Investment in digital technology

When investing in digital technology, consider carefully whether you have the conditions for moving from offset to digital printing.

For many companies, the installation of a digital press is due to the increasing number of short-lived jobs and the increasing demand for variable data printing from customers.

However, this is a major decision that requires certain preconditions. The transition from offset printing to digital printing means the change of corporate culture for any printing company, without the greasy and noise of traditional printing workshops, and the length of printing operations is also relatively short. For a person who first got involved in new technology, it means a bunch of confusing new terms.

Bernard Niemoeller, sales manager for DI presses in Heidelberg, advises companies that plan to invest in digital technology. Before making a decision, ask yourself three questions: Can a company's business requirements fill the printing press? Does the company's employees have enough flexibility to adapt to the new press? Can a company's salesperson provide customers with satisfactory service?

Many companies that have invested in digital presses for the first time consider this a traumatic experience. Companies that don't use digital printing as a whole think that direct imaging presses are a good choice. Although they can't really get the desired benefits from short-run printing or variable data printing, the flexibility and short setup time of this machine are just plain no exception.

Efrem Lieber, vice president of digital imaging technology supplier Presstek, said: “The companies that are interested in direct imaging DI printers are growing rapidly and now have sold 2000 DI printers worldwide. We are proud to say that The Presstek technology is used on 95% of the machines. Each quarter, we have a certain increase in market share. This is true in both printing and platemaking machines."

Because Presstek supplies DI systems to numerous printer suppliers, the scope of choice for companies choosing DI equipment is very large. The technologies used by different digital printers are quite different, such as inkjet technology, selective electrophotographic technology, and selective laser technology.

Mr. Lieber said: “Our customers think that investing in DI technology brings a great deal of difference to their printing operations. They mainly focus on three aspects of time, cost and waste. Chemical development increases the cost of printing. This part of the cost is chemical. In addition to their own value, they need to be transported, stored, handled, and cleaned. There is also a category of costs that we call mistaken costs. For example, the more steps in the production process, the more human or mechanical mistakes. The greater the opportunity."

In the United States, a particular advantage of direct imaging technology development is that it is motivated by the government, such as tax deductions and government subsidies, and encourages companies to invest in products that release less toxic waste.
So when companies purchase digital devices, they must choose between more sophisticated digital printing devices and DI devices. Although the cost of digital printing is still high, it has already been lowered, and as technology continues to advance, it will still drop a lot. Undoubtedly, digital technology is the future development trend.