Software - Workflow

Onyx Graphics has announced the launch of  ONYX® 11 software, the next generation of the company’s wide format workflow and RIP products.  Built on the proven platform of X10 RIP software and ONYX Thrive workflow software, ONYX 11 has been designed to  increase operator productivity and reduce waste, and offers tools to help print providers gain a greater insight into their printing operations.

Specifically developed to make printing more predictable, ONYX 11 software enables print operators to output jobs accurately and consistently. ONYX 11 software is available for the full ONYX software product line including ONYX Thrive™ workflow software and ONYX ProductionHouse™, ONYX PosterShop® and ONYX RIPCenter™ RIP software.

"Thanks to the new Job Ticketing feature in ONYX 11 I can find any archived job within seconds,” said Tyler Nylund of Integrity Color, an ONYX software user. “This tool has enabled me to save countless time and effort along with providing a simple-to-use, yet powerful archival solution."

ONYX 11 includes 21 new features and enhancements that both simplify wide format print production and optimise colour quality on output. Some of the highlights include:

• Colour swatch books for best colour matching: The new ONYX 11 swatch books tool allows users to quickly and easily print variations of a specified colour, to determine the best match for output. This makes it easier to match colours without relying on a combination of guesswork and multiple iterations, saving both time and materials.
• Integrated job ticketing helps track all aspects of a job: Tracking job and customer information through the production process can be time-consuming and challenging when job tracking systems and production software are from different manufacturers.  With job ticketing in ONYX 11 software, users can input job identification numbers from their job tracking system, customer data and job-specific notes. This data can be tracked and edited in RIP-Queue and the job editor module as well as the Thrive Production Manager module, providing the entire production team with data to ensure the job is printed correctly.  Another time-saving feature in ONYX 11 software gives users the ability to quickly search for jobs in the print queue based on any of the job ticket information, making it easier to locate and manage jobs.
• Job previewing and simplified tools make printing more predictable:ONYX 11 software includes new features that simplify job preparation, helping to take the guesswork out of the printing process. Images can now be rotated as they are being opened, which can save up to 50 percent of job preparation time. Simplified sizing and cropping tools and the addition of disproportionate scaling make it easy for users to quickly adjust images as required. A redesigned job properties window now includes a new “sewing marks” tool that automatically adds printed guidelines, helping reduce overall finishing time. With the addition of accurate colour-managed previews in RIP-Queue, a large preview in job properties and a visual preview of how images will nest together; print operators will gain confidence in knowing their jobs will print as expected.

Availability

ONYX 11 software is now available and customers should contact their authorised ONYX reseller or visit www.onyxgfx.com for more information.

Enfocus has announced the release of Enfocus Switch 12 with new features including remote management and simplified group administration tools.  Enfocus Switch 12 gives businesses of all sizes and budgets the ability to automate the repetitive tasks associated with creating, receiving and sorting files. In addition, Switch’s robust processing power and infinite configuration options let larger organisations successfully develop more complex business practices, such as integrating connections with more complex and layered business management data.

Thousands of businesses use Switch to integrate applications, resulting in custom production workflows

Enfocus Switch has helped thousands of businesses worldwide to improve communication, productivity, and quality of document or file exchange. Switch is the “glue” that integrates organisations’ existing systems with the third-party applications they use to create, produce, and share files. Users only pay for the functionality they require at the time, and use Switch’s exclusively simple, visual interface to create the application connections that Switch seamlessly pulls together into a customised and efficient production workflow.

New - The freedom of control from anywhere with Remote Designer

A key feature of Switch 12 is the Remote Designer. This new feature gets users out of the server room and allows them to administer the Switch Server at any time, from any computer, at any location. So no matter where they are - another office, at home, or traveling – users can easily access and manage the Switch Server.

New convenient and flexible management of users and user groups

Switch 12 also includes several new features that dramatically simplify the way users and user groups are managed.

A complete redesign of the User Pane, as well as elimination of user roles, gives customers the freedom to configure users and groups without limitations, and with any level of permission. In addition, Switch 12 allows new access rights for individual users and groups to be based on the existing Active Directory; making it unnecessary to create new users or groups within Switch. Administrators simply import users and groups from the Active Directory to create new access rights for particular jobs or projects.

Switch 12 also includes support for new Configurators, the tools that allow users to integrate their applications and automate third-party software application tasks. Included in Switch 12 are updates to The Adobe® Creative Cloud™ and Quark Xpress Configurators. In addition, Switch 12 includes new Configurators for CorelDraw and HP SmartStream Production Center JDF Control.

Switch 12 is compatible with the latest operating systems including Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9 and Windows version 8.1.

Switch 12 - the video

All new features of Switch 12 have been captured in action in a video tutorial, which details the impact Switch 12 can have on businesses of all sizes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrx3nvAC9ic

Fabian Prudhomme, Vice President of Enfocus, commented on the release, saying, “The nature of the graphic arts industry keeps evolving; so businesses need flexible solutions that can keep pace with those changes without causing inconvenience to operators. This  is why Enfocus developed Switch 12. The new features included in this release permit companies of all sizes – from the small print provider to large commercial operations – to leverage Switch’s modular and open architecture to make workflow changes a positive, relatively rapid experience.”

“Switch gives organizations the toolkit they need to be successful today, and when they experience growth and begin exploring new revenue streams, Switch will still be there to accommodate them as their workflow requirements change,” Prudhomme says. “As you can see, Switch not only optimizes organizations’ existing technology investments by integrating old and new for maximum benefit and efficiency, it is also a valuable and continuously evolving, relevant technology by itself.”

For more information, please visit www.enfocus.com/switch

EFI has launched the latest version of its Digital StoreFront software. Available this quarter, version 7 of EFI Digital StoreFront combines the software's SmartStore Builder interface with advanced HTML5 tools for optimised web-to-print storefront access across desktop, tablet and mobile devices.

"Printing companies need a powerful online interface not only to win new business, but to create greater customer loyalty through branding and updated browser functionality," said Dave Minnick, director of EFI's Web2Print product solutions group. "Our new version of EFI Digital StoreFront addresses this critical need by providing the most compelling, attractive and feature-rich web-to-print and eCommerce solution in the industry."

With Digital StoreFront 7, print shop administrators can choose from a variety of pre-built layouts and themes as well as easily customise storefronts using the software's SmartStore Builder. Administrators can also perform advanced customisation tasks with direct HTML and CSS editing. The software also features a re-designed interface for improved ease of use.

"Digital StoreFront has a new look and feel that is second to none. The simplicity of using one of the provided templates to create a rich buyer experience and also having the advanced editing abilities to create whatever look I want is brilliant," according to Digital StoreFront user Scott Perry of Pegasus Interprint, Van Nuys, California, USA. "The re-design EFI has created will make it a more useful, intuitive tool to continue growing our web-to-print and eCommerce efforts in both B2C and B2B markets."

Using HTML5 and responsive design, Digital StoreFront 7 ensures seamless support across operating systems, browsers, and devices. Each storefront design has been certified for desktop, tablet and mobile devices running Windows, Linux, Max OS, iOS, Android and Windows Mobile. As a result, printing companies can offer their customers the same world-class eCommerce experience at the office, at home or on the road.

Digital StoreFront's VWeb+ cross-media marketing module combines the power and precision of variable-data printing, personal web pages, emails and SMS text messages. Users can create and manage comprehensive, multi-touch marketing campaigns, track customer response and configure automated follow-up messages.

Version 7 of Digital StoreFront also offers several advances in automation and integration. Pre-flighted files, job attributes and order information flow directly to downstream systems, eliminating redundant touches and delays in the production process. Digital StoreFront also works seamlessly with EFI's industry-leading print workflow products, including EFI Pace™ and Monarch™ MIS/ERP and EFI Fiery® digital front end software.

Digital StoreFront is the industry leading web-to-print eCommerce platform, localised in 16 languages and supporting several thousand print shops worldwide. Available both in a convenient software-as-a-service model, as well as a self-hosted model, Digital StoreFront's flexibility and extensibility support a wide range of operations, including general commercial and retail print businesses, as well as government, education and healthcare in-plant facilities.

Digital StoreFront 7 will make its worldwide debut at the EFI Connect Users Conference, 21-24 January in Las Vegas. For more information about EFI web-to-print, eCommerce and print workflow products, visit www.efi.com

Caldera's trade show season has concluded with victory at the Viscom Düsseldorf 'Best of 2013' award in the Best Software category. The jury, comprising industry professionals and journalists, picked the recently-released Flow+ 2.0 workflow software, praising its accessible user interface and business optimization tools for wide-format companies.

"This Caldera software solution addresses one of the most important issues in the market: workflow optimization," state the judges in their official citation. "Flow+ 2.0 is an intelligent, versatile software tool. It automates sales management, optimizes day-to-day processes and simplifies strategic planning, which means it's all about optimizing the interface between customer and production.

"Flow+ 2.0 is a reliable business software package that's also suitable for machines already on the market. It's easier and faster to use than its predecessor model, thus simplifying routine corporate tasks," they continue.

Sébastien Hanssens, vice-president for marketing and communications at Caldera, comments: "We are honored to have received this recognition for the latest edition of Flow+. Integral to our development cycle were the suggestions from users of the original suite. We followed the minutiae of their day-to-day processes to create an holistic, customer-driven roadmap, resulting in a product tailor-made for the specific needs of wide-format print providers."

Flow+ 2.0 débuted at FESPA 2013 in June with a new design and graphic interface, offering an enhanced and streamlined user experience, plus a Real Time Statistics Engine to serve operators with a snapshot of the production situation at any given point. A new production planning module adds various optimization tools to maximise efficiency and reduce waste and labour costs.

As with previous versions, Flow+ 2.0 will not only integrate perfectly with Caldera's RIP solutions, but is also compatible with most major third-party RIPs. The award follows Caldera's victory in the Best of 2012 awards, held at Viscom Frankfurt, where its InkPerformer module was recognised for the 'considerable potential savings' it could deliver to customers.

XMF Remote 9.5, the latest version of Fujifilm's online print job submission and approval system, is now commercially available. Part of the company’s XMF Workflow and Production Management Suite, XMF Remote allows both print companies and print buyers to directly and quickly submit and approve jobs for printing. Once approved in XMF Remote, jobs are sent to XMF Workflow for automatic print production.

The main improvement within XMF Remote 9.5 is a new user interface based on the HTML5 web platform, which gives brand owners the opportunity to take advantage of a safe and fully functional tool.

John Davies, business strategy manager workflow, Fujifilm Europe, explains, “Due to a growing number of security issues with Java, many IT departments have restricted its use so that some companies can no longer access Java based applications, which included the previous version of XMF Remote.  Shifting the client-facing side of XMF Remote 9.5 to the HTML5 web interface provides users with a modern, feature rich alternative that doesn’t suffer from security vulnerabilities.” He concludes: “Java is still supported, but thanks to HTML5, even companies with strict IT policies can now benefit from an easy to implement and open interface.”

The brand-new HTML5 platform allowed Fujifilm to redesign the user interface and create a cross-platform version which also incorporates new features based on ongoing feedback from customers. Whether end users are accessing the solution via a Mac, PC or an Apple iPad, it is fully compatible with mouse or finger based operations, allowing everyone to have the same consistent user experience for job review and approval.

XMF Remote 9.5 also incorporates advanced features to facilitate production flow. Not only are print service providers able to upload multiple print jobs concurrently, but they can also review magazines and publications with a high pagination through a fast page scrolling mode. This allows a quicker and more efficient approval process, which is further enhanced thanks to the opportunity to sample colours from multiple areas of a job, all at once. Effectively, XMF Remote 9.5 now shows multiple colour sample points simultaneously so that users can immediately check the make-up of colours used in a job and speed up the review process.

John concludes, “By making use of the latest technologies for web applications we are allowing users to improve their operational efficiency, speeding up job hand-off, review, correction, and turnaround times. Additionally, we’re pleased to be able to integrate into XMF Remote 9.5 new functionalities and a new user interface based on the HTML5 platform, which is already available across other products in Fujifilm’s portfolio, including XMF ColorPath and XMF PrintCentre.”

When Allkopi decided to establish Norway’s largest print production site, it opted for Esko solutions to drive and streamline the entire production line up. Officially opened on November 7th, Allkopi's new 5.500sqm site underlines the company's goal to be Norway's 'first choice' full service print provider for a broad array of applications. Next to printing equipment from industry leading manufacturers, Esko's Automation Engine, WebCenter and an Esko Kongsberg XP44 with i-cut Suite software take a prominent place at the new site, located near Oslo.

"For our new facilities, we were looking for one versatile solution to drive all equipment and streamline production," comments Lars Dæhli, Product Director at Allkopi. “The Esko products were installed last week upon opening of the site. We are convinced to see the benefits of this investment over time and reach our aim of automating 80% of our daily production. Esko’s workflow integration and ability to easily drive other systems creates a solution that covers almost everything – and we are very happy with that. Esko delivers as promised, no one else managed that.”

Mr. Dæhli continues explaining why Esko's Automation Engine and WebCenter were chosen to drive production: “Esko's solutions are highly dynamic with a lot of options and opportunities. We particularly liked the fact they support different production processes with regards to the use of different hot folder structures in existing RIP-solutions. We required a solution that is scalable, integrates with Navision, is JDF/JMF compatible and supports different cutting units and barcoding – with Esko we got all of that."

As for the Kongsberg XP44 with i-cut Suite, Mr. Dæhli comments: “There was a real need to streamline the cutting of all types of soft materials such as flags and banners. We had the same challenge for hard materials, especially when producing several images on the same sheet and cutting it after printing. So clearly, a new digital cutting table was on top of our wish list. Several competitive options were considered, taking into account we only wanted a Nordic supplier. The speed, robustness, power and integrated software of the Kongsberg made our choice easy. Positive references of other happy users were an important deciding factor."

Mr. Dæhli states that the Kongsberg table delivers great time savings in cutting and printing because the improved production enables them to place more orders on one plate. In addition, Allkopi also saves considerably in material waste. "With the Kongsberg, we can polish, punch holes and round off edges in a simple and effective way. Before we had to do this manually which not only took a lot of time but also lacked the accuracy of a machine. Now, we deliver a better quality on existing products and we have the possibility to offer new products. Last but not least, we can now also do more in-house instead of using subcontractors."

”The labour costs of less effective equipment or just doing things manually is at least one man's annual salary,” concludes Mr. Dæhli on the impact of the new Esko solutions. He continues, “To fully exploit our new production site, flexible and versatile tools are fundamental to handle the broad spectrum of products and materials used in our production. We are happy to partner with Esko, and are looking forward to a bright future."