| Customer's Needs |
| Automation Trend |
| Target Market |
Market trend: Automation
Traditional offset printing is threatened by digital printing with its low set-up costs. Though digital printing has not achieved offset quality, the growing trend for short runs makes a cost/quality trade-off very crucial.
| The outcome is a very strong trend of automation: | |
| - Automatic color registration | (already exists) |
| - Automatic plate loading | (already exists) |
| - Automatic plate manufacturing (CTP) | (already exists) |
| - Remote ink keys control | (already exists) |
| - On the press quality inspection and viewing devices | (Partially exists) |
| - Automatic Color Control | (Exists for Web printing) |
Automatic Color control has already successfully entered into Web printing.
One can hear press owners say:
"This is a big step for web offset and one of the biggest things that's happened for us."
"After we bought the first two systems, it was easy for us to justify the ROI for the six remaining presses."
(American Printer Sept. 1, 2002)
However, due to basic technology limitations, no such system has been offered for Sheet-Fed presses. Still it is commonly agreed that the market expects it.
