Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) will be showcasing
numerous updates to its Prinect Printready System, Prinect Signa
Station and Prinect MetaDimension workflow solutions at Ipex, which
is being held in Birmingham over the period April 4-11, 2006. Key
to these latest developments is the even greater integration of the
three solutions among themselves and their linkup with the new
Prinect modules Prinect Integration System and Prinect Pressroom
Manager. All three prepress solutions also incorporate additional
functions and are easier to operate.
Complete JDF connectivity, simpler operation and greater
transparency with Prinect Printready System 3.0
The new Prinect Printready System Version 3.0 forms an
integral part of Heidelberg's central JDF workflow. As a
result, the Prinect Integration System Cockpit provides a
centralized and standardized view of the entire production process,
including prepress. For example, prepress staff can see whether a
job is already being printed or there is still time to make a
change requested by the customer.
Prinect Printready 3.0 makes work easier and more reliable
because it is possible to output barcodes and combi-marks
positioned by Prinect Signa Station on printing plates. The
barcodes are produced while the plate is being imaged and contain
information such as the job and sheet number. This facilitates
subsequent identification of the individual printed sheets.
Combi-marks in the imposition layout allow a given layout to be
used for several jobs because they ensure automatic allocation of
the correct color control strip for the job coloring during plate
imaging.
The new version of the Printready Cockpit has an optional
Layout Viewer for PCs. This displays the layout for the entire job,
making the layout check prior to form proofing simpler and more
flexible. The job status display in the Cockpit now contains much
more detailed status information, providing an even better overview
of the production process and additional prepress transparency.
With the latest version of Prinect Printready, a proof of the
various pages in reading order can be output on duplex printers in
order to conveniently produce samples of the finished print
product, if required with print control elements. This is a further
efficient tool for coordination with print buyers.
When it comes to gang jobs, the new Prinect Printready
version also enables two or more orders to be combined on a gang
form.
The latest version of the Prinect Printready System also
supports connection of Xerox and HP digital printing systems via
the Prinect Digital Print Manager.
Automation and reliable resource allocation with Prinect Signa
Station 2.0
The enhanced integration of the Prinect Printready System and
Prinect Signa Station 2.0 for impositioning and sheet assembly
improves the workflow still further. For example, layouts can now
be produced direct from the stripping parameters of an MIS in a
fully automated process with the new Prinect Signa Station. This
saves time and reduces the error rate when generating an imposition
layout because the system identifies and reports illogical
parameters.
The JDF Connector in the new version of Signa Station
supports even more input formats. JDF 1.2 data imported from the
MIS is put to direct use presetting the Job Assistant. This makes
the import process both quicker and more reliable.
The new user management functions improve production and data
security. As with the equivalent functions in the Prinect
Printready System and Prinect MetaDimension, each user can be
granted or refused access and modification rights. This protects
production resources against unintentional modifications. At the
same time, the user login function makes it possible to retrace
individual steps in the history of a job.
Object screening, new screening processes and greater
reliability in production with Prinect MetaDimension 6.0
Prinect MetaDimension delivers additional flexibility and
high print quality thanks to the new version's optional object
screening function. The system comes with the Prinect Screening
Selector, an Acrobat plug-in allowing the appropriate screening
system to be assigned to individual objects and/or certain object
types on a print sheet with a click of the mouse. Prinect
MetaDimension recognizes and interprets the object-related screen
settings and assigns the required process calibration to them
individually. As a result, each separate object on a sheet can be
produced with optimal print quality. The quality benefits of this
function really come into their own if a sheet incorporates both
images and graphics.
Heidelberg is introducing two new screening systems with the
new MetaDimension Version 6.0. Prinect Stochastic Screening is a
follow-on development from Satin Screening - Heidelberg's own
FM screening technology - while Prinect Hybrid Screening combines
the benefits of AM and FM screening technology in a new system (see
separate Press Information on Prinect screening technologies).
The Prinect modules MetaDimension and Printready also provide
greater reliability in production with their ROOM (Rip Once Output
Many) proofing capability. This involves consolidating two
previously separate RIP calculation passes for plate and proof,
which must match to ensure reliable production. ROOM proofing works
with a single database which - once RIPped - can be used as many
times as required to output plates and proofs, always producing
identical results.
Last but not least, the MetaDimension option ColorProof Pro
now also allows proofs to be output on a selection of laser
printers made by leading manu- facturers such as HP, OKI and Epson.
Image:
Overview Heidelberg Prinect Workflow
Further information for journalists:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Corporate Communications
Matthias Hartung
Tel.: +49 (0)6221 92 50 77
Fax: +49 (0)6221 92 50 46
E-mail:
matthias.hartung@heidelberg.com