Prepress Services and Benefits
 Digital prepress offers many benefits to our customers. Among them
are: the ability to take advantage of on-demand printing; repurposing of
data for Internet and CD-ROM applications; digital archiving; database management;
image scanning; and many production efficiencies, of which Computer-to-Plate
is the best known.
The more complete our digital system, the greater the advantages
to our customers. Webcom's two most recent systems enable us to
offer our customers fully integrated digital prepress services.
One is our full colour digital proofing;
the other is our CopyDot scanner.
 The
Computer-to-Plate Advantage
Webcom's prepress department is built around a Creo Computer-to-Plate
(CTP) system - an all-digital method of checking copy, imposing
pages, pulling and correcting proofs and exposing the metal printing
plates used in the book production process. CTP removes the need
for camera ready art and eliminates the intermediate film stage
in book production. Creating your digital files correctly will allow
you to take advantage of the many benefits of CTP:
- Lower production costs - no film or camera ready art means labour
and material savings for you.
- Faster turnaround time - eliminating the labour intensive film
stage gets your product to market faster.
- Improved print quality - first generation laser images on plates
produce tighter registration, consistency and higher quality printing.
- Increased flexibility of output - digital files can also be
output to short-run, print-on-demand devices, CD-ROM or on-line
access.
Convert Existing Film to Digital Files
 Now the cost and quality benefits of Webcom's digital prepress system can
be extended to film-based materials and black and white artwork.
Our new large format "CopyDot" scanner automatically
converts both to TIFF or EPS digital files.
This is by no means a conventional flat-bed scanner. Its very high resolution
enables it to capture the finest dot structures, while its speed, reliability,
and efficiency ensure that digital conversion doesn't compromise tight delivery
schedules. This device is ideal for:
- Converting titles which currently only exist as film negatives
so that they can benefit from CTP, or be output in small quantities
from digital print-on-demand devices
- Projects with a combination of hardcopy artwork, film and/or
digital files can be converted to an all digital format to take
advantage of the efficiencies to CTP production
- Old titles existing as camera ready artwork or printed books
can be converted to digital files
For more information on how you can benefit from this exciting service, please
contact your Webcom Sales Representative.
Digital
Colour Proofing
Colour proofing was an area of concern for many of our customers
when Webcom first invested in Computer-to-Plate technology in 1995.
Digital colour proofing technology has developed dramatically since
that time and Webcom's digital colour proofing system has now completely
eliminated the need for film in book manufacturing. Our prepress
system is all digital, non-stop, all the way.
Full colour covers and inserts can be proofed directly from digital files.
These digital proofs provide several cost and performance advantages:
- No need for film. Save time, money and hassles.
- Cover proofs are onto actual stock calibrated to match chosen covers so you know
what your book cover is going to look like.
- Reproduction quality is guaranteed because the proofer is calibrated
to the output characteristics of our presses.
- Production scheduling is simplified because prepress, proofing, platemaking,
and printing are all from a single source.
The proofer generates a continuous tone image at a resolution of 300
dpi. Proofs can be as large as 12" x 19", covering a double page
spread, with bleeds. With 256 shades of process colour available at each
heating element, the proofer delivers a faithful demonstration of the quality
of the printed image. Contact your Webcom
sales representative to see a sample proof.
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