Process automation
Production management is primarily about process automation, however there are several standards most significantly ISO 12647, that production managers need to keep in mind in the process of system automation. Industry excitement surrounding the Job Definition Format (JDF) has relaxed into something rather more circumspect of late; however we expect to see a bit of resurgence this year. JDF implementation depends to a great extent on investment into new kit, and as old technologies are replaced with JDF capable systems, implementing process automation gets immeasurably more straightforward. Version 1.4 of JDF, to be introduced in May, will provide printers with additional supports, without compromising their existing JDF routines. This version adds new specifiers to make it easier to manage files with, for example, control over ganged jobs and improvements to the security and management of data transfers.
Through JDF, production management and MIS are becoming increasingly intertwined. Production management technology looks after the nitty gritties of production while MIS takes care of the business management side of things. JDF/JMP can help manage data across both environments so that people can share common information and so changed such as additional costs in production are accurately reflected, especially when invoices are about to be raised. Increasingly, commercial printers are relying on their MIS technologies to provide detailed business information, information that can help improve performance reporting for all departments, individuals, jobs and customers. Altogether it adds up to improved accountability and profitability for the business.
Information management technologies are all about keeping the business up to date and informed, so that company owners can help their customers ton invest more wisely, and of course more frequently, in print, it is about improving print’s cost effectiveness for customers, keeping it central to market investments and at the heart of multiple channel communications.
Most multi-channel marketing relies heavily on web technologies for its effectiveness, however, advanced print media production will increasingly depend on new web framework technologies designed to improve the development and support of web applications using templates and helper tools, smart URLs and memory management. Ambitious printers are working with their customers to maximise the industry’s production efficiency. Together they are ensuring that print yields the best overall retune on investment for communications and for information consumers.

By 1989, DTP driven Apple Laser Writers and Aldus PageMaker software were tolls becoming familiar to printers, but RIP technology as well as a number of proprietary solutions that didn’t work made printers initially cautious about investing. So, DTP went into a short lived trough of disillusionment. But its technology was sound and by the early to mid 1990s photosetting, complex Monotype photosetters, were yesterday’s playthings. Ultimately Adobe, Photoshop and Postscript delivered on the promise. A later example of this phenomenon was the dotcom bubble; it took longer to get out of the trough of despair, but the ideas heralded then are today an integral tool of print production.

The issues facing the industry in 1991 had an added complexity; that year saw a financial crash of monumental proportions as the UK foray into the ERM ended in tears. Initially this made many printers’ eye water and then they went out of business. The twin pincers of DTP which by now was extremely viable and recovering financial probity led to a clearing out of printers.

The success of DTP was based around the effectiveness of Postscript in action. The quality of output to an imagesetter meant production of final film and a set of plates could be produced in an hour against sometimes a day’s work using foils, tint sheets and intermediaries. Productivity on this scale let to a carnage around the planning tables both horrendous and melancholy, but inevitable. Job reductions in the plate making sector boarded on extinction and like the Berlin Wall, repro houses tumbled out of existence overnight as printers brought planning and repro in-house.

To be continued…

See Part one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight of this blog – Printing – 20 years of change

School Prospectus Made Easy and Print Buying Direct are trading names of The Printing House Ltd. The Print Buying Direct brand was originally set up to protect the quality name of The Printing House of Crewe and Nantwich, Cheshire, Uk – recognised throught the North of England as a quality printers. Now Print Buying Direct has established itself over the last two years and has become a quality brand in its own right with very competitive prices nationally. We hope that School Prospectus Made Easy will follow in the same fashion and become a popular brand in its own right.

Print Buying Direct is one of the Uk’s leading suppliers of graphic design and print, based in the Crewe and Nantwich area of Cheshire (UK) but supplying all of the UK & Ireland. See our websites for more information on graphic design, brochures, business cards, appointment cards, leaflets, flyers, pamphlets, posters etc

Please feel free to browse our print buying website and use it as a useful tool – we are adding new pages and offers every week. So keep popping back, subscribe to our printing blog, email info@printbuyingdirect.co.uk or call call 0870 950 8444.

For more information please see our websites – especially our Printing Glossary – Printing A to Z – this makes a really useful guide for designers, printers, print buyers, college students etc.

Don’t forget The Printing House also specialise in Printing for Schools, especially School Prospectus, Secondary School Prospectus, College Prospectus, Primary School Prospectus & Sixth Form Prospectus. We have a vast range of experience design and print of primary, secondary, 6th form, college and universtity prospectus. Visit our School Prospectus Made Easy website to see examples of our work and more about our products. Our customer testimonials webpage is constantly being added to – please stop by and see our reviews.

Please note that we are currently seeking a highly motivated Print Sales Representative based in the North West of England, preferably in Cheshire, to help us expand and develop our business. Please call for more information.

In 1814, Friedrich Koenig invented the first power driven press, like Stanhope’s, made from iron but driven by steam, not hand operated. Although Koenig’s principles were the same as Stanhope’s the design was completely different. Instead of a flat surface, his press used rotating cylinders, which pressed against the paper as it was fed through. He was able to increase the pressure between the paper and the type which led to increased clarity on the impression. It could also print approximately 400 sheets per hour.

Print production was nearly trebled when Friedrich Koenig developed his original design into a double cylinder press. This increased production to approximately 1100 sheets per hour. He then developed what he referred to as his ‘completing machine’ which, for the first time was able to print on both sides of the sheet at the same time in one pass.

The invention of the Linotype machine meant that a whole line of type could be moulded instead of individual characters and with the invention of photography in 1837 leading to the invention of the half tone in 1880 meant that for the first time the reproduction of good quality photographs was now possible.

The equipment used by The Printing House today is considerably more advanced than could ever have been imagined by those early print pioneers. Call one of our print professionals today to discuss your requirements. Look out for the next blog on ‘Print History’….coming soon.

Print Buying Direct is one of the Uk’s leading suppliers of design and print, based in Cheshire (UK) but supplying all of the UK & Ireland.

The Printing House Ltd

Print Buying Direct is one of the Uk’s leading suppliers of design and print, based in Cheshire (UK) but supplying all of the UK & Ireland.

Please feel free to browse our print buying website and use it as a useful tool – we are adding new pages and offers every week. For more information please see our websites

Print Buying Direct is a brand of The Printing House Ltd, Crewe, Cheshire, UK

We then have to ask plate making where they are up to with the plating of print jobs. Generally they are ahead of the game and usually chase production for more work to be plated. This generally relies on which jobs have had artwork signed off by the customer. Each time a job is booked in and we have had to design it or with the case of print ready artwork, we have to rip it through, we send a proof across to the customer for checking, usually a pdf or if the customer requires a colour match it would be a Contract Proof (Colour Accurate).

The production office runs by a ‘Tee-card System’ which means by glancing at the production board, we can instantly see where each job is currently up to and can very quickly assess customers delivery dates when they ring up to see how quickly print jobs can be received.

The production office will mainly generate the delivery dates for each job, but in the case of the customer requesting delivery dates, we adhere to this and will make sure paper is ordered in plenty of time, so when the job signs off we can issue it to a press straight away for printing.

Meetings are held daily with Production, Studio Manager and the Works Manager so we can discuss together the order of sign offs, print and deliveries.

Lisa & Steve – The Production Office – The Printing House Ltd (Print Buying Direct)