On Demand New Products

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

On Demand awards ‘Best of Show' honors

At an awards ceremony March 4, the On Demand Exposition & Conference announced the winners of the third annual On Demand “Best of Show” awards program. InfoTrends partnered with the On Demand Conference & Exposition to produce the awards program.

The On Demand “Best of Show” awards were judged in nine categories. One “Best of Show” award was presented in each of the following categories:

Bindery, Finishing and Mailing Equipment — Ricoh, Ring Binder RB5000
Document Creation Software — XMPie Inc., PersonalEffect
Innovations in Paper Usage and Substrates — Mohawk Fine Papers, Beckett Cambric
Innovative Use of Technology — interlinkONE, ilinkONE Version 8 / Release 8.3
Monochrome Digital Printing Equipment — Océ, VarioStream 8000
Process Color Digital Printing Equipment — Canon U.S.A. Inc., imagePRESS C6000
Web To Print Solutions — Rochester Software Associates, Inc., WebCRD Enterprise System 7.0
Wide Format Printing — Xerox Corporation, Xerox 8265 Color Wide Format Printer
Workflow Solutions — Ultimate Technographics Inc., Impostrip Book Stacker 2.0

In addition to the Best of Show Award announcements, the following companies were awarded honorable mentions:

Bindery, Finishing and Mailing Equipment — Kompac Technologies, Kwik Finish
Document Creation Software — GMC Software Technology, PrintNet Designer 5.2
Innovations in Paper Usage and Substrates — Neenah Paper Inc., CORONADO^® SST Papers
Innovative Use of Technology — XMPie, Inc., Marketplace
Process Color Digital Printing Equipment — Océ, JetStream
Web To Print Solutions — Firespring, PrinterPresence
Wide Format Printing — Canon U.S.A. Inc., imagePROGRAF iPF8000S
Workflow Solutions — Rochester Software Associates, QDirect.SCAN

The awards program was open to all show exhibitors. To be eligible, products must have been introduced after April 2007, be generally available at the time of the 2008 On Demand Conference & Exposition, and be on display or in use during the exposition. Professionals from the graphic arts and printing community judged the competition. The judges were chosen for their accomplishments and extensive knowledge in this market and its technologies. Judges used a weighted combination of subjective and objective criteria in making their selections for “Best of Show.”

New product enhancements

Xerox (Rochester, NY) announced a new image quality enhancement and a finishing option for its iGen3 press. International Color Consortium DeviceLink Profiling is an enhancement to Xerox's Automated Color Quality tool for Xerox iGen3 presses. It builds custom RGB and CMYK color profiles real-time during the initial job set-up using an in-line spectrophotometer for faster processing and greater color accuracy.

The C.P. Bourg Bleed Crease Module is an optional accessory for the in-line C.P. Bourg Document Finisher (BDFx). It produces saddle-stitched booklets with a tight fold and supports the same paper stocks as the BDFx, including coated stock and cover sheets. It expands the capability of the BDFx by adding the ability to full-bleed trim and crease printed sheets before they are stapled, folded and face trimmed.

International Color Consortium DeviceLink Profiling is available on all iGen3 presses equipped with the Xerox FreeFlow Print Server 6.0. The C.P. Bourg Bleed Crease Module is immediately available in North America at a U.S. manufacturer's list price of $47,500 including hardware, installation and operator training.

Approximately 126 Xerox customers worldwide are now printing 1 million or more pages per month per machine on their iGen3s. The average monthly print volume on the Xerox iGen3 press is now 500,000 pages.

Launched in 2002, the iGen3 press runs at 90 or 110 ppm. There reportedly are now more than 2,000 Xerox iGen3 presses installed worldwide, with 275 customers having installed two or more.

See www.xerox.com.
Circle 170 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

Apago demos ONEticket 3.0

Apago Inc. (Alpharetta, GA) announced ONEticket 3.0, a set of device-independent plug-ins for Adobe Acrobat that helps maximize the productivity of on-demand digital printers. Formerly named AcrosuitePRO v. 2.6, the software provides a single user interface to control digital print devices from numerous manufacturers, including Konica Minolta, IKON, Océ, Kodak, Ricoh, Toshiba and Canon. The updated application includes several customer-requested features such as tray mapping, which enables users to define paper exceptions regardless of the device used to print.

ONEticket 3.0 adds several new workflow enhancements and capabilities, including 2-, 4- and 12-up imposition, and additional flexibility with stamp placement. The update improves paging flexibility by adding the ability to select a new page size or to scale the contents of a single page or all pages. It also enables users to select any page in a PDF and shift the contents left or right for tab printing.

The software has a $2,395 price tag and is available via www.apagoinc.com.
Circle 171 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

Canon introduces new imagePRESS devices

In an effort to bring affordable digital print technology to a broad range of production print environments, Canon U.S.A. Inc. (Lake Success, NY) has introduced sister models to the imagePRESS C7000VP digital press. The new imagePRESS C6000VP and imagePRESS C6000 maintain the same high durability, productivity and value of the C7000VP at a lower price point and speed. The imagePRESS C6000VP prints at 1200 × 1200-dpi resolution while maintaining its engine speed of 60 letter-size ppm regardless of media weight.

“Since its launch in June 2007, the imagePRESS C7000VP has set the standard for color image quality and productivity in the digital production print market,” says Janet Cain, senior director, Production Systems, Canon U.S.A. “The new imagePRESS C6000VP/C6000 continues that tradition of high-end performance and reliability delivered by the original imagePRESS device at a price point that will expand our reach and meet the needs of a wider array of production customers.”

Canon also introduced several new print controllers for the imagePRESS line. The new imagePRESS Server A3100 and A2100 Print Controllers are designed help print providers achieve greater color control, superior image and quality versatility in Windows and Mac environments.

The new Canon Perfect Binder, designed specifically for the imagePRESS digital press, offers easy operation and, when used with imageWARE Prepress Manager, simple cover creation and document layout.

The imagePRESS C6000VP and imagePRESS C6000 models will be available immediately through Canon authorized dealers and Canon Business Solutions, Inc., at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $155,000 and $99,000, respectively.

See www.usa.canon.com.
Circle 172 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

Screen Trueflow SE joins Canon imagePRESS Workflow Solutions Program

Screen USA (Rolling Meadows, IL) announced the company has joined the Canon imagePRESS Workflow Solutions Program and will comarket with Canon U.S.A. Inc. the use of Screen's flagship prepress production workflow product, Trueflow SE, with Canon's imagePRESS digital printing presses. As a part of the program, Screen and Canon will promote the unique benefits for print providers of employing a hybrid workflow solution to drive print-on-demand devices in an offset and digital environment.

At the show, Canon and Screen demonstrated the compatibility of Screen's PDF- and JDF- based technology and the imagePRESS C7000VP and imagePRESS C1 digital presses for the commercial printing arena.

“We are pleased to have Trueflow SE deliver greater flexibility, power and performance to Canon's state-of-the-art presses,” said Mike Fox, president of Screen (USA). “Printing companies are always looking for more and better ways to differentiate themselves from their competition. This agreement combines Canon's expertise in developing high-quality digital equipment and Screen's record of customer-proven workflow technologies. Together, Screen and Canon will increase business opportunities, competitiveness and profitability for customers.”

“Workflow integration, including integration with one's prepress applications and processes, is critical when growing and managing a successful digital business,” said Janet Cain, senior director, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “The addition of Screen to our Workflow Solutions Program will enable users to better leverage their investment in Screen technology and seamlessly integrate the imagePRESS digital press into their existing digital and offset production processes.”

See www.screenusa.com.
Circle 173 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

Canon to offer Printable W2P solutions

Printable Technologies (Solana Beach, CA) and Canon U.S.A (Lake Success, NY) have reached an agreement through which Canon will offer Web to print solutions from Printable.

Canon offers Canon-branded and third-party hardware/software solutions through its imagePRESS Workflow Solutions program. Canon will be marketing and selling Printable's web to print solution, in conjunction with imagePRESS digital presses, to help print and marketing service providers and corporate users automate and streamline production processes.

“Pairing Canon color digital presses with web to print solutions from Printable will make it easier for the in-plant production and commercial print service providers to deliver sophisticated, Web-enabled document handling and procurement tools that streamline workflow through automation, efficiency and standardization,” said Coleman Kane, president and CEO, Printable Technologies. “We look forward to partnering with Canon to bring this total solution to market.”

Printable also announced the availability of FusionPro Links version 2.5. A campaign-centric workflow helps marketers reach their customers with individualized communications while gathering enhanced response data to more easily understand and respond to their customers' needs. FusionPro Links creates a customized online response experience using personalized URLs and microsites for variable data publishing (VDP) marketing campaigns.

See www.printable.com.
Circle 174 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

New Konica Minolta machine targets heavy-duty production

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Ramsey, NJ), unveiled the bizhub PRO 2500P, a single-pass duplex cut-sheet printer targeting in-plant and commercial printing markets. The bizhub PRO 2500P has a monthly duty cycle up to 8,000,000 impressions; and with maximum configuration, the system will support up to 13,800 sheets, including letter, legal oversized and custom-sized media. The bizhub PRO 2500P will be capable of 250-letter, 160-legal and 132-ledger-size images per minute. It will become available in the summer of 2008.

The vendor also debuted a perfect binder finishing option (PB-501) for the bizhub PRO C6500/C6500P series. Applications for the PB-501 include everything from full-color company reports to paperback books and technical manuals.

Also announced in conjunction with the PB-501 is version 2.0 of the IC-304 Print Controller available for the bizhub PRO C6500 color production print system. Based on CREO color server technology, the controller offers complete support for the bizhub PRO C6500's new perfect binding option.

See www.kmbs.konicaminolta.us.
Circle 175 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

Easier online collaboration

Responsive Solutions' (St. Petersburg, FL) has released its Dynamic Layout2+ module. Anyone involved in dynamic content creation of yearbooks, magazines, catalogs, newsletters, brochures and document can use this browser-based publishing tool as a standalone product or within the vendor's suite of products.

Applications include projects involving multiple people or organizations in different geographic locations as well as a retail storefront where content creation is needed for many dynamic users that require ease of use and content management quality assurance controls.

Dynamic Layout2+ is based on the Flex2 cross-platform development framework. Fourth generation architecture enables near unlimited scalability of users without significant performance degradation of response times from a central server.

Users can do it all: Designing, instant proofing, ordering, and printing all take place within the same user experience. Design features include elite layering, template management, drag and drop text and images, a library of fonts and font sizes, a built-in spell checker, transparencies, drop shadows, etc.

See www.responsivesolutions.com.
Circle 176 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

Mohawk updates paper purchasing Web site

Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. (Cohoes, NY) has announced the addition of useful new features to its Web site, www.mohawkpaper.com. The site has a new look and new tools for more intuitive navigation.

Mohawk has added two search tools in the “paper” section of the site, www.mohawkpaper.com/paper. The “Paper Selection” tool allows users to browse Mohawk's complete product offering and search by paper attributes such as item number, grade, finish, shade, basis weight, sheet size, envelope size, cotton content, recycled fiber content, watermark, environmental certifications, digital papers and other physical properties. The tool is refreshed in real time and reflects Mohawk's most current product information.

The Find a Merchant tool is an evolution of the site's previous distributor search. Now users can search for wholesale distributors internationally. Searches can be performed by zip code proximity, state, online wholesale distributors, or online retail sites.

See www.mohawkpaper.com.
Circle 177 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

Avanti, Pageflex integrate software programs

Pageflex (Cambridge, MA), a division of Bitstream Inc. (www.bitstream.com), and Avanti Computer Systems (Toronto), a print MIS solutions provider for the graphic arts industry, announced at On Demand the integration of two award-winning technologies: Avanti's Graphic Arts Management System and Pageflex Storefront Web to print software. This comprehensive solution provides a complete, streamlined workflow from online document customization and ordering in Pageflex Storefront through the print production environment to for printing, finishing and shipment. The first Avanti customer to implement the integrated technology is print provider Associates Graphic Services (www.agsprint.com).

“One of the greatest challenges facing print shops today is eliminating the re-entry of data as a job makes its way through the shop. Avanti simplifies the process by giving systems the ability to talk to one another from prepress to production, speeding turnaround time and allowing our customers to ‘automate the unbillable’,” says Patrick Bolan, president and CEO of Avanti Computer Systems. “Printers that used to take days to get a job out of the shop can now commit to same-day delivery from receipt to execution.”

Jobs created in Pageflex are automatically transferred to Avanti without hands-on work; eliminating the possibility of transcription errors and reducing turnaround time. Pageflex Storefront is a turn-key software product that enables customers to define, auto-generate and manage attractive Web to print document customization sites for print and cross media campaign ordering and e-commerce. The integration of this technology gives Avanti's customers the ability to seamlessly pass data from one department or application to another, saving time, money and the hassle of rerecording information.
Circle 178 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

Website provides personalized templates

XMPie has launched Marketplace, an online resource designed to support the creation of personalized materials. It features XMPie uStore-based library of uImage templates available for purchase and download by users. The website provides templates in Photoshop and Illustrator file formats. The template files are tagged with ADOR objects for variability and are ready to use in XMPie-based print, email or web personalization projects. The site has launched with an introductory price of $99 for Illustrator templates and OpenType/TrueType font Photoshop templates. The price for image font Photoshop templates is $199. See http://marketplace.xmpie.com.
Circle 180 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

Direct Group purchases first Océ JetStream

Océ (Chicago) announced direct marketing powerhouse Direct Group has selected the Océ JetStream color inkjet printer to build on its capabilities in “trigger” personalized marketing campaigns for financial services clients and other customers. The Océ JetStream 2200 system will help Direct Group support sophisticated large-scale direct marketing campaigns for their multichannel clients.

“The Océ JetStream 2200 system will help our clients improve results and control costs by leveraging trigger-based personalized mailings, and implement more effective postal strategies to combat rate increases,” said Direct Group president and CEO Don McKenzie. “The revolutionary capabilities provided by the Océ JetStream system will allow us to deliver improved response rates for our clients, while significantly lowering total campaign costs for customer acquisition programs, including postal and logistics expenses.”

“Innovative high-speed production color inkjet products like the Océ JetStream open up new market opportunities through speed, high quality color levels, and cost of operation,” said Jim Hamilton, group director, InfoTrends Production Hardware Consulting Services. “Direct Group is using the Océ JetStream combined with Océ PRISMA software to meet the evolving needs of a customer base that is demanding highly effective personalized direct mail campaigns.”

See www.oceusa.com.
Circle 179 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

MBO debuts modular tabletop folder line

MBO America (Westampton, NJ) brings a modular solution to the tabletop folder market with the MBO Foldmaster system. Designed to address the diversity of the on-demand and smaller finishing markets, as well as growth-minded print shops who want new sales and profit opportunities, the Foldmaster line consists of automated and manual buckle folders and knife folders, feeders and creasing and perforating units. Folders are available with 2 or 4 standard (manual) or automated fold plates. The standard version can be upgraded at any time to automatic plates; both can be upgraded or expanded at purchase or in the field at a later time with a cross fold unit, a knife folding unit, a deep pile sheet feeder or a high performance creasing and micro-perforating machine.

Standard features on the economical 200 SM folder include a suction feeder, counter, batch counter, spacer unit, mechanical delivery and height adjustable stand. The automated version, 200 SA, eliminates nearly all manual movements and includes memory for stored jobs, menu-guided control, the ability to change to a new fold with the touch of a button and an electric stream delivery.

The Foldmaster Creasing and Micro-Perforating machine serves the users' needs with the same modular flexibility. DCM-45 (17. 5 inches) features heavy duty construction, with 36mm shafts to prevent flexing, and comes standard with a bottom fed suction feeder, but can be upgraded with a deep pile feeder for longer runs. DCM-75 (29. 5) also is available. Two pairs of creasing shafts let operators position several tools for exceptional versatility and performance. Foldmaster DCM lets users do multiple tasks or repeat the operation on the same pass for a sharper finish. Both the DCM-45 and DCM-75 can be combined directly inline with a plate or knife folding machine.

Also available in the Foldmaster line is a deep pile sheet feeder that can work with almost any 8-page unit and resolves the problems friction feeders have with coated stocks. The MFK-35 knife folding unit with roller guides can handle heavier stocks.

See www.mboamerica.com.
Circle 181 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap

EFI integrates Digital StoreFront with PrintSmith

EFI's (Foster City, CA), Digital StoreFront (DSF) Web to print solution now includes native integration with its popular PrintSmith MIS. Digital StoreFront lets print service providers create an intuitive e-commerce shopping interface for their customers.

At the On Demand show, DSF was featured in EFI's partners' booths, including Canon USA, FujiFilm Graphic Systems USA, Konica Minolta and Ricoh Americas Corp.

“Integration is a big part of the DSF workflow, and building this connection to PrintSmith creates flexibility for a wide range of shops, from commercial printers to institutional in-plants and CRDs,” said Chuck Gehman, director of product management, EFI. “With this new capability, customers can place orders on the web and take full advantage of DSF's capabilities, while the print service provider can manage their production via the familiar PrintSmith MIS system interface.”
Circle 182 or visit freeproductinfo.net/ap