Printing Characteristics of CTP System Inkjet

In recent years, high-tech penetration in the field of printing and publishing has been reflected in three aspects: computer-to-plate, digital printing, and color proofing. They are all referred to as CTP technology and are specifically defined as follows:
1, ComputerToPlate (computer-to-plate), the offline plate-making technology;
2, ComputerToPress (computer directly to the printing press), that is, direct machine plate technology;
3, ComputerToPaper / Print (computer directly to the paper or printed products), that is, direct printing technology;
4, ComputerToProof (computer directly sample), that is, color digital proofing.
The CTP system not only has the functions of direct plate making and direct proofing, but also has some features of direct inkjet printing. Its standard components are:
CTP plate making machine (EPSONPRO9000) + special printing software + special consumables
It takes Epsonstylspro
The 9000 color inkjet plotter is an output device, supplemented by dedicated printing software and dedicated consumables to form a TP system that enables the value-added of the output device to meet the special requirements of the printing industry.
1, direct plate machine:
Acceptable special film, special PS plate and plain paper to complete the format output (split version + BO1118mm). Its performance characteristics are as follows:
(1) 6 picoliter drop control technology:
The size of the ink drop is the key to improving digital image quality because it directly affects the “graininess” of the digital image, which is an insurmountable technical obstacle for traditional silver salt technology. The plate-making machine can achieve 6 picolitres (1 picoliter = 10-9 milliliters) of ink droplets, not only reducing the "graininess" and saving ink, but also drying more quickly, regardless of black and white or color graphics, make it more detailed The color is softer, the layers are richer, and the texture is stronger.
(2) Intelligent drop conversion technology:
By adjusting the signal size of the transistor to control the volume of ink droplets, three types of ink droplets, large, medium, and small, can be generated simultaneously in one printing process, ensuring high resolution of 1440 dpi, uniform color transition, reduced nozzle use efficiency, and improved drawing. speed.
(3) Micro Piezo Technology
The vibration of the piezoelectric Japan was used to stimulate the ink droplets to fly out of the nozzle to control the size, shape and flying direction of the ink drop. Behind the orifice of the micro-piezo print head is a spray capsule. Behind the spray capsule is a piezoelectric crystal plate. When a small and large voltage is applied to both ends of the capsule, it will be extended and contracted, and the printed signal can be used. The electrical pulse drives the crystal to contract the ejected ink. At the same time, the use of flexibility to control the ink droplet size, shape, flight status.
Through intelligent droplet conversion, large ink droplets are formed by medium and small ink droplets together, thus avoiding the defects of star-shaped and hazy dots scattered during the large droplet flight due to ink tension. Therefore, the fine grain, high resolution, sharp outline, sharp image, and clear image are more suitable for the reproduction of Chinese characters in film and PS.
(4) 6-color quick-drying ink:
Combines 6 colors of quick-drying inks of cyan, magenta, yellow, black, light blue, and light magenta with the tonal adjustment technology in fine images. The use of photo-screen printing principles combined with three-dimensional fast calculation tables and error diffusion technology enables unprecedented improvement in color reproduction. Enhanced color performance.
2, special printing software
Chinese interface, suitable for Windows95/98/NT, Mac platform, support network capabilities, and PostScript
Levedll is fully compatible, and is compatible with Peking University Founder typesetting system, can be directly on the Apple and the PC to send a variety of software production layout, PageMaker,
FreeHand, Quarkpress, Illustrator, CorelDraw, Word, Founder Feiteng, and Wes.
The printing software has a good and feasible data interface, simple operation, high quality screening (up to 175 lines), powerful and comprehensive, fast interpretation and task queues, imposition, preview and other functions. When large-format output is available, the film width and layout width can also be automatically calculated, output in the most provincial way, and the small version can be automatically converted into large-scale output, and the imposition layout can also be manually controlled.
3, special consumables:
Dedicated CTP film and PS plate are coated with special treatment.
Advantages and disadvantages:
CTP system adopts a new concept of physical imaging technology, completely free from laser generation and the use of photosensitive materials, using inkjet equipment directly on the film, paper, PS layout
Printed on the desired graphics part, reducing the number of image transfer, truly 100% transfer, no loss of content, direct output large format, no imposition, revision.
Using the same principle as the laser image-setter, regardless of platform type, external drum, or internal drum type equipment, computer-controlled laser beam scanning exposure imaging is used, and then printing plates are formed by processes such as development and fixing, which can also be said to be The laser image-setter, developing and fixing equipment and the plate-making machine are integrated.
According to the materials and structural features of the plates, the CTP plates currently used abroad can be classified into photosensitive resin plates, silver salt composite high-speed PS plates, aluminum-based silver salt platen plates, thermal plates, and photoconductor plates. Imaging large quantities is still not free from photochemical imaging routines, but also with a series of kits. Thermal plates and photoconductor plates require laser generators that use laser thermal effects. These plates are expensive and require high-resolution, high-sensitivity and high-intensity guarantees. The domestic market is still unable to achieve localization. It takes a long time to promote cooperation.