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- Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (Japan)
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Graphic Imaging
[Corporate Profile]
Head Office: 347-11 Ebi, Motosu-shi, Gifu-ken 501-0476, Japan
President: Kazumasa Wakayama
Established: 1912
Employees: 155
Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. boasts a history of 90 years since its inception and has established a solid position as a comprehensive printing company with roots in the local community.
With an eye on the environment unique to the printing industry and with the aim of both hardware and software optimization, the company selected Digital Konsensus Pro (henceforth referred to as "DigikonPro") as the DDCP of choice. Introduction of this product has led to major changes in business development.
The excellence of DigikonPro makes itself felt daily at the printing facility, where great difficulties with colour matching has previously been an issue.
The head office of Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. is located at the northern edge of Nobi plain in an environment of great natural beauty. In keeping with the modern design of the exterior of the building, the manufacturing division is furnished with the very latest equipment. As an example, the printing facility makes use of robot technology and features systems that incorporate "just-in-time" paper supply and ejection, thus realizing a minimum human intervention, power conservative environment from an early stage. Pre-press digitization in the form of DTP and CTP systems are also a feature of the facility. The system thus enables realization of a "one source, multi-use" approach.
However, a pending problem in the digital work flow has been colour proofing. According to Sales Engineering Department Manager Yoshiro Yano when describing the situation prior to introduction of DigikonPro, "While there are jobs for which colour proofs are provided, the problem is delivery of final films with inkjet output paper as the sample. The printing facility has long been complaining that colour matching without a proof produced by halftone dots is difficult. The difficulty lies in the fact that the process takes a long time to carry out, and so development of time-saving methodology has long been an internal issue."
Against this background, introduction of DCCP devices capable of dot reproduction was considered for colour proofing. According to Colour Prepress Department Manager Masahiko Hayashi, "the principal reason for selecting DigikonPro from the numerous products available was the function that allows changes to solid density. Additionally, looking at the actual output paper, we realized that DigikonPro would make it possible to produce a proof as close as possible to the print." He added, "Fine colour reproduction not achievable with inkjet is possible using DigikonPro."
On the other hand, President Kazumasa Wakayama feels that use of DigikonPro, which is capable of stable, high-resolution colour proofing, as the standard for "colour management" is also an important consideration. "When we have large volumes of work, there are cases where we share the prepress jobs with partner companies and, in the past, this has made colour matching difficult. In this respect, I felt that using DigikonPro as the colour-matching standard for both ourselves and partner companies we work with would make for a smooth work process." After introduction of DigikonPro to the facility, Mr. Wakayama reported that "Printing supervisors have expressed favourable results and have said that printing has become easier. The ability to carry out solid density adjustments is of major significance."
Outputting the photographic original from DigikonPro after completion of colour separation in advance greatly contributes to shorter lead times.
Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. is in the process of setting up a colour proofing system with DigikonPro as the nucleus while also making use of previous press proofing and inkjet methods. At present, DigikonPro is used largely for catalogue and DM work to produce first and revised proofs for inspection by the customer, and is thereby fulfilling the role of print sample production.
"At present, DigikonPro output is taken as the base for product quality within the company. Even for press proofing work, there are cases where jobs are output from DigikonPro in advance for colour checking. This approach enables the printing supervisors to reduce work time," explained Mr. Yano.
"Naturally, output speed is faster when compared to inkjet and black overprint can be checked with reliability. This makes for minimal wasted time and cost," added Mr. Hayashi, talking about the merits of DigikonPro.
Further proposals put forward by company President Mr. Wakayama that have led to new methods of using DigikonPro, which provides outstanding reproducibility, have resulted in reduction of lead times. The method in question involves output from DigikonPro after completion of colour scanning of the photographic original alone, enabling checking in advance.
"Carrying out design and layout of problematic photographs, showing the proof to the customer and repeating separation of the returned, corrected proof produces considerable wastage of time. My approach is to carry out advanced checking and to make any necessary adjustments speedily within the company."
As a regionally based printing company, we feel we must develop a filed of speciality. This is a management issue that we will be tackling in the future.
Although a rate of conversion to CTP of approximately 90% has been achieved within the company, some press proofing work that is required for conventional prepress is consigned to sources outside the company: this means that the actual rate at present is approximately 50%. According to Mr. Yano, "Our current target is to heighten the rate of conversion to CTP." As a first step in this process, the fiber optics communication network linking the head office with the Nagoya and Tokyo offices is nearing completion. "This will enable us to move toward a situation where, as far as possible, we will be able to carry out most of processes within the company. It would be ideal if we had a DigikonPro unit at each center of operations. If we can realize a system whereby proofs produced after receipt of data are delivered to the customer by sales staff, we would achieve not only shortened lead times, but also a perfect colour management process, leading to even greater working efficiency," added Mr. Yano, expressing his expectations for the outlook for future .
While taking positive steps toward optimization of the production process, the president, Mr. Wakayama commented on the direction the company must take in the future. "Against a background of ever-heightening cost-related competition, we must develop a field of speciality: printing companies that do not do so will face a future of low growth. I feel that development of such fields of speciality is the responsibility of management." Mr. Wakayama also expressed his opinion that the company should contribute to the vitalization of the local community here in Gifu prefecture. We can look forward to a time when the leading voice guiding the direction for new printing enterprises geared to the next generation will make itself heard from this region.
Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (May, 2003)
