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July 23, 1999
ELEVEN TECHNOLOGIES HONORED WITH THE 1999 GATF INTERTECH TECHNOLOGY AWARDS
Pittsburgh, Pa., July 23, 1999 æ The Graphic Arts Technical Foundation
(GATF) is proud to announce the technologies that have now earned the
prestigious title of 1999 GATF InterTech Technology Award winner. Eleven
innovative technologies were chosen from a record breaking 46 nominations,
an increase of 31 percent.
Inaugurated in 1978 to foster awareness and understanding of advanced
graphic arts technology, this award honors excellence in innovative technology
for the graphic communications industry. The nomination criteria stipulate
that the technology be recently developed and proven in industrial application,
but not yet in widespread use.
GATF sponsors the award and coordinates the award process but does not
select the recipients. InterTech Technology Award winners are chosen by
an anonymous judging committee comprised of industry experts and users
who are independent of GATF. Nominators and nominees do not have to be
members of GATF.
This year’s awards include the first digital camera to win an InterTech
Technology Award, as well as two technologies for flexographic and gravure
printing. The 1999 awards also include a product that did not use software,
electronics, or "high-tech" methods, but was simply innovative
in integrating labels into an in-line workflow.
1999 InterTech Technology Award Winners
- Agfa Apogee
Agfa-Gevaert NV
Agfa Apogee is a high-end prepress production system that uses PDF (Portable Document Format) as its native internal format. It accepts PostScript, EPS, DCS, TIFF/IT, and PDF input directly. The Apogee system fully maximizes the production-enhancing capabilities inherent to PDF, which include late-stage editability, predictability, compactness, and device- and page-independence. Dovetailing with several vendors’ off-the-shelf plug-ins, Apogee is a tightly integrated system that resolves the production issues that are difficult to represent in composite PostScript, including spot colors and duotones. "Apogee has enabled us to fully integrate PDF into the workflow, making an incredible difference for both printers and designers," said one judge.
- Samba Screening
BARCO Graphics
Specially designed for flexographic and silk screen printing applications, Samba Screens uniquely combine the advantages of stochastic screening technology and classic screening technology, while avoiding the disadvantages, into one new screening method. By doing so, BARCO has substantially increased the quality of flexographic printing (widest tonal range, lower dot gain, clean highlights, open shadows) without any investment on the press, and with minimum effort in prepress. "This enables printers to pursue offset jobs and convert them to lower-cost flexographic jobs without losing quality," commented a judge.
- Croda Adhesives Integrated Label Technology
Croda Adhesives, Inc.
This new technology enables printers to create United States Postal Service-approved pressure-sensitive labels using a wide- or narrow-web press, as opposed to purchasing release liner and adhesive-coated face stock from an outside source. This technology, in effect, allows web printers to become pressure-sensitive label converters. By integrating the label in-line, printers are able to produce higher quality labels significantly faster and at a substantially lower cost. "This should really benefit direct mail customers," a judge remarked. "And by bringing the label in-line, this simplistic yet innovative process will open the door to creativity."
- Grafix CoCure™ Process
Grafix North America, Inc.
The CoCure™ process is capable of providing in one in-line press pass a level of gloss and rub resistance previously thought to be obtainable only when running on a double coater or a full UV press. It enables printers with an existing tower coater-equipped press to produce a UV-coated sheet in-line without an excessive capital investment in equipment or having to dedicate the press to UV work only. "Grafix has taken in-line coating to the next level," explained one judge.
- Polar Compucut with CIP3 Workflow
Heidelberg USA
Polar Compucut is a proprietary software by Polar-Mohr that uses CIP3-compliant prepress data to preprogram Polar cutters. In developing this, Heidelberg makes it possible to digitally control and integrate manufacturing from prepress, through press, to postpress. It significantly increases the efficiency of cutting by reducing makeready time and supplying comprehensive, up-to-date information. "By applying CIP3 standards to the bindery, Heidelberg has brought the postpress into the digital workflow," noticed several judges. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen’s CPC 32 Prepress Interface was recognized with a 1998 InterTech Technology Award.
- Sunday 4000 Press with Autoplate®
Heidelberg Web Systems
The Sunday 4000 is the first and only 48-page web press with fully automated plate-changing capabilities. This breakthrough in makeready now allows for high-speed, high-pagination production of high-quality offset signatures with minimum plate changing time. With Autoplate®, a single operator can load new plates into cassettes while the Sunday 4000 is running, and the automatic plate change can be completed in less than five minutes. "Although automated plate changers have been available for years for other press sizes, it was a major engineering accomplishment to bring this technology to a 48-page web press," a judge said.
- MarkzScout
Markzware Software, Inc.
MarkzScout is a workflow toolkit that can automatically transition native digital documents. It examines job elements in native documents and separates the files according to the type, characteristics, or contents of those files. It works within any prepress workflow system and its built-in technology processes documents created from a multitude of commonly used applications. It can be controlled by user-definable rules for extremely quick preflighting decisions and a more efficient workflow. "This software will save an enormous amount of time in preflighting. It’s worth its weight in gold," said a judge.
- LASERSTAR
Max Daetwyler Corp.
Daetwyler’s LASERSTAR is the first engraving process to successfully utilize laser technology to engrave gravure cylinders. This contact-free imaging process has expanded the scope of gravure engraving to new levels, dramatically improving previous limitations of the engraving process. Its high-speed engraving (70,000 cells per second) has shortened the cylinder processing time, significantly improving the number of cylinders per shift yet with a higher, more consistent quality. "This technology breakthrough that allows gravure to use lasers will spur innovation throughout the gravure industry. Ultimately, it could lead to the development of more cost efficient cylinder-base materials and, coupled with its speed and automation of the process, could transform gravure into a more mainstream printing process.
- LightPhase
Phase One
The Phase One LightPhase professional digital camera back is an imaging system that delivers superior quality, speed, versatility, and increased productivity. The single-shot LightPhase is perfect for a full range of photographic applications including portrait and fashion as well as moving subjects and still-life. The optional Portable Solution is based on a completely portable and powerful computer that enables photographers the freedom to go on-location with the same efficiency and quality as in the studio. "Images taken with the LightPhase can be photographed, viewed, and immediately emailed from one device," noted one judge.
- Color Control System (CCS)
Quad/Tech, Inc. (QTI)
QTI’s Color Control System (CCS) is an on-line, video-based scanning system for web presses that uses color measurement information to reduce the subjectivity of color. The CCS automatically searches for, locates, and tracks micro colorbars to relate color density information to press operators. Each video capture of the micro colorbar relates real-time color measurements of solid ink density (SID), print contrast, trap, and dot gain to the press operator. The press operator does not need to make any moves because the CCS automatically sends any necessary corrections to press ink key control consoles. "This easy-to-use tool for the pressroom will improve quality and reduce makeready waste due to color," said a judge.
- MicroPress® Cluster Printing System
T/R Systems, Inc.
The MicroPress Cluster Printing System is a document production solution designed to enable users to easily manipulate and organize documents for production printing. Its options include everything from post-RIP preview of a job to post-RIP imposition and page numbering. On the MicroPress, customers can cluster black-and-white, color, wide-format, or a mixture of any of these devices together and print to them all simultaneously. It allows large and small companies alike to affordably produce documents that are created with a vast array of applications and require rapid turnaround, constant modification, and superior quality. "This system has significantly impacted the print-on-demand market by offering an affordable, powerful, midrange solution to corporate, commercial, quick printers, and others," said a judge.
Winners will be presented a Lucite star award at the 1999 Graphic Arts
Industry Summit—a joint annual meeting that includes GATF, NSTF,
and Printing Industries of America (PIA). The conference will be held
November 5-9, 1999 in San Antonio, Texas. As a highlight of the conference,
representatives of companies receiving the award will make presentations
describing their technologies to industry leaders in attendance.
GATF will also publish an InterTech Technology Award Presentation Booklet
featuring the award-winning technologies, as well as all nominated technologies,
to be distributed to its members. Nonmembers can acquire this technology
showcase booklet for $10.
For more information about the 1999 InterTech Technology Award winners
or about the 2000 awards competition, contact Richard Warner, vice president
and director of research at GATF, 200 Deer Run Road, Sewickley, PA 15143-2600;
phone 412/741-6860 ext. 581; fax 412/741-2311; or e-mail info@gatf.org.
Headquartered near Pittsburgh, Pa., GATF is a member-supported, nonprofit, scientific, technical, and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of graphic communications industries worldwide. For 75 years GATF has developed leading-edge technologies and practices for printing, and each year the Foundation develops new products, services, and training programs to meet the evolving needs of the industry.
