format DI press sales will probably be limited to certain niche markets."

Komori's Schardt disagrees somewhat with Grego's analysis of the market.

"Will DI take over? That is still somewhat undecided, as technology innovation will determine the overall outcome," he says. "If the current technology hurdles cannot be solved, then direct imaging will continue handling the market it currently handles. If technology improves, which we think it will, then direct imaging will likely become the standard over time."

Although the long-term effect DI will have on offset printing remains debatable, what is not up for debate is the continued evolution of offset printing.

"Despite the level of automation that already exists, there are still areas that can be automated," says Schardt. "For example, ink fountains can be automated for ink removal and cleanup; washup trays can be automatically cleaned and emptied; coaters can be automated. Despite this, the relative value of automating these areas are marginal.

"Also, manufacturers can further decrease the automated time of each function," Schardt says, "but again, the cost of decreasing the time may be prohibitive."

One of the most exciting developments yet to come in offset printing is the the continued development of Flint Ink's Single Fluid Ink, notes MAN Roland's Director of Marketing Christian Cerfontaine.

"When Flint Ink perfects its single fluid ink, it will effectively eliminate the need for dampening systems and the adjustments they require from job to job," states Cerfontaine. "We have conducted tests for Flint here and in Germany on that technology, and the results are very encouraging."

A Standardized Future?

So what does the future of offset look like? Probably the biggest trend is standardization, remarks Cerfontaine.

"When printing is standardized then it becomes a great diagnostic tool," he says. "For example, when computer-to-plate is used, the register is very accurate, as is the generated ink key openings. Using the computer-generated ink key openings and a special preinking program on press provides a very quick startup-to-color ratio.

"Using this system, color is defined as standard house densities. When this is achieved, the standard density printed sheet is scanned for ICC profiles and that information is fed back to the proofer. When all is said and done, the proof is automatically calibrated to print a color gamut that the press and its corresponding inks can print, thereby having a much more realistic approach to matching proofs.

"Again, when this system is used, the procedures become very standard, as does the print results," Cerfontaine concludes. "When the print results vary, then the operator knows immediately that something has changed and can remedy the situation quickly."