The JDF was launched in drupa 2000 to drupa 2004 and many manufacturers also performed their own JDF process demonstration on site. Although there has been a thriving scene in JDF, for the printing industry, the application of JDF still faces various difficulties.

First of all, it is difficult to interconnect and co-operate between the machines and equipment produced by different manufacturers. This is an urgent problem to be solved in the current printing workflow. The initial printing operations were done manually and then mechanized, paving the way for later industrial automation. The application of fully automatic equipment allows operators to pre-set each unit's operation. With the development of technology, production control personnel have combined different types of machine equipment to form a combined automation system. All operations and controls are realized through a central console, but these devices can take care of printing jobs. Each independent production link in the company can even connect certain production links. However, it is impossible to create a separate system to automatically control the entire printing workflow by itself - from the customer placing the order to the final product. The whole process of production.

Secondly, the two major systems in the printing process, namely, the MIS management information system for job planning and control and the production service system for controlling the production process, have not been well integrated so far, and their respective information is in a relatively isolated state. It is impossible to achieve coherent and efficient real-time automatic information exchange between each other. All the data involved in the printing business, including planning and progress, processing results, job status and job tracking, must be transferred from the print production section to the MIS management information system, and then processed by the MIS management information system after processing the data. Further instructions, the current process is still done manually. It will take a long time to completely replace the current manual state.

Again, the mindset of the printing producer is changed. Profits determine the decisions of printing investors, but under the current status of China's printing industry, it is necessary to determine the courage to participate in JDF transformation. As a newly introduced process model, changes are made on the basis of the relatively mature working model, which takes a great risk. Moreover, in addition to investing huge sums of money, such reforms also need to consider the lack of a large number of management personnel in the specific operations of PDF. However, nowadays, there is a shortage of talents in general printing factories.

Finally, it is also a point that is easily overlooked. According to an authoritative source who participated in the relevant aspects of Drupa 2004, JDF is not yet very mature. Even the function of JDF declared by Adobe System itself is not perfect. It even claims that some functions can be completed within two years. This is definitely a consideration for the printing factory. That is to say, investing only the human and financial resources to obtain only a semi-finished product, and truly obtaining the finished product requires real improvement, and in this constant escalation, various forces need to be invested in order to achieve results. When the pace of manufacturing renewal requires synchronization with the information industry, it is hard to imagine how to achieve optimal investment. Because the information industry is updating too quickly, the JDF workflow is now based on this information support. How to solve the imbalance between the two issues is also worth considering.

Although the above mentioned the problems in the implementation process of JDF, it is undeniable that all-digital printing is the hope for future printing. Just as Komori-Siu Di-ling always said: Some new technologies on Lubara are still a long way from Chinese printing companies. If we want to change this situation and do not slip into the negative growth areas where the value-added value is less than zero, we must manage the enterprise. Work hard on the level to increase the company's product development and technological progress. Only then will it be more realistic to talk about JDF.

Foreword

At present, the development of printing technology is changing with each passing day, and the extensive application of digital technology has enabled us to fully understand the latest printing technologies in the world and at the same time we have a clear understanding and observation of the development trends and opportunities of printing technology. Therefore, we need to calm down, consider how to combine the actual situation of the unit to carry out equipment transformation and technical upgrading, step by step closer to the advanced level, continue to improve and develop themselves in the market competition.

The promotion and application of digital workflow is an inevitable trend in the development of the printing industry. With color management. Automatic layout, digital proofing, direct plate making and other high-tech applications. The development and improvement of new technologies such as the PDF file format, and the obstruction of the promotion and application of digital technologies are gradually disappearing. Advanced output technologies and intelligent management of work processes have enabled digital prepress and printing operations to be more efficient. Today, digital workflow has formed a beautiful landscape in many advanced printing companies. The author firmly believes that digital workflow will dominate everything.

The purpose of promoting the digital workflow is to incorporate various control information in the prepress, printing, and postpress processing processes into a computer, and to integrate the entire printing production process into a compact system with digitally controlled information flow. Many of these factors are influenced by human factors. To achieve an organic combination of production and management, the operator can monitor the status of the product in the production process at any time, proofing at any point, allowing the last minute to modify.

Practice has proved that digital workflow technology plays an important role in data processing and exchange in various aspects such as design, scanning input, document processing, digital proofing, film output or direct plate making, printing, and postpress. The author deeply realized in practice that the digital workflow is a profound technological change in the entire printing field and has a revolutionary significance.

Technical advantages

In recent years, the digital workflow has developed rapidly. Famous manufacturers at home and abroad have launched their own digital workflow solutions. These programs emphasize openness, compatibility and operability, so that the entire workflow to achieve the best results. At present, there are various solutions such as PS workflow, PDF workflow, and JDF workflow. The workflow based on Adobe's PDF can easily realize job network transmission and remote proofing. A live document can be transmitted to customers via the Internet, and the printers in the customer's hands can print out proofs, which are sent in the same way after correction. Go back to the printer to modify. The PDF format file can not only handle trapping, but also complete the real-time large format by post, and it is easier to modify the last minute before printing. So PDF workflow is currently the most popular workflow.

In production practice, the author realized that, compared with the traditional workflow, the digital workflow not only has advantages in terms of work efficiency, product quality, and production cost, but more importantly, the digital workflow is an inevitable requirement for prepress and printing development. It is a necessary condition for the development of technologies such as CTP, digital proofing, CIP3, and digital printing. It is also the key to business survival and development. What I value most is that the digitized workflow has achieved a transition from semi-digital and semi-analogue to pure digital before printing, reforming many complex and varied intermediate links and cumbersome manual operations, so as to ensure stable and accurate data transmission.

National characteristics

The digital workflow has its unique approach in the promotion and application in China. Some advanced printing companies aim at achieving CTP output. Starting from the realization of digital folding, digital photography, digital proofing, PDF output, color management, and digital processing are gradually realized. Management, network transmission, and ultimately the entire process of digital.

Currently, there are two modes of digitized workflows that we currently promote and apply. One is the long-distance digital workflow. The second is the short-range prepress digital workflow. There are two main methods: one is a digital workflow based on CTP, and the other is a digital workflow based on a large-format laser imagesetter. (to be continued)