INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS IN GRAPHIC ARTS TECHNOLOGY

POST-RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT

December 2006

WEBPOSKOK - Innovative application for:

Print production management

• production planning and organization (job card, production chart)
• cost estimating and calculation, invoicing
• offers and quotation management
• material management
• Workflow establishment and monitoring at a company level
• Actual calculations
• Calculate loss or profit of unexpected situations (damage of a machine, problem with spare parts or material availability, calculation of outsourcing a part of the production etc.
• Profit projection with a new investment …
• … and a lot more.

Learning

• simulation of print production management
• projection, control and evaluation of workflows – workflow modeling

The application is the result of intensive research of the team (Ziljak, Pap) on innovative development of the following:

• Content management
• XML
• Relational database (SQL server)
• Web application
• SVG
• Modeling
• Knowledge database

Application levels - Levels of modeling

Production process:

• Prepress
• Press (print)
• Post-press

Classification of printed matters-products
Addition of production parameters
Addition of machines and processes

Generic webposkok – Application for learning

• Use of virtual companies, workflows, processes and machines for education purposes
• Creation of a learning tool

Customized Webposkok

• Application via the customization process for graphic arts companies
• Creation of customized structures for organizations, publishers, printing plants, newspapers etc.
• Offer of a complete package (kit) with the customized software application, support and further development.

Actions:

• Writing and presentation of scientific papers
• Writing of one-two white papers
• Presentations at various events (as a marketing activity)
• Create of a support team
• Apply for an European Union program for further financing (Which call? Need to be addressed, for example DG enterprise, the 7th research framework of the EU – www.cordis.eu).
• Make a stand at DRUPA?

Titles of scientific papers – white papers

1. Optimising the graphic arts production workflow
How an optimal workflow can be created by entering machines and processes

2. Use of XML for innovative production management in print production

3. Simulating print production

4. Solving complexity in print production

5. Innovative tools for print management

Problem idefinition

• Graphic arts production – a high degree of complexity of print and finishing
• A wide range of parameters to be considered for the production of a printed matter.
• A high degree of difficulty in modeling all parameters
• Printed products vary quite considerably. Similar or even the same products can differ if one parameter change (a colour, the number of pages, the quantity, the material o the printing process/machine).
• Parameters are placed at different levels:
• Machines
• Processes
• Printed matters – products
• Materials
• Number of copies
• Workflows
• Additional parameters are the staff (salaries, working time) the calculation of these costs as well as other costs and their influence in the production planning and calculation process.

Furthermore these parameters affect the production planning and organization, the cost-estimating process, the pre-calculation, the quotation, offer, the final invoicing and the loss-profit structure.
All these (to be further defined and classified), create a considerable difficulty for standardizing and modeling of the production and is specific parameters

Background:

Workflows – definitions

Workflow structures for the graphic arts production - from the simplest workflow (prepress-press-postpress) to complex workflows

Efforts to solve the problem:

MIS specifically developed for the graphic arts production
Customized software packages
JDF-JMF concept

Our research - Research outcome:

A system for total (holistic) print management of print production

• A web application
• Involve a long-time work in creating a Knowledge database
• Use of relational database structures – SQL server technology
• Innovative modeling
• XML
• SVG

Results, conclusions

References