These features include:

• finishing tools in Flexi Design;
• nesting enhancements;
• custom weed paths; and
• an improved user interface.

“As its name reflects, Flexi Complete delivers the entire package integrating design, RIP, and production capabilities into one solution,” explained Mikki Webb, president & CEO, SAi. “As we have always done, we’re constantly developing the software to ensure it meets the specific and demanding needs of our customers and in Flexi Complete, we are delivering a solution that genuinely shifts the dial in improving productivity and efficiencies across the full gamut of sign and large format print applications.”

The Prinergy Insite Prepress Portal allows printers and their customers to submit jobs, track progress, collaborate on changes, and proof and approve work. The Prinergy Insite Creative Workflow supports creative design/content creation, reviews, revisions, approvals and asset management within a tightly controlled, task-based process.

The newly implemented two-factor authentication at login safeguards users’ data and personally identifiable information (PII). OAuth (open authorization) for Microsoft Office 365 is now integrated into IPP and ICW for greater security.

“The release of the Prinergy Insite Portals version 10.0 means all essential components and optional add-ons of the Kodak Prinergy Platform are now up-to-date and consistent. The new version provides printers with increased performance, helps them meet customer requirements faster and error-free and makes the digital infrastructure for collaboration with customers and creative professionals more secure,” said Jim Barnes, Kodak’s chief IT implementation officer.

“Fiery XF was already extremely flexible in terms of printer and cutter support, but the introduction of version 8 takes that to another level with the hundreds of newly-added supported devices,” said Sue Hayward, CMYUK commercial director. “In practical terms, no matter which printer or cutter a customer wants to add to their large format print production, chances are Fiery XF 8 will support it. This keeps onsite disruption, integration, installation, and training times to an absolute minimum, making all our lives easier.”

Fiery XF combines RIP, colour management, and workflow software in one solution.

For more information on Fiery XF or to request a free trial, visit www.fiery.com/xf .

Crawford Technologies’ ILA is a dual-screen device that breaks down communication barriers by allowing users to communicate via text, speech, American Sign Language (ASL) and/or braille, all in any language desired.

Using ILA, users can speak, spell aloud or type their words and the entire conversation is immediately communicated to the other party in their chosen language.

“As international travel and immigration have grown so widespread, organizations need fast, easy-to-use, accurate language translations to communicate with their customers effectively. Any organization, including health care, airlines, hospitality, insurance, education and government entities, that interacts with a diverse customer base, benefits greatly from being able to communicate in any language in real time,” said Ernie Crawford, president and CEO of Crawford Technologies. “ILA is built with accessibility in mind, providing instantaneous communication that eliminates the frustration and risk associated with miscommunication. It encourages positive interactions with anyone, no matter what method is used to communicate.”

The Fujifilm 46kUV Inkjet Printbar System features a drop-on-demand design and printing speeds of up to 500 feet per minute. Additionally, Fujifilm’s 46kUV Inkjet Printer System has a native resolution of 1200 DPI.

“We’ve seen the use of inkjet continue to grow in the label and packaging markets given its ability to produce high-quality output with variable data,” said Greg Balch, vice-president and general manager of the Fujifilm Integrated Inkjet Solutions group. “Our vision behind the 46kUV Inkjet Printbar System is to help fill an important gap in the market for imprinting at high DPI and with high reliability.”

Fujifilm’s 46kUV Inkjet Printbar System is available in four print widths, including 10 in., 13 in., 17 in. and 20 in.

With the latest release, Eco3 enables every size of newspaper operation to move to the cloud and adds more integration with third-party systems.

Arkitex Production 6.0 brings the cloud experience to a broader audience by leveraging its multi-tenant capabilities. For smaller newspaper printers, combining multi-tenancy with the cloud allows them to move their systems to an external server hosted by Eco3, thereby reducing their in-house IT hardware, software handling and services.

Meanwhile, larger customers can invest in their own multi-tenant server to consolidate the sites within a newspaper group.

“As Eco3, we are reiterating our unwavering commitment to the newspaper industry with the latest release, Arkitex 6.0, which delivers value-adding improvements to support customers in a highly competitive and challenging industry,” said Andy Grant, Eco3’s global head of software.

“The latest release of Fiery Command WorkStation 7 helps print rooms gain operational efficiencies with new features that elevate colour performance, accelerate job setup, and simplify server settings,” said John Henze, vice-president, sales and marketing, Fiery. “With direct integration to ColorGuard, operators no longer need to step out of the Command WorkStation interface to action colour process control tasks, including colour verification and recalibration. Within one interface, companies can monitor the colour quality of multiple Fiery-driven print devices to ensure they produce colours that meet customer expectations.” 

The Fiery Command WorkStation 7 is free to all Fiery customers. Customers can also sign up for a free Fiery account to download Fiery software and back up settings and licenses.

Achieving precise brand colours in the inkroom and on the press has traditionally been a complex and time-consuming task due to various factors affecting the printing process, such as the condition of anilox rolls, doctor blades, and even the press wash-up between jobs. Press operators often resort to manual adjustments, a process known as “ink toning” during make-ready, which can take up to one to two hours. ChromaQA’s SmartInk technology uses a formulation engine that removes all the subjectivity with toning ink on press.

Stephen Rankin, director of product management at Techkon, said, “The SmartInk recipe correction feature in ChromaQA 5 is in an industry-first for packaging printers who must match brand colours under tight tolerances. SmartInk removes the guesswork by providing precise recipe corrections using the printer’s base inks, streamlining the process, and cutting make-ready times in half. In addition, we’re excited to announce that ChromaQA 5 also includes a completely new, dynamic and interactive, web-based reporting system and a new global instrument management dashboard to ensure instrument accuracy across a fleet of devices.”

Prinergy 10.0 is available at no additional cost to customers with a service contract or users of the cloud-based Kodak Prinergy with Managed Services.

“Version 10.0 of Prinergy workflow software takes automation to a higher level with numerous improvements and new functional capabilities. Altogether, these advancements help printers to streamline their workflow processes while safeguarding their infrastructure and improving profitability,” said Jim Barnes, Kodak’s chief IT implementation officer.

“Our customers have come to depend on the exceptional performance delivered by Fiery DFEs, and that’s why we chose Fiery as the core DFE technology strategic partner for our next-generation sheetfed presses,” said Gavin Jordan-Smith, senior vice-president and general manager, head of global sales strategy division & RGC North America sales, Ricoh Graphic Communications. “Our long-term co-innovation and collaboration with Fiery in the development of DFEs optimized for use with Ricoh Pro line presses has been an important factor in the overall success of our production printing portfolio. With this new Fiery DFE, we have continued this work, supporting the increasingly productive digital printing solutions that our customers require.”

“Ricoh continues to advance its digital press portfolio and pairing the new Ricoh Pro C9500 with a high-value Fiery DFE is an unbeatable combination that helps reduce labour costs, improve output quality, and cut job turnaround times,” said John Henze, vice president, sales and marketing. “With a Fiery DFE, customers can maximize their investment in new presses for increased profitability while ensuring the highest quality and accuracy the first time, every time.”

“Nearly 10 years ago we released the first version of Packz with the goal of providing a ‘Swiss Army knife’ of prepress tools in a single application, supporting both Windows and Mac, with no need for plug-ins. We’ve been very successful in this approach and have sold more than 5,000 copies of Packz, but many users still relied on other software for package design, 3D rendering, colour management, ganging, etc. But with recent acquisitions by Hybrid Software Group, as well as continuous innovation by our crack team of software developers, we’ve closed that gap with Packz Version 9, and we will increase our customers’ efficiencies even further in future versions,” said Patrick Coussement, co-president of Hybrid Software.

Packz 9 adds support for Content XML, an automated tool for managing nutrition facts and ingredients panels, anti-counterfeit labels, language translations, and variable data for digital output of labels and packaging.

Once you have enjoyed the capacity uplift, expanded application possibilities, and explored the production flexibility of digital, especially when making the transition from analogue technologies for processes such as screen printing, what’s next?

Increasingly for print service providers (PSPs) attention is turning to ways to use software to save time and money and, ultimately, boost profits without the need for further expenditure.

In fact, a recent Keypoint Intelligence survey in America exploring how software is transforming large format production found nesting software has specifically been on the rise. It reported 92 per cent of large format PSPs are harnessing nesting and ganging software for capacity optimization and almost 30 per cent of PSPs are saving up to $10,000 annually as a result.

Nesting is a quick and easy way of enabling the most efficient use of often costly substrates. It also ensures smoother completion of post printing processes such as cutting for greater accuracy, reliability, and consistency.

Specialist large format software can also deliver the following operational improvements:

Accurate cost calculations

Alongside substrates, ink is one of the most expensive elements in a job. Accurate calculations for profitable pricing are vital, especially when margins are so tight. Getting it wrong can mean the difference between profit and loss. It could also result in clients going elsewhere.

Consistent results on different substrates

Producing the same job on different substrates and ensuring the colours, depth and vibrancy match can be very challenging. Skilled operators can spend a significant amount of time matching and testing. Software can set up the correct ICC profiles to deliver the consistency clients are requesting.

Reduce the need for skilled staff

Finding knowledgeable employees is becoming increasingly challenging. Easy to use and run large format software enables PSPs to take on less skilled staff or allow vital team members to cover a number of systems more flexibly.

Allow the smooth adoption of digital

Operations that have been running analogue systems are increasingly seeing the value of being able to produce the shorter runs, or customized jobs, which are made possible with digital printing technology. Simple to use large format software aids this switch, supporting a fast and smooth adoption process that drives confidence in the possibilities for a successful transition.

What could enhanced software utilization deliver your business? How can you explore smarter software to make your hardware work harder? A good start would be to explore the possibilities.

Angelo Mandelli is large format and flatbed product manager, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe

“Since we introduced Amfortis in 2021, our focus on driving even more value for packaging businesses increased significantly. As with all ECO3 solutions, we respond quickly to customer feedback and current market dynamics by implementing new tools and improving existing features to allow printers to optimize their operations,” said Andy Grant, ECO3’s global head of software.

Adding a level of automation to Amfortis, v2 introduces Autofill, a new productivity feature aimed at enhancing the management of versioning. It works by combining different jobs in the best possible sheet layout to maximize press utilization and speed up lead times.

New in Amfortis v2 is WebApproval, which streamlines communication between print buyers and their customers by offering a tool for viewing and approving print-ready files.

The latest release also sees a continued expansion of Apogee WebApproval with the introduction of multi-step online approval. Extending the existing functionalities, print jobs can now be set up to require the approval of multiple stakeholders in the value chain, helping to centralize, safeguard and simplify the process. Within this function, a new ‘force approval’ option is available which allows customer sales representatives to override the approval process and make the job ready for plating instantly.

“The enduring success of Apogee is founded on our ongoing commitment to enhancing our solutions, as we work side by side with our customers to help them meet the changing demands of the market,” said Andy Grant, ECO3’s global head of software. “This latest update homes in on the specific needs of users in industries such as pharmaceuticals and FMCG with new advanced automation and approval features that will help them simplify processes while safeguarding product quality and end users.”

“Many brands and print customers have tight colour tolerances leaving little room for error in the print workflow,” said Jon-Michael McCartney, director, print and packaging, X-Rite. “If measurement devices are not operating at factory performance, small errors can add up and put you out of tolerance. NetProfiler is unique in the industry as it helps printers and converters verify and optimize measurement accuracy for all their devices monthly to stay within tolerance. This is a critical part of an effective digital workflow that assures accurate spectral data is shared across InkFormulation and ColorCert quality assurance software.”

The new NetProfiler online platform offers complimentary access to X-Rite Link for all profiled devices. NetProfiler online is now available. Printers and converters can upgrade to NetProfiler online at no additional cost. For more information, visit https://www.xrite.com/netprofiler-software.

SmartSetup is a no-code software solution designed to fully automate the time-consuming task of indexing. In the past, developers would need to write scripts or programs to accomplish these functions.

Projects that benefit from SmartSetup include print files for setup, post-composition, data verification, document re-composition, redactions and archiving.

“This innovation is a solid game changer because it can save organizations millions of dollars, significant labour costs and shave years off complex migration projects,” said Ernie Crawford, president and CEO of Crawford Technologies. “This unique technology makes it easier for organizations to onboard customer communications to their document factories, hastening digital transformation efforts.”

The SmartSetup template builder runs on Windows. The templates are supported in Crawford Technologies’ Enterprise Output Management and eDeliveryNow platforms.

ProWorx Label Suite is an Adobe Creative Cloud extension tailored to Mark Andy’s hybrid presses. It provides job defining and imposition for printing and post-processing, including die-cutting.

“ProWorx Label Suite is another software solution in our portfolio, following the recently launched Smart Link, a real-time, on-press data collection and press monitoring system for narrow-web devices,” said Ben Richardson, senior DFE specialist at Mark Andy. “It is Mark Andy’s response to customer feedback on their requirements and expectations. It is designed to complement our top-class hybrid technology and offer converters an advanced software solution that brings efficiency and sustainability to the entire manufacturing process,” he added.

The new IPC (I-cut Production Console) version 2.6 is packed with a host of new features and upgrades.

“The IPC’s intuitive user interface was designed to enable straightforward and efficient operation for all users,” said Koen Van Reybroeck, Kongsberg PCS product manager. “It enables users to import and automatically set-up files, customize production runs, calibrate tools and save settings. With IPC you can set up standard production workflows, create simple designs and layouts, and run production manually or fully automated.”

“We are thrilled to be releasing Smart link to the market,” said Gretchen Tobol, product manager, flexo presses at Mark Andy. “We believe it will fundamentally change the way the industry monitors performance and optimizes press utilization. We can’t wait to see the impact it will have on the industry.”

Smart link also offers data tracking capabilities, including machine performance, material use, and labour efficiency.

Ricoh TotalFlow Producer automates the submission and consolidation of jobs coming from multiple sources, such as e-mail, web-to-print, and file transfer services. The automatic preflight function helps to identify file issues, including missing fonts, inaccurate page size, poor image resolution, incorrect colour and more. This helps in-house and commercial print service providers (PSPs) to eliminate errors, reduce costly reruns, save valuable time, and improve customer service levels. The app also improves the overall customer experience by providing a personalized job uploading portal where job status can be viewed. A simple bi-directional communication method within the portal will eliminate the need for time-consuming post-order follow-up interactions.

“Production printers must manage an increasing variety of short-run jobs with tighter-than-ever turnaround times to win business and maintain profitability. To help them meet these needs, we have continued to innovate in our cloud-based infrastructure, which launched for production workflow solutions in 2018 on the Amazon Web Services platform,” said Chris Reid, vice-president, Global Software and Services, Ricoh. “By hosting in the Ricoh TotalFlow Cloud, we can meet our customers’ growing needs to improve data security, efficiency, scalability, and affordability without requiring expensive IT infrastructure or expertise.”

RICOH TotalFlow Producer will be available to license through monthly subscriptions and will offer free trials beginning summer 2023.

PDFMarkz SE is a suitable tool for repurposing PDF content for graphic designers, publishers and printers. Frequently, users have PDFs while the original, native job or artwork is no longer available. Markzware’s PDF converter gives users the ability to recycle PDF layouts. This allows new edits or design changes to be made directly within the familiar interface of Adobe InDesign and other desktop publishing applications.

PDFMarkz SE will also convert PDF Annotations to the IDML (InDesign Markup Language) file, so users can view them in InDesign 2023. Markzware technology exports PDF documents as IDML files, which can be opened in Adobe InDesign CS4 and newer versions. The IDML exported by PDFMarkz SE can be imported into any desktop publishing application that supports IDML.

Pascal Wybo, product manager of Packz and Stepz PDF editors, shares, “To support the growing demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging, we are excited to announce a new feature called “Press View”. The functionality supplies professionals with instant views of how graphics, especially spot colours which are critical to brands, are printed under various printing conditions. In many cases, accurate colours can be printed with fewer inks, less plates, and faster press speeds.”

Additionally, Packz and Stepz now support the new GMG Version 2 API for full compatibility with the latest GMG Open Color software.

Packz 8.5 also introduces a new feature called Content XML, allowing print service shops to transform PDF artwork templates into standard XML markup language, with the ability to drive high quality dynamic artwork creation from their ERP or MIS systems. The creative variation of text, linework, colour, and images can be leveraged in digital print-on-demand web solutions for engaging one-to-one packaging.

Packz 8.5 adds tools to create Digimarc digital watermarks, which encode the artwork surface with an imperceptible pattern for new data insights and smart packaging recycling for a circular economy.

Finally, Hybrid Software closes the loop with the verification tools in Packz and Cloudflow, allowing error-free inspection of Digimarc watermarks within the PDF editors and workflow processes.

“Today’s print workflows have unique quality control demands. Creatives and prepress professionals will be glad to have Markzware’s dependable preflight solution, FlightCheck, in their print production toolbox,” expressed Patrick Marchese, president, Markzware.

FlightCheck is useful for graphic designers, publishers, printers, and those who create and prepare documents for print or file archiving. FlightCheck includes branding capability for advertising, printing, publishing, and reseller partners, worldwide, can include their identity within the FlightCheck Reports.

This application also supports new photo image types, including WebP and HEIC formats.

As XML-based middleware, the OneVision software can be connected to other software and hardware components. In addition to numerous existing data interfaces, the new version now enables connection to Google Drive and HTTP data sources. Further, integration options to additional processing systems have been implemented. A newly developed module enables the preparation of cutting lines in already imposed sheets for the Duplo DocuCutter DC-618 and DC-648. Also, marks and barcodes can be applied to the sheets as additional information. Duplo’s multi-finishers can thus be configured automatically.

Another new feature is a connection to OptiScout. This functionality prepares the print files for transfer to the OptiScout system and allows integration with countless digital cutting systems such as Colex, Bullmer, and Eastman Cuts.

The nesting module has been extended with some functionalities. Intelligent transfer of the print run can shorten RIP times and stabilize the entire workflow. Print service providers working with a cutting system from Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems can look forward to support for under-view cameras.

“Software has to be fast, reliable, and easy-to-use in today’s printing and cutting environment. Easy Cut Studio is an innovative software solution that is constantly evolving to better meet our customers’ needs.” said Eric Lee, product manager at EasyCut Studio. “The tools, technology, intuitive interfaces and workflows for everyday use in Easy Cut Studio are designed for the modern user, and continue our vision in providing superior software solutions to print & cut businesses worldwide.”

The latest version has a new destination cluster feature, a group of printers that QDirect manages as a virtual single device.

“With an increasing emphasis on optimizing resources, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency, this new release offers functionality previously only available on a custom basis to print shops of all kinds. Any print operation with multiple production printers can fully harness their print devices with new printer group capabilities and experience the rewards that workflow automation provides,” said product manager Anthony Leccese.

In a mixed printing environment it is often difficult for companies to see an overview of their full production, in a single consolidated view. Often the analytics are stored on the printer or cutter, with job processes – like RIP or Nest information – stored in the software application they are using. PrintFactory is able to show the full production environment in a single consolidated view.

Erik Strik, CEO of PrintFactory said, “This is a clear differentiator from what is commonly available as it gives print shops a 360 degree view of their entire production – every printer, cutter, job, RIP, nest and process – in a single view, no matter the brand or the location of the device, from the web-based app.
In order to prevent bottlenecks and disruptions in production we give our customers tools to avoid them before they happen.”

The dashboard also includes a health check to inform the production team of potential problems before a disruption occurs.

ReadyPDF 9.2 offers many enhancements to its current features and new additions to boost functionality and improve user experience. These improvements include a streamlined configuration, additional discard object options, ReadyPDF job property variables, expanded optimization settings, pre-defined modes for various activities, greater optimization report functionality, and the addition of a new preflight mode.

With a focus on user experience, ReadyPDF 9.2 includes updates to its user interface that simplify the setup and configuration of jobs. The configuration now has multiple options for users to select pre-configured optimization settings that aid in onboarding new work and boosting productivity.

“We’re thrilled with the benefits our customers realize with the latest version of our ReadyPDF Prepress Server,” says Mary Ann Rowan, chief experience officer at Solimar Systems. “Along with correcting fonts, images, colour and structural issues in PDFs, ReadyPDF creates clean live data and detailed before and after optimization reports that can boost overall workflow productivity processes.”

To find more information about ReadyPDF along with further details of version 9.2, please click here.

HighConnect automatically collects and monitors productivity and utilization data from Highcon system(s), including system status, speeds, and job setup times to give a full overview of the production process. The platform then displays reports in its intuitive dashboard, providing the user in-depth insights in a fully connected digital platform. HighConnect allows converters to make strategic production decisions, monitor business goals and improve their workflow to maximize throughput.

“HighConnect is the next step in performance reporting for digital finishing, significantly reducing the amount of time needed to run analysis and enabling operators to accelerate productivity. It supports our vision for a digital manufacturing strategy, providing total control of the multiple data points collected from our systems,” said Haim Veig, head of products at Highcon Systems.

SmartDFE provides a full software and hardware stack, built around the Harlequin Direct RIP technology that has been designed to drive the “fastest, widest and highest” inkjet presses.  SmartDFE is capable of processing fully variable data at high speeds and communicating out to the wider smart print factory, providing information for QA and inspection, press maintenance, and stock control.

SmartMedia packages all OEM’s reference press settings for each media and ink set into a library of media definitions and, via a wizard-like experience, enables press operators to select the appropriate media and ink set combination without needing specialist knowledge.

Eric Worrall, Global Graphics’ VP of products and services explains, “The rise of extended colour gamut, or seven-colour printing, has created an opportunity for SmartMedia technology, as we help manufacturers set up their presses to produce high-quality results across all media types. Smart Media Manager enables the OEM to package their optimal settings for each media into a library. Our innovative technology enables any operator to bring the press back into a reference or golden state so that each media will give great quality and colour in the field.”

SmartDFE is designed to be part of a fully automated manufacturing solution supporting Industry 4.0 telematics and MIS integration, plus connectivity with automated manufacturing lines via OPC UA, the open standard for information exchange for industrial communication.

“Adding the advanced Fiery DFE technology to the ImagePress Lite C270 Series printers from Canon can provide customers with excellent quality and even greater control over their output,” said Shinichi “Sam” Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager of Canon U.S.A.. “The new, user-friendly ImagePress Server M20 can help users to produce professional-looking output while limiting the need to outsource, and gives users the power to easily reproduce accurate brand colours in workplace documents.”

“EFI Fiery – a leading DFE solution in print – makes getting terrific looking colour prints easy and fast; and the new, Fiery-based server reduces the time needed to accurately print documents, including complex files and colour-critical PDFs,” said John Henze, vice president of sales and marketing, EFI Fiery. “The server’s Fiery capabilities means users can have the ability to reduce outsourcing costs and make great impressions in print with high quality newsletters, sales flyers, booklets, corporate stationery, tradeshow promotions, personalized communications and more.”

An EFI IQ cloud integration gives Command WorkStation users the ability to back up and restore their customized user interface settings, local presets, and imposition templates. With a click of button, they can invite other Command WorkStation users in their print shop, or at other company locations, to download and install common settings and resources. A shop can optimize Command WorkStation for all users even in multiple locations.

“This new version of Command WorkStation is a significant milestone in our strategy to improve Fiery capability with EFI IQ cloud services,” said John Henze, vice-president of sales and marketing, EFI Fiery. “Using the familiar Command WorkStation interface, users can now access cloud services to better manage both their print jobs and their business.”

The latest version of EFI Fiery Command WorkStation is available for download at no charge at www.efi.com/cws. For more information about advanced digital print production solutions from EFI, visit www.efi.com.