Centre Profile

The Hong Kong Printers Association and the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Kwun Tong) jointly organised a project to assist local printing and publishing companies to migrate to the latest digital production workflow in 1999. Based on a HK$ 8.58 million funding from the Innovation and Technology Fund, the Advanced Printing Technology Centre (APTEC) was established at Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Kwun Tong) on 3rd May 2000. With the generous supports from major equipment suppliers, APTEC has set up a state-of-the-art digital printing production environment with equipment and software having a total value of HK$ 10 million. It provides a multi-supplier production environment for real-life demonstration of the digital technology and workflow and acts as a technology transfer centre to disseminate the latest technology trend in electronic publishing and digital printing to the printing and publishing companies. Although the project under Innovation and Technology Fund was successfully completed on 31st Jan 2003, APTEC continues its services to the industry by operating in a self-financing mode. Now APTEC is incorporated as a non-profit making organisation of The Hong Kong Printers Association and supported by Vocational Training Council. With its wealth of equipment and experience, APTEC has set off for its new era of even better service to the industry.

Objectives

  • To promote a wide acceptance of the digital print workflow by disseminating the information on the latest development to the industry.

  • To demonstrate a real-life multi-supplier environment with a view to facilitating the investment decision of the printing companies towards the adoption of the digital workflow.

  • To organise tailor-made training programmes for companies with diverse background in order to assist them to cope with the impact of the digital technology to their business.

  • To facilitate the flow of information and the transfer of technologies from the overseas equipment suppliers and research institutions to the industries.

Adobe Authorised Training Centre

Combining with our expertise in printing and teaching experience, APTEC has become Adobe Authorised Training Centre which provides printing and prepress training services since 2005. It shows the professional status of APTEC in the industry.

Training & Technology Transfer Activities

Skills Upgrading Scheme Plus for Printing

In 2000, the Hong Kong Government launched "Skills Upgrading Scheme" (SUS) providing continuous learning opportunities for in-services employees from different industries, covering Printing industry. Courses are designed by representatives of employers, employees and training organisations. APTEC was invited for designing and organizing the courses. In the past, APTEC has received over 8,000 registrations on SUS courses and APTEC becomes major training provider for SUS for Printing. Since Jul 2009, Employees Retraining Board (ERB) took over the management of Skills Upgrading Scheme and renamed as "Skills Upgrading Scheme Plus". APTEC is recognised training provider.

Professional Training and Consultancy Services

Diversified professsional in-service training courses are organized for managerial and hands-on levels. Course contents cover digital production workflow encompassing G7, digital design, digital input, digital images manipulation, color management, PDF workflow, digital printing, computer-to-plate, quality control for pressroom and printing standardization and so on. Additionally, consultancy services and customized training programs have been offered to corporations on advising different aspects in migration process to digital workflow.

Obtained the Accreditation from HKCAAVQ

After the launch of Qualification Framework in May 2008, Education Bureau encouraged training providers to organise SCS-based training programs and dedicates to promote quality-assurance of training programs.  As the major printing training provider, APTEC has submitted application for Initial Evaluation and Program Validation of two Level 3 training courses to Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ). After six-month preparation, APTEC has successfully passed HKCAAVQ accreditation and become the first batch of private training providers in printing and publishing industry to obtain such qualification. This is the breakthrough of APTEC and shows APTEC's recognition and quality-assurance.

Technology Transfer Activities

As a technology transfer centre, APTEC has organised various kinds of technology transfer activities for disseminating the information on the latest printing technology. Activities include technical seminars, technical visits, Digital Print Symposium, etc.

Promote Printing Standardization

Collaboration with International Organisations

APTEC had collaborated with different international organisations to promote printing standardization and certification, like Idealliance (US), Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT, US), and Bodoni (UK), and to help the printing-related industry in transformation.

The First obtaining Fogra PSO Partner Qualification in Greater China

In Feb 2010, five representatives from APTEC and Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), as the first batch in Greater China, successfully obtained Fogra PSO (Process Standard Offset) Partner qualification that authorises APTEC to conduct Fogra PSO program.

Appointed as SAC/TC170 Member

China strives to promote printing standardization in recent years. APTEC representatives were appointed as Member of National Technical Committee 170 on Printing of Standardization Administration of China (SAC/TC170) in 2007 and member of its "Subcommittee 1 on Book Printing" in 2012 to facilitate China's development in the printing standardization.

Appointed as ISO TC130 Expert

APTEC has been actively participated in ISO TC130 meetings since 2006. In 2010, APTEC's representative was appointed as one of the China's ISO TC130 Experts, which shows APTEC's professional status.

Organised international conferences

APTEC strives to promote new technologies through implementing four international conferences in Hong Kong, funded by SME Development Fund (now named as “Trade and Industrial Organisation Support Fund”), including "The Hong Kong Summit – Global Printing Standardization", “ICC Color Symposium”, “Summit 2014 – Global Printing Standardization & Integrated Media” and “SpectrumASIA 2015”. APTEC had also organized four G7 Summits in China.

Technical Research & Testing

APTEC strives to promote new technologies and conduct test projects. In 2006, APTEC was invited to conduct the testing on G7 methodology. This testing was led and managed by APTEC. After completing the testing, APTEC organized testing findings sharing conference and the project representatives attended ISO TC130 meeting in April to share the findings. This was the first representatives from Hong Kong to attend this meeting. Since then, APTEC attended ISO TC130 meetings every year. It is an important and meaningful milestone. Most importantly, it enhanced the international technical status of Hong Kong .

In the same year, APTEC was invited by Apple Computer to conduct virtual proofing technology. After completion of the testing, APTEC organized test findings sharing seminars in Sept and Nov 2006 in HK and Shanghai, and Feb and Jun 2008 in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. In Jul 2007, APTEC conducted digital proof technology testing, with 14 companies participated. Then the seminar was organized in Sept 2007 to share test findings to the industry.

In 2010 and 2011, APTEC was invited by Konica Minolta to conduct testing on their digital printing machines, including bizhub PRO C65hc, bizhub PRESS C6000 and C8000. Other projects include Device-Link ICC color management, ink saving technology, ISO 10128, Printing Standard Audit (PSA) and so on.