JDFLife-saver for print?

1st to 5.0VANDOK goes to DALiM TWiST 5.0

Next revolutionJDF preflighting is here

Don’t look backReproscan shakes up production

Top billingColumbia House in the SWiNG

Q3 2004

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Contents

THEMAGAZiNEIssue 3Q4 2004

Dalim Software GmbHStrassburger Strasse 6D-77694 KehlGermanyt: +49 (0) 7851 91 96 0f: +49 (0) 7851 73 57 6w: www.dalim.com

EDITORIALGee Ranasinha - gee@dalim.comAnne Baltzer - anne.b@dalim.comRuth Clark - ruth@splashpr.co.ukIrv Press - irv@press-plus.com

DESIGNFranck Stoll - franck.s@dalim.com

PRINTINGOur sincere thanks toContinental Web Press, Itasca IL

5 WELCOME

6 NEWS, NEWS, NEWS

10 MAKE IT FIVE

VANDOK upgrades to DALiM TWiST v5.0

14 PORTFOLIO

A-Z of Dalim Software technology

20 STEPPING STONES TO JDF

Martin Bailey takes you by the hand

22 THE NEXT REVOLUTION

JDF driven preflighting

24 TOP BILLING

Columbia House gets in the SWiNG!

28 DON’T LOOK BACK

Reproscan shakes up production

30 LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACE

Gee Ranasinha considers the new world order

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I N T E G R A T I O N , A U T O M A T I O N ,

C O L L A B O R A T I O N

FULLPRESS AND ITS COMPANION PRODUCTS, WEBNATIVE AND

WEBNATIVE VENTURE, COMBINE AN OPEN AND INTEGRATED

PRODUCTION INFRASTRUCTURE WITH INTERNET-BASED

COLLABORATION, ASSET MANAGEMENT AND DATABASE DRIVEN

AUTOMATION. THE ENTIRE XINET SOLUTION HAS BEEN

DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND-UP TO LEVERAGE ITS POWERFUL

FEATURES IN A SYSTEM GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.

Fu l l P r e s s v. 12

The latest release of FullPress delivers a highly-

integrated, server-based PDF workflow. With the

addition of easier queue management and

industry-standard PDF generation, such as

PDF/X-1a and Pass4Press, FullPress provides the

flexibility and precision needed in today’s

workflows. Also new, Xinet’s Picture Wrangler® for

Adobe InDesign CS, is an automatic image

re-linking and updating tool that makes working

with complicated layouts much easier. Picture

Wrangler for Adobe Illustrator CS and Picture

Wrangler for QuarkXPress are also included with

FullPress v. 12.

WebNa t i v e Ven tu r e v. 6

WebNative® Venture’s new “triggers and actions”

feature allows exciting database-driven

automation, bringing together the asset

management and the production aspects of a

workflow. Any change to the metadata values

within the database can trigger one or more

actions, such as approval queries, deadline

notification, e-mail announcements, proof

generation, archiving, the movement of a file, or

final output of a job.

The Xinet suite of advanced workflow applications

has been leading the industry since its introduction

in 1995. Today, it provides the backbone for

thousands of printing, publishing, advertising and

corporate customers worldwide.

“We use WebNative to generate

revenue via asset management

sales as well as by leveraging its

value to close new prepress and

printing business.”

Bob Stuart, Jr.

President

Vermillion, Inc.

Derry, New Hampshire

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COMPLETE PDF WORKFLOW

PREPRESS SERVER SOFTWARE

ONE SOLUTION

dalimmag.8_04.qxp 8/25/04 4:35 PM Page 1

Welcome to Issue Three of the THEMAGAZiNE, Dalim Software’s own title designed for both existing and soon-to-be users of Dalim Software solutions.

For those of you who seen THEMAGAZiNE before, you’ll notice that we’ve been working hard on improving the layout and content to better inform graphic arts professionals on the industry as a whole. THEMAGAZiNE is meant to be an evolving title, so if you have any comments or suggestions on how we can improve it, please let us know at info@dalim.com.

This issue deals with a subject attracting a lot of attention right now: JDF. Reading some of the industry websites and trade magazines, it seems that there is a lot of misinformation about what exactly JDF, or the Job Definition Format, means to the average prepress/print company today. Our guest writer for this issue is Martin Bailey who, as well as being Senior Technical Consultant at Global Graphics Software is also CEO of the CIP4 organisation. Who better to talk about what JDF means today, rather than tomorrow?

We also feature some interesting thoughts on the type of qualifications print companies need to look for in interviewing prospective applicants in this internet age, as well as some interesting customer case studies describing how Dalim Software applications have brought new levels of efficiencies and increased profits.

Whether you’re a long time user of our products, or looking to see how our systems could integrate within you own environment, we hope that you’ll be as excited reading THEMAGAZiNE as we were in creating it.

Best Regards,

Dr. Carol WerléChief Executive Officer, Dalim Software GmbH

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A message from Carol Werlé

Dr. Carol Werlé

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DALIM TWiST version 5 Now Shipping

Following its launch at DRUPA, the JDF-enabled DALiM TWiST v5.0 is now shipping worldwide. This powerful intelligent automated workflow software is based on modular tools that can rapidly be configured into an almost infinite variety of automatic processing paths. DALiM TWiST is a total ‘ground-up’ rebuild, offering maximum resiliency, built-in system failover, advanced load balancing, native PDF 1.4 and PDF 1.5 file support, a totally new and easy to use graphical user interface,PDF/X-1a:2003; PDF/X-3: 2003, Pass4Press(v4) and PDF/X Plus file output and introduces a raft of innovative new preflight and colour separation mapping tools to the industry.

Dalim Software and Dynagram Offer JDF Compatibility

Dalim Software and Dynagram, an authority in digital imposition, have announced JDF compatibility between Dynagram’s flagship imposition solution, DynaStrip and Dalim Software’s print production and process management applications, DALiM MiSTRAL and DALiM PRiNTEMPO.

DynaStrip, Dynagram’s flagship product, is a powerful standalone suite of digital imposition solutions developed to meet an entire range of imposition needs. DynaStrip is quickly become the norm in the industry because it has an infinite number of imposition capabilities and easily integrates into major workflows such as DALiM MiSTRAL and DALiM PRiNTEMPO. The solution also offers JDF for workflows adhering to the new JDF standard, the latest in the printing industry.

Moreover, DynaStrip is a flexible nativePDF imposition solution that, combined with any PDF-RIP, can become a cost-effective and highly flexible PDF workflow.

DALiM DiALOGUE Goes to v3.0 and Gets New Approval Feature

DALiM DiALOGUE’s feature sets continue to grow apace with the release of v3.0 of the online softproofing system. Already an award-winner (a MacWorld “Best of Show” and a GraphExpo “Worth A LooK” in 2003), DALiM DiALOGUE’s combination of powerful ‘real-world’ features, gorgeous user interface and Mac OS X availability have helped the software become the most talked-about softproofing system in the industry.

Version 3.0 adds online file approval features, increased file rendering speeds and updated Java compatibility with the latest operating systems.

i For more information, please contact your local Dalim Software representative or contact info@dalim.com

“Give 5 - Take 5”: Five decades for w&co MediaServices -

MÜNCHEN (w&p) – Half a century success in Prepress: Munich-based media services company w&co MediaServices celebrated its 50th year of existence under the theme “Give 5 – Take 5” with a lavish birthday party.

The party took place in June 2004, in Terminal 2 of Munich international airport, one of the most modern buildings in Europe. “I associate innovation, expansion, vision and flexibility with this place. A perfect framework to celebrate our Jubilee” declares CEO Alexander Werk-meister.On June 17th 1954 – exactly two weeks after the German football team won the soccer World Cup - Josef Werkmeister, Alfred Kreuzer and Hans Weissen-berger Senior created the repro company Weissen-ber-ger GmbH & Co. KG. As the years went by, numerous technical developments and an increasing customer-base made for expansion, with the opening of

News

DALiM DiALOGUE interface

DALiMTWiST Editor Window

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News

additional offices in Hamburg, Berlin and (most recently) Bulgaria. Most of the company growth can be attributed to CEO Alexander Werkmeister. Working in his father’s company since 1980, he became CEO in 1991. Long time Dalim Software partner, w&co offers technical consulting and creative services as a complement to their digital prepress services. A partnership with prepress company Meyle+Müller AG highlights the company ethic of collaboration. Along common customer-based projects, the two companies have already co-developed an internet-based service utilising DALiM TWiST as the central prepress “engine”.

Online customer testimonial videoSee Alexander Werkmeister give his impressions of working with Dalim Software applications in a short video.View/download from http://www.dalim.com/video. (N.B. German-language only).

New "DOTDRIVE" Interface: 1-bit TIFF Output

Maintaining an open systems approach to its automated workflow production software tools for the print, publishing and packaging industries, Dalim Software announces its new DOTDRiVE interface tool for DALiM TWiST.The tool allows a workflow operator, either directly within DALiM TWiST, or through the TWiST WEBLiNK Internet interface, to output screened 1-bit TIFF files to feed proofers, platesetters or digital presses. The DOTDRiVE Interface tool allows the DALiM TWiST server to control final RIP output parameters directly from within the DALiM TWiST Workflow Manager.

Plan Now For 2005DUO Meetingin Europe and USA

Make sure that your company is represented at the 2005 Dalim Users Organisation (“DUO”) Annual Conference.

The European conference will be held in London in March, while the North American DUO is planned for mid-April in Orlando, Florida.

DUO meetings attract over well over 100 Dalim Software distributors and print, prepress, publishing and packaging customers to discuss Dalim Software’s latest product developments and preview its powerful new workflow technologies and products planned for release in 2005 and beyond.

Repeating the successful formula of previous years each event will feature a Keynote Presentation by a well-known industry figure. The meetings will also include special guest presentations from customers describing how ‘real world’ implementations of Dalim Software based production systems have changed their businesses, bringing new levels of efficiency.

“The success of DUO can be traced to the aims of the organisation, which are to increase member’s knowledge and understanding of Dalim Software’s products, as well as the company itself,” says Carol Werlé, Dalim Software CEO. “We have made a concerted effort to build a strong user community, and a knowledge base where members can learn from other customers’ experiences.

One of the key differentiators separating Dalim Software from other companies is our commitment to ultimate customer satisfaction through development of the most flexible, highest-productivity open systems applications possible.”

i Dalim Software users who wish to attend the European or the US DUO meetings can contact Dalim Software at info@dalim.com.

Consequently, digital PostScript and PDF files are automatically checked on reception by the StingRay FTS for completeness and printability and converted to TIF, PostScript or PDF format as required. If an error is detected in the file, the file is automatically returned to the sender with an error report. The automation of StingRay FTS combined with DALiM SWiNG Normaliser is a powerful partnership. Furthermore, DALiM SWiNG Normaliser can be managed and

monitored very easily via a browser-based DALiM WEBLiNK interface.

“Dalim Software is a major supplier of professional software solution for the prepress industry” said Jörg Hermstedt, Managing Director of Hermstedt AG. “This agreement enables us to provide added value to our customers by extending the core benefits of our professional file transfer server, StingRay FTS, allowing companies to improve their workflow integration.”

i For further information on StingRay FTS and DALiM SWiNG Normaliser please call Hermstedt on: +49 (0)621 / 7650-0

THE MAGAZiNE: Dalim Software practices what it preaches

In case you were wondering: Yes, indeed, this issue of THE MAGAZiNE was produced with Dalim Software tools. And, it was definitely a global

production, bringing together locations between Dalim Software’s central office in Kehl, Germany to its PR agencies in London and Boston, and its printer, Continental Web Press, in Chicago.

DALIM MiSTRAL was used as the collaborative interface, allowing the agencies to submit copy, as well as photos and art, to our art director at Dalim Software headquarters. Underlying all of this was the engine, DALiM TWiST, an automated production workflow. As the pages were created by our art director and posted to MiSTRAL, they were preflighted, proofs made, and reviewed – yes, like many publications, there were a number of people with their hands in this.

Continental Web Press, a Dalim Software customer, created and hosted a redundant, mirror site of our project on their DALiM MiSTRAL system. Everything from Germany – complete pages along with project status history, was sent via the Internet to Chicago. As pages were received, they were automatically preflighted, optimised and trapped.

When THE MAGAZiNE was completely approved, Continental Web’s DALiM TWiST engine did the rest. Pages were imposed, and production-ready files were prepared for the platesetter and RIP. As Ken Field, President and CEO

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This includes settings such as all RIP interpretation (e.g. knockout/overprint settings) and screening output. DALiM TWiST users can also set these parameters remotely from a standard web browser via the TWiST WEBLiNK module. If preferred, RIP variables can be input into the DALiM TWiST workflow PPD, allowing optional RIP control via the Macintosh desktop when users ‘Print’ files to the workflow. RIP and screening settings can be set dynamically by the software from production database entries, a unique feature of the DALiM TWiST workflow. By using the TWIST DOTDRiVE Interface all output files can be sent directly into one RIP queue, rather than requiring the RIP operator to create specific RIP queues for each different set of output parameters.

The TWiST DOTDRiVE interface tool supports Red Hat Linux-based RIPs as available from Xitron® Inc. utilizing the Global Graphics® Harlequin® RIP interpreter and screening engine.

The Linux version of the Xitron RIP will be available exclusively through Authorized Dalim Software Resellers (ADRs).

Hermstedt and Dalim Software in Technical and Commercial Link

Hermstedt AG and Dalim Software have merged their technical skills in data transfer and workflow and integrated the DALiM SWiNG Normaliser software – a workflow for checking digital printable documents – into Hermstedt’s StingRay FileTransfer Server.

News

The Magazine powered by Dalim Softare

Hermstedt’s StingRay

of Continental Web remarked, ”We handled this job like all of the others we produce for publishers throughout the States. When the issue was complete, we just pressed the ‘Print’ button, Our system did all of the rest.”

Getting bigger down-under!First Dalim Software distributor in Australia

As a direct response to growing demand for our industry-leading software solutions, Dalim Software is pleased to announce the appointment of our first Authorised Dalim Software Reseller (ADR) in Australia and New Zealand - yet another significant addition to the growing global network of channel partners.

neXus network, based in Ultimo, Sydney, is a specialist technology services and consulting company and is recognised as Australia’s leading independent prepress and publishing systems integrator assisting companies to move towards adopting best practice workflows.

The company distributes a wide range of hardware and software and provides a full range of services including engineering and support, architecture and integration, training and tuition, state-of-art websites, strategic IT planning and e-business development. neXus’ client base of approximately 100 companies includes leading design studios, advertising agencies, publishers, printing and

prepress companies, as well as mid-size government and commercial organisations.

neXus network will supply Dalim Software’s powerful automatic workflow tools to provide customers with flexible, high-end, but cost-effective, prepress and publishing digital workflow solutions.

“Dalim Software is considered one of the world’s leading workflow technology developers and their solutions fit perfectly with our suite of leading products,” says John Dobbin, Director, nexus network.

“We are very pleased that neXus network has joined the team,” says Dalim Software’s Business Development Manager for the region, Bertin Sorgenfrey. “They are a highly-respected company throughout Australia with strong technical expertise and a considerable knowledge of the graphic arts industry. They haven’t wasted any time and have already started installing some workflow systems in the Sydney area.”

www.nexusnet.com.au

The nexus network team

News

Design Your Future

03/04•A227•Graphic CommunicationsDalim Magazine87mm x 113mm4/cPDFEmail franck.s@dalim.com

gee@dalim.comIssue Date: 01.01.04Closing Date: 11.05.03

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"flexible"in more ways than one

Prepress flexo company VANDOK was one of the very first Dalim Software users to upgrade to DALiM TWiST v5.0

Prepress flexo company VANDOK

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Since J.J. van Dok created the company in 1954, VANDOK has grown to become one of the most prominent packaging production companies in Europe. Keeping at the leading edge of innovation, the company now offers client services in all steps of production: from project management, prepress and proofing to production of polymer plates for flexo printing.

VANDOK chose DALiM TWiST as their production workflow engine for a number of reasons. Having compared several workflows, DALiM TWiST attracted attention for its systems scalability, which allows users to grow the system in response to their needs. It makes for a so-called “future-proof” investment. Even today, DALiM TWiST is still the only truly scalable automated production system in the industry, allowing growth either by CPU, by server cluster - or even by a combination of the two. “All the other workflows we looked at were either limited in the number of users, or only work on a single server,” notes Jan-Peter Van Dok, VANDOK’s CEO. “This would have meant that the growth of the company itself would have been limited to what the server could handle, or that major investments and maintenance costs would rise as the system was utilised more. That was clearly not an option.”

Apart from allowing unlimited users, offering unrivalled systems scalability and being available under the Linux operating system (something that the company’s IT personnel were already using for file serving and print spooling), VANDOK ultimately chose DALiM TWiST for its flexibility. DALiM TWiST’s phenomenal range of over 160 “Basic Tools” allow users to create automated production workflows that simply cannot be created using other means. Thanks to DALiM TWiST, VANDOK offers a vast range of prepress services to their clients: design services, artwork creation, proofing, ink-to-substrate colour optimisation, plate production, etc. All of this helps VANDOK to product print-ready data for the precise specifications of the flexo industry – faster and more consistently.

Based in Zaandam, Netherlands, VANDOK prides themselves as being an innovative prepress company that specialises in the creation and production of flexographic plates for the packaging industry.

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It’s clear that VANDOK were very happy with the way their DALiM TWiST installation was working. So why were they so quick to change over to v5.0?

The reason comes down to the rapid changes in the printing industry. One of the main reasons why VANDOK moved to v5.0 is the system’s JDF compatibility, enabling the integration of DALiM TWiST into VANDOK’s “Global Production Management” project. The aim of the project is to connect the company’s job administration directly to a centralised production database. DALiM TWiST will then connect to this database in order to define the required production processes automatically. Each business system – database, management information system, prepress workflow engine – will intercommunicate using JDF. Using this system, VANDOK plans to be able to increase production capacity, reduce each job’s requirement of operator “hands-on” intervention, decrease “per job” costs and better utilise their staff – all without requiring major investment.

Part of v5.0’s cutting-edge JDF compatibility includes a new type of file preflight report, powered by the world’s first JDF-driven file preflight engine. Up until now, preflight reports were usually only viewable in a log form, which required users to have some DALiM TWiST experience in order to determine what and where the preflight error was located – and how to address it. With DALiM TWiST v5.0, preflight reporting and error locating has been considerably simplified thanks to a new type of preflight report designed to be very visual, easier to understand and easier to work with. The preflight report can be integrated with a low-resolution version of

the file itself and converted into a PDF file for automatic emailing to the client. Viewing the preflight report is quick and easy as the entire report is linked to the file via the PDF “Bookmark” feature. The new preflighting process greatly facilitates VANDOK’s preflight report transmission to clients. The file can be viewed with the standard (free to download) version of Adobe Reader 6, and can be automatically regionalised into a range of different languages for VANDOK’s growing international client base.

“There was another factor that made us look at moving to v5.0”, laughs Jan-Peter “and that was the great look of the new interface!” But the beauty of the DALiM TWiST is far more than skin deep: it has been totally re-engineered to make it easier to work with, far faster to use and have

a more logical layout. This has already shown benefits in terms of less training, not only for VANDOK operators but also for clients who submit work from the TWiST WEBLiNK Internet interface. “Creating and modifying workflows has become even easier – but the benefits of

v5.0 are far more than that” enthuses Jan-Peter. “Some of the new features of v5.0 are just awesome and unavailable from anywhere else – such as the automated way of recombining separated PDF files into composite ones. If I had to be picky, the only thing that I’d want from v5.0 that I don’t have today is its availability under the Macintosh OS X operating system.”

With Dalim Software’s recent OS X announcement, it seems that Jan-Peter’s wish has been granted.

the beauty of the DALiM TWiST is far more than skin deep: it has been totally re-engineered to make it easier to work with

Jan-Peter van Dok couldn’t be happier with his v5.0 systemJan-Peter van Dok couldn’t be happier with his v5.0 system

VANDOK Prepress Packaging Professionals http://www.vandok.com

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A Guide to Dalim Software Production Solutions

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Founded almost twenty years ago, Dalim Software is a leader in the design and development of innovative and automated workflow and communication software for the publishing and graphic arts industries.

From our corporate HQ in Kehl, South-Western Germany, we offer software solutions designed to ease and automate the processing of files prior to printing in order to maximise the productivity of our customers.

The Dalim Software products (DALiM TWiST™, DALiM LiTHO™, DALiM DiALOGUE™, DALiM PRiNTEMPO™, DALiM MiSTRAL® and DALiM SWiNG™) are based on open systems and technologies. They enable companies to implement scalable, internet-capable systems that provide clients with the highest level of interaction and efficiency.

Our products can be used independently, in conjunction with other vendors’ equipment, or as part of an integrated publishing system. Using standard hardware platforms and our unique object-oriented approach to software development, future solutions can be simply and efficiently incorporated.

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Intelligent and automated digital production workflow

DALiM TWiST™ is an automated production workflow system for printers, publishers and prepress organisations requiring best-of-breed performance and in-depth production management.

Based on modular tools, the software is fully scalable and can be rapidly configured into an almost infinite variety of automatic processing paths. The software’s powerful feature sets (database driven workflows, JDF preflighting & imposition, web-based job tracking, file submission and administration, advanced automated trapping, etc) has allowed some of the industry’s leading names to achieve high throughput, reliability and flexibility in demanding environments, plus gain significant performance and feature benefits.

DALiM TWiST provides users with an extremely robust, reliable and high-productivity production workflow. Files generated from applications (such as Quark XPress, Adobe InDesign and Pagemaker, PostScript, PDF, TIFF/IT, TIFF, EPS, DCS, etc) are preflighted, normalised and secured as print-predictable, “reference” PDFs which form the basis for all subsequent processes such as hard/soft proofing, imposition, distribution and output to film, plate, press and digital archive/asset management systems. This secure format is designed for both ‘RIP Once, Output Many’ (ROOM) and ‘Normalise Once, Render Many’ (NORM) production environments where data integrity and consistency has to be ensured across multiple proofing and output devices.

DALiM TWiST also benefits from a range of other features including the ability to generate production-standard PDF files that conform to ISO and ANSI standards such as PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3, as well as define and select a range of specific workflow parameters directly from the Macintosh desktop. Colour management features include CMYK to CMYK colour space transformation with the option to protect black text as pure black; and a Colour Protection Transformation feature which allows users to protect certain colours or colour channels from colour space transformation. Plus, full integration with Dalim Software’s web-based applications WEBLiNK and DALiM DiALOGUE provide Internet-based remote management and soft proofing.

The new JDF-enabled Version 5 of DALiM TWiST™ now offers maximum resiliency, built-in system failover, advanced load balancing, native PDF 1.4 and PDF 1.5 file support, a totally new and easy to use graphical user interface, PDF/X-1a:2003; PDF/X-3: 2003, Pass4Press(v4) and PDF/X Plus file output and introduces a raft of innovative new preflight and colour separation mapping tools to the industry.

TheProducts

Intelligent and automated digital production

is an automated production workflow system for printers, publishers and prepress organisations requiring best-of-breed performance and in-

Based on modular tools, the software is fully scalable and can be rapidly configured

web-based job tracking, file submission and administration, advanced automated

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Integrated and advanced file editing

DALiM LiTHO provides page editing, assembly and PDF / PostScript editing tools. The application enables companies to produce layout pages with full functionality without the usual problem of having to change between a number of applications. Images can be imported, colour-corrected and retouched, layout images exchanged for high-end scans, montages and transparencies produced, and text edited.

The software is based on an open architecture and can import PostScript data, all known image formats and PDF documents for editing. The software’s highly developed PDF input feature imports all the information from an original document as a unit, and provides full editing capabilities, far in excess of those from similar “PDF Editing” applications, at the same time not being restricted to editing just PDF files.

DALiM LiTHO also outputs to a range of formats including TIFF, DCS1 or 2.0, PDF, PDF/X, Hell, Crosfield or Scitex format. The software also supports all popular OPI solutions, such as Xinet FullPress and Helios Imageserver, making it highly suitable for all companies with complex requirements in terms of seamless integration with other systems.

These features offer enormous advantages in improving workflow efficiencies as composition can be altered directly at the correction stage without having to open image elements, process them, save them and update them, thereby minimising the time spent by the operator on achieving final rendering of the background.

A version of DALiM LiTHO is supplied with every copy of DALiM TWiST, considerably adding to the flexibility of the system.

DALiM LiTHO 64 is the industry’s first 64-bit desktop file editing application, optimised to open and handle files of practically any size. Containing all of the same features as DALiM LiTHO, the software is designed to run on the SGI Octane, Octane 2 and Fuel workstations only. Intended for high content applications where individual file sizes regularly exceed 4GB, commonly experienced, for example, within the web, security and cartographic printing sectors, LiTHO64 provides outstanding performance and the ability to work on files of virtually any size (up to 9 million terabytes, which translates as a 300 dpi image at 800m x 800m!). Consequently, large files, such as those generated by 16-page, 24-page, 32-page firms and mutli-layer map files, can be handled with ease and opened at speed to allow high-resolution viewing - and even retouching.

Multi-featured online softproofing

DALiM DiALOGUE™ Providing users with an on-line facility this stand-alone application is the only such system available under the Macintosh OS X operating system, that enables remote and collaborative viewing, softproofing and job validation of high-resolution files (such as PDF, PDF/X, PostScript, CT/LW, TIFF, etc.) via the Internet. Utilising unique data-streaming technology to standard web-browsers, users such as photographers, ad agencies and designers, can view high-resolution files, zoom, navigate, place virtual notes, take densitometer readings, check production parameters, validate and ‘chat’ in real time, without the need for client software, to approve single and imposed pages from any location.

Not an ASP service, but a software application that you install and run as any other, DALiM DiALOGUE is able to display the most popular file formats, such as PDF (including PDF1.5), PDF/X, PostScript, DCS, CT/LW, TIFF, TIFF-IT and TIFF-IT/P1. While also available for the Red Hat Linux operating system, DALiM DiALOGUE is the first online softproofing product available for Apple Macintosh OS X.

Integrated and advanced file editing

DALiM LiTHOediting tools. The application enables companies to produce layout pages with full functionality without the usual problem of having to change between a number of applications. Images can be imported, colour-corrected and retouched, layout images exchanged for high-end scans, montages and transparencies produced, and text edited.

The software is based on an open architecture and can import PostScript data, all known image formats and PDF documents for editing. The software’s highly developed PDF input feature imports all the information from an original document as a unit, and provides full editing capabilities, far in excess of those from similar “PDF Editing” applications, at the same time not being restricted to editing just PDF files.

DALiM LiTHO also outputs to a range of formats including TIFF, DCS1 or 2.0, PDF, PDF/X, Hell, Crosfield or Scitex format. The software also supports all popular OPI solutions, such as Xinet FullPress and Helios Imageserver, making it highly suitable for all companies with complex requirements in terms of seamless integration with other systems.

These features offer enormous advantages in improving workflow efficiencies as composition can be altered directly at the correction stage without having to open image elements, process them, save them and update them, thereby minimising the time spent by the operator on achieving final rendering of the background.

A version of DALiM LiTHO is supplied with every copy of DALiM TWiST, considerably adding to the flexibility of the system.

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Web-based print production monitoring

DALiM PRiNTEMPO™ is a web browser-based JDF-enabled print production system that can be used by a printer on any client platform, to monitor and track print production status. DALIM PRiNTEMPO also allows any print company to offer client services such as online file submission, preflighting, and job tracking without changing their existing equipment.

Using a single interface, operators can trigger actions such as plate or proof generation and automate production of imposed pages, giving sheet and web-offset printers an extremely powerful tool to manage their businesses more efficiently and more profitably. Being fully compatible with existing hardware solutions and independent of file format and output devices, DALiM PRiNTEMPO allows prepress shops to formulate a complete solution, using their preferred imposition software, RIP, proofer, and output devices. Users may also choose their working file formats (e.g.ROOM or NORM; vector or bitmap), plus create Job Ticket Definition JDF templates, and automatically generate complete print signatures.

At any given moment, the production operator has a clear status view of each job, its pages, and its impositions as either thumbnails or full-page PDF views of each page. This gives production full, real-time control over production planning and management. By fixing deadlines for each stage, or by reverse calculating all interim deadlines from the final job deadline, any job can be controlled and scheduling difficulties can be detected proactively.

DALiM PRINTEMPO also supports versioning. If a new page version is received, it is stored and labelled with a different version number. Users can select a preferred version at any time – even a former version. The signature is automatically assigned new status for validation or approval. If pagination changes, a simple ‘drag and drop’ from a “clipboard” allows the operator to correctly edit the page order, and automatically generate a new imposed form. When a page does not exactly fit the graphical expectations, some last minute changes, such as page translations, rotation or scaling can be performed directly in the signature.

Compatible with virtually every output device and RIP available, DALiM PRiNTEMPO allows printers and prepress companies the latest browser-based and JDF technologies without large equipment investment.

Web-based production management

DALiM MiSTRAL is a JDF-compliant web-based production management system that acts as an interface for both common

electronic submission and print production management for tracking, administration, correction, approval and printing. Built with an open architecture to assimilate into any prepress or publishing environment utilising open hardware and software protocols, plus using object-orientated programming and a device-independent output model users are free to work with an extensive range of both open and proprietary file formats. No special client-side software is required to interrogate the system. Users also benefit from JDF compliance features including advanced job ticketing, imposition and preflighting.

The system is much more than a production indicator, but a unique collaborative technology that sits on top of any workflow and allows all parties involved in the development of “publishable material” to have a single, common electronic interface to obtain information on the development of the project in real time and from any remote location. By integrating the development with a web server and advanced, open database connectivity, the result is a ‘total solution ’ production management, scheduling and tracking system that serves as the production backbone to handle all of a printer’s projects and the communication with their suppliers and clients.DALiM MiSTRAL features a client independent web-based interface, with a unique

is stored and labelled with a different version number. Users can select a preferred version at any time – even a former version. The signature is automatically assigned new status for validation or approval. If pagination changes, a simple ‘drag and drop’ from a “clipboard” allows the operator to correctly edit the page order, and

the graphical expectations, some last minute changes, such as page translations,

Compatible with virtually every output device and RIP available, DALiM PRiNTEMPO

is a JDF-compliant web-based production

electronic submission and print production management for tracking, administration,

into any prepress or publishing environment utilising open hardware and software protocols, plus using object-orientated programming and a device-independent

proprietary file formats. No special client-side software is required to interrogate the system. Users also benefit from JDF compliance features including advanced job

The system is much more than a production indicator, but a unique collaborative technology that sits on top of any workflow and allows all parties involved in the development of “publishable material” to have a single, common electronic interface to obtain information on the development of the project in real time and from any remote location. By integrating the development with a web server and advanced, open database connectivity, the result is a ‘total solution ’ production management, scheduling and tracking system that serves as the production backbone to handle all of a printer’s projects and the communication with their suppliers and clients.DALiM MiSTRAL features a client independent web-based interface, with a unique

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“floating toolbox”, that has a look and feel similar to working directly in a prepress application. While viewing a flatplan within DALiM MiSTRAL, users can “drag and drop” new pages from a clipboard directly to where they should be placed. If another page is already there, the user can move and exchange existing pages, sending older versions to a clipboard. This versioning capability allows users to keep as many page versions as desired, allowing the opportunity to restore the former page if a client changes his mind, or if time constraints demand rebuilding the project. The toolbox also allows the creation of new sections by simply dragging it where new pages need to be created. DALiM MiSTRAL has a considerable number of new options that are more intuitive, allowing the operator easier access to often-used commands.

With DALiM MiSTRAL ODBC/JDBC compliant database data can be shared between the prepress workflow application and business systems on other computers. Project status can also be viewed as colour-coded page icons, JPG thumbnails and PDF full views of completed pages, helping project teams to create and fine-tune best-practice workflows, resulting in fewer errors, increased productivity, exceptional customer service, and more rapid project turnaround.

DALiM SWiNG is an entry-level suite of automated workflow solutions and fits perfectly into situations where the production bottleneck highlights a particular prepress task, such as “optimising” files into a “Print-Predictable” state, automated trapping and trap editing, automated proofing, etc.

The software offers compatibility and integration with existing industry standard format and allows integration into mixed system environments. The software offers a simple to understand user interface controlled by a single tool, which is available from both the server and Macintosh OSX / Windows workstations.

For printers, DALiM SWiNG can be used for (for example) ensuring error-free page output regardless of the type of incoming file. In a design environment digital artwork can be delivered to the exact specifications required by publishers or printers straight after the client has signed-off the PDF softproof. As a prepress house or print originator automated workflows can be se up to accept client files and undertake unattended production.

DALiM SWiNG can be seamlessly upgraded to DALiM TWiST at any time in the future. Dalim Software’s unique migration policy protects customer investment since the migration fee is just the difference in price between the two products at the time of the change.

format and allows integration into mixed system environments. The software offers format and allows integration into mixed system environments. The software offers a simple to understand user interface controlled by a single tool, which is available a simple to understand user interface controlled by a single tool, which is available from both the server and Macintosh OSX / Windows workstations.from both the server and Macintosh OSX / Windows workstations.

For printers, DALiM SWiNG can be used for (for example) ensuring error-free page For printers, DALiM SWiNG can be used for (for example) ensuring error-free page output regardless of the type of incoming file. In a design environment digital output regardless of the type of incoming file. In a design environment digital artwork can be delivered to the exact specifications required by publishers or artwork can be delivered to the exact specifications required by publishers or printers straight after the client has signed-off the PDF softproof. As a prepress house or print originator automated workflows can be se up to accept client files and undertake unattended production.

DALiM SWiNG can be seamlessly upgraded to DALiM TWiST at any time in the future. Dalim Software’s unique migration policy protects customer investment since the migration fee is just the difference in price between the two products at the time of the change.

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A lot has been written about the potential that JDF has for improving the efficiency of print workflows, leading to greater profit through reduced costs or greater throughput. Assuming that you’re at least considering making that decision, you’ll probably have found that somewhat less information is available on the next steps to take. How do you get from where you are now to where you want to be?

To address a scope this large it necessarily provides rather general suggestions. Everything here should be read in the context of the capabilities of your company, the suppliers that you have access to, and the legal framework that you must work within. The only real alternative to print automation besides JDF is to stay with proprietary interfaces, usually by buying all of your equipment from a single vendor. Proprietary interfaces, however, tend to lead to islands of automation that are often difficult to link together effectively. Even if you could buy in all products from a single vendor, a proprietary interface

would probably not enable efficient connectivity to your customers and to supply chain management in the same way as JDF.

Where are you now? Your first step should therefore be to analyse your current workflows. You’ll probably find that flow diagrams can help as you map out current processes. Start with the route taken by a job of a typical format, assuming that no errors occur and that no late changes are requested by the customer. Map the workflow out as a flowchart, then add in the error handling and rework processing routes. You may wish to include any jobs that you had to decline, or to contract out because you couldn’t quite handle their requirements. Now mark the steps that you’ve noticed as being bottlenecks in the process. Look at where quality control checks find errors most often. Finally, look at where equipment has to wait for staff to perform simple operations that don’t require a real human decision. One of the most frequent comments from people who went through the process of switching from producing page film to fully imposed CTP plates is that the preparation work, including a move to a fully digital workflow, saved them more money, for much less outlay, than the purchase of the CTP device itself. The same situation may well arise as you prepare for JDF

JDF stepping stonesby Martin Bailey

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How do you make the decision about whether to implement a JDF-based workflow in your company or not?

Martin Bailey, Senior Technical Consultant, Global Graphics Software is also CEO of the CIP4 Organisation. Here, Martin gives some tips on the steps you need to take to transition to JDF smoothly.

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Process control A large part of defining the steps you need to take is in understanding exactly what your processes are now, and in being clear about what you want to achieve from the transition. The bulk of work involved in quality management is in putting good process control into place. If you try to use automation without good process control you’ll just make more waste, faster; it’s one of the surest ways there is to go out of business. That’s true for any form of automation, in any industry.

Where do you want to get to? So, now you know where you are. Next, what do you hope to achieve using JDF? If the answer is that you just want to use JDF, you should stop now and reconsider. JDF usage has no value in and of itself; it’s a key enabling technology for an efficient workflow and for flexible selection of components from one or more vendors, but that’s it. You must make the decision about which of these are important to your business model as you move forward. It’s often a good idea to select one or two key benefits and to concentrate on achieving those rather than trying to do everything at the same time.

The first business issue that most people mention is a need to change the relationship between throughput and staffing. Many want to increase the capacity of the plant at the same staff cost, whilst others want to retain the same capacity while reducing staff costs. In a large print company you may find that increasing automation increases the need for dedicated IT staff at the same time as a possible reduction of staff levels elsewhere, to ensure that you can gain the maximum benefit from investment in the necessary infrastructure. In a small company, however, it’s likely that increased automation will have rather little effect on the requirement for computer specialists, but will probably allow you to make the best of your most skilled staff.

Next steps Having defined your starting point and where you’re aiming for, the next thing to do is to figure how to get from one to the other. It’s definitely not necessary to try to make the whole journey in one jump. A good first step is to make one person within your organization responsible for a migration towards JDF. Next, pick a part of your workflow where the impact will be greatest. Then talk to your preferred vendors about their JDF-

based solutions. If your normal vendors can’t supply what you need, however, look around at what other suppliers can offer. One of the major advantages of JDF is in enabling open, multi-vendor workflows, so it’s perfectly possible to use new products in the areas of a workflow where they can fill in the gaps left by your existing equipment.

If you can assess your current processes and requirements and understand what you need to do to move your business forward, you’re already well on your way to a successful implementation. More to the point, you’ll also be several steps ahead of your competition and have demonstrated that you’re fit to survive the evolutionary struggle as print moves forward into the 21st century.

Martin Bailey

JDF DrivenFile Preflighting

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The next evolution towards seamless prepress systems

interoperabilityMany graphic arts vendors, including Dalim Software, are working together on new and more efficient ways for businesses to conduct business by using JDF as the common communications format.

JDF DrivenFile Preflighting

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The next evolution towards seamless prepress systems

interoperability

Sumary:- As the graphic arts industry continues to become more vendor-neutral and more systems interoperable in terms of job production, initiatives such as the JDF standard will continue to become more important. In the same way as PostScript™ emerged as a ‘de facto’ standard for the more reliable exchange of data in the graphic arts industry, JDF and XML - probably supplemented by other formats - will form the basis for the reliable and predictable distribution of most “publishable data” to various print and publishing media. JDF not only delivers greater accuracy in cost and estimate determination by connecting production and management systems together; but also in more efficient and effective use of available resources. Users are able to choose a new piece of equipment based purely on its technical and/or commercial merits, rather than whether it can be integrated with their existing production equipment. We predict that the introduction of JDF-Driven Preflighting to the industry at DRUPA 2004 will be seen by the industry as yet another piece of the “JDF Puzzle” that has been implemented in Dalim Software applications to further transparently automate the entire graphic arts process. JDF-Driven File Preflighting will indeed displace the currently accepted methods of ensuring file output consistency due to it’s vendor-neutrality, systems interoperability and ease-of-use for the customer.

The JDF standard is the International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress, otherwise known as CIP4 (www.cip4.org). With over 220 members, CIP4’s purpose is the development and promotion of vendor-independent standards (such as JDF) for the graphic arts industry.

The idea of file ‘Preflighting’, the process of checking a graphics file to ensure that the file and it’s constituent elements fall within pre-determined specifications for the printing process, has been around in various forms since the mid-eighties.

However, it’s only really since the uptake of CTP in the prepress and print markets (and the popularity of certain file formats - especially PDF - that claim to ensure “less problematic” production workflows) that preflighting software has really come into its own.The latest development from Dalim Software has been in the area of file preflighting. Dalim Software’s new preflighting engine is not only extremely advanced, seeking out many possible file-output errors that other systems may overlook; but the new preflighting engine is also fully JDF-enabled.

The Industry’s first JDF-basedfile preflighting engineAnnounced at the DRUPA exhibition in May 2004, Dalim Software’s unique and powerful file preflighting engine built-in to DALiM SWiNG, DALiM TWiST, DALiM PRiNTEMPO and DALiM MiSTRAL is JDF-based, allowing job ticket information to pass transparently between Dalim Software servers and third-party systems.

For the first time, premedia and print companies are freed from being forced to use vendor-specific, proprietary preflighting technology to track and manage files and check their validity for purpose. Using DALiM SWiNG, DALiM LiTHO or DALiM TWiST, operators create “print-

predictable” files of virtually any format that precisely meet print specifications. JDF Preflighting capabilities are included at no extra charge with all of the latest versions of Dalim Software server applications.

JDF-Driven Preflighting: The conceptReceiving a JDF file preflight profile from either a Dalim Software application - or a number of soon-to-be-shipping third party applications - the JDF Preflight Engine within the Dalim Software server application preflights the file. The preflighting parameters (e.g. colour space, document size, maximum / minimum ink weights, font info, etc.) are read from the JDF file and automatically implemented as the preflight criteria for the Preflight Engine. Based upon the preflighting result, the JDF Preflight Engine can output a JDF-based “preflight report”, for subsequent inclusion into the job’s JDF file if required. The JDF Preflight Report can also be used as the base input data for parsing through an XML ‘Style Sheet’ to generate a low-resolution PDF file of the job. This PDF file contains the complete JDF Preflight Report both as text information, as well as hyperlinks within the PDF file. The hyperlink information can be used to graphically highlight the particular problematic areas of the file to the user.

Clicking on one of the red comments shows the user in a graphical form exactly which file object fails to conform to the specified preflight criteria. Here, an image of incorrect resolution is highlighted in the Bookmark list. Clicking on the comment causes the image to highlight in blue.

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Headquartered in New York City, the Columbia House Company is the world’s largest direct marketer of music, videos and DVD home entertainment products. With approximately 8.5 million offline and online club members in the United States and Canada, the company provides direct-to-consumer marketing of almost 10,000 music titles and about 6,000 DVD titles through its entertainment clubs. The company’s Web site, www.columbiahouse.com is one of the premier e-commerce brands and consistently ranks among the Web’s top 25 shopping destinations.

For nearly twelve years, Columbia House was outsourcing its prepress work. The outsourcing of the prepress workflow took too much time sending work back and forth, and was costly. If files had to be altered

Bringing prepress work in-house can certainly save production time – and money. However, you have to do it right. Alex Karinsky, Columbia House Company manager of prepress, brought his prep work in-house and built a prepress department utilizing DALiM SWiNG software. In the process he was able to produce work much faster, and for a song.

Bringing prepress work in-house can certainly save production time – and money. However, you have to do it right. Alex Karinsky, Columbia House Company manager of prepress, brought his prep work in-house and built a prepress department utilizing DALiM SWiNG software. In the process he was able to produce work much faster,

Columbia House gives top billing to its in-house prepress department

(left to right): Robert Wilkey, Jerome Bush, Alexander Karinsky, Tracey Pridgen, Milan Vlahek

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or edited, it could take as many as three or four days. In order to be more cost efficient and responsive, Columbia House decided to bring the company’s work in-house. Alex Karinsky was reassigned from his role as an art director to manager of prepress responsible for overseeing the development of a new department. Alex had experience installing prepress equipment and assembling prepress capabilities for other companies.

Automation – having a tool set that would work without manual intervention and without failing and crashing – was extremely important. Columbia House began testing workflow software. One of the early systems they tried did not have a good PDF engine – it always failed when generating PDF/X-1a files. Another vendor visited Columbia House with what seemed to be a quite robust workflow. Unfortunately, when the loaner box was delivered, the workflow was unable to create a low-resolution multi-page PDF file.

It was at this time that Zenplex, a Dalim Software reseller, visited Columbia House and installed a test box with DALiM SWiNG. Testing a file containing realistic graphics content on all three workflow engines side by side, one workflow created an 18.5 Mb file, the other a 23 Mb file, while DALiM SWiNG created a 7.5 Mb file, that was also deemed to have the best quality. Columbia House produces 30,000 pages per year. Saving, at a minimum, 10Mb per page is extremely valuable. It means that a lot of unnecessary data doesn’t get processed, and Columbia House gets superior results on press. Alex decided DALiM SWiNG was the best choice for his group, and installed it with the help of Zenplex.

Columbia House also bought a Xinet OPI system that was linked to DALiM SWiNG with the optional Trap module, used as the complete front end for every printed page produced by Columbia House. Columbia House’s products are sold through print and the web, so they process all images and pages for the various output formats. They accept image in various file formats and sizes, such as TIFF and EPS, working with six different files sizes and automatic scripts. Ultimately, work is sent by ftp or NFS mount to Indiana, where Columbia House’s major web production site is located.

To assure each page is correct, Columbia House art directors preflight work on-the-fly with DALiM SWiNG, which runs as a PostScript checking tool. If there are errors in the file, such as too high maximum ink density, low-resolution artwork, or font selection, the art directors are notified, and the file is corrected. Using Xinet FullPress, Columbia House developed spoolers that send files directly to a DALiM SWiNG workflow to create low-resolution PDF files to route internally for content approval by the marketing department.

The prepress department takes the final, approved Quark file and generates a high-resolution PDF/X-1a file and provides a digital proof. One of Columbia House’s printers claims the files they receive from Columbia House are the best they receive. When the marketing and legal departments approve the proofs, the prepress department sends a message to the printer that the files are available to pick up. Initially, most printers needed TIFF-IT and DCS2 files, but Columbia House considers PDF/X-1a files the better choice for efficiency. Using Columbia House’s Xinet Webnative system, most print vendors ‘dial in’ and collect files rather than using ftp. That way, Columbia House doesn’t have to worry about delivery.

While some printers require trapped files, Columbia House conducts trapping only about 10% of the time – although it is capable of doing more. The powerful workflow toolset in DALiM SWiNG allows Columbia House to create DCS, TIFF-IT, and PDF/X1a trapped files all from one command. Because printers typically build imposed flats for the platesetter, they trap the job at the same time. When dealing with large presses, there are different variances. Among their 20 print vendors, pretty much all have very specific press requirements.

The PPD tool that Dalim SWiNG creates from the PS Check workflow has been particularly helpful for Columbia House. They run many spot colors –from two to as many

as five or six color jobs. With DALiM SWiNG, Columbia House can pre-set the functionality of the PPD. “It blew me away. We can choose to keep spot colors in a job or decide to convert them to their CMYK equivalents from the PPD – rather than publishing a different spooler with different settings or create many more workflows,” remarks Alex. “We can control everything from each individual Mac workstation.”

Columbia House is saving millions a year by bringing their prepress operations in-house. Their department of six handles all of the work their prepress vendor handled with 12-15 employees. They have turned around

their workflow from 3-4 days to 24 hours. If there is a critical page, it can be ready within minutes to send to the marketing department for review or deliver to the print vendor. “The cooperation between the Xinet and Dalim Software systems really allows considerable workflow benefits, reducing our turnaround time and producing the internal efficiencies we have. Art directors can get to their art easy enough and can print much faster using our OPI server. The Xinet server sends a good PostScript file to DALiM SWiNG, which pumps it through quickly. What blew me away was how quickly DALiM SWiNG was creating a PDF file and spitting it back to us,” says Alex.

“Zenplex has been phenomenal and their response time has been great. They invite you to find problems,” comments Alex. “If needed, Zenplex can even write a script to fix almost any issue.”

“If we were not configured with DALiM SWiNG, Columbia House would not be efficient enough to turn around work as quickly as we do. If we had to rely on another PDF engine, we’d be in trouble - sitting around waiting for the processor to create our files. I like everything about DALiM SWiNG. It has never gone down,” summarizes Alex.

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I like everything about DALiM SWiNG. It has never gone down,”

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Reproscan hasn’t looked back since it

integrated its production processes with those of its publishing clients

across Europe.

Reproscan srl is a progressive Italian repro-house served by Hyphen-Italia, Dalim Software’s authorised integrator and reseller in Italy. With just over 50 employees (40 working in full-time production), Reproscan is one of the successful examples of Italian repro-houses that are branching out and making a positive impact on the European market. The Bergamo-based company (Milan area) opened a sales office in France eight years ago to provide hands-on support for their French customers.

This independent company, owned by Ezio Naldi and his partner, and run by the young and enthusiastic Giuliano Manzoni (Technical Director), was established over twenty years ago. As a forward thinking graphic arts company, Reproscan was amongst the first prepress Italian organizations to gain the prestigious ISO 9001:2000 certificate, an all-essential “must-have” for all companies looking to expand their business and professional services to the international market.Over the years, Reproscan has built up an impressive portfolio of influential customers both in Italy and abroad, particularly on the French, Swiss and Belgium markets. The company provides high quality prepress services for the production of magazines and catalogues such as 3Suisses, Maty (France) and Ackermann (Switzerland), to name just a few. In the Italian and French markets Reproscan match quality with large volume production: 24 monthlies and 5 weeklies are produced for the Italian and French markets alone. The company is also working closely with Hachette in Paris for the production of art books. Reproscan offers its services round-the-clock six days a week in order to meet the on-going needs of its range of customers.

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In 2002, given their rapid rate of growth and success, Reproscan was looking for the best way to maintain its high quality standards and further improve its quality of service and customer response. The company’s management decided that the best way to do so was to go beyond the quality and production factors. Reproscan was originally the Creo test centre for Italy, but over the last few years, they found that the range of products offered did not completely satisfy their requirements in some areas of the prepress services. Reproscan could not see the opportunity to compete in the future in the prepress market without a comprehensive service solution, a solution that would enable Reproscan to achieve greater market visibility, by allowing the company to create value-added services that would complete their traditional products and services offer. Furthermore, a solution that would enable Reproscan to achieve a seamless integration of their processes and activities with those performed by their customer’s organization, thus enhancing both parties’ efficiency and ability to produce print communication products.

After having considered at least 3 other internationally renowned software systems, on the occasion of GEC 2003, Milan (international exhibition of technologies for the graphic arts, publishing, paper and converting industries), the company management visited Hyphen-Italia’s stand to receive a complete demonstration of the Hyphen Digital Workflow. This workflow solution is a powerful combination of Hyphen’s own Chalco.net suite of online applications, integrated with the Dalim Software’s full range of products as well as with the Xinet’s Fullpress server. Reproscan immediately recognised the possibility of realizing the

comprehensive service solution it was looking for through the combination of Chalco.net, and the added benefit of the fully versatile and automated workflow offered by DALiM TWiST, DALiM LiTHO and DALiM PRiNTEMPO.

In July 2004, Hyphen-Italia began the vices from data input to printing plates production. The company has capacity production of over 35 Macintosh G5 workstations, an impressive colour proofing service consisting of four Iris 2print inkjet proofers equipped with GMG software, three Dupont Digital Cromalin systems, five HP DesignJet printers and one analogue Cromalin. A Creo Trendsetter VLF and Lotem 800 are deployed as CTP output devices.

Indeed Reproscan prides itself in offering quality, efficiency, speed, flexibility and diversification of solution. To meet this large variety of demands, it has decided to cast a side solutions offered by other prepress market leaders, opting instead for a steadfast technological partnership with Hyphen-Italia and Dalim Software.

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Looking in the

Wrong Placeby Gee Ranasinha

What are the right skills for today’s industry?

Gee Ranasinha considers the new world order and the need for flexibility

and focus if printers want to maximise their service revenues.

While attending an industry conference, the question of skills shortages came up. “What are we to do?” cried the CEO of a large prepress/print company. “The applicants that we get through the door looking for work haven’t got a clue about the industry.”

I asked him what sort of skills he was looking for in his ideal applicant. “Oh, nothing that special. Just the usual mix - understanding color, print processes, ideally a little HTML or JavaScript experience – that sort of thing.”

He didn’t realize that he’d found the answer to his question already: the reason why some graduates don’t fit the bill in today’s print organizations is that while they know their subject, they don’t know the right subject.

The printing industry, as with virtually all other progressive manufacturing industries, is continually experiencing enormous changes in both process and practice. The current technological and commercial transformations in our industry - digital print, the implications of the Internet, etc. – represent the greatest challenge ever to the way our industry is perceived. Not only are printers changing their view of the printing industry, but so are print customers and, more importantly, print customers’ customers.

Many industry observers say that a way for print companies to survive is to both diversify their product offering, as well as to streamline the process to become a model manufacturing process similar to what just about every other industry has done. And to do that requires employing personnel with the right skills. But wait – I don’t mean the “nuts and bolts” technically-based skills of print process. Those skills are diminishing, and continually being rolled into technology. Rather, the required skills are in the practice – the application of the processes.

Advances such as PDF/X and JDF only serve to increase productivity by using technology to streamline the production workflow. As a result, the printing process, as well as the total supply chain itself, becomes more efficient, more predictable. Print buyers are getting wind of this, and many large corporations are investing in machinery themselves, while manufacturers are increasingly targeting such companies in their marketing strategy. A perfect illustration of this is the case of the manufacturers of digital printing machines. The idea is to make the operation of a digital printing device to be as user-friendly and “process-transparent” as if the operator was printing to a common office laser printer. In fact, why SHOULDN’T a digital print engine be as easy to use as an office laser printer?

The printer/customer relationship has changed. The new breed of print buyer simply sees prepress and print production as “devices” on their networks. They want to be able to print one hundred thousand 96-page magazines as easily as they can print their office memo on their laser printer. They want to manage their assets, submit and track jobs and cost out production to the last penny – but they don’t want the technical infrastructure or administrational overhead. With today’s technological innovation, they no longer need to. Is it the future of our industry? No. This is what forward-thinking print companies are implementing as services for their customers right now. Hence their problem in finding the right staff skills.

Not every printer will be able (or even want) to make the move. But if print companies want to become something other than low-cost manufacturers in a diversifying industry, then something must change – and change sooner rather than later.

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