Linking Standard Modules
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`Page 1 of6
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`The Seybold Report on Publishing Systems
`Vol. 27, No.4- October 27, 1997
`
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`Linking Standard Modules
`As we get closer to the goal of having all data in digital format as jobs enter the
`output phase of production, the focus has shifted to the various stages in the
`output process. Before the imaging step, several key functions need to be included
`in the workflow. In particular, preflight checks, trapping and imposition are well
`suited to incorporation in digital workflows. Another function-OPI image
`replacement-has become a critical component of these workflows. OPI functions
`are used not only in swapping high-resolution and low-resolution images, but also
`in manipulating pages of a document. For example, as part of the imposition task,
`an OPI facility makes it possible to transmit and work with small page files and
`then image the full-resolution version on the image- or platesetter.
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`In addressing the need to link these processes in an efficient way, several vendors
`have developed workflow products that incorporate their own software with third(cid:173)
`party products to provide a reasonably complete solution. From a workflow
`standpoint, the key is the way they link the processes into a workflow, which is
`generally done through hot folders or Apple Events and some degree of load
`balancing to optimize the process. The processes to be included in the workflow are
`generally set up by dragging and dropping tasks into their sequential position in
`the flow. Jobs are ithen nserted into the flow through similar drag-and-drop
`functions.
`
`Some workflow products also provide data conversion, compression or other
`services as they perform these various tasks.
`
`An example from this group is the latest product from IPT, called the Prepress
`Factory. IPT has long had its own OPI software, but more recently it has added
`proofing software, a CPSI RIP from Adobe and third-party imposition software to
`complete its new suite. Similarly, Ultimate Technographics has developed preflight,
`trapping and imposition software that is in widespread use. These modules are
`now linked with UltimateFlow, which uses hot folders, drag-and-drop functions,
`etc. Shira Computers includes conversion of files from CEPS systems and an
`innovative proofing product in its workflow solution.
`
`Note that these companies are software vendors that try to make their software
`compatible with a variety of hardware systems and data formats-even the formats
`of legacy systems. This is an area of intense activity. We'll highlight here some of
`the new developments among this group of suppliers.
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`Linking Standard Modules
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`Archetype enhances InterSep efficiency
`
`Archetype showed version 2.3 of its InterSep OPI server, set for release in the
`fourth quarter. New features, which focus on efficiency, include support for
`"pooled" printers (so the next available printer gets the next job), faster location of
`high-resolution images for OPI merging, better tools for managing the jobs in input
`and output folders, integration of color management, support for Linotype-Hell
`images, and preflight testing of DCS and Eskofot images.
`
`Archetype also released a new version of its MediaBank for managing assets,
`which we cover in The Latest Word (seep. 32).
`
`Graphic Enterprises adds 4 packages
`
`Graphic Enterprises has expanded its Image Express line of OPI products to
`include four specialized packages:
`
`• RipLink is designed to enhance the performance of Harlequin's NT RIP by
`adding OPI capabilities. It resides on the same Intel Pentium or DEC Alpha
`platform as the RIP, adding preflight checking, job priority levels and time(cid:173)
`activated release queues. High-resolution files are spooled directly into the
`RIP.
`
`-Graphic Enterprises uses the Web. Among the newest
`-workflow products is a suite offered by Graphic
`Enterprises, including a means of adding OPI functions
`to a Harlequin RIP and facilities for supporting a wide variety
`of data formats in the workflow. It also enables the Web to be
`used for monitoring output, as in this display.
`
`• Desktop is an entry-level OPI module with eight input queues and support
`for two devices. It includes Web-based remote administration and has full OPI
`capabilities.
`• PrePress, which is server based, supports a wide range of image formats,
`including TIFF, EPS, DCS, JPEG and Scitex CT. An unlimited number of
`queues and output devices are also supported.
`• Gold is designed for high-volume prepress departments. It includes FTP
`output communications, Eskofot image support, concurrent image sampling,
`high-speed image retrieval and direct TIFF printing.
`
`IPT Prepress Factory offers RIP, imposition
`
`IPT's Prepress Factory for NT is aimed at automating the workflow for systems that
`include PCs, Macintoshes and Unix workstations. It includes facilities for load
`balancing among the various devices and functions. The Factory comprises four
`modules: OPI (CanOPI), scatter proofing (ImageProoD, imposition (Impozelt) and the
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`Linking Standard Modules
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`RIP (the TurboRIP, based on Adobe CPSI, PostScript 3 and PDF).
`
`IPT's Prepress Factory. IPT has developed a workflow system
`, aimed at tying together OPI functions, imposition, proofing and
`rasterization. This is from the RIP module, with various windows
`showing output queues, font information, etc.
`
`CanOPI needs no introduction, having been one of the oldest OPI server products
`on the market and having supported Unix and Macintosh platforms prior to the NT
`version.
`
`ImageProof displays images from multiple folders, without explicitly opening each
`one, and groups them into a single file.
`
`Impozelt accepts files in PostScript and PDF. (PostScript files are converted into
`PDF to facilitate assembly of jobs containing files of mixed origins.) Pages from
`different applications can be mixed within the same signature. Impozeit supports
`partial imposition so that completed flats can be output before all the pages of
`other flats are ready. Imposelt handles bottling, shingling, and customizable color
`bars and printers' marks. It comes with 27 templates of commonly used folds, each
`of which can be customized.
`
`The TurboRIP h as a Java user interface for managing the RIP from any local or
`remote location. Print queues supporting a wide variety of imagesetters can be
`manipulated to control workflow.
`
`The Prepress Factory package, which was introduced at Print and featured at
`Seybold San Francisco, will be available starting in November. The prices of these
`modules, which are available individually or as a suite, start at the following levels:
`CanOPI, $3,995; ImageProof, $399; Impozelt, $3,995; TurboRIP, $11,400; and the
`entire suite, $ 18,995.
`
`Besides introducing its Prepress Factory at Print '97, IPT teamed with Apple to
`unveil ColorTouch color-management software for integration in a variety of
`workflows.
`
`Luminous supports PDF
`
`The main workflow announcement made by Luminous was support for PDF
`workflows within its PressWise imposition software, version 3.0, which will be
`available in November. Luminous earlier had announced PDF support for its OPEN
`production workflow environment and its Media Manager database system. OPEN,
`which continues to be the key workflow approach, uses drag-and-drop
`functionality to route jobs along "pipelines" to handle trapping, color proofing,
`RIP'ing and other functions.
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`One of the new features in the current version, OPEN 1.1, is automatic conversion
`of files from PostScript to PDF. A pipeline is used to send a file to the Acrobat
`Distiller for conversion to PDF, after which it is opened in Exchange for
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`optimization. Then it can be imposed or trapped and previewed on the screen
`without operator intervention.
`
`Another Luminous option is to perform color separations on PDF files, since
`Acrobat is unable to do separations.
`
`Pre-Press Image offers PowerGate OPI
`
`One of the new competitors in the RIP-workflow arena is a small company from
`Concord, NH, called Pre-Press Image Technologies. Its product line includes a full(cid:173)
`function RIP, which we discuss later under RIPs, but it also provides a workflow
`product with much broader functionality than the RIP. Called PowerGate OPI, this
`product incorporates OPI server technology with preflight checking, format
`conversion, color proofing, an interface to imposition software and a load(cid:173)
`balancing feature when the job is sent to an output device.
`
`The most interesting component is probably the Purifire, a conversion utility that
`accepts files in PDF, PostScript or EPS (TIFF /IT will be added in the next release)
`and converts them to any of the following data types:
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`• Neutralized PostScript, which provides a much smaller, more compact file by
`compressing images, removing any portions of images that have been
`cropped, optimizing text through minimizing the number of font calls, etc.
`This neutral PostScript resembles what some other companies have done to
`optimize raw PostScript, for example Creo, with its PreScript .
`• TIFF 6, in which case the operator chooses the number of bits per pixel,
`compression, antialiasing, etc.
`• Other options-EPS, run-length-encoded files, LZW-compressed, etc. If
`desired, the system will generate a preview version of these files. In the case
`of EPS, the file carries font data and text is editable in Illustrator or
`FreeHand.
`
`The workflow functions of PowerGate include running a preflight check and data
`conversion, plus a link to any imposition program that produces a PostScript file.
`The workflow is set up by dragging and dropping elements into the workflow. The
`procedure can be set up to run fully automatically or to generate a preview and
`stop for operator approval.
`
`We'll say more about the Pre-Press Image products under RIPs and imagesetters,
`below.
`
`Shira shows TIFF /IT, Trapeze, Impostrip, 5D
`
`Shira Computers made a few announcements as it continues its effort to put
`together a complete set of functions within its workflow environment. It announced
`that it is licensing Trapeze and Impostrip from Ultimate to create a raster workflow
`based on TIFF /IT. It claims TIFF /IT provides a "cleaner" alternative to PDF. TIFF /IT
`Stream is a workflow product based on hot folders and the TIFF /IT workflow.
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`Shira has added an NT RIP, called Dual RIP2, that is ba sed on the 5D Solutions
`J aws interpreter. It outputs cr, LW and Her files in TIFF /IT, TIFF /IT-Pl and
`Handshake formats to provide a more predictable output production path. Dual
`Rip2 is undergoing beta testing. The SmartProof option for optimizing scatter
`proofs, which isn't new, will add a descreening option soon.
`
`The latest version of Image Server is NT based, uses an Oracle database for
`managing job elements and has a browser client for remote tracking and control of
`additions or deletions to the server. The SQL-compatible software has an
`a u tomatic script generator, so users don't need to know SQL to customize their
`systems. Other server features include user access to a set of rules, support for
`version control with check-in and check-ou t of stories, and the ability to recognize
`CEPS formats. A Netscape client will provide customer access to the database.
`
`Torque unveils flexible Traffic product
`
`Torque Systems, which exhibited at Seybold San Francisco, not at Print, has added
`a workflow management system to its existing line of proofing, archiving and other
`products. Called Traffic, it has been designed for easy setup and management of
`workflows in a production environment, regardless of the size of the shop. It
`appears to have a relatively low price for the functionality it offers.
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`It runs on a peer-to-peer Macintosh network for small operations, or in a client(cid:173)
`server mode with an NT or Unix server. The system is built around templates,
`which can be modified easily by adding new steps or changing existing steps.
`When jobs are created, information such as due dates for specific functions is
`entered. Jobs can be set up to move automatically from stage to stage when the
`various functions are completed. As an alternative, the system can require a
`specific instruction to trigger such a move, as might apply when a client's approval
`is needed.
`
`At this point, the system doesn't provide a link to applications that would
`automa tically update the sta tus. Instead, an operator must indicate when a
`function has been completed. We presume Torque is working on such links.
`
`Development is under way to enable operation through a browser interface.
`
`Torque has an interesting approach to pricing. The software is likely to be free for
`shops where fewer than 25 jobs are processed concurrently. Beyond that level, the
`peer-to-peer version with support for two clients will cost $895. Each additional
`client adds $200. The NT or Unix server version will cost $2,995 for two clients.
`Windows, Mac or Unix clients can be added for $200 each.
`
`UltimateFlow imposes, traps on Mac
`
`Ultimate Technographics, which developed the first electronic imposition program
`many years ago, has been adding output utility modules since then. The latest is a
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`workflow product called UltimateFlow, introduced at Imprinta. It reflects the
`company's gradual shift to a server architecture. Ultima teFlow, which
`encompasses OPI image replacement, trapping and imposition, initially was
`available only for NT, but at Print '97 it was introduced for the Mac.
`
`UltimateFlow automates a variety of tasks. For example, it can automatically
`generate multiple preview files (each tailored to a different display device or
`purpose) from incoming high-resolution files. It can manage queues for several
`devices, routing output either to a specified device or to the next available
`appropriate device. Queues can be time-activated, a feature that enables low(cid:173)
`priority work to be placed into a queue for output during off-hours.
`
`Archiving is simplified by having a "job jacket" approach, with low-resolution and
`high-resolution versions of a file stored together (rather than in separate folders,
`which is often how OPI is implemented). The program checks for missing fonts and
`images as soon as a job arrives, rather than waiting until the job is to be output,
`which provides the earliest possible notification of problems to prevent them from
`surfacing in the course of rasterizing the job.
`
`Ultimate also has enhanced its Trapeze and Impostrip products, adding a few
`capabilities that aid workflow. A subtle but important change is the ability for
`Trapeze, the trapping program, to work with individual rasterized pages so that, if
`one page in an imposition changes, it can be worked on without rerasterizing the
`whole imposition. Trapeze also has been ported to NT (in addition to the Mac) and
`is now running an Adobe PostScript 3 RIP, allowing it to support native PDF
`workflows. It has also gotten faster, partly because of the efficiencies of working
`with PDF, partly because Adobe's PostScript 3 implementation runs faster than
`PostScript Level 2, and partly because of the Lantana ColorBurst hardware
`accelerator.
`
`For the Impostrip imposition program, the addition of a fucntion called "Level 2
`caching" utilizes the "stored forms" feature of PostScript for step-and-repeat jobs.
`The data need only be rasterized once but can be used repeatedly in different
`locations on output. Another valuable addition is "Markview," which lets the
`operator preview press marks to mal{e sure they are in the expected locations.
`Different configurations of press marks can also be store in a catalog for reuse.
`You can use standard press marks, or create your own using the "Colorbar editor."
`
`Two new features support web presses. The "Oragami" package, used for setting up
`the folding sequence for a piece, has been enhanced to support web presses as well
`as sheet-fed. And the "Trap Brush" feature now supports variable trapping based
`on distance from the center of the web.
`
`Xinet supports AppleShare
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`Xinet introduced support for AppleShare TCP /IP for its FullPress system.
`
`Copyright 1997 by Seybold Publications
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`Archetype enhances MediaBank
`
`Page 1 of 1
`
`The Seybold Report on Publishing Systems
`Vol. 27, No. 4 - October 27, 1997
`
`Publications Home
`Site Map
`
`Full-text search
`Browse back issues
`
`Customer service
`Subscribe
`
`Archetype enhances MediaBank
`
`Archetype has enhanced its MediaBank asset-management software. One focus
`h as been on the user interface, which is laid out more attractively, has a movable
`toolbar and doesn't display options for which the user doesn't have access rights.
`
`Also improved is the management of versions of files. For example, a drop sh adow
`around a thumbnail image indicates the existence of other versions of the image or
`file. It is possible to retrieve a listing of versions and select one or more to view.
`(Archetype plans to build on this facility to create a product for producing variable(cid:173)
`data documents, supporting a different selection from among several images for
`each successive version of a document.) Ch eck-in and check-out security now
`ensures that only the first user to check out a file can write an updated version
`back to the server.
`
`Other new features include the ability to view thumbnails of all the pages of an
`X press document (not just the first), access to a list of the images and fonts used
`on each page and a "save as PDF" facility, which saves a page in EPS format and
`then runs it through the Distiller. (This tool would be useful for sending a
`customer a PDF copy of a job to review at intermediate stages in the production
`process.) Media-Bank provides direct viewing of PDF, without launching Acrobat
`Viewer.
`
`MediaBank now keeps track of archived files that are stored offline. The user can
`see at a glance wh ether an item is on- or offline. A small red light by the thumbnail
`says the image is offline. A yellow light says it is being retrieved. If it is online,
`there is no light.
`
`Archetype is working on integrating Verity's full-text search engine, to enable
`searching the text content of stored files (not just metadata about the files). This is
`expected to be available early next year.
`
`A wider choice of underlying databases is also in the works. Currently, only "X(cid:173)
`base" products (DBase and its competitors) are used. But Archetype plans to add
`Oracle and SQL Server in 1998.
`
`Copyright 1997 by Seybold Publications
`
`