The evolution of the book
At drupa 2008 Océ has launched a digitally printed book about the history and on-demand future of "The Book". Océ is the industry leader in digital book printing. Each month more than six million books are produced on-demand on Océ systems around the world. Roll Over Gutenberg is a two-hundred page publication in merged color and black & white. It was produced on Océ systems each day at drupa 2008.
Rewind half a millennium to the mid-1400s. A German by the name of Johannes Gutenberg has harnessed deep knowledge of metallurgy and growing impatience with the high costs and slow processes used to print books to invent movable type. His innovation would allow bookmakers to create infinite combinations of words and phrases an infinite number of times, and thereby produce books in mass quantities at a comparably reasonable cost.
At the time, Gutenberg couldn't have dreamed that his invention would ignite a revival of learning, that it would spur new developments in the arts, science, and medicine and a cultural movement that would alter the course of history. With its special “Roll Over Gutenberg” book, Océ is showing how high quality color and B/W pages can be merged inline in an automated production workflow. The book combines prints from two digital presses, the Océ VarioPrint 6250 (black & white) and the Océ CS650 Pro (color). The workflow is managed by Océ PRISMAprepare, which separates the B/W and color portions of the document and ensures the page data is routed correctly to either the B/W or color press. It then takes charge of the post-print merging to reassemble and finish the product.
Fascinating journey
Roll Over Gutenberg seeks to explore the fascinating journey of the book through time and examines the traditional book printing and publishing model and how various stakeholders—book manufacturers, publishers, and sellers—are leveraging new technology to rewrite the rules.
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