Product of the month: Kodak Prinergy Connect
Prinergy Connect is a solution that drives digital jobs with the power and flexibility that has made the Prinergyworkflow the leader in traditional print workflow, finds Sachin Shardul
24 Jul 2010 | 7410 Views | By Sachin Shardul
Nitin Wani, national business manager unified workflow solutions at Kodak India, says: "Kodak Prinergy workflow provides a central production hub for print service providers. The workflow enables full job control with zero-touch automation and connectivity to a wide range of digital presses with managed colour reproduction.
"It allows commercial, packaging, and publishing customers to achieve operational efficiency, improve control and visibility, and maximise overall press utilisation and we are committed to helping our customers enhance their client relationships and drive new revenue opportunities with a single workflow."
Kodak is one of the companies taking an initiative towards making colour more integrated and intuitive through its PrinergyConnect workflow solution. Other players have made products that expand the application beyond their core separation optimization and proofing tools. Pre-press giants like Agfa, Fuji and Screen have also packaged up their colour and quality assurance tools.
Prinergy Connect uses standard PDF files as the internal production file format. It organises pre-press and CTP production with features such as job context, proofing, job processing history, archiving, and process and queue management.
It is certified to many third-party vendors, helping ensure information and data exchange, for seamless integration and open connectivity with third party MIS and imposition systems. The workflow tracks processing history and status throughout a job and enables automatic load balancing. It checks and corrects input files automatically.
Wani says, "Kodak Prinergy Connect goes further than just bundling different colour products into one package and has coined the phrase 'colour relationship management' to explain one of its key new concepts."
Digital press management
Prinergy Connect workflow offers digital press management, a single centralised solution that allows driving digital jobs with the power, flexibility and control that has made the Prinergy workflow the long-standing leader in traditional print workflow.
A single workflow can control input, processing and output for conventional and digital print, with the power and automation to streamline productivity in all job sizes and run lengths.
N K Kajaria of Anderson Printing House in Kolkata, says: "We invested in the Kodak Prinergy workflow system in order to produce more plates to cater to our increased requirements." Anderson has a hybrid environment having Heidelberg and Kodak Nexpress digital production press.
According to Kajaria, Kodak Prinergy Connect workflow system helps in job submission via the pre-press portal system that triggers automated pre-flight and pre-press file processing. It reduces job cycle time and proofing costs, allowing us to work with customers in any part of the world.
Abhishek Kejriwal, the third-generation director at Parksons Graphics in Mumbai, the PrintWeek India POP Award Winner for 2009, says: "Kodak Prinergy workflow system gave us 'reliability and security' needed for time-critical work."
While demonstrating Kodak Prinergy software in the pre-press department, Kejriwal points out: "The online workflow tool includes a range of functions for pre-press operators and print buyers, such as an improved and customisable interface along with bolstered reviewing and verification options."
Variable data printing
The software uses one workflow system to control static and variable printing—PDF features include support for Adobe variable PDF files and Adobe Acrobat software. Adobe's PDF Print Engine is incorporated for processing of native PDFs – from the latest design and layout software.
Wani says, "The Prinergy Connect workflow is the system of choice for powerful file pre-flighting, colour management, trapping, and imposition features—as well as advanced screening support, flexible device connectivity, database driven production management. With the addition of digital print integration, operators can control and route digital print tasks, and load balance jobs from delivery to press."
Rules-based automation
Layered PDF versioning improves the handling of versioned jobs track and report rules-based automation activity. PrinergyConnect workflow's rules-based automation provides the ability to read JDF information in a job and use it to make intelligent decisions about how to process, impose and output files for automatic processing.
The Prinergy Connect workflow enhances productivity in any printing environment—long or short runs, conventional or digital. It uses JDF to share job data, imposition and page assignment information with content preparation, production planning, pre-press and business systems.
Integrate Kodak web to print solutions
Kodak web-to-print solutions extend the power of the Prinergy Connect workflow with an array of productivity options, designed to reduce costly steps that come between meeting your customer's requirements and your profitability. TheInSite Storefront system with variable data print functionality and the Prinergy workflow provide an integrated environment for total workflow automation.
Kejriwal says, Kodak's Insite Prepress Portal (IPP) System is impressive with its raft of new features.
Kajaria agrees. He says: "We were keen to integrate our MIS, the web interface with our client and our entire production workflow. Prinergy Connect system includes InSite pre-press portal (IPP), InSite Storefront which is integrated with our Kodak Trendsetter 800 III Quantum (F speed) CTP. This automates the print production process.
"What is nice is, it is a completely JDF-based workflow from management and printing to dispatch. The Kodak IPP system provides secure web access into our workflow. From any web- connected computer; customers, pre-press operators, and service representatives can submit jobs, track progress, collaborate on changes, proof and approve work.
From the customer's order to the printed product, the Kodak Prinergy Connect workflow delivers true zero touch automation.
Specifications
Contact Kodak India |
THE ALTERNATIVES
FujiFilm XMF
Fujifilm was Adobe's first workflow development partner (based on the APPE core) to come to market with the launch of its JDF enabled XMF workflow. It was the culmination of a four-year rewrite of Fujifilm's workflow softwares. One of its ability is to automatically change and re-output a file following a change in output choice and now it also has a web-approval option and a ganging imposition feature for printing several jobs on the same sheet. Three versions are available: one to pre-flight, one to produce including imposition and proofing, and a complete version including the APPE RIP.
Platform Windows XP or Server
Clients Windows XP and above; Mac OS X and above
Contact Fujifilm India +91 22 42364000
www.fujifilm.com
Agfa Apogee
Apogee Prepress fully supports the latest version of Adobe PDF print engine which significantly enhances the rendering performance, since PDF files are rendered natively and included transparencies are automatically resolved during the rendering process. The new feature of multi part job support which allows combining the different parts of a job, like the cover and the body part, in one job. It reduces the setup time significantly and allows for easy status tracking.
Platform Windows server
Clients Mac or PC
Contact TechNova Imaging Systems +91 22 27412464
www.technovaworld.com
Screen Trueflow 4
Screen Trueflow utilises the native PDF-rendering technology of the latest Adobe PDF Print Engine 2 core. It processes files but maintains them in a non-PostScript, device-independent state with full content integrity until the choice of output device is made. PDF files retain their device-independence across the workflow. Trueflow eliminates unnecessary data and file conversions that can interrupt the workflow, ensuring the integrity and consistency of file input and output throughout.
Platform HP server
Clients Mac or PC
Contact Proteck Machinery +91 44 24506000
www.proteck.co.in
Heidelberg Prinect Printready 3
Heidelberg Prinect Printready system is based on the JDF standard. It simplifies and accelerate all pre-press tasks from start to finish and monitors the whole process centrally. It maximises the level of automation, integration and local processing and establishes a new pre-press standard.
Platform Windows server
Clients Mac or PC
Contact Heidelberg India +91 22 2822 43 43
www.heidelberg.com