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Over much of the last half century, electronic technologies have played an increasing role in the
prepress production of film and plates prepared for printing presses. The last decade has seen an
explosion of technologies capable of supplementing this production. The most outstanding technology
infusing this growth has been the microcomputer, but other component technologies have also
diversified the capacity for high-quality scanning of photographs. In addition, some fundamental
software and affordable laser recorder technologies have provided new approaches to the merging of
typographic and halftoned photographic data onto film. The next decade will evolve the methods and the
technologies to achieve superior text and image communication on mass distribution media used in the
printed page or instead of the printed page.
This paper focuses on three domains of electronic prepress classified as the input, transformation
and output phases of the production process. The evolution of the component technologies in each of
these three phases is described. The unique attributes in each are defined and then follows a discussion
of the pertinent technologies which overlap all three domains. Unique to input is sensor technology and
analogue to digital conversion. Unique to the transformation phase is the display on monitor for soft
proofing and interactive processing. The display requires special technologies for digital frame storage
and high-speed, gamma-compensated, digital to analogue conversion. Unique to output is the need for
halftoning and binary recording device linearization or calibration. Specialized direct digital color
technologies now allow color quality proofing without the need for writing intermediate separation films,
but ultimately these technologies will be supplanted by direct printing technologies. First. dry film
processing, then direct plate writing, and finally direct application of ink or toner onto paper at the 20-30
thousand impressions per hour now achieved by offset printing.
In summary, a review of technological evolution guides industry methodologies that will define a
transformation of workflow in Graphic Arts during the next decade. Prepress production will integrate
component technologies with microcomputers in order to optimize the production cycle from graphic
design to printed piece. These changes will drastically alter the business structures and tools used to put
type and photographs on paper in the volumes expected from printing presses.
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