DIGITAL PRINTING THE FUTURE OF PRINTING - HIGHLIGHTS MANY OF THE CHANGES IN PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

Nowadays, all printing is digital as far as it relates to computer-to- plate, -press, or -print technologies. The printing industry will soon be computer-to-plate with text and images imaged directly to the plat e without any film imaging. In such presses as Heidelberg GTO-DI, Quic kMaster DI-46 and MAN Roland Dicoweb the plate is imaged mounted on th e press. In computer-to-print equipment such as inkjet printers and ph otocopiers, the image may be renewed at each press revolution. Recent technologies such as the Indigo E-Print 1000, Xeikon DCP1 and Scitex S pontane digital presses are presented. The driving forces explaining t he exponential digital printing trend are discussed.