Software - Prepress & Design

Following the successful launch of Zünd G3 cutting systems, Zünd is poised to introduce Zund Cut Center, the first-ever software package to carry the Zund name. The new software is tailored specifically for G3 and designed to maximize the productivity of the company's latest generation of multifunctional digital cutting systems.

Zünd Cut Center software dynamically guides the operator through the cutting process by continually offering best choices based on the material to be cut, available tooling, and quality requirements. Because the software basically eliminates the need for operator experience or trial and error, it minimizes set-up times, helps avoid mistakes, and ensures the cutter is running at maximum productivity levels at all times.

With a highly visual and intuitive user interface, Zund Cut Center encompasses all phases of an efficient graphics production workflow—including designing, planning, printing, and cutting. With Zund Cut Center, customers' needs can be met faster, with higher and consistent quality and far less effort.

Cutting a job with Zund Cut Center is as easy as reading a barcode or selecting a job from the integral Cut Queue. Either approach puts an end to the time consuming task of locating a cut file for a new job or for reproducing an existing one. In addition, a new workflow utilizes job-specific details (such as material specifications, order ID, due date, and job priority) to determine when and how a job is cut.

Key features

• Cut Queue for quick file retrieval and access to the production schedule for job prioritization.
• Using the industry's most sophisticated algorithm, "Best-Fit" compensation corrects for even the most non-uniform distortions, such as those seen in printed textiles.
• Cut Editor offers advanced editing functions, including router hatch/island fill used to create pockets in rigid substrates, overcut compensation to eliminate unsightly cuts on inside corners, etc.

"Zund Cut Center is far superior to anything in the marketplace," said Lars Bendixen, the Sign and Graphics Product Manager for Zünd Systemtechnik AG. "In cooperation with leading RIP, ERP, and MIS software manufacturers, we expect to take automated workflow, production planning and reporting to the next level. The possibilities are unlimited."

"Zund Cut Center is a direct result of our close cooperation with Grafitroniks, the developer and supplier of the widely used GTK Cut Pro and Touch & Cut Vision registration software. Their expertise combined with our knowledge of cutting hardware and workflow requirements were essential to the development of this new product," said Oliver Zünd, managing director for Sign & Graphics at Zünd Systemtechnik AG.

Zund Cut Center will be demonstrated for the first time at ISA 2010 Sign Expo in Orlando, FL, and again at Fespa in Munich and Viscom in Frankfurt, Germany.

 

Roland DGA Corp. has announced that Corel’s new CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X5 now features Roland Colour libraries for contour cutting and spot colour matching including the company’s entire metallic colour library supporting new VersaCAMM and SOLJET metallic inkjet printer/cutters.  The addition of these libraries greatly simplifies the production process for Roland customers that design using CorelDRAW Graphics Suite.

“We are proud to partner with Corel to provide Roland customers with a powerful, fully integrated workflow from design to finished print,” said Andrew Oransky, director of product management for Roland.  “CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 is an outstanding design program ideally suited for our award-winning line of inkjet printers, printer/cutters and vinyl cutters.  We encourage our customers to take advantage of the newest CorelDRAW release for even easier spot colour matching and contour cutting.”

”Corel prides itself on including the highest-quality resources with each version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. Partnering with innovative companies like Roland enables us to achieve that goal,” said Gérard Métrailler, senior director of product management, Graphics, for Corel. “We are pleased to add the Roland Colour libraries to CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 and continue our partnership with this established industry leader. The combination of our award-winning graphics tools with industry-standard Roland Colour libraries provides exceptional value for both CorelDRAW Graphics Suite and Roland users.”

Roland Colour System

Every Roland inkjet printer and printer/cutter comes complete with the Roland Colour System, one of the many advanced features in Roland VersaWorks RIP software.  With the new release, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite now features all of the system’s libraries including:

 

• Roland Color Library for reliable spot color matching of over 1,000 colours
• Roland Metallic Colour Library featuring more than 500 metallic spot colors produced by VersaCAMM VS-640 and SOLJET XC-540MT metallic inkjet printer/cutters
• An additional library for printing Roland’s white, clear and metallic silver inks and creating contour cut lines recognised by Roland printer/cutters and cutters

 

For spot colour matching, Roland Colour users can produce highly customised swatch books, swatch charts and peel-and-stick swatch sheets using their own media. These reference tools can be reviewed with clients to select the right spot colour to match an established corporate or team colour, or other vector graphic. Using all Roland equipment and supplies, users can print that colour with 100 percent accuracy every time.

 

Newest Edition of Award-Winning Graphics Suite Puts Community Requests at Center of Development Efforts

Corel Corporation today introduced CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X5, the newest edition of the company's award-winning package of professional graphics applications. With more than fifty new and enhanced features, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 includes major enhancements to asset management, colour management, web graphics, a wide variety of learning resources and more content than ever before. The trial and electronic download versions are available today and the product will start shipping before the end of March in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and Dutch.

For more than 20 years, CorelDRAW® has helped PC users worldwide create graphics with impact. Known for its versatility and power, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite has won hundreds of international industry awards by consistently addressing the most pressing needs of its loyal community of users. The new version of the suite continues in this tradition by focusing on innovations that matter the most to users in a wide variety of industries including sign making, graphic design, fashion/apparel design, wide format printing, marketing, print production and other businesses of all sizes.

"Throughout the development cycle for CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5, our team worked hand-in-hand with our user community to ensure we were delivering the new features and enhancements that would make a meaningful difference to them. We wanted to truly understand what they loved about the product and what they needed to make their experience that much better," said Gérard Métrailler, Senior Director of Product Management, Graphics, for Corel. "We believe we've delivered a product that enables our current users to discover new possibilities with the suite while allowing new users to get up and running quickly and create projects with confidence."

New Suite Provides Users with More Flexibility, More Versatility

In developing the newest version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5, the Corel team focused on five areas that were ranked as key priorities by our users:

Corel CONNECT Simplifies Workflow; Gives Quick Access to Even More Content

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 makes it easy for users to connect to their content. The new Corel® CONNECT is a brand new application that synchronises with both CorelDRAW and Corel® PHOTO-PAINT™ to provide quick access to content on a computer, network, or disc. In addition, industry-leading support for more than 100 commonly used file formats ensures users can easily collaborate and exchange files with clients and colleagues. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite also continues its tradition of providing one of the broadest selections of fonts, clip-art, and other collateral available, including:

• 10,000 clipart
• 1,000 high-resolution, royalty-free photos
• 1,000 fonts
• 2,000 vehicle templates
• 350 design templates
  
  

New & Enhanced Tools Enable Even More Precision and Experimentation

With CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5, the introduction of significant new and enhanced features help users create with confidence. These features include a B-Spline tool, updated artistic media, scalable arrowheads, enhanced Connector and Dimension tools, and the new Segment Dimension tool. The Mesh Fill tool has also been significantly improved to help users design multi-coloured filled objects with more fluid colour transitions. New web graphics tools enable users to work in bitmap mode directly within CorelDRAW, viewing detailed pixels, and the ability to preview their work before publishing online.

Reinvented colour Management System Ensures Accuracy and Accelerates Project Completion
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 represents a complete change in approach to colour management, assuring users accurate colour representation. The new Document (CorelDRAW) and Image (Corel PHOTO-PAINT) dockers allow users to save project-specific colours and to reuse colours from a previous project. In addition, eyedroppers have been added to several colour dialog boxes, colour palettes, and colour pickers, providing more convenient colour sampling opportunities.

Easy Output to Multiple Formats

With industry-leading file format compatibility, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 offers the flexibility today's designers need for outputting their work. The same design may be needed for Web banners, printed ads or brochures, and t-shirts, billboards or digital signs. In addition, the inclusion of SwiSH miniMax helps users create Web animations for Web production more easily than ever before.

Full-colour Guidebook and Video Tutorials Provide Insights and Inspiration to Jump Start Projects

It's easier than ever to get started with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, regardless of your experience level. The new full colour, hard-cover guidebook provides techniques and tips for users of all skill levels and offers a unique opportunity to learn from professional designers who use the suite in industries including fashion and jewelry design, book illustration, vehicle wrapping, and product packaging. The suite also comes with more than two hours of video tutorials.

"CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a vital part of my day-to-day workflow. With the numerous enhancements introduced in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5, I now have an even more powerful tool to help me complete projects accurately and efficiently," said Michal Polák, owner of FRANCISDRAKE design studio. "It's clear that the Corel development team really listened to its users and worked with them to create the best CorelDRAW Graphics Suite yet."

What is Included in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 includes CorelDRAW, an intuitive vector-illustration and page-layout application; Corel PHOTO-PAINT, a professional image-editing application; Corel® PowerTRACE®, a utility to quickly and accurately convert bitmaps into editable vector graphics, and Corel® CAPTURE™, a one-click screen capture utility.

New to the suite is Corel CONNECT, a full-screen browser that lets users search the suite's digital content and/or their computer or local network to quickly find the perfect complement for a design. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 also includes many supporting applications, a wide variety of content, and in-depth training resources.

For more information about CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 and to see a detailed list of new and enhanced features, please visit www.corel.com/coreldraw. To learn more about how CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is used worldwide, please visit the product's community site at http://coreldraw.com.

Availability

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 is immediately available as an electronic download through www.corel.com. The boxed version of the suite is available immediately for preorder through Corel or through retailers including Amazon.com.

 

Quark has announced special offers that allow eligible printers to join Quark output provider programs at no cost. Adobe Service Network (ASN) members, current QuarkAlliance members, and printers interested in Quark Promote are invited to take advantage of complimentary QuarkAlliance and Quark Promote memberships. Membership benefits can include priority technical support, a free copy of QuarkXPress 8, increased market visibility, and potential revenue opportunities.

"At a time when some in our industry are moving away from print, Quark is aggressively maintaining its investment in this community," said Cyndie Shaffstall, director of QuarkAlliance. "There is a significant opportunity for printers to take advantage of the booming Web-to-print industry, as well as traditional revenue streams. I invite output providers to join one of our programs right now at no cost."

There are a variety of ways output providers can participate in the special program enrollment offers:

 

• Existing ASN members that register now will receive a complimentary one-year enrollment to both the QuarkAlliance Output Provider Program as an Authorized Partner and the Quark Promote Output Provider Program (US-only) as an Authorized Partner (at the provider's discretion).
• Current members of the QuarkAlliance Output Provider Program are eligible for a complimentary one-year membership renewal that now also includes enrollment in the Quark Promote Output Provider Program.
• All output providers are eligible for complimentary enrollment in the Quark Promote Output Provider Program.

 

 

Global Graphics, probably most familiar to LFR readers as the developer behind the Jaws and Harlequin RIP engines, has launched an enterprise-level free PDF creation software: gDoc Creator. The easy to use free PDF software will be available for download by individual office workers and consumers, and be available under a corporate licensing scheme for the enterprise.

Global Graphics—which develops software for a variety of OEMs including Agfa, Quark, Fuji Xerox, Kodak, HP—is fighting for a place on the corporate desktop alongside Adobe, Google and Microsoft by providing an enterprise-level productivity application that enables:

• Creation of PDF, PDF/a (for long-term archiving of electronic documents) or XPS documents from any Windows application that prints

• Creation of PDF, PDF/a or XPS from the toolbar in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, complete with bookmarks, hypertext links and more

• Creation of PDF, PDF/a or XPS from a simple drag and drop user interface

• Convert PDF to .doc format for re-use in Microsoft Word

• Viewing of documents in multiple formats and a unique ‘flick view' to quickly browse documents

"gDoc Creator is the only enterprise quality PDF software tool that is available for free," said Gary Fry, CEO, Global Graphics. "Offering so much functionality for free will drive adoption in large enterprises at a time when their budgets are under extreme pressure. It also makes the basic free PDF software tools obsolete and puts real pressure on low-end paid-for PDF software."

gDoc Creator is part of Global Graphics' freemium go-to-market strategy for gDoc Fusion an easy to use desktop application designed to improve productivity. gDoc Fusion gives users fast and easy assembly of new documents with a simple drag 'n' drop action from a wide range of multiple document formats such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, XPS, JPG, TIFF and PNG. The product is designed to significantly improve knowledge workers' productivity by automatically formatting a wide range of file formats, saving hours of manual cut and paste activity.

"gDoc Creator gives immediate value to the corporate desktop. It also allows evaluation use of gDoc Fusion, demonstrating the ease of use and benefits of the full version. When an enterprise realises the productivity benefits of the full version of gDoc Fusion, it's a very simple process to then upgrade," said Fry.

"Businesses should no longer need to pay for simple PDF creation and we hope our disruptive pricing strategy will begin to redraw the lines of this market," added Fry. "Global Graphics is set to win a significant share of knowledge workers who find themselves having to compile information from a range of sources and formats, and our corporate licensing scheme will make it simple for companies to roll this out across the enterprise."

 

Get your free copy at www.globalgraphics.com/en/gdoc/

XChange UK and ThePowerXChange, the sources for extended technology worldwide are pleased to announce a promotion which offers North American users a free Enfocus Instant PDF ($299 value) and UK/Ireland users a free MadeToPrint with Imposition (£318 value) with their purchase of QuarkXPress 8 as part of the Buy One QuarkXPress, Get One Free campaign. Users who purchase new copies of QuarkXPress 8 through either company not only receive the free QuarkXPress with their purchase, but also receive an additional free product through 31st December 2009.

"We wanted to give even greater value to our customers, especially with the economic situation and this makes it even more affordable to add the power of QuarkXPress 8, or additional copies to our customers' installations," offers Tami Stodghill, Press Relations Manager. "We work with our vendors to be able to provide the most value for our customers through these exclusive promotions. Not only can users take advantage of Quark's Buy One Get One Free, they also get to add the power of Instant PDF or MadeToPrint and either product offers real value."

Enfocus Instant PDF 08 makes producing press-ready PDFs easy for creative professionals. Using award-winning Enfocus Certified PDF technology, it's the simplest and most reliable way to create PDFs that comply with a print or advertisement vendors' specifications. While working in their favourite creative application - Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, QuarkXPress(TM), Adobe Acrobat - users simply select "Save as Certified PDF..." from the File menu and let Instant PDF 08 take care of creating their PDF, preflighting it, modifying it where necessary, and even sending it to their print provider  - all without leaving their application. Users can remain productive in their familiar environment without having to worry about print styles, PDF export or other complicated PDF creation settings. And if they do run into problems, Instant PDF 08's comprehensive in-application help not only gives them the answers they need quickly, but also contains tips on how to
avoid making the same mistakes again in the future.

For print providers, Instant PDF 08 significantly reduces the load on customer service and pre-press operators because Certified PDF files are always output correctly right at the designer's workstation. With award-winning Enfocus Certified PDF technology, the files are flagged as ready for output from the moment they arrive in an inbox.

MadeToPrint XT optimizes and extends output and print options in QuarkXPress and has been designed for professional users, who have to create, organize and control larger numbers of print-/output jobs. MadeToPrint XT helps to streamline these tasks as well as the creation of PDF, EPS and PostScript files. The XTension allows even complex print settings to be saved as repetitive jobs, thereby ensuring efficient and safe production.

MadeToPrint XT 8 provides features like batch processing, token-based file naming and flexible layer output that go beyond Quark's output functionality. More than that, the XTension allows hotfolder based processing of XPress 8 files, thus enabling users to output QuarkXPress documents completely unattended. MadeToPrint XT's latest version includes the new Imposition function, so users can print fully imposed PDF files from their QuarkXPress documents. Users can output fully imposed jobs, from booklets to N-up, choose between run list (e.g. 4 pages step & repeat) and imposition sheets (e.g. 2 pages A4 single sided). The preconfigured imposition schemes cover all common imposition configurations. Users simply activate the Imposition function and compile the required imposition scheme with the entries under the Runlist and Sheet configuration categories provided.

In addition, MadeToPrint XT allows for grouping of multiple print-job definitions into custom sets that can be invoked at any time to output the same document to multiple output devices, using the parameters specified for each device in its own print job. This means that with a single operation, a user can elect to have a document output to a black-and-white laser printer, a colour-proofing device, and a high-resolution imagesetter, and be assured that all settings in all dialogues are correct. Thus, MadeToPrint XT reduces media waste caused by improper settings of chooser selections, and allows for unattended output of QuarkXPress documents to any variety of formats.

The free Enfocus Instant PDF or Free MadeToPrint XT with purchase of QuarkXPress 8 - Buy One Get One Free promotion is available now through XChange UK and ThePowerXChange websites worldwide. Users who purchase upgrades to QuarkXPress 8 will also receive the free Instant PDF or MadeToPrint XT with their order, although upgrades don't qualify for the QuarkXPress 8 Buy One Get One Free promotion. To order, or for more information, users can visit the websites.