What is different in digital print ?

Digital world – Printing world

“Success in the online world will, I think, beget greater success in the printed medium.

[…] If we are successful, our industry has the potential to reshape itself, and to be

healthier than ever before.” R. Murdoch

pdf

Digital printer

Plate setter

Quality of print: Zero compromise

Digital print – a business perspective

“Digital campaigns combined with printed

direct-mail see 62% ROI increase”,

OMD UK, 2009.

Quality of e-readers is still far below

printed books.

Digital print: a business perspective

PersonalisationVersioning

Less stockCO2 footprint

Less wasteLess chemicals

Print-on-Demand

Variable data

Cheaper short

runs

Close-to-marketWeb-to-

PrintEasy

proofing

Flexibility, very fast deliveries

Shorter production

times

Sustainable digital print

Digital print: a business perspective

Easy-to-Proof Easy-to-Print

Flexible substrate deliveriesMerchant

Reliable print quality

Colour management

Colour Gamut

Toner transfer/ink absorption

Surface of substrate

Sustainable digital paper

Paper type

Paper profile

Substrate thickness

Excellent runnability

Dimensional stability, flatness, toner fixing

Reniewable raw materials

Clean prodction process

De-inkability

CO2 footprint

Digital print – a technical perspective

Water-based dies or

pigmented inks

Low viscosity

Oil-based polymer

powder

More and more

vegetable oils, high

viscosity

Inks

Process conditions

Wetting during print

followed by drying

Drying of paper

during fusing

4 to 10 successive

wettings.

Drying in heatset

offset

InkjetTonerOffset

Digital print – a technical perspective

Moisture

Roughness

Surface

energy

Porosity

According to finishing.Low for

conductivity and

dimensional

stability

High for fast water

absoprtion

Retention of maximum

colour on the surface

(dies or nanoscopic

pigments)

Mechanical

anchorage of toner

particles

Retention of large

ink pigments on

surface

Affinity with waterAffinity with

polymers

Affinity with water

and oils

Ultra-fast water

droplets absorption

Micro-porosity for

water evaporation

during fusing

Fast water film

absorption

Fast absorption of

oils

InkjetTonerOffset

What is a “good enough quality”?

Paper choice

Chose the right paper for the right application

� Functionality: toner or inkjet?

� Uncoated or coated paper?

� Paper gloss

Paper and print gloss effects can be very different between conventional and digital

print. Toners are often matt and applied in thick layers on the paper surface.

When needed, use varnish, glosser, laminate foils or

correct toner gloss on press.

What is “good enough” quality

Runnability: define your own metrics

• How many jams can your production flow stand?

• What kind of quality requires your finishing equipment?

Would this staple go through your folding/binding line?

What is “good enough quality”?

Printability: zero compromise

• The right colours

Many toner based print seem “too red” but this is often the result of poor

colour management.

Reproduction of large fulltone areas in laser printing is often difficult.

Varnishes or laminates can bring more homogeneity and depth to the

print.

Without

colour profile

With colour

profile

www.cleverprinting.de

What is “good enough quality”?

Aspect of final product: zero compromise

• Product flatness: cause: paper moisture and dimensional

stability

• Toner cracking at fold or in cut: cause: poor toner adhesion on

substrate

Toner cracking

Good fold

Conclusion

Today, print is competing with digital media

Digital printing can fulfil the needs of modern media production

Future for digital print? If print can:

• Add value to the media

• Fulfil the needs of modern media production

• And fulfil its core business! EXCELLENT reproduction and diffusion of information