Software

Enfocus has released Switch 11 update 1 which now includes full support for the new Smart Preflight & Correction functionality introduced in PitStop Server 11. Smart Preflight & Correction offers Switch and PitStop Server users a more dynamic and accurate way of applying preflight and auto-correction settings, driven by the power of Switch variables. Additional new and updated configurators in this release include a direct link to Esko’s Automation Engine, new Microsoft Word configurator supporting the latest versions and updated HP configurators.

Smart Preflight & Correction that takes full advantage of the power of Switch 11

Switch 11 update 1 includes a new version of the PitStop Server configurator, compatible with the newly announced PitStop Server 11. It enables Smart Preflight & Correction in PitStop Server 11 using any of the variables available in Switch, including SQL databases, XML and JDF job tickets, embedded XMP values, private data variables created with the scripting API and all of Switch’s built-in variables.

"PitStop 11 has introduced a new era in PDF preflight, and the combination of PitStop Server 11 and Switch 11 update 1 are making the possibilities endless. Each and every job can be checked to specific job requirements that can be sourced from the file itself, metadata values, job tickets or external data sources," says Dieter Wullaert, Switch product manager. "For example, you can check if an incoming file matches the specifications for that job in your order system, or alternatively whether it corresponds to the information entered on your website by the customer when uploading the job. Using the new rule-based variables, it’s possible to translate those values into real preflight checks – this new functionality is huge and unique in workflow automation."

New configurator streamlines communication between Switch 11 and Esko Automation Engine

Switch has been designed from the beginning to be a complementary and vendor-neutral automation solution, allowing users to do more with their existing technology investments and workflow solutions. With this new configurator, files can be picked up by Switch, processed as required by any of Switch’s many tools and other Crossroads partners configurators, and delivered into an Automation Engine Job without operator intervention. To achieve this goal the configurator offers different ways to find a matching Automation Engine job. Combined with the ability to chain those different ways it provides maximum flexibility in automating the process of assigning incoming artwork to a print job. The new configurator also supports the unattended initiation of Automation Engine workflows upon the delivery of a production file with an accompanying XML job ticket by Switch. The job ticket is picked up by the Automated Job Creation Module of Automation Engine, which ensures flawless execution of the job.

"Because of Switch’s unique file handling capabilities and thanks to the many other configurators already supported in Switch, it is now possible to complete additional processing before a file is delivered to Automation Engine," states Dries Vandenbussche, Automation Engine product manager. "For example: a print buyer places 'chocolate gift box.zip' containing an Illustrator file on an FTP server monitored by Switch and the result in Automation Engine is a preflighted and color-corrected PDF file. We are also very excited about formally joining the Switch community soon as a Crossroads Application Partner."

Enfocus Crossroads is a community related to Enfocus Switch automation. Comprising Crossroads Application Partners, Crossroads Integration Partners and Switch users, the community provides automation best practices to other Switch users and prospects. A dedicated Crossroads web portal (www.crossroads-world.com) provides an extensive source of information about the Crossroads Partners and their integrated solutions.

Updated Microsoft Word configurators and HP configurators

Switch 11 update 1 includes new configurators for the world’s most popular text editor. Users can automate file processing in Microsoft Word 2010 (Windows) or 2011 (Macintosh) and convert all supported Word documents to PDF, rtf, txt, html, doc and docx at 'blazing' speeds.

Next to already available HP SmartStream solution configurators, the HP Digital Front End JD Control Configurator was enhanced. It now enables building even more intelligent workflows by using Switch metadata.

Availability

Switch 11 update 1 is available for customers with current Switch maintenance agreements.

A free trial and is available on www.enfocus.com.

For more information on pricing and modules, please contact your preferred reseller or Enfocus at sales@enfocus.com.

Wasatch Computer Technology has joined forces with Niceware International, a software solution provider, to offer the Wasatch SoftRIP for Niceware colour management and printing software solution that ensures consistent colour across a wide range of materials and applications. This colour print management software is designed for high speed colour inkjet printers, such as those in Colordyne Technologies’ CDT-1600 Series.

This colour management and printing package combines Wasatch technology with NiceLabel, a professional label design and printing software. NiceLabel Pro provides a variety of features for label design and integration, including barcodes, variable fields, database connectivity, and more. This full-featured label design programme is capable of handling variable data and connects to virtually any database or ERP business management system.

“We’re pleased to be working with Niceware International to bring such advanced machinery to the market,” said Mike Ware, President of Wasatch Computer Technology. “The speed of this system is amazing!”

Because Wasatch SoftRIP is sophisticated RIP software made easy, it was the perfect addition to Niceware’s product line. With intuitive workflows, powerful print controls, and easy-to-use spot colour replacement, Wasatch SoftRIP provides complete control over the print production process. With the ability to easily adjust the amount of ink laid down, Wasatch SoftRIP consistently delivers the proper amount of colour, ensuring a quality print job every time.

“Partnering with Wasatch Computer Technology has allowed us to present a new solution to our partners,” said Shawn Motley, General Manager of Niceware International. “We are excited to introduce a colour management and printing software package that will save them time and money in colour
labeling.”

Wasatch SoftRIP for Niceware takes the guesswork out of the print production process with a comprehensive colour profiling, advanced label design, and print management solution. With the ability to support material profiling, each label stock can match the inkjet printer’s capabilities for predictable
colour. Labels or images can be sent directly from NiceLabel Pro or any Windows application to print to Wasatch SoftRIP.

SAi International (SAi) has announced the launch of EnRoute Version 5 CAD/CAM software which has been designed to provide a powerful and easy way to create and output files.

EnRoute 5 builds on the established capabilities of SAi's popular EnRoute family of versatile professional CAD/CAM software, which delivers intuitive, easy-to-use creative tools and accurate toolpathing for carving and engraving needs.  EnRoute software has been specifically introduced to facilitate integration with three-axis CNC machines in the CNC woodworking, CNC signmaking and manufacturing and fabrication industries.

As the most powerful EnRoute software produced to date, Version 5 includes over 50 modifications and comprises a multitude of integrated time-saving features that make the design process faster while improving productivity.

Among the major features of EnRoute 5 is a fully-equipped interface containing enhanced nesting options that provide several new nesting capabilities. Relief creation and editing has also been expanded with new offsetting and distortion tools, while new ways to distort contours and toolpaths have been added to increase possibilities for creativity and deliver precise results.

Heavy lifting and detailed artwork - a unique combination

Importantly, EnRoute 5 is able to handle a wide range of applications via tools that address the needs of high-volume commercial applications. These include the ability to nest materials together to reduce waste, as well as cut more parts per hour thanks to shorter production times. In addition, EnRoute 5 has been designed to undertake detailed 3D work with surface creation and texturing. This capability to handle high-volume projects while also managing the more intense artistic aspects of jobs, sets EnRoute 5 apart from many existing programs that are unable to deliver effectively on both requirements.

"Our EnRoute software is renowned for its rapid texturing and 3D engraving capabilities, but EnRoute 5 ups the ante by incorporating industry-specific tools that push creative boundaries and further enhance productivity by saving design time and cutting costs," says EJ Nodurft, EnRoute product director, SAi. "Since EnRoute 5 makes virtually all types of cutting possible, we believe that it meets all requirements for those users outputting to three-axis routers."

Key new features include:

• An expanded Advanced Nesting Suite which delivers a host of convenient performance-enhancing features, including the Nest-Around-Obstructions tool. This enables users to specify parts of the plate containing fixtures or material imperfections, before nesting around those areas.
• Object Distortion, which enables users to tweak the shape of an existing design for use as part of a new design by pushing and pulling on elastic handles to define the desired new shape; and new Relief Tools which allow users to create unique designs by distorting reliefs and introducing variations into cut surfaces.
• Remnant Creation, which optimizes material use by automatically identifying the sheet remnant and creates a separate contour for the saved remnant. Upon the next job, EnRoute 5 utilises the remnant contour as the plate, fitting parts into every nook and cranny.
• Single-stroke fonts, which can be used in the same way as other font styles in EnRoute and are primarily intended for marking purposes using an engrave toolpath strategy.
• A new 3D Engrave Suite, which now includes 3D Engrave, Rapid Texture, Rapid Picture, Toolpath Distortion and Prismatic Lettering. This industry-leading 3D Engrave Suite features an easy-to-use interface that allows users to control and create unique design variations.

SAi has already Beta tested EnRoute 5 with several customers, including Edinboro Hardwoods Ltd., of Pennsylvania, USA, which was quick to benefit from its many attributes.  "EnRoute is the life blood of our production and I don't know where we would be without it," says Edinboro Hardwoods' owner, Thomas Marino. "The solution is by far the number one choice for our production needs and is so much easier to use on a day to day basis than any other software we have tried."

SAi's new EnRoute 5 CAD/CAM software is available in Basic, Plus, or Pro versions to suit the specific production needs of users.

For further information, please e-mail enroute@saintl.biz

EFI has announced that commercial and packaging printer COT Holdings Limited of Barbados is now running EFI Monarch and EFI PrintFlow to streamline operations and reduce costs. The company is also using EFI PrinterSite Internal and is currently installing EFI Digital StoreFront and EFI Auto-Count to bring greater efficiencies.

In business since 1975, COT Holdings provides full-service design, printing and marketing services to English-speaking customers in the Caribbean. The company has been steadily growing, in particular in package and wide-format printing. COT Holdings was a Prism user and then decided to make the switch to EFI Monarch.

“EFI Monarch is a very powerful, extraordinarily robust system, and we’re seeing huge gains in efficiencies, especially on the scheduling front with the integration to EFI PrintFlow,” says Nigel Worme, CEO and managing director of COT Holdings. “PrintFlow gives us a clear picture of the shop floor workflow, without the need to print and post schedules, which used to take up a lot of production management’s time each day.”

PrinterSite Internal is also providing COT Holdings with more accurate pricing and the ability to more quickly give estimates to customers, in turn increasing their satisfaction. The company is now installing the Digital StoreFront web-to-print platform and Auto-Count direct machine interface as the next steps in their operational improvement plan.

“Digital StoreFront will allow us to maximize our digital equipment investments,” comments Worme. “It will reduce our estimating requirements and ensure consistent pricing for customers, while Auto-Count will further streamline our shop floor workflow. We look forward to getting the systems up and running soon.”

For more information on EFI products, please visit www.efi.com

[photo shows Nigel Worme]

Four Pees has announced the release of PrintFactory and ProofMaster 4.3. This update for the PrintFactory and ProofMaster product range includes additional productivity features such as a redesigned colour picker, HTML reporting across the network and transparency tools to help accomplish better true shape nesting. It also adds support for various new devices, such as the EPSON SC-S306x0 series or new HP DesignJet devices.

PrintFactory, the most complete production solution for large format printing, can print jobs as they are being processed, driving over 700 different printing, cutting and CTS devices. PrintFactory not only increases productivity and operator flexibility, it also allows to produce more efficiently. The advanced colour engine can easily introduce proofing in workflows, reducing waste of expensive production media and ink. With PrintFactory, a predictable and consistent output is generated and colour consistency can be achieved on different machines.

PrintFactory and ProofMaster 4.3 introduce an HTML-based log issued by the RIP that can be consulted through a regular web browser by everyone from any computer. To ensure full support for new computers, these releases drop support for PowerPC macs. The new release also include over 200 problem and stability fixes.

The enhanced Media Manager allows importing or exporting a set list of materials that can be printed on, making it easier to exchange this between different printers. The Media Manager now also features Spot color Editor invocation, a duplicate mode and an information pane.

PrintFactory & ProofMaster 4.3 Editor – Verification, correction and production preparation

Whether you need to combine and correct multiple jobs, make edits on colour, masks, shapes, scaling, rotation, mirroring, create tiles or place grommets, with the PrintFactory Editor all the job preparation and correction tools are only a click away. The new PrintFactory and ProofMaster Editor 4.3 feature a redesigned Color Swatch palette with an integrated Color Picker and a Make-Transparent tool. Transparent areas can now be ignored during TrueShape nesting. The optimised Submit Job dialogue features a colour-bar option and allows 180 and 270 degrees job rotation.

PrintFactory & ProofMaster 4.3 Calibrator – easy profile creation

New in the PrintFactory and ProofMaster Calibrator is the option in the Custom Ink Setup to spot the channel type. This channel type is taken into account during linearisation but is excluded during profiling. The new calibrator offers i1 iSis XL support and includes Barbieri USB support on Mac.

Additional support for new printers and cutters

PrintFactory and ProofMaster 4.3 add support for the following devices:

• EPSON SC-S306x0 series
• HP Designjet Z5200 and Z6200
• Agfa Titan series
• HP Designjet L28500
• HP Scitex FB 500 and 700
• Roland LEJ640
• Roland LEF-12
• Epson GS6000 CcMmYK mode
• Aristo AristoMat series
• Fotoba XL series
• NeoLT drivers

Prices and availability

Version 4.3 is a free update for all existing 4.x users. This update is immediate available via www.print-factory.net and www.proofmaster.net

It will become available through the automatic update mechanism on 7th June 2012 at 10am CET.

ProofMaster and PrintFactory 4.3 are fully compatible with Mac OS 10.7 – Lion.

ArtSystems has joined with ONYX Graphics to help launch ONYX Thrive to the UK reseller channel.  The launch will kick off with a series of product briefings to invited partners, followed by end-user events and offers to explain the new approach that Thrive brings to RIP technology.

The new ONYX Thrive™ workflow software gives print service providers a scalable print production solution based on Adobe technologies.  Customers can now have full confidence about investing in workflow software that fits into their business today and tomorrow with the ability to scale up their ONYX Thrive as their business grows.

ONYX Thrive enables a true end-to-end PDF workflow from digital file submission through to colour management, printing and cutting. The Thrive Production Manager browser-based user interface enables workflow control from anywhere, optimising both operator and output device productivity.

"This is the biggest change to ONYX software in ten years and represents the move to distributed print management with a scalable software package that removes many of the old barriers to upgrades and user accessibility. It means that in many ways people need to rethink what ONYX is as a RIP and start to look at it as truly comprehensive print production management tool with outstanding colour control.  Simply put, it has the ability to make significant cost savings across their business through its scalability," comments Andrew Edwards, sign & display divisional manager at ArtSystems.