Prepress

Dainippon Screen and Major MIS Vendors Agree to Technical Partnership Regarding EQUIOS-Pre4m

In a move aimed at achieving end-to-end automation under its EQUIOSNET concept, the Media and Precision Technology Company (President: Kyohei Fujisawa) of Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto, Japan), has concluded a basic agreement regarding a technical partnership concerning imposition and JDF technology with Olive Inc., (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan, President: Keigo Shirai) and Tosbac Systems Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kagawa, Japan, President: Toshiyuki Matsumura), two major Japanese MIS (Management Information System) vendors. Screen plans to supply software licenses to both companies in early 2010.

Tuesday 13. October 2009 - Licensing Imposition Module

In a move aimed at achieving end-to-end automation under its EQUIOSNET concept, the Media and Precision Technology Company (President: Kyohei Fujisawa) of Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto, Japan), has concluded a basic agreement regarding a technical partnership concerning imposition and JDF technology with Olive Inc., (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan, President: Keigo Shirai) and Tosbac Systems Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kagawa, Japan, President: Toshiyuki Matsumura), two major Japanese MIS (Management Information System) vendors. Screen plans to supply software licenses to both companies in early 2010.

In the Japanese printing industry, the current adoption rate of PDF workflow is still 30 percent, while that of JDF workflow, which facilitates automation and cost management, remains extremely low at around 10 percent. This fact means that intermediate tasks between each production process, such as registering orders, prepress, press, postpress and process management remain in full, which increases the cost and turnaround time of offset printing production. This is one of the factors that has made offset printing less competitive and less cost-efficient compared to other media.

In order to solve these problems, Screen has been enthusiastically encouraging the shift to PDF workflow through its partnership with Adobe Systems Incorporated, by publishing DTP Output Guidelines for Trueflow users and holding technical seminars for customers. Screen intends to further automate the workflow using the JDF (Job Definition Format) standard as well. As part of this, Screen reached a basic agreement to license the latest imposition and JDF software modules of Trueflow SE EQUIOS-Pre4m from the Screen Workflow Core (SWC, Screen’s core workflow technology) software module library, for PrintSapiens from Olive and Hidariuchiwa from Tosbac Systems. This enables connection between either company’s MIS and CtP workflows using JDF files that include stripping parameters (folding and binding). These JDF files can be used not only with Screen’s Trueflow SE Version 7, but also with all other CtP workflows that support the same parameters. This compatibility means that users of MISs made by Olive and Tosbac Systems—who hold more than 70%* of the Japanese market share in total—will be able to make imposition instructions easily on the MIS and reflect it in CtP workflows. While conventionally, the sales/process management (MIS), DTP, and prepress (CtP workflow) processes each required their own separate imposition instructions and personnel, this latest technology partnership allows operators in charge of sales or process management to select the necessary pattern from a folding/binding catalog when registering the order to MIS, and to transfer JDF files that include stripping parameters from MIS to CtP workflow. Imposition information is automatically created in the CtP workflow, greatly reducing the amount of work required. This eliminates intermediate tasks between processes and reduces operational errors as well as promoting unified production management by MIS.

Screen will carry out technical demonstrations of PrintSapiens and Hidariuchiwa connected with Trueflow SE Version 7 using JDF at JGAS 2009, the Japan Graphic Arts Show held at Tokyo Big Site in Ariake, Tokyo, from Tuesday October 6 to Saturday October 10. Details of the technology partnership will be announced at 13:00 on Tuesday October 6, the first day of the exhibition.

Going forward, Screen will continue promoting the JDF workflow to energize the Japanese printing industry through its technical partnerships with Olive and Tosbac Systems.

* Screen findings.

Comments from Kyohei Fujisawa, Corporate Executive Officer of Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd., President of the Media and Precision Technology Company:
We are very pleased that Olive and Tosbac Systems have concluded a basic agreement with Screen regarding a technical partnership after evaluating our software technology. This is a welcome occasion for Screen and I would like to thank both companies for their decision. Going forward, Screen hopes to energize the Japanese printing industry through mutual cooperation by accelerating the adoption of JDF workflow in the industry from a vendor perspective via our technical partnership.


Comments from collaborating vendors
Comments from Keigo Shirai, President of Olive Inc.:
It is a revolutionary change for workflow productivity that sales person or production manager can select necessary imposition patterns from a folding/binding catalog, when they register an order to MIS or make instructions. As a part of JDF workflow, the ability to connect MIS and CtP workflow using stripping parameter has played a huge role in achieving this change. The global JDF standard has been adapted to fit into local traditions, customs, and culture. This is truly an ideal “glocalization” and I am happy to be a part of it.

Comments from Toshiyuki Matsumura, President of Tosbac Systems Co., Ltd.:
We have promoted the ability to connect MIS and production workflows, in light of the changes required in production/process management and cost control under the rapid digitalization of printing production process. This technical partnership with Screen allows imposition information to be handed directly from MIS to CtP workflow, and we are confident that this will further enhance the total management throughout the entire process and optimize the production productivity. We will continue to develop useful MIS in next-generation production workflows.
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