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IPP8
Conference New Delhi December 6-8, 2001 LAUREL BRUNNER We started with figures predicting the growth capacity or potential for the Indian commercial printing market. I don't think it matters which set of figures you look at, they were all very positive and they were all rather better than the predictions for the growth of printing in the west. The growth brings in new and rather different pressures, particularly for efficiency and for proactively managing your investment and development. This was a point that Mr Narendra made and I think it rings true when you look at computer-to-plate investments. It's not just a matter of deciding which machine has the best features-it's a matter of looking at the overall investment and all of the ancillary investments that go along with it-possibly copydot scanners, different proofers, different types of training and imposition knowledge. As I said, the figures and the possibilities that are inherent in this market are very positive relative to other markets. Europeans are still printing an awful lot though, and the example that Paul gave us of IKEA with their catalogues is an illustration of that. We are still printing in substantial volumes and we are using digital technologies to create more efficient workflows. Digital cameras have enhanced IKEA's image management and image production process, but overall process efficiency and automation are becoming central to the prepress and printing industry. Again, this is the point that Mr Narendra explained in talking about the automation controls that are available on the presses. Automation is part of every aspect of the prepress workflow, whether it is how PDF gets set up or whether it's how plates end up on the press or finishing. When it comes to press automation, I think the ultimate automated system is probably digital workflow driving a digital press. Paul described that as offering amazing possibilities and it was a point that wasn't lost on any of the audience. It was particularly well demonstrated by Noomi Mehta's presentation. The amazing possibilities of digital printing when it comes to signage and informing people-whether it's street signs or notices about public activities and politicians-digital printing technology can make a great contribution. I think his plea for industry collaboration was pretty well heard, mainly because it's important to list some of these restrictions because they must have a pernicious effect on the market and probably socially as well. In common with what we saw yesterday, it's not technology that is limiting market development, it really boils down to how we deploy it. Dr Lalitha Jayaraman's overview of inkjet technologies was a very good demonstration of the sheer diversity and richness of what's available in one small sector. It's a story that applies pretty much in every other sector as well-whether it's content management, digital cameras, RIPs, platesetters, or presses. The problem is not the technology, the problem is identifying what your needs are, both short-term and long-term and matching technology to purpose. It's also a problem of management, of being consistent in how you make your investment, how you support them, how you train them, how you work with customers, and how you ensure that the quality you are producing is of a good standard. You need a plan and it's particularly true with colour. I think Rashid's presentation about colour management showed us how important it is to be committed to the process, but also how quantification of all the variables in a workflow can make it possible for you to set up an extremely complex workflows and if you understand them, identify where there are problems when problems occur, fairly easily. The need for knowing what's going on where and why is relevant as well for publishing, not just for prepress and printing. That was one of the main points from Tariq Husain's presentation. Content management systems have come in for a rough time because they are expensive, largely because they are application-specific. They are expensive not in terms of the hardware and software, but in terms of the time and in making sure that they become used otherwise there is no point having an asset management system if it is just used as a filing system. I think we are all fairly convinced that CtP is inevitability, whether it's short or long-term in terms of your investment plans. I am glad to see that everyone at least recognises its viability. The common theme through all the presentations over yesterday and today was that there are other issues to resolve apart from technology, if you are going to capitalise on the market potential that's available to you. The cost of technology is far less important than the cost of implementing and supporting it. |Back
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