Prepress

The IPA Proofing RoundUP changed proofing forever.

Wednesday 12. March 2008 - IPA now brings the industry a landmark study of the business and technologies of digital print.

IPA announces a landmark study of the business and technologies of digital print to be held in conjunction with the IPA Technical Conference, April 22-24, in Chicago. The 2008 IPA Digital Print Forum will provide an exhaustive snapshot of digital printing color consistency and serve as a basis for defining new global specifications and standards for digital printing best practices and color accuracy. This hands-on, practical review of major digital printing devices will serve as an important benchmark comparison of traditional offset printing.

This independent, technical overview of digital printing technologies will provide a comprehensive examination of digital printing capabilities in a real production environment. A book of printed samples from participating manufacturers will be bound and distributed to Technical Conference attendees, offering a unique opportunity to compare and contrast digital print offerings.

Digital print engines to be studied include xerographic (laser), liquid ink, dry toner, and sheet-fed. Color tests include gamut, digital vs GRACoL and SWOP, neutral tone scales, repeatability, tints and gradients, and Pantone color match. Substrates will be tested for print speeds, cracking, rub resistance, paper variance, fading, special finishes. The Digital Print Forum will also investigate business issues including cost, ROI, front-end workflow integration and variable data printing capabilities.

This thorough analysis of digital printing will offer attendees the knowledge they need to effectively invest in new equipment and integrate digital printing into an offset printing environment.

The Digital Print Forum is lead by Dr. Abhay Sharma, Chair of Graphic Communications at Ryerson University. Dr. Sharma has provided an overview of the objectives and potential takeaways for the event in a podcast