Prepressforums.com

beermonster · #1 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 04:42 AM

folks

i was making a plate a few mins ago, and I thought hey?will i still be doing this in a few years time??which lead me to wonder - what do you good folks here think the future holds?

ctp? pdf? this new microsoft format? workflows? what about the hardwear?will it be macs anymore, or will it be a common platform? what or how does your vision of the future affect what you do now and things like purchasing and suppliers?

will we image straight to plate but on the press itself?

thermal? violet? processless? hey will it all be digital?

I think maybe digital will take a big leap soon, with standards coming up that could chgallenge some sheetfed applications. i think processless plating <except gumming I think> has a future, and will be of interest when they do a B1 size for us.

PDF I think will be the pre-press format, with things like Photoshop and In-Design cutting the edge.

As for hardwear, well I think macs will merge somewhere along the line and maybe we will all be working on a common platform and OS.

this could get interesting :lol:

rhctp · #2 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 04:54 AM

They already have presses that image the cylinder on press (beta), or so I have heard. I think that we will get to a point where all pre-press will just be on maybe 2 people working with 1 file format. Kodak now is trying to implement a digital proofer for the press so you won't have a contract proof anymore. I think will we see more things go this way. Less people = less cost. It is getting to a point where your only cost savings is to reduce labor and that will be the driving force for the manufactures of the new equipment.

ajr · #3 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 05:53 AM

Alot of this new technology is already there, the processorless plate, remote job submission, plates imaging on press. At the moment I don't think there is enough work to really justify the uptake of this new technology. Alot of it is down to money, the big pre press companys make so much money out of chemistry (dev etc ) that the won't push processorless plates very hard. Large format digital presses will be so expensive to run and just eat up all the digital work, the market just aint big enough. By now PDFs and various other digital files should be perfect, really the software should be clever enough to never produce a duff file. But this won't happen, our jobs rely on files needing work, the software keeps changing and evolving creating more problems and in return more revenue for Adobe, Quark etc

I work with a printer with old GTOs and old finishing equipment and he makes more money than the big boys. These machines break down occasionaly and are cheap to repair and maintain and they owe him no money at all.

I really don't know where it will all end but I'm sure in the not too distant future we are going to hit a big recession in the UK . As I don't think there is much money about and people aren't buying. May 2005 was our quietest month on record.

Now please excuse me as I curl up in the corner and cry!

AjR

papawestray · #4 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 06:45 AM

i think that we will run out of oil very soon and wiil be back in the dark ages making prints from potatoes onto dried goat skin!

or am i just being silly

David · #5 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by papawestray

i think that we will run out of oil very soon and wiil be back in the dark ages making prints from potatoes onto dried goat skin!

or am i just being silly

We won't need oil, just burn tater juice. There won't be any printing, it will be digitally imaged into your brain, based of course, on your buying habits and income! 8O

Cornbread · #6 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 08:26 AM

Quote:

We won't need oil, just burn tater juice. There won't be any printing, it will be digitally imaged into your brain, based of course, on your buying habits and income!

I say we make Vodka from the tater juice!!!!

8O 8)

David · #7 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cornbread

Quote:

We won't need oil, just burn tater juice. There won't be any printing, it will be digitally imaged into your brain, based of course, on your buying habits and income!

I say we make Vodka from the tater juice!!!!

8O 8)

Go Here

Yum, Tasty!

DCurry · #8 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 11:20 AM

I think in the future, designers will: forget to send fonts, not add bleed, set up their colors wrong, make us match their crappy lasers, and continue to use Publisher.

edgar · #9 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCurry

I think in the future, designers will: forget to send fonts, not add bleed, set up their colors wrong, make us match their crappy lasers, and continue to use Publisher.

I agree with you. Bad thinks will never change.

Seems to be all media will be digital, since handhelds and public displays on public transportation vehicles have been more effectives than papers.

Handhelds and wireless internet seems to be a powerful combination that could finish the printing industries. If no paper no jobs.

Or we will print electronic boards or we will be editing videos for massive media. But Adobe will still alive with their PDF technology.

duck · #10 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 01:44 PM

I figure in ten years I'll be stuck in some small shop with no benefits ripping screwed up files to a PS/M v.6 rip on a PowerMac 8600 with 300 Mhz processor with a boss constantly asking why it takes so long and "Why won't it rip correctly? that rip has worked fine for the last 25 years!"

Of course I'll be completely bald and far more mentally disturbed than I already am ... :?