Digital printing is a direct-to-paper printing process that eliminates many steps used in traditional offset printing.
Digital printing is often used for:
- Fast turn-around times of jobs that must be printed within a short time frame.
- Short-run jobs that require a small number of copies to be printed.
- Print on Demand jobs that require a limited number of copies to be printed as the need arises. (Compare these to large quantities printed in advance of a known demand, per the requirements of offset printing.)
- Variable Data Printing (VDP), which is a type of on-demand printing. Elements such as text, graphics, and images are changed from one printed piece to the next without stopping the printing process.
JDF technology
Job Definition Format (JDF) technology simplifies the information exchange between software and systems in the graphic arts industry. It provides a method to describe the life cycle of a print job from start to finish, including a detailed description of the prepress, final output device, post-press, and delivery processes.
A JDF workflow and JDF-enabled devices (digital front ends and digital presses) give Prinergy Digital Print more services and a more efficient workflow.
JDF templates
The JDF benefits are derived largely from using JDF templates throughout the workflow. A JDF template, also known as a job ticket, consolidates job information such as page orientation, 2-sided print settings, offset selection, trim sizes, and so on.
JDF templates allow devices throughout the workfow to obtain details about a job remotely (without a digital press operator having to walk to a device to set up a job ticket) and to track the job's progress.