This paper gives brief introduction about the movement to construct a unified database and a tracking message exchange system for process control. Database AMPAC (Database Architecture Model and Control Parameter Coding for Process Control and Workflow) and IFRAtrack are described. Database AMPAC especially focuses on constructing the Database including all of parameters in the printing production system while IFRAtrack especially focuses on exchanging the tracking message between news printing companies. The concept combining those two will be necessary to construct a Network Production System.

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Most of printing production processes have already changed to digital ones, and the paradigm of the Graphic Arts industry is shifting rapidly to an information processing industry from a printing industry. And a digital networking is one of key technologies which accelerate the shift. As each process will change to digital, it will be standardized and open. Clients will get “Best of Everything” which means that they can choose the best company for each process and combine them by digital collaboration. GTRAX is one of the best digital networking infrastructures for the Graphic Arts industry. First, this paper describes an outline of GTRAX service and its technology. Then, it introduces some network applications which support a digital collaboration, like workflow management system, network color management and Public Key Infrastructure for a secure e-business.

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Owing to the rapid progress of computer and digital technology, conventional complicated prepress process is replaced by desk top publishing and printing plate process is also unified by CTP (computer to plate) system. Moreover, various kinds of digital presses are developed and the barrier between prepress and press is disappearing. As for the interface between prepress and press, the first step was pin system which relates the printing register. As the next step, ink presetting system was developed and widely used in order to shorten adjusting time of printing color tone. CIP3 system is put forward and is becoming the standard for the interface of printing process, as it transfers the information of prepress to the process thereafter. Digital presses with plates, such as GTO-DI and Quickmaster-DI are popular and SpeedMaster-DI, 74Karat, Truepress and some other new systems are recently announced. These presses will be widely accepted for the short run market. As for the digital prepress without plates, E-print, DCP and some other systems are widely used for on demand printing market with its features of dynamic image change, etc. Furthermore, a lot of new systems such as Elcography, etc. are being developed. Digital presses without plates are considered to be the final goal of integration of printing process and this integration of printing process is steadily and rapidly advancing industry.

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In recent years, counterfeit by color copying and printing increases much by the spread of computer. And the inspection of counterfeit by the naked eyes has been fallen into a difficulty. Using the microscope photometer and the image analysis, we developed the method to identify whether products are counterfeited or not. This inspection method is simple and does not require long time. The inspection method is as follows; To detect minute difference caused by different colorants, the image captured by a flat bed scanner is separated into red, green, and blue components and they are measured by a microspectrophotometer. In addition to this, using cluster analysis and principal component analysis, lightness histograms of whole captured image and some part of the images are compared to detect the differences between the products. By this method, the identification of counterfeit is possible in a high degree of accuracy.

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Typical preparation methods of microcapsules and characterization of wall-materials affecting elementary function of microcapsules were reviewed. In addition, some examples of microcapsules applications, especially in the field of information recording materials and display devices were given.

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