■ASIA Forum
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The Text and Graphics Research Association of JAGAT held a meeting with the theme of 'The movement of CIP3'. Mr. Hideya Mizuno of Heidelberg-PMT CO., LTD. presented a speech at the meeting. The following is an abstract of his speech.

What is CIP3?

CIP3 is the implementation of automatic processing control used after the completion of plates, in printing machines and bookbinding machines, etc. In CIP3, the required data is collated from the digital data of plates previously prepared and is then effectively transmitted using signals. The application of digital technology will eliminate process duplication, thereby reducing the number of processing steps, leading to a reduction in costs.

In CIP3, the data of the plates will be used for processing until the size of materials are enlarged for the printing machine. During the pre-printing stage, even if you output film or make data in the parts for the plate the data is separated and so the printing machine cannot use the separated data. If plate making and printing are processed at separate companies, or in separate factories, it is impossible to prepare all the parameters at the pre-printing stage. However, if postscript plate data is available, then it is possible to perform limited processing.

We must not forget that CIP3 is a concept derived from the printing and post-printing stages. Therefore, in this concept, the printing and post-printing stages expect to receive data from the pre-printing stage. The stream of information in CIP3 is only one way at the moment, information cannot be exchanged both ways at the present time.

The core of CIP3 is a standard processing format called PPF (Print Production Format). The printing process usually requires a great number of stages using a lot of different equipment. It is also necessary to provide information which is often stated in work specifications with the materials. PPF is a standard format to convert work specifications into digital data.

PPF includes the following information.

(1) Low resolution image data

(2) Special curves to re-distribute films and plates

(3) Data for types of register mark and position

(4) Information governing color and density for quality control

(5) Information governing register mark for cutting and cutting

CIP3 started as a project of Heidelberg in December 1993. Heidelberg carried out research in collaboration with a German graphics institute called 'Fraunhofer' to determine the fundamentals of PPF, between February and August 1994. We completed a draft of the specifications of PPF in February 1995. We held explanatory meetings of PPF with principal vendors who organized a group to develop and support PPF as a collaborative effort. This group was called CIP3. We presented CIP3 for the first time at DRUPA 95 and announced the specifications of CIP3. We started to integrate CIP3 with the pre-printing interface in July 1995. We created CIP3 data using software for plates in August. We held a press conference at IGAS and at Siebold in September.

Fifteen companies are currently participating in CIP3, including pre-printing companies such as Adobe, Agfa, Crosfield, Harlequin, Linotype-Hell, Scitex, Dainippon Screen Mfg., Ultimate Technographics, and printing companies such as Goebel, Heidelberg, KBA, Komori, MAN Roland, and post printing companies Polar/Mohr, Wohlenberg.

The process of the establishment of the standard format, PPF

The following are the conditions required for the standard format.

(1) The standard format should be open and be independent of the producer
(2) The format should have potential for the future
(3) The translator should be easy to use during formatting
(4) Because color image printing is becoming standard, the color separation data should be easily obtainable

We decided to adopt existing standard formats for our format, because we thought it would be easier and so we investigated the standard formats currently available. We examined TIFF, PS, PDF, and of these we finally decided upon PS.

The reasons we selected PS are as follows.

(1) Coding of images and texts is possible
(2) CIELab can be created and utilized in the second phase
(3) Image information can be printed out without modification
(4) While using TIFF, we can materialize OPI
(5) PS is widely utilized in the industry

Heidelberg is now preparing an interface for CPC which is the control system for the present printing machines, so that they can accept the PPF data of CIP3. The CPC system consists of four modules: a printing quality measurement system (CPC20), a pre-press connection system (CPC30), a plate positioning measurement system (CPC 40), and a management system (CPC50).

The CPC30 line is the interface between the pre-printing and printing stages and includes a product called CPC31 which reads plate details and calculates image sizes. CPC31 links the machine plate process with the printing stage. We are developing CPC32 to enhance CPC31 based on the concept of collating the information necessary for printing directly from plate making, especially the data required for colors and positioning, using the digital data technology of CIP3. We are planning a module CPC50 which functions as a server to integrate the data of CPC32 so that it can transmit signals to printing machines and some bookbinding machines.

CIP3 color management

People wrongly believe that CIP3 is capable of complete color management. This belief stemmed from the emphasis on the color control of CIP3 at the press conference at IGAS last year. In fact, the color control of CIP3 does not have the complete capability of color management. The concept of CIP3 is merely based on the fact that among the function parameters governing machine control systems currently sold by Heidelberg as products (CPC), we would like the parameters that can be prepared during the plate making process to be prepared by the plate making stage. Color printing management capability of printing machines is limited to the darkening or lightening of colors in relatively wide areas. Color management in the printing sector is only capable of maintaining color balance and stability for the complete print run. We may be able to change just one area of the color process in the future with advanced digital printing machines, but at the moment digital printing machine cannot do all that much.

Current state and the future of CIP3

Concerning the progress of CIP3 and PPF format, CPC32 is the only product which has adopted the PPF format, but we have not yet reached the stage where we can commence sales. CPC32 will be on sale around the beginning of next year at the earliest.

At the moment, we are carrying out tests with individual CEPS Vendor and CPC32 of Heidelberg. We are testing to confirm that we can actually utilize the format. Then we will use the format at the sites. We will add many different functions to enhance the product. We would like to improve the format to allow the product to be used widely and for many purposes.