Software - Web-to-print

IT HAS taken almost a decade, but the adoption of soft—or virtual—proofing now seems to be on a trajectory similar to the one for computer-to-plate production. Critical color and press-side applications still could be considered in the early adopter stage, but the number of users is growing and a much larger group is becoming open to the possibility. The product category also continues to expand, both in terms of the solutions offered and the applications they support. In just about a year, the number of vendors offering SWOP (Specifications for Web Offset Publications) certified systems has gone from two to five, for example.

Xerox iGen3 Dedicated at PIA/GATF SEWICKLEY, PA—The Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) will now be able to take part in Xerox’s “New Business of Printing” thanks, in part, to Xerox’s recent donation of an iGen3 110 Digital Production Press at its headquarters here. PIA/GATF will use the new digital press for production, research and training purposes. Also donated as part of the installation were a Bourg Book Factory from C.P. Bourg and Press-sense’ iWay business workflow solution. Océ Hosts Open House POING, GERMANY—Mix in one part sausage, two parts sauerkraut, three parts Pilsner, and you have a typical German night

IT TAKES about 25 minutes to properly set up a cutter manually, but the implementation of JDF cut the time to six seconds. That was Joe Novak’s quick response when I asked him for some examples of how JDF (Job Definition Format) saves time. It most certainly was a quick answer in almost every respect because, in this operation, it cut the setup time down to almost nothing. Not many printing companies are able to hire a director of technology. With 350 employees and annual sales approaching $85 million, Williamson Printing in Dallas is big enough to have Novak, director of technology, help bring them

IMAGINE CONTROLLING your customers’ information, including how it is updated, managed, printed and distributed. Printers that provide database management services don’t have to dream about such a scenario. “We’ve offered database management services since the 1960s,” confirms Ty Vincent, president and CEO of Vincent Direct in Columbus, OH. “At that time, we typed a series of file cards for our clients and managed their information manually. The technology has evolved over the years and we now offer very sophisticated database management and in-house programming.” Although Vincent Direct has been offering these services for a long time, one could argue there has been no more important time

PODi Forum in Vegas Flush With VDP Applications LAS VEGAS—The numbers five and 10 would seem to be lucky for PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative. As the organization marks its 10th anniversary, the 2006 PODi Applications Forum recently drew some 300 attendees to this fifth in the series of annual conferences dedicated to digital printing, with an emphasis on variable data. This year, the forum was expanded to include four tracks—Small Business, Marketing Best Practices, Advanced Business Strategies, and Operations & Processes. Pricing strategies, ROI, good data-bases and effective marketing were common themes across the tracks. One of the first sessions featured the presentation

QUALITY CONTROL is a demanding proposition in all printing, but adding variable data to the mix ratchets the challenge up a notch…or three. Since each piece is intended for a specific recipient, there’s no margin for error in any of the steps required to get the right piece into the right hands. Multiple production issues can impact the integrity of every variable data job. Mailing requirements may be the most vexing component, though. * It should go without saying that a good database is a must for any variable data marketing. Unfortunately, service providers typically report their experiences with clients remain akin to the

THE ABILITY to order print-based communications via a Web browser has garnered steam in recent years, but it is hardly a snap-together concept. With the intent of making the procurement process quicker and easier, Web-to-print solutions can be tailored to meet customers’ varied needs. But the capability doesn’t come cheap. The implementation process can be tedious and long for printers without a Web-to-print footprint. IT-savvy individuals, and possibly even programmers, must be hired; labor and software figure prominently into the equation. Throw in the time required to get an estimating system up to speed, and the investment, from a printer’s standpoint, is hardly inconsequential.

In a traditional industry like the graphic arts, VistaPrint has found success by taking a bit of a non-conventional, forward-thinking approach. It all started with the vision of Robert Keane, president and CEO, when he founded the company in 1995. Keane’s idea included developing technology that delivers high-quality, low-cost graphic design and printing to small businesses and consumers while still providing premium customer service. VistaPrint is applying the principles of computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) to drive out costs and improve response times. It connects its customers directly to its CIM chain by providing a layout program that they can use on the company’s Website,

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor "Workflow" used to be an easy, concise way to reference the digital equivalent of conventional prepress. It spanned the processes from when a file came in the door until the plate went out to the pressroom. Over time, usage of the term has been extended to encompass so much of the print production process that it now is in danger of applying to everything and effectively defining nothing. Workflow already has been—or is in the process of being—extended: * back to the customer, initially in the form of preflighting and remote proofing solutions, but increasingly including production portals

PostScript Update Times Two SAN JOSE, CA—For the first time, Adobe Systems is delivering its latest version of PostScript software in two editions—Host and Embedded. The latter has the potential to increase the pool of PostScript devices and users. Both implementations of PostScript 3 version 3017 feature support of PDF 1.6 and are now available to OEMs. Adobe PostScript 3 Embedded Edition is a streamlined version of the product targeted to printing of Microsoft Office documents on desktop/workgroup printers and MFP devices. It has a smaller footprint in terms of memory space (10MB) and processing demands, but sacrifices some high-end functionality, such as support for very