The Xerox FreeFlow Print Manager 4.0 software, together with Heidelberg’s Prinect Digital Print Manager software, allows print providers to choose the ideal print process for each job, be it digital, offset or a combination, and expedites workflow from start to finish by providing a single point of control for job ticketing, prepress, printing and finishing.
Xerox debuted the hybrid workflow at Ipex in April, and these are now a reality for commercial and digital printers.
By changing the way print industry professionals work and by improving production times, Xerox says digital production can be added to an offset environment “simply and efficiently to deliver business advantage.”
Based on open architecture and the industry standard job definition format (JDF), the solution eliminates the need for entering the required print job information into the Heidelberg Prinect system and then again into a digital prepress system.
Using the solution, a comprehensive set of job ticket specifications, ranging from image shift to rotation, banner message, number of copies, page range, output location, stapling/finishing, collate, sides imaged and main paper stock attributes, can be viewed and specified in the Prinect system to produce jobs on Xerox digital presses.
The job messaging format (JMF) is also in the pipeline to further enhance the collaboration with Heidelberg’s Prinect system, says Xerox.
“The solution provides two-way communication between offset and digital devices with the net result that operators can monitor job status, identify problems and handle billing and invoicing from a single interface for a more efficient and profitable print shop.”
Xerox printer capabilities are easily uploaded and stored in Prinect for an active snapshot of the digital print operation. Each time a Xerox digital press is updated or added the software recognises a change and reconfigures its settings to give the operator access to the printers and their workflow.
Customers can use this solution on a range of Xerox technology, including: the Xerox iGen3 Digital Production Press; the Xerox DocuColour, 8000, 2060, 5252 Digital Colour Presses with FreeFlow DocuSP, EFI or Creo Spire colour print servers; the Xerox Nuvera Digital Production black-and-white printers; and the Xerox DocuTech and DocuPrint cut-sheet and continuous-feed printers.
