Heidelberg Upgrades Its Integrated JDF Prepress Workflow Solutions |
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| 23-02-2006 |
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- Improved workflow integration and greater prepress transparency with Prinect Printready System 3.0
- More automated impositioning with Prinect Signa Station 2.0
- New screening processes and greater reliability in production with Prinect MetaDimension 6.0
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Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) will be showcasing numerous updates to its Prinect Printready System, Prinect Signa Station and Prinect MetaDimension workflow solutions at Ipex, which is being held in Birmingham over the period April 4-11, 2006. Key to these latest developments is the even greater integration of the three solutions among themselves and their linkup with the new Prinect modules Prinect Integration System and Prinect Pressroom Manager (see separate Press Information on the Prinect Integration System/Prinect Pressroom Manager). All three prepress solutions also incorporate additional functions and are easier to operate.
Complete JDF connectivity, simpler operation and greater transparency with Prinect Printready System 3.0
The new Prinect Printready System Version 3.0 forms an integral part of Heidelberg's central JDF workflow. As a result, the Prinect Integration System Cockpit provides a centralized and standardized view of the entire production process, including prepress. For example, prepress staff can see whether a job is already being printed or there is still time to make a change requested by the customer.
Prinect Printready 3.0 makes work easier and more reliable because it is possible to output barcodes and combi-marks positioned by Prinect Signa Station on printing plates. The barcodes are produced while the plate is being imaged and contain information such as the job and sheet number. This facilitates subsequent identification of the individual printed sheets. Combi-marks in the imposition layout allow a given layout to be used for several jobs because they ensure automatic allocation of the correct color control strip for the job coloring during plate imaging.
The new version of the Printready Cockpit has an optional Layout Viewer for PCs. This displays the layout for the entire job, making the layout check prior to form proofing simpler and more flexible. The job status display in the Cockpit now contains much more detailed status information, providing an even better overview of the production process and additional prepress transparency.
With the latest version of Prinect Printready, a proof of the various pages in reading order can be output on duplex printers in order to conveniently produce samples of the finished print product, if required with print control elements. This is a further efficient tool for coordination with print buyers.
When it comes to gang jobs, the new Prinect Printready version also enables two or more orders to be combined on a gang form.
The latest version of the Prinect Printready System also supports connection of Xerox and HP digital printing systems via the Prinect Digital Print Manager.
Automation and reliable resource allocation with Prinect Signa Station 2.0
The enhanced integration of the Prinect Printready System and Prinect Signa Station 2.0 for impositioning and sheet assembly improves the workflow still further. For example, layouts can now be produced direct from the stripping parameters of an MIS in a fully automated process with the new Prinect Signa Station. This saves time and reduces the error rate when generating an imposition layout because the system identifies and reports illogical parameters.
The JDF Connector in the new version of Signa Station supports even more input formats. JDF 1.2 data imported from the MIS is put to direct use presetting the Job Assistant. This makes the import process both quicker and more reliable.
The new user management functions improve production and data security. As with the equivalent functions in the Prinect Printready System and Prinect MetaDimension, each user can be granted or refused access and modification rights. This protects production resources against unintentional modifications. At the same time, the user login function makes it possible to retrace individual steps in the history of a job.
Object screening, new screening processes and greater reliability in production with Prinect MetaDimension 6.0
Prinect MetaDimension delivers additional flexibility and high print quality thanks to the new version’s optional object screening function. The system comes with the Prinect Screening Selector, an Acrobat plug-in allowing the appropriate screening system to be assigned to individual objects and/or certain object types on a print sheet with a click of the mouse. Prinect MetaDimension recognizes and interprets the object-related screen settings and assigns the required process calibration to them individually. As a result, each separate object on a sheet can be produced with optimal print quality. The quality benefits of this function really come into their own if a sheet incorporates both images and graphics.
Heidelberg is introducing two new screening systems with the new MetaDimension Version 6.0. Prinect Stochastic Screening is a follow-on development from Satin Screening - Heidelberg's own FM screening technology - while Prinect Hybrid Screening combines the benefits of AM and FM screening technology in a new system (see separate Press Information on Prinect screening technologies).
The Prinect modules MetaDimension and Printready also provide greater reliability in production with their ROOM (Rip Once Output Many) proofing capability. This involves consolidating two previously separate RIP calculation passes for plate and proof, which must match to ensure reliable production. ROOM proofing works with a single database which - once RIPped - can be used as many times as required to output plates and proofs, always producing identical results.
Last but not least, the MetaDimension option ColorProof Pro now also allows proofs to be output on a selection of laser printers made by leading manu- facturers such as HP, OKI and Epson.
Image:
Overview Heidelberg Prinect Workflow
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