Digital Environments in Korean Printing Industry
and Productivity Increase
through the Introduction of New Technology

(Part One)

(1)Digital Environments in the field of Printing

Multi-color printing could be possible through the development of photo and off-set printing technology. Today the advanced computer technology and color scanner made the digitalization in printing industry also possible. If we look back at early 1980s, not only Koren but also other countries had a beginning step of Printing technology compared with present level.
Technological level at that time was in the process of change from process camera to color scanner for color separtaion and beginning step of computerization for editing and layout from manual way.
But now on the eve of the 21st century, printing technology was developed to the extent that image input depends mostly on color scanner or digital camera, and image setter, CTP (Computer to Plat) system and CTP (Computer to Printer) system for image output were developed and are getting in practical use for image form ation and printing.
At this point, the digitalization in printing industry does not mean that the pr evious analogue process changed to digitalized one, but the environment to manufacture printing materials was digitalized. The development of electronic proofing software for proof reading under on-line condition, electronic delivery of manuscript and the realization of digital prepress are the examples of digitalization.
If we take the examples of printing-related digitalization in the United States, the standardization of data format, technical acquisition of color management ( prepress color management and printer color management), communications and CTP technology will be the main examples.
As for the color management, two kinds are in use. One is at the time of change from RGB to CMYK and the other is from CMYK to C'MY'K'. Eventually, prepress color management requires quality improvement and standardization of proof press, while printer color management is under responsibilities of printing companies. As to the standardization of data format, there are two main streams. One is TIFF/IT recommended by noncommercial organizations and the other is Post Script recommended by Adobe.
It is PDF file that was developed to be a next generation of data format standard after correcting the problems with TIFF/IT and Post Script and by transferring to a new data format.

1)What is PDF

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a new type of data file which was developed by Adobe, based on the Post Script technology. PDF is a standard form of electronic message and is widely used in printing field by government organizations and private companies mainly in the United States and Japan.
Adobe developed Acrobat Reader to exclusively read PDF file, Acrobat Exchange to edit PDF file and Acrobat Distiller to transfer the file described in Post Script language to PDF file. Developed to aim at publishing and printing industry and equipped with scanner and word reader, Acrobat Capture available only in English edition is an application software to generate PDF file by paper media. PDF file generated by Adobe's Acrobat products can keep all the information such as picture information of letters, illustrations and photos as well as layout information as they are. It can also show the same page as printing materials on computer monitor or can carry out printing through image setter or CTP system by using Acrobat Reader.
Regardless of different platforms like Windows 95 and Mackintosh operating syste m, or the availability of application software for each computer, PDF file has an advantage either to show on computer monitor or to perform printing work by making use of Acrobat Reader.

There were various problems so far with the distribution of the electronic docum ents. For example, a file made by a certain application software required the sa me platform of others. Also electronic mail and HTML have many restrictions in layout expression.
After all, the distribution of the electronic documents so far could be carried out within the extremely limited boundary as a result of the scanty interchange ability with other's platform (operating system, software, font, printer) and poor layout expression.

Therefore, the distribution of electronic documents required the following conditions:

d)It should be possible to express a complicated layout and
to distribute the edited document through internet.

PDF file has all the important conditions required for the distribution of the e lectronic documents as mentioned above. The way to make PDF file is the same as normal document, and it can be compressed to 1/10-1/40 of the original size.
The use of Acrobat Reader, a program for exclusive reading of PDF file, enables the expression and printing of the data with the same layout regardless of other 's platform type. As Acrobat Distiller can also transfer Post Script file to a s imple PDF file, even a complicatedly edited and layed-out document can be expressed without any loss of information.
In printing field, especially, it is remarkable that the application of PDF file by using DTP technology and asset without modification enables the distribution of the electronic document. It has been said only in words that "Printing industry needs to shift to inform ation processing industry ", but the introduction of PDF file made it possible.

< picture > PDF File applicable for Printing

Picture above illustrates the electronic distribution network of the document made in Post Script language after editing and transferring to PDF file from DTP system.
As shown in the picture, the application of PDF file makes it possible to distribute and print documents not only inside the company through LAN but also to distant place through e-mail or internethomepage. Besides, it is possible to show the document which was delivered by PDF file on the monitor or printer through Acrobat Reader. The CD ROM and on-line publishing through internet becomes possible by writing motion picture and voice at the same time in the complicatedly edited and layed-out document.

To head

3)For which field PDF File is applicable?

The application of PDF file in Korea is limited only to reading documentary records for study and to printing the records. However, in the United States and other advanced countries, the application of PDF file in printing sector is increasing.
In Japan, for example, Yomiuri Shinbun and Dai Nippon printing Company have cooperated to post Yomiuri Shinbun's articles about Atlanta Olympics on internet homepage through the transfer to PDF file. NTT Printing Company is also distributing on-line magazine by PDF file. Especially, printing process is computerized for lots of printing materials such as manuals, and it is gradually increasing phenomenon that PDF file is saved in CD ROM and distributed to users.
The introduction of PDF file can be considered as a good opportunity for digitalization and multimediazation of the printing industry, but it can also be a crisis if the introduction of a new technology is neglected.
In addition, it has been impossible until now to manufacture small quantity prin ting materials because of the cost. But small quantity printing can be possible at low cost by utilizing PDF file, and subsequently a new type of marketing can be conducted outside the printing companies.

The document digitalization and electronic delivery will steadily develop in the future. It is also predictable that the applocation of PDF file will increase a s it makes letters, illustrations and photos be distributed through network by keeping the same printing materials as edited and layed-out. It is just printing industry that has to take the role to digitalize the complic atedly edited document and to process it for a new type of information.

To head

Please click here for Part two

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