The history of Desktop Publishing from 1984 onwards

“The history of prepress from 1984 onwards”  article (http://www.prepressure.com/prepress/history) is a nostalgic overview of DESKTOP PUBLISHING aspect of the Prepress industry. 

Scitex America with Visionary at Mac World ’94

In the early 80’s many of the technologies that are still in use today first appear on the market. IBM launches its Personal Computer. The Apple Lisa offers a first glimpse at the graphical user interface that will later be made popular by the Macintosh.

(“search”, or “Find” the word Scitex).

The following are just a few the article’s comments:

The nineties: the big wars are fought
Once desktop publishing becomes an established phenomenon, a few battles are fought over some of its fundamentals.
Traditional prepress vendors such as Crossfield, Scitex and Dainippon-Screen hope to maintain their lead by using their expensive systems to put the final touches to designs created on Mac.

Marc Lager says:
January 17, 2008 at 9:27 am
Scitex started the “desktop revolution” with the Pixet work station in 1982. I was one of the first to operate one for Graphic Arts Systems (Burbank, CA). We did not only photo retouching but page layout as well and output film on the ‘Erray” ouput (
JaniceG says:
December 17, 2010 at 12:03 am
Glad someone remembers Scitex! It was an Israeli company at which I worked in the mid-1980s. I remember being thrilled when I went for training on their $500,000 scanner ( ? Janice meant to say “system”. AN) and being able to change the color of someone’s eyes in a photo.


 

Scitex has made real inroads into the Desktop Publishing in the early 90’s. See here (https://www.exscite.org/2003/11/18/nostalgia-77/) an article we published at Exscite many years ago, about Scitex exhibiting at Mac World 1994.

 

Salute: Scitex wins prestigious IR-100 award for ELP (1977)

Scitex won the prestigious Industrial Research IR-100 award for the ELP in 1977.

The Electronic Laser Plotter (priced at $125,000) was the most advanced and the biggest (1m x 1.8m) drum film plotter in the world. The plotter has been sold for more than 10 years into 4 main applications:
Geophysics research,   Engineering graphics/PCB design,   Cartography/mapping and   graphic arts/pre-press.

The development team was headed by the principle engineer, Assa Bar Lev.

The Award ceremony took place at the museum of science in Chicago on Oct. 1977. Scitex was represented by Aharon Nizani (who came over wearing his best [rental] tuxedo…).

 R&D Magazine provides timely, informative news and useful technical articles that broaden our readers’ knowledge of the R&D industry and improve the quality of their work. R&D features the latest technology, products and equipment used in laboratory research.

The 1977 article at the Industrial Magazine (now renamed R&D Magazine):

Nizani.Elp.1977 ELP_Award_IR100A_1977 ELP_Award_IR100B_1977

Scitex patent (1998), Improve media positioning (in Dolev platform)

See US patent #6043865 summary: Imagesetter

Owner name: SCITEX CORPORATION, LTD., ISRAEL
ASSIGNMENT:HALUP, NIR;LICHTENSTEIN, YOAV;VRONSKY, ELIYAHU;

Publication date Mar 28, 2000
Filing date Dec 17, 1998

ABSTRACT
Imaging apparatus is provided which includes a generally cylindrical support defining a substrate support surface, a head operative to record information onto a substrate on the substrate support surfaces, and apparatus for precise rotational positioning and displacement of the cylindrical drum with respect to the imaging head. The apparatus includes at least one linear motor arranged to drive the cylindrical support in rotational motion, and control apparatus for providing electrical inputs to the linear motor to achieve precise rotational positioning of the substrate support surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The Scitex invention seeks to provide improved media positioning apparatus and scanners and imagesetters employing such apparatus.
(Referring to theDolevPatent 1998-4 DolevPatent 1998-6 DolevPatent 1998-7 Scitex Dolev platform)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional scanners and imagesetters commonly Employ external or internal drums for media positioning. External drum scanners such as the Scitex ELP external drum scanner, utilize rotary motors of various types for media positioning. The cost of such motors becomes extremely high when highly accurate positioning and repeatability is required.

Internal drum imagesetters, such as for example, the Scitex Dolev 200, utilize pairs of rollers for drawing film out of a film casette and precise positioning thereof inside a drum.

Precise positioning becomes increasingly difficult as the size of the film to be positioned increases. Roller based positioning systems encounter difficulties in providing consistently precise positioning.

See full patent description here: https://www.google.com/patents/US6043865

How did Rafi Bronshtein get his first job at Scitex

Rafi_Bronshtein_2013At the 2013 ExScite reunion, Rafi Bronshtein described the process of applying to, and finally getting, his first job at Scitex. Click here  to see the young Rafi during his first period at Scitex, Herzlia 1976.

Toady, Rafi is a patent agent, operating as Daltan Consulting Ltd. in Kfar Saba.

To watch Rafi’s video presentation click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUo1i6-aT4Q

Rafi Bliman described the days leading to Scientific Technology [video]

Rafi Bliman 2013

At the 2013 ExScite reunion, Rafi Bliman described the days leading to, and the months immediately after the founding of Scientific Technology in Rehovot.
Rafi was one of the initial handful engineers who joined Efi in establishing one of the first start-ups in Israel in 1968. He was the chief mechanical engineer and managed the first large scale projects for the Israeli defense forces. Click here to see the Kan Akiva driven during the testing phase by Aharon Nizani.

To watch Rafi’s video presentation click on the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF4imipf_D4

Chroma-Scan with designers Levin and Frommer

Scientific Technology

One of the first commercial color scanners that was ever designed and built, is the Chroma-Scan.
Designed at Scientific Technology (the predecessor of Scitex in Rehovot), the Chroma-Scan was manufactured and sold into the textile image design market.
The product manager was Arie Levin (right).  Jacob Frommer (left) was the lead Electronics developer (see the schematic diagram behind them…).

To see another color photo of Jacob and the ready-to-go Scanner, click here for an earlier posting at ExScite.org.

Benjamin Netanyahu Israel’s prime minister, note to the Arazi family

Netanyahu on Efi

Benjamin Netanyahu Israel’s prime minister, note in Hebrew to the Arazi family following Efi’s passing.

Click here to see the signed original:  01 – Benjamin Netanyahu to Arazi family

Translation:

Dear Aarazi family,
I was saddened to hear about Efi’s passing.
Efi was one of the first pioneers of the Israeli high-tech industry. He combined vision and action, and realized before many others, the awesome technological potential available in Israel.
I have known Efi and liked him as a brilliant and witty person, recognizing that a world  of opportunities is wide open for him.
Unfortunately, his illness has taken him from us before he could complete contributing his genius leadership to further advance and develop the Israeli economy.

Regards,
Beyamin Netanyahu
April 14
[Israel’s prime minister]

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