Workflow
Compose System Unveils New Prepress Workflow and Colour Proofing Solutions at drupa 2008
Friday 30. May 2008 - A showcase of latest innovations in stand-alone applications and integrated products for the digital printing, flexographics and packaging market
Hall 9, Stand D26-1
Compose System, an established developer of pre-press workflow and colour proofing solutions, will present at drupa 2008 its latest innovations in prepress and production workflow systems as well as a wide range of new features for narrow web and digital printing applications.
Key product highlights include updated releases of the companys seamless Express WorkFlow solutions, new features in its high performance Express RIP product range, innovative solutions for its streamlined production workflow systems, as well as new version 2 release for GapFinder, an unique narrow web printing application.
Expanded Express WorkFlow features for Maximum Productivity
Compose will demonstrate the latest version of its popular Compose Express WorkFlow, which has been extended to provide JDF support, it now accepts JDF import and job tickets from within the workflow for correct handling of each job at every stage of the production process.
The new Express WorkFlow reduces errors and allows production instructions, such as ink key value, ripping preferences, imposition methods, folding, binding or guillotine instructions to be specified in compliance with the JDF protocol.
Compose PressMax, a fully integrated ink optimisation workflow module is based on Alwan’s innovative CMYK Optimizer technology. PressMax operates seamlessly within an automated production workflow and optimises ink consumption and significantly reduces ink wastage, it also guarantees proof to press matching.
New workflow solutions for the Flexographics and Packaging Market
A highlight at drupa will be the new release of FlexoFlow, a simple production workflow system tailored to the needs of the flexographics and packaging market. This workflow solution provides users with a set of ease-to-use production tools; it includes specific flexographics and packaging modules such as the BoxPro, hybrid screening, Star Proof and Plate Controller, it provides great flexibility for users to configure different work paths for different type of jobs.
As a true dot proofing solution, Star Proof – Flexo provides actual-dot proof for the packaging market offering extremely advanced dot loss and dot gain features: the extreme dot loss feature enables accurate reproduction of lost details in the highlight area while the extreme dot gain simulates the high dot gain in flexo-plates.
BoxPro is an easy-to-use box design and labelling application, it comes with a comprehensive set of modules that enable users to merge quickly graphics design with box design layout, users can view the final design and the box fold-up sequence in 3-D simulation using the BoxPro Viewer, an Adobe Illustator plugin based on the latest OpenGL technology.
New release for the Express NewsFlow
At drupa, Compose will introduce an updated release of the Express NewsFlow, its newspaper production workflow solution. Now available in V2, it is a cost effective solution for complex page assembly and production scheduling in newspaper and magazine publishing.
With NewsFlow, users can plan simultaneous publications of any complexity and size, its automatic page pairing features streamline the production process. The V2 release of NewsFlow provides real-time job status, jobs can be managed remotely and it also offers enhanced monitoring and control throughout the production process. Comprehensive management information such as daily workload, shift workload and production efficiency is available in real-time.
GapFinder V2 streamlines existing workflows for the traditional narrow web printing market
GapFinder, now in version 2 release, is a unique and easy-to-use application specifically developed to provide significant production benefits to the traditional narrow web printers, it was previously only available through our exclusive OEM partner.
GapFinder intelligently aligns print jobs against the printing cylinder, it re-arranges job images on the plate so as to optimise and eliminate the press cylinder gaps. The powerful features of GapFinder reduce production errors, lower media wastage and press downtime.
Uniquely GapFinder can split job images over two simultaneous printing press towers using our 2-Plates Lock Up features. GapFinder will find the best point to split a job image using a colour schema which will re-combine into the job image perfectly when each colour is printed over 2 printing press towers.
GapFinder can add registration marks, scan marks, colour matrix marks and plate identification as required. GapFinder enables press operator to check input jobs to make sure they can be printed on selected web presses; sales staff can quickly check that a job can be printed, its costs and the sales quotation can be determined accordingly.
Compose Plate Controller reduces production costs and enhances business profitability
Compose will demonstrate its newly updated Plate Controller applications during drupa 2008. Plate Controller is a plate layout software that automates job placements, as well as step-and-repeat operations for both PDF and 1-bit ripped files.
Version 2 has been updated to support multiple work styles, including sheetwise-turn, sheetwise-tumble, work-and-turn, and work-and-tumble, as well as single-sided printing.
The new release also supports the printing of round and triangular labels, automatic or manual interlocking of step-and-repeat operations, manual or automatic fill modes that fill just a section or the full plate area, double-burn that burns multiple jobs, specified crop and registration marks, as well as colour bars for each job, including step-and-repeat jobs.
Composes CIP3 solution enhances press productivity
InkScript Server is a server-based release of the successful CIP3 InkScript product.
Being independent of any prepress workflow front-end, it accepts jobs in raster or in Postscript/PDF files formats. It processes jobs to produce a CIP3/4 ink key value file for the press ink control unit and works jointly with the IS Connect solution to provide accurate online ink values that match the customers press characteristic.
The press operator can review specific plate data such as the CMYK color value, plate size or texts in fine detail. An accurate job preview can be performed using a calibrated monitor, while the job log or the job duration process can be used for the production management.
Scalable digital printing solutions
PrintShop is a digital printing solution that connects multiple printers in a mini-cluster to create a high performance, scalable digital printing solution. The solution provides load balancing and supports bi-directional communication with the printing device to provide printer status such as paper jams, out-of-paper errors or toner level.
Based a Harlequin RIP, PrintShop accepts comprehensive input file formats and comes with the embedded Compose EasyBook for ease booklet printing. It also supports most of the popular variable-data engines in the market, allowing statement printing and efficient handling of promotional material during printing.
Composes RIP family increases performance
Compose will present at drupa the latest Harlequin RIP release, Express RIP V8.0, that offers important new features for print operations of all sizes.
The new Express RIP release increases performance significantly through the use of the latest multithreaded rendering technology, this removes RIP bottlenecks by handling raster data and taking full advantage of the new Duo and Quad core technologies. The new RIP release also features a PDF retained raster that speeds up variable data processing.
New job-based production workflow solutions
Express Manager is a new JDF 1.3-based production workflow that provides a higher level of remote client support and job ticketing features.
It allows multiple operators from remote locations to create and submit job tickets simultaneously, they can track job status as jobs progress through the production process and preview the processed results. Users can view reports as jobs are distilled and preflighted, and arrange page sequence by adding blank pages, even when jobs are in multiple files.
“Customers at drupa will be able to discover the many innovative and enhanced products that Compose has lined up for the event,” says Tom Sit, the CEO of Compose System. “drupa 2008 is the perfect venue to meet our customers coming from all over the world and we are looking forward to demonstrating our latest products and their customer benefits.”
All these key product innovations and releases will be on show during drupa
on Stand D26-1, Hall 9.