Software - Workflow

The new EFI Fiery JobFlow will include Enfocus’ core PitStop Library technology for preflight and editing modules.

Enfocus Director of Business Development Alex Hamilton says embedding PitStop Library within the Fiery JobFlow solution extends a longstanding, successful partnership that has benefited EFI Fiery Digital Front End (DFE) customers over several EFI releases in the past decade.

Fiery JobFlow is a browser-based prepress workflow solution. It has the ability to convert native application files to PDF; preflight, correct and edit PDF files with Enfocus PitStop; enhance images; and impose documents directly before printing, leading to higher quality and prepress efficiency as well as reducing overall costs related to re-work due to printing errors.

Fiery JobFlow users will benefit from integrated file checking and correction from the Enfocus PitStop Smart Preflight & Correction technology. Users can specify exact preflight requirements for a given job at the moment the file is submitted. This gives the print buyer and production operator confidence that the file will conform to those requirements or it will be automatically flagged for editing and/or correction.

The PitStop Library embedded in Fiery JobFlow will be available at launch for a free 30-day trial. The option includes a full copy of PitStop Pro 11, a powerful application that gives operators the ability to make critical last-minute changes and corrections to files. This will save significant time when compared to returning files to customers; especially given the tight turnaround schedules that are the norm in today's graphic arts marketplace.

“Enfocus and EFI have a history of innovation, bringing cutting-edge technology to our customers,” says Charlotte Tueckmantel, director of Fiery product line management at EFI. “Once again, the integration of Enfocus PitStop in Fiery JobFlow brings a key component that increases production efficiency and control by making sure the print output is always accurate.”

"Enfocus is delighted to again have PitStop technology chosen to provide added value to the newest solution from a world-leading Digital Front End developer, EFI,” says Hamilton. “The latest PitStop release will give EFI customers even greater control over quality and optimization of their files prior to final output.”

Thamm GmbH, a large format print service provider based in Germany, significantly improved its production thanks to the implementation of Enfocus Switch. Working with Switch, the company created a fully automated large format PDF printing workflow that 'practically runs itself'. By improving workflow efficiency, reducing manual processes and streamlining operations, Thamm was able to increase productivity and profitability.

Before working with Enfocus Switch, Thamm’s high-performance large format output devices required considerable manual work, creating a production process that was time-consuming and subject to error. Production staff manually struggled with Acrobat preflight functions, leading to some jobs taking days to sort out. From data input to print preparation, quality assurance, production and order completion, the company’s workflow was disjointed and inefficient.

After learning about Enfocus Switch mid 2011 through Enfocus' German distributor Impressed, Thamm began to improve its production process by streamlining the workflow. Jörg Kulasik, Head of Colour Management & RIPs at Thamm, explains, “We decided to thoroughly work out our production process from back end to front. Once we integrated Enfocus Switch into our workflow, a lot changed – and for the better. What is most striking is the time saved. Repetitive processes that had to be done manually are now fully automated – and exactly how we need them to happen.”

Customised automation eliminates errors

“Once implemented we customized Switch according to our requirements to such an extent that our production practically runs itself,” continues Kulasik. “It doesn’t matter how big or complicated a job is; Switch controls the entire workflow via a database interface. Errors don’t stand a chance as data is monitored from input through to printing, finishing and dispatch, and sent down the right path. Now we can comfortably handle any job – all the parts simply fit together.”

For Thamm, the greatest benefit of Switch is the open software architecture, which facilitates easy integration, use of metadata and integrated plug-ins from third-party developers. Some of the products used in Thamm’s workflow include Enfocus PitStop Server, callas pdfToolbox, callas pdfToolbox Server, ColorLogic CoPrA, and ColorLogic ZePrA.

“We've achieved a lot in a short time. We check incoming data in terms of printability, we've partially automated the conversion of print data into print colour spaces, and we control automated processes directly from our ordering system. We also implemented print data conversion workflows using callas pdfToolbox. For me, Enfocus Switch has no limits, and I’m sure we’ll use it to integrate other tools and functions in the future,” concludes Jörg Kulasik.

Smart automation with Enfocus Switch

Enfocus Switch is a modular, open automation platform that gives printers, publishers, ad agencies and other companies higher overall efficiency across departments. Enfocus Switch allows users to accomplish repetitive tasks associated with receiving, sorting, and processing files automatically. Switch’s automation of these tasks standardises processes, reduces errors, and frees up resources, resulting in substantial savings in time and money. By automating such tasks, Switch makes time available for activities that create added value, such as customer service, design, marketing and sales opportunities, or otherwise concentrating on core business services.

Wide-format software specialist Caldera has announced the latest version of its digital signage software designed for wide-format print houses, Variable Display 2.0. The latest updates include improvements to the scheduling functions and a number of new advanced settings, as well as a new plug-in, which will allow print houses to use Variable Display as a dashboard to follow their activity from the production floor.

Variable Display, which was unveiled last year at FESPA 2011 in Hamburg, was designed as a low-cost digital signage solution combining the qualities of printed and dynamic content as an add-on sales product for large-format PSPs. With a specification list that includes control from multiple operating systems as well as smartphone apps, and the ability to drive screens on several different sites through one interface, Variable Display's power and ease-of-use was endorsed by Viscom Düsseldorf in 2011, at which Caldera's solution was used to power all the event's screens.

"Since we first launched Variable Display, we've had a great response from printers wanting to expand their offering," explains Sébastien Hanssens, vice-president for marketing, Caldera. "Now they can offer a whole package of marketing materials to a client including a digital signage solution that is quick to set up and simple to use. The latest upgrades offer added functionality to the original user-friendly product, offering wide-format houses a unique solution to help them access the potentially lucrative new world of digital signage."

An interesting new development for Variable Display 2.0 is the Print Board plug-in, the first display solution of its kind to interact directly with a RIP engine. The plug-in will allow users of Caldera's RIP software to show an overview of their production activity on a screen for all employees to see, with information including which files have recently been added to the spooler, and the number of square metres processed daily by the RIP.

Enhancements to the AIR interface comprise a large part of the upgrade, including the ability to create users with different permissions. Users will also have greater control over planning and scheduling their playlists and content. A new calendar interface will enable drag-and-drop playlist scheduling, to make planning and implementing campaigns quicker and simpler. The conflict detection system has also been improved to reduce the potential for scheduling clashes.

Each player now also has its own web interface with advanced settings such as the ability to alter network settings, reboot or shut down the device and change passwords. Additionally, the web interface allows the user to define the area of the screen that the player will use – a helpful feature when using outdoor and indoor LED billboards – and the x and y co-ordinates of the playlist frame.

Other new user-focused features include the addition of tooltips, plus the sorting and filtering of content within the AIR interface. The ability to send multiple files to the server is also new in Variable Display 2.0, as is the improved installation process: the user is now able to display the IP address, subnet mask and name of a box by plugging in a USB mass storage key.

Caldera will reveal the latest version of its comprehensive workflow solution, Flow+ 1.6, at SGIA Expo in Las Vegas between October 18th and 20th. Flow+ 1.6 boasts major enhancements to the quoting system, customer relationship management and user interface, as well as a number of new tools and a faster processing engine.

The Flow+ team, which recently welcomed Serge Clauss as its new Workflow Sales Manager, has been working to improve and fine-tune Caldera's flagship workflow software based on customer feedback and believes the additional functionality in the latest version offers one of the most comprehensive solutions available to the industry in a sleek and updated interface.

"We know that simplified end-to-end sales and production processes are becoming more and more important to wide-format businesses as raw materials costs rise and margins are squeezed," says Serge Clauss. "For many of our customers, Flow+ is a business-critical investment. That's why the additions to the latest version make it work harder for them on every level."

Improvements in the quoting system include a more flexible quotation builder, designed to assist companies implementing an MIS for the first time by allowing the creation of quotes with a free text field. This will enable sales teams to learn and adjust to the Flow+ system more gradually, whilst also making for a smoother and quicker integration. In addition, the quoting wizard has been enhanced, meaning that groups of finishing processes can be added to a job. For example, a 'Banner Finishing' group could contain 'pocket sewing' and 'eyelet positioning', helping to prevent work being done without being invoiced.

The CRM module has also benefited from a number of improvements, including better filtering of customer information to help the sales team identify existing clients and leads to be followed up. A list of pending quotes can be called up easily and also exported in a Microsoft Excel format for sales team meetings. Information filtering options have been extended throughout Flow+, putting the right information in the user's hands when they need it.

A host of new tools have been introduced for Flow+ 1.6 to make planning resources and monitoring production even more intuitive. The daily inventory report can now be exported for analysis, as can overviews on production load, showing how many of which types of job have been scheduled, filtered by device. Similarly, a Job Life Cycle report summarises a job from start to finish and helps production managers identify potential efficiency savings. A further new reporting tool offers the ability to track the amount of time a job spends in pre-press, helping pre-press managers improve productivity.

Another invaluable new tool is the Installation Planning feature, which helps users schedule installations for each job in the system. Deadlines can be set and sub-contractors assigned for each project, and jobs can be grouped together for improved efficiency.

The entire user experience has been given an overhaul too, with a completely modified engine built for faster responses even when the system is overloaded, a sleek, modern new user interface and added Spanish language support.

"Our mission at Caldera is to make printing easier for everyone and this newest release of Flow+ is a great example of our commitment to this," says Sébastien Hanssens, vice-president of marketing for Caldera. "Collectively, these small improvements will make a huge difference to our customers using Flow+, by providing the tools and systems they need to become more efficient as simply as possible."

Enfocus has updated the Switch Web Services Module for Enfocus Switch 11.  Part of the new Enfocus Switch 11 range of Smart Automation tools, the Web Services Module allows users of Switch 11 to build secure, Browser-based interfaces into a Switch workflow environment for job submission, file upload, review and approval.

Intelligently connecting customers and remote resources with employees and internal workflows is vital to ensure business processes are efficient and effective. The Web Services Module enables any web browser to become the front-end to a Web-to-Print portal, a document or digital asset management system or any other process automated by Switch. Any file types can be uploaded into Switch-based workflows for additional processing or format conversion, automated routing and distribution to relevant workgroups or individuals, output to internal print queues, archival purposes or even delivery to another location or provider.

"The Web Services Module is a powerful addition to any Enfocus Switch solution”, says Elli Cloots, Director of Product Management. "Our users are always looking for a way to more efficiently interact with their own customers and Enfocus provides the tools they need to streamline their production. By automating job submission, review and approval processes on their websites, our users free up time to concentrate on the quality of their services and seek out new business opportunities. This makes the Switch Web Services Module an addition that offers both immediate and long term ROI."

The Web Services Module enables service providers to collect job information from forms that are automatically displayed when a user accesses the job submission Web page. The Smart Forms feature in Switch optionally displays specific form fields based on values in other fields already completed. Form fields are defined within the Switch interface to require specific formats, remember prior values, or be displayed as read only and changes are updated automatically on the Web pages. Access to job upload pages can be optionally controlled via user name and password credentials, and user-based access can also be specified for remote reviewing, approval and routing of jobs.

The Web Services Module allows users to easily build custom web interfaces into their Switch workflows based on the Simple Language Access Protocol (SOAP). Examples Web interfaces built with PHP are included in the Module and demonstrate how to display job submissions, reviews and approvals. The Web Services Module uses SSL to ensure all job information and file content remain secure and confidential, and uploaded files are always automatically compressed during submission to insure optimal user bandwidth consideration.

Availability

The Web Services Module is already available from Enfocus' network of Switch Authorised resellers and integrators. Also a free trial and a customisable Switch 11 Web Services sample are available on www.enfocus.com.

Buckinghamshire-based Your Print Solution has invested in GMG's ProductionSuite wide-format colour management and workflow solution.  The company has invested in the software to support its expansion into wide format print production.

The six-year-old digital print specialist is initially using ProductionSuite to drive a new 60-inch HP Designjet L26500 printer.  Increasing demand for poster and other large-format work from customers such as the Wimpy Restaurant franchise meant that additional capacity was required.

Having been a GMG customer since 2004, director David Jackson was more than happy to continue to use GMG solutions to maximise colour quality and consistency from the new HP printer.   He explains, “We’d been using GMG since 2004 because it was the best proofing solution out there, so when GMG showed us ProductionSuite alongside the L26500, we thought ‘if anyone knows colour, they do’.  GMG ProductionSuite includes technology that’s familiar to us, but with many additional features for wide format output. We’re producing increasing numbers of A1 and 24 x 36-inch posters via our web-to-print portal for Wimpy, typically in runs of 30 or 40 at a time, so the larger printer made sense.”

He adds, “We work to the Fogra 39L standard on the Indigo and Epson printers to match offset print that is produced elsewhere for our customers. With GMG ProductionSuite, we know that we are hitting that reliably on the HP as well, because everything is measured. Not only are we matching colour across devices and substrates but - perhaps more importantly - we are providing consistency over time, from one month to the next. Sixty per cent of our customers who place work for the Indigo are also buying wide-format work from us now.”

GMG has built dedicated functionality for wide format production tasks into ProductionSuite; this ranges from pre-flighting and file correction tools to planning for efficient use of media via step-and-repeat and tiling options. It also includes support for the placement of non-print features such as hems and grommets, plus cutting and folding instructions for the finishing processes. As relative newcomers to the intricacies of finishing products as diverse as pull-up banners on vinyl or POS displays mounted onto board, the staff at Your Print Solution have found the know-how built into the GMG software to be a great asset:

“GMG ProductionSuite has definitely helped our move into wide-format work,” confirms Jackson.  “We hadn’t dealt with banners, eyelets or hem-ons before, but the software has great educational value in helping us to understand wide format issues. The Editor module is very easy to use; as well as allowing a high level of editing, it assists with handling the calculations that relate output size, viewing distance and image resolution, for example.”

Simon Landau, technical sales specialist, GMG UK, concludes, “This is just the beginning of Your Print Solution’s move into wide format production. With its drivers for the widest range of output devices and extensive support for finishing and related equipment, GMG ProductionSuite will be able to support their further expansion in whatever direction they choose to take.”