As the industry of knowledge diffusion and civilization spreading, printing industry has been paid much attention by Party and Government.  After last 30 years of reform and opening up, China’s printing industry has formed a complete industry chain, including book & periodical printing, packaging printing, newspaper printing, commercial printing, fancy printing and so on.  It basically meets the need of national economy.  According to the statistics of PEIAC (Printing and Printing Equipment Industries Association of China), the output value of China’s printing industry in 2007 was 440 billion RMB yuan, up by 90 times compared with the output value of printing industry in 1979, which was 4.8 billion RMB yuan.  The output value of prepress in 2007 was 22.5 billion RMB yuan, up by 9% over the previous year; the output value of book & periodical printing was 85 billion RMB yuan, up by 4.9% over the previous year; the output value of newspaper printing was 55 billion RMB yuan, up by 4.8% over the previous year; output value of packaging printing was 140 billion RMB yuan, up by 13.4% over the previous year; the output value of foreign trade printing was 41.5 billion RMB yuan, up by 15.3% over the previous year; the output value of other printing was 41 billion RMB yuan, up by 12% over the previous year.

 

 

China’s printing industry has become a complete system after consistent development of 30 years. In 2007, China’s printing industry has moved up to the 12^th place in the output value ranking of all departments on national economy, and China also has become the third country in the field of printing all over the world.  Especially the output value of packaging printing has already reached 140 billion RMB yuan, taking 32% in the output value of China’s printing industry.

 

Chart i.  The increase of output value of China’s printing industry

(Unitage: billion RMB yuan)

    

 

Table i. The increase of output value of China’s printing industry

Year	1979	1982	1987	1988
Output Value	4.797 billion RMB yuan	5 billion RMB yuan	11.193 billion  RMB yuan	13.856 billion RMB yuan
Year	1989	1990	1991	1992
Output Value	15.823 billion RMB yuan	17.339 billion RMB yuan	21.664 billion RMB yuan	26.236 billion RMB yuan
Year	1995	2001	2002	2003
Output Value	85 billion RMB yuan	179.9 billion RMB yuan	201.2 billion RMB yuan	230.9 billion RMB yuan
Year	2004	2005	2006	2007
Output Value	280 billion RMB yuan	310 billion RMB yuan	380 billion RMB yuan	440 billion RMB yuan

 

From the late 70s to early 80s in the 20^th century, total output of China’s printing equipment was just about 20 to 30 thousand tons, technological level and specification also couldn’t fulfill the need of development of printing industry.  After 30 years of reform and opening up, the level and capacity of China’s printing equipment manufacture has improved a lot by the process of technology importing, research, and re-innovation.   Nowadays, the equipments for prepress, printing and postpress have formed product seriation.  Middle and low grade equipment not only meet the need of domestic market, but also are exported.  China’s printing equipment industry has entered top four in the world in 2006.

 

Table ii.Output value, import and export of China’s printing equipment manufacture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table iii.Top six of printing equipment manufacture all over the world in 2006

(Unitage: million US dollars)

		The first	The second	The third	The fourth	The fifth	The sixth
Output Value	Country	Germany	Japan	America	China	UK	Italy
	Amount	9730	4918	2712	2000	1400	1060
Import	Country	America	China	Russia	Italy	Germany	Japan
	Amount	2200	1600	1228	922	920	798
Export	Country	Germany	Japan	America	UK	Italy
	Amount	6325	3538	1246	1060	940

 

 

Printing material here includes paper and board, offset plate, ink, photographic film and blanket.

 

i. Paper and Board

Paper and board are mostly used for printing directly or indirectly, for example, newspaper and writing paper are used for printing directly while corrugated paper is used for printing indirectly.  It is accustomed to choose consumption of paper and board as one meter to judge whether a country or region is developed in printing industry.

 

At present, the output and consumption of China’s paper and board is the second large in the world, just behind America.  We can see from the chart iii below, it was the first time that export was larger than import in 2007.  In spite of this, China’s per capita annual consumption is still lower than per capita annual consumption of world.

 

The biggest problem for papermaking industry is import of lignosol and water paper stock.  Nowadays, the consumption of lignosol for papermaking approximately takes 20% in total consumption of stock in China, while the percentage is 60% in the world.  Because being short of forest resource, China is necessary to import large quantities of lignosol.  In 2006, the import of lignosol was 7.96 million tons, taking 60% in total consumption of lignosol; the import of water paper stock was 15.7 million tons, taking 46% in total consumption of water paper stock.  How to balance the cycle of afforestation and papermaking is a serious issue that papermaking industry must face to.

 

Chart ii. Output of China’s paper and board during 30 years of reform and opening up

(Unitage: million tons)

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chart iii. Output, import, export and consumption of China’s paper and board from 2001 to 2007

(Unitage: thousand tons)

Chart iv. The change of per captia annual consumption of paper and board in China since 1978

(Unitage: kilogramme)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ii. Offset Plate

16 characters guideline for development of printing industry pointed out that China should develop offset printing, which is correct.  But at that time, both of quality and amount of offset plate couldn’t meet the need of printing industry.  Albumen plate, PVA plate, polymetal plate and so on were used mostly.  PS plate is pre-coated plate, which is convenient for data management, also has steady and good quality.  So it was necessary to develop PS plate which has been industrialization abroad.

 

China began to research PS plate at the end of 70’s in the 20^th century, and formed large-scale production till the middle and late 1980s. Then, PS plate developed rapidly from the end of 1990s to present. 

 

It can be seen from table iv and chart v, the output of offset plate increased a lot in recent decades.  Nowadays, China has already been the first country in output and consumption of offset plate all over the world, import decreased and export increased greatly.  Meantime, the level of production equipment got improved. Sheet production line has been replaced by continuous production line, and a complete production chain was formed by aluminum sheet, photo-emulsion, packaging material and wash-out developer manufacture.  PEIAC organized national quality inspection and the quality of PS plate is improved greatly.

 

There are some changes in the concept of offset plate recently.  Offset plate only referred to PS plate in the past, then CTP plate was included as new item.  The HS-code for CTP plate was established specially by Customers in 2005. 

 

In the middle and late of 1990s, CTP plate technology began to mature and be promoted abroad, which developed when entering the 21^st century.  CTP plate consumption of North America and Europe took 60% to 80% in whole offset plate consumption while China’s CTP plate consumption took 13%.

 

Chart v. Output of offset plate

(Unitage: million square meters)

    

Table iv.Output of offset plate from 1985 to 2007

(Unitage: million square meters)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chart vi.Output, import, export and consumption of offset plate from 2001 to 2007

(Unitage: million square meters)

Table v. Output, import, export and consumption of PS plate and CTP plate

(Unitage: million square meters)

 

 

 

iii. Printing Ink

At the early stage of reform and opening up, China just has near 30 ink factories and output of ink was also just about 20 thousand tons (offset printing ink took 40% and letterpress printing ink took 30%).  At that time, the quality of publication printing ink was poor, so high grade ink used in China was basically imported from foreign countries. 

 

In 2007, China’s ink output has reached 390 thousand tons, offset printing ink took over 50%, and letterpress printing ink was gradually replaced by rotogravure ink and flexography ink.  

 

Chart vii. Output of ink from 1980 to 2007

(Unitage: thousand tons)

 

Table vi. Output of ink from 1980 to 2007

(Unitage: thousand tons)

Year	Output	Year	Output	Year	Output
1980	21.6	1992	73	2001	200
1985	40.8	1993	87.8	2002	220
1986	44.9	1996	140	2003	240
1987	45.8	1997	143	2004	270
1988	50	1998	150	2005	300
1990	52	1999	170	2006	355
1991	60	2000	185	2007	390

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chart viii. Output, import, export and consumption of ink from 2001 to 2007

(Unitage: thousand tons)

 

 

i. 16 characters guideline and 28 characters guideline directed the development of China’s printing technology

 

Mr Fan Muhan chaired 16 characters guideline in September, 1982, which includes laser phototypesetting, electronic scanning, offset printing, online binding.  It means to promote the development of electronic scanning, offset printing and online binding by the development of laser phototypesetting.  During the first 15 years of reform and opening up, China’s printing technology abandoned letterpress printing, began to use laser technology and electronic technology.  During the last 15 years of reform and opening up, China entered new age of digital printing under the direction of 28 characters guideline, which includes prepress -- digitalization and networking, printing -- polychromatic and efficient, material -- high quality and serialization, postpress -- diversification and automatization.

 

ii. Development of Offset Printing Technology

 

At the beginning of reform and opening up, package printing was in early stage, so publishing printing was paid much attention by industry, including book printing, newspaper printing and magazine printing.  The development of offset printing technology represented the development of book printing, newspaper printing, magazine printing, as well as whole printing industry.

 

During 30 years of reform and opening up, China’s printing equipment has been improved not only in amount, but in technological level:  a. Printing press begins to use shaftless drives.  Shaftless drives can make ancillary operation abandon traditional handwork, in the meantime, intelligentized level and digital level of printing equipment has got improved a lot.  Recently, shaftless drives just begins to be used in sheet-fed press in China, and independent drives only can be realized in dampening roller and ink roller.  There still is a real gap existing compared with foreign country.  b. Technology of digital platemaking makes breakthrough.  Plate used in printing equipment is produced by traditional platemaking equipment through working procedures of page-up, photo, burning, image fixing and so on, while CTP platemaker can output plate directly from computer file.  China’s CTP technology develops a lot in the field of CTP platemaker and digital ink jet printer in 2007, both of which have been mass-produced by domestic enterprises.  c. Sheet-fed color printing press developes quickly.  Sheet-fed color printing press is main equipment in package printing industry.  According to the statistics of PEIAC (Printing and Printing Equipment Industries Association of China) and China Customs, 2512 equipments were involved in market in 2007, including 1377 domestic equipments, which took 54.8% in need of market.  And the market of web-fed offset press, web-fed flexographic press and web-fed letterpress took over 70% in printing press market.  d. Running speed of printing press is increased.  Nowadays, the press speed of sheet-fed color printing press has reached 12,000 to 15,000 sheets per hour, the press speed of web-fed newspaper press has reached 70,000 to 75,000 sheets per  hour, the press speed of web-fed gravure press has reached 300 meters per minute, and the running speed of fully automatic platen die cutter has reached 8,000 sheets per hour.  e. Modern technology of speed regulation is used widely.  In the past, the method of speed regulation was complex and the scope of which was limited. Besides, there were a mass of waste in metallic material, conversion costs and electric power.  But now, the application of speed regulation with electric converter simplifies the configuration of equipment, solves the problem about speed control for main drive and extends the utilization of electric converter.  Many functions begin to be used in printing machinery, just like tension control, circumferential registration, jogging, slitting, cross-cut and so on.  f. Technology of online operation develops a lot.  Main online operation includes in-line finish, online piling and baling, online enameling as well as online re-reeling in web-fed press; online cutting, UV enameling as well as turning printing in sheet-fed press; double paper feeders and double deliveries in web-fed gravure press; online finishing in binding equipments.  g. Computer is used widely.  Application of CAD, CAPP, CAM and MRPII can increase the efficiency of design development, manufacture and management. 

 

  Chart ix. Development of offset printing in terms of film composition, offset printing and offset printing press. 

 

  

Table vii. Development of offset printing in terms of the development of writing method and platemaking

 

 

Year	Writing Method		Platemaking	Printing
	Letter	Design
1978	Type composition	Photo	Hot metal typesetting	Letterpress
1988	Type composition &  Film composition	Photo & Electronic scanning	Hot metal typesetting Burning（PS plate）	Letterpress & Offset printing
1998	Film composition & Type composition	Electronic scanning & Photo & Scanning	Burning（PS plate）	Offset printing & Letterpress
Nowadays	Film composition	Scanning	Burning（PS plate） Direct platemaking (CTP plate)	Offset printing

 

iii. Development of Package Printing Industry

 

Package printing industry made great progress during 30 years of reform and opening up.  Gross output value of package printing industry has already reached over 140 billion RMB yuan from the output value of package printing industry in 1980, which was 4 billion RMB yuan.  Nowadays packaging industry has become one of important industries in China’s national economy.  In 2006, the whole packaging printing industry finished the packaging task to export commodity of 12 thousand US dollars and retail goods of 89 thousand RMB yuan, gross output value of which has reached 500 billion RMB yuan.  Package printing includes printing to paper products packaging, metallic packaging, plastic packaging, glass packaging and bamboo packaging.

 

According to statistics, annual rate of growth of package printing industry has reached 10% to 15% during the last ten years, and application of new technology offered package printing industry new solutions and opportunities:  a. Computer technology is used in direct platemaking, including CTP, CDI and direct plate engraving system.  b. Thin sleeve printing plate and direct driving technology are used in printing press.  Forme cylinder with thin sleeve printing plate is used in most new-style flexographic press and gravure press, which can change printing length, reduce cost and be used repetitively.  Application of direct driving technology not only can make register precision higher, but also can make any printing length come true during limited range to increase production efficiency.  c. Printing equipment develops to polychromatism, high-speed and automation.  New-style web-fed press uses automatic paster, automatic leader and automatic tension controller, which can realize non-stop sheet roll change and wrap-up.  Automatic washing facilities, fast plate changing system and locating system can help to improve efficiency a lot.  d. Modular printing and online handling are main development direction of package printing industry.  Modular printing means to combine the printing process you need, just like offset printing, flexographic printing, gravure printing, screen printing, digital printing and so on, to satisfy the requirement of high grade packaging product and label.  Online handling means to combine coating, lamination, enameling, blanking, die cutting, raised impression and other finishing function in one product line according to requirement after printing.  Online handling has many kinds of product capacity to finish product in one time.  e. Application of new-style environment-friendly material.  Recycle of packaging material is paid much attention according to the requirement of environmental sustainable development.  Packaging printing industry begins to use aqueous ink, UV ink and EB ink to reduce pollution of organic solvent.

 

 

Regional imbalance appeared in development of China’s printing industry because of impact of government policy, geographical position, resource and so on.  Printing industry of Guangdong province developed most quickly. It took one third in total output of China’s printing industry.  Below is regional distribution of China’s printing industry.     

 

	Number of Enterprises		Quantity of Employment (Unitage: thousand)		Output （Unitage: billion）
Yangzi River Delta Region and the East Coast	31,900	30.01%	825	24.91%	151	33.26%
Pan-pearl River Delta Region (Guangdong Province)	18,650	17.54%	828	24.21%	127	27.97%
Bohai Coastal Region	15,900	14.96%	665	19.44%	78	17.18%
Old Industrial Base in Northeast (Three Northeast Provinces)	9,500	8.94%	202	5.91%	21	4.63%
Central Plains	13,600	12.79%	447	13.07%	40	8.81%
Other Regions	16,750	15.76%	426	12.46%	37	8.15%
Total	106,300	100%	3,420	100%	454	100%

Table viii.Regional distribution of enterprises, employees and output of China’s printing industry.

 

 

There are 99,787 printing enterprises in China, including 2,329 foreign-funded printing enterprises. And overall foreign investment has reached 17.88 billion US dollars. 

 

China’s foreign trade printing industry started 30 years before.  Nowadays, annual output value has reached 41.5 billion RMB yuan.  Pan-pearl river delta region’s reform and opening up started earlier and it is near Hongkong, so foreign trade printing developed most quickly there.  Both number of printing enterprises and output value of Pan-pearl delta region surpassed other regions in China.  Recently, foreign trade printing in Shanghai also developed greatly. 

 

 

Chart x. Distribution of China’s printing enterprises in 1979

 

Chart xi. Distribution of China’s printing enterprises in 2006

 

 

During 30 years’ reform and opening up, personnel training and in-service training of printing industry has developed greatly, because of the need of development of printing industry.  According to incomplete statistics, there are 57 printing colleges and schools in China.  Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, Qufu Teachers College, Xi’an University of Technology, Wuhan University, Zhuzhou Engineering College, Zhengzhou People’s Liberation Army College of Mapping have considerably influence to Chinese printing industry.  They dispatch excellent graduates to printing industry every year and also held professional training course for in-serve staff constantly to improve their professional skills.

 

At present, China’s system of education and training is mainly composed of three parts: a. college education; b. vocational education; c. in-service training.

 

Undergraduate courses of printing engineering have been offered by university since 1950s in China.  By 2006, 16 universities offer printing engineering courses, and about 1600 students were enrolled in these universities every year, which just took 0.04% in printing employees in that year.  There was a big gap between supply and demand of graduates.

 

Industrial structure transforms to technology-intensive type from manpower-intensive type while modern printing industry is absorbing high-technology.  High skilled talents can help to promote technological innovation and economic development, speed up transformation of high-tech achievements and adjustment of industrial structure.  According to government’s requirement for development of vocational education, high skilled talents should take more than 25% in totality of skilled workers by 2010.  However, there is a long distance to go.  Skilled worker in printing industry is the largest portion among news and publication industry. It is urgent to promote training of high skilled talents.

 

 

We get some points after 30 years’ reform and opening up:

 

a.         Development of printing industry is correlated closely to the Communist Party’s policy and development of national economy.  China’s reform and opening up helps printing industry develop quickly.

 

b.  30 years’ reform and opening up promoted development of socialistic market economy and kept market open.  Consequently, printing industry continued to take advanced technology, management and investment, also integrated with international market, which increased technology innovation, management innovation and system innovation, strengthened printing enterprises’ competitive power in market, shortened the gap with developed countries.

c.  As the reform and opening up continued to deepen, diversified economic sectors developed jointly in printing industry.  Meanwhile, the basic role of market mechanism in allocation of resources was more and more manifest, and industrial structure and product structure were optimizing 

 

d.  China’s printing industry’s integration into global economy of was accelerating.  At present, expanding domestic market and international market has been important management concepts of printing enterprise, and international operation is the way to go.

 

China’s printing industry has made tremendous achievements after 30 years’ reform and opening up.  Nowadays, China’s printing industry has been big power in terms of total quantity or scale.  But China’s printing industry still has real gap with developed countries in printing technology, printing equipment, printing material, and so on: industrial intensification level is different; overall economic efficiency of printing enterprises are still fairly low; environment and support system for independent innovation are not sound; green printing just begins; implementing strategy of developing printing industry through education and talents is urgent.  So we should deepen reform further, open wider to the outside world, persist in scientific development and speed up the realization of printing industrial modernization, to making China one of important global printing bases by 2010.