Rob van den Braak
With the acknowledgement of the importance of sustainability as part of every business model the need for standardized reporting increases. ISO 22067 seems to fill that gap and would compare different print production models. Laurel´s Verdigris blog examines how this will work.
Read her blogpost via this link to our articles page.
Lees verder....
Up to now ripping computer to plate needed a dedicated PC. With the introduction of Raster Blaster Pro and the innovative B3 Network Interface this is no longer the case. Any network connected device, including smartphones and tables, can manage the ripping proces. It works for older CTP equipment as well thanks to the Xitron Blue Box. Read more about this spectacular development in the press release below.
PRESSRELEASE
Xitron Begins Shipping Raster Blaster Pro
—
Pairs Release with Innovative Xitron Network Interface – Eliminates PC
Xitron, the leading independent developer of RIP and workflow products for commercial, digital, and high-speed inkjet printing has begun shipping the next generation of TIFF Catcher software – Raster Blaster Pro. Browser-based and accessible from any platform, Raster Blaster Pro was designed for CTP owners looking for more than “catch & release” functionality in plate production.
“After extensively researching our Raster Blaster user base of over 5,000 customers, we were able to determine a feature set that will have impact on over 70 percent of them,” said Jeffrey Piestrak, Xitron Product Manager. “In the process, I believe we’ve developed the first intelligent TIFF Catcher.”
Because it is browser-based, Raster Blaster Pro is accessible by any authorized user in the printing plant. “It doesn’t matter if they are on a Mac, a PC, a smartphone, a tablet, you name it,” Piestrak continued. “We’ve replaced the single access point that could facilitate production bottlenecks and made it simple to search, re-order, preview, release and re-plate jobs using a super intuitive GUI.”
Coupled with the release of Raster Blaster Pro, Xitron has also introduced B3, the Xitron Network Interface. Xitron revolutionized CTP interface technology in 2007 with the development of the USB “Blue Box,” which eliminated the need for PCI slots in computer platforms. With B3, Xitron has taken the next logical step and eliminated the need for a separate computer entirely.
“What we’ve done is embedded the Raster Blaster Pro software directly into the interface hardware,” explained Piestrak. “The (slightly) bigger blue box now sits on the network near the CTP engine and users operate it through their own desktops or mobile devices. If they prefer, they can even attach a touch-screen to the interface and still enjoy full functionality.”
Raster Blaster Pro and B3 are fully compatible with every CTP engine previously supported by Xitron’s catalog of USB interfaces, which includes output devices from Fujifilm, Screen, Agfa, Creo, Kodak, Heidelberg, and others. This means that current Raster Blaster users can take advantage of the increased functionality of Raster Blaster Pro through a simple upgrade process. Customers who still rely on PCI interfaces can migrate to a new package that includes B3 and Raster Blaster Pro.
“Even used CTP equipment is expensive,” said Piestrak. “As long as we continue to develop platforms that extend their lives and make them open to use by any prepress workflow, we can continue to save money for our customers and improve their profit outlook.”
For more information about Raster Blaster Pro, the Xitron Network Interface, and upgrade programs that foster prepress independence, go to www.xitron.com. Specification sheets, brochures, and product videos are available for download.
Tot nu toe was er voor het rippen van computer-to-plate opdrachten altijd een dedicated PC nog. Met de introductie van de Raster Blaster Pro en de innovatieve B3 Network Interface is dat niet meer nodig. Nu kan elk op het netwerk aangesloten device, inclusief smartphones en tablets, opdrachten sturen naar een plaatbelichter. Dat mag ook een wat oudere belichter zijn met SCSI interface, want dankzij de Xitron Blue Box krijgen ook deze oudere plaatbelichters een nieuw leven. Lees meer over deze spectaculaire ontwikkeling in het onderstaande persbericht.
PERSBERICHT
Xitron Begins Shipping Raster Blaster Pro
—
Pairs Release with Innovative Xitron Network Interface – Eliminates PC
Xitron, the leading independent developer of RIP and workflow products for commercial, digital, and high-speed inkjet printing has begun shipping the next generation of TIFF Catcher software – Raster Blaster Pro. Browser-based and accessible from any platform, Raster Blaster Pro was designed for CTP owners looking for more than “catch & release” functionality in plate production.
“After extensively researching our Raster Blaster user base of over 5,000 customers, we were able to determine a feature set that will have impact on over 70 percent of them,” said Jeffrey Piestrak, Xitron Product Manager. “In the process, I believe we’ve developed the first intelligent TIFF Catcher.”
Because it is browser-based, Raster Blaster Pro is accessible by any authorized user in the printing plant. “It doesn’t matter if they are on a Mac, a PC, a smartphone, a tablet, you name it,” Piestrak continued. “We’ve replaced the single access point that could facilitate production bottlenecks and made it simple to search, re-order, preview, release and re-plate jobs using a super intuitive GUI.”
Coupled with the release of Raster Blaster Pro, Xitron has also introduced B3, the Xitron Network Interface. Xitron revolutionized CTP interface technology in 2007 with the development of the USB “Blue Box,” which eliminated the need for PCI slots in computer platforms. With B3, Xitron has taken the next logical step and eliminated the need for a separate computer entirely.
“What we’ve done is embedded the Raster Blaster Pro software directly into the interface hardware,” explained Piestrak. “The (slightly) bigger blue box now sits on the network near the CTP engine and users operate it through their own desktops or mobile devices. If they prefer, they can even attach a touch-screen to the interface and still enjoy full functionality.”
Raster Blaster Pro and B3 are fully compatible with every CTP engine previously supported by Xitron’s catalog of USB interfaces, which includes output devices from Fujifilm, Screen, Agfa, Creo, Kodak, Heidelberg, and others. This means that current Raster Blaster users can take advantage of the increased functionality of Raster Blaster Pro through a simple upgrade process. Customers who still rely on PCI interfaces can migrate to a new package that includes B3 and Raster Blaster Pro.
“Even used CTP equipment is expensive,” said Piestrak. “As long as we continue to develop platforms that extend their lives and make them open to use by any prepress workflow, we can continue to save money for our customers and improve their profit outlook.”
For more information about Raster Blaster Pro, the Xitron Network Interface, and upgrade programs that foster prepress independence, go to www.xitron.com. Specification sheets, brochures, and product videos are available for download.
European internet printers Onlineprinters has acquired Danish online printer Lasertryk to strengthen its position in Europe. Lasertryk is generally seen as the largest online printer in Scandinaiva. Earlier this year Onlineprinters acquired British internet printer Solopress.
Onlineprinters, based in Germany, services 800,000 customers in 30 countries and has 1,300 employees with a turnover of 200 million Euro/year. Recently they appointed German Christian Würst as their Chief Commercial Officer. Würst has a lot of experience in e-commerce. He will work on extending Onlineprinter´s marketing.
Drukkerij van Esch in Waardenburg heeft onlangs een nieuwe Cron plaatbelichter aangeschaft. ‘Die investering hebben we gedaan om concurrerend te kunnen blijven’, zegt eigenaar Arie van Esch. ‘Wij drukken hier vrijwel uitsluitend PMS-kleuren voor collega’s. De opdrachten komen veelal via onze website www.steunkleuren.nl binnen. Ook in dat segment staan – net als overal in de grafische branche – de prijzen onder druk. Daarom zijn we ons gaan oriënteren op het nog efficiënter inrichten van onze bedrijfsprocessen. Deze nieuwe investering past perfect in dat plaatje. Het is de Cron plaatbelichter geworden, vanwege de prijs/prestatieverhouding, het bedieningsgemak en de compacte uitvoering. Binnen een klein team moet iedereen alles kunnen, van drukken en afwerken tot en met het belichten van platen. Dat gaat perfect op de nieuwe Cron. Wij werken hier met offsetplaten van het merk Blackwood. Die platen zijn 30 tot 40% goedkoper dan de offsetplaten van bekende merken. De Blackwood-platen overtreffen onze verwachtingen en beantwoorden ruimschoots aan de kwaliteit die onze klanten, grotendeels drukkers, vragen. Dat zegt genoeg. Het model dat hier is geïnstalleerd is nieuw en zeer compact. Het is zelfs de eerste plaatsing van het nieuwe type in Europa. We hebben hier in Waardenburg dus een Europese Cron primeur.’
Over Micron Media
Micron Media is in 2014 opgericht, vanuit de visie dat er het veranderende grafische landschap en de toenemende prijsdruk ook kansen biedt. Mede-oprichter Frank van Deursen: ‘Leveranciers moeten daarin vooroplopen met goede service, flexibiliteit, korte lijnen, en vooral het leveren van kwaliteitsproducten en oplossingen tegen scherpe prijzen.’ Micron Media heeft in Nederland de exclusieve verkooprechten van Cron CTP-oplossingen en Blackwood offsetplaten. Daarnaast is Micron Media hoofddealer van Mitsubishi offsetplaten en totaalleverancier van grafische gebruiksmaterialen, zoals: rubberdoeken, drukinkten, wasdoekrollen en perschemicaliën.
Meer info via deze link.
Lees verder....
Artificial Intelligence is being used by EnhancedNet to make TV images sharper. This technology can also be used to sharpen images which are being scaled, by looking at the relation between the pixels. Using AI software the images is greatly enhanced.
See the example below or read the article on fastcodesign via this link.
Op zijn insights4print.ceo website, heeft Eddy Hagen een interessant artikel geplaatst over ons kleurgeheugen. Met behulp van een simpele test kun je vaststellen, dat bij de meeste mensen dat niet zo heel goed werkt.Lees verder....
De Ghent Workgroup heeft een ambitieus webinar programma bekendgemaakt. De eerste is al morgen, dinsdag 14 november. Lees de andere data in onderstaand persbericht.
PERSBERICHT
Leading Industry Experts on hand to Educate and Involve the Printing, Publishing and Packaging Industries in PDF
and Workflow Automation.
The Ghent Workgroup (GWG) has announced its 2017/2018 Webinar Program designed to give a deeper understanding of PDF2.0 Standards and PDF/X-Plus. This is an exceptional opportunity to hear first hand from the ‘best in class’ industry experts in their field. Topics during this first series will include ‘9 reasons to
Preflight’ ‘Ghent Output Suite v5/Testing PDF Workflows’ and ‘PDF in Packaging’.
The first webinar will take place on Tuesday 14th November at 4pm CET/10am ET and will be hosted by David Zwang, Chairman, Ghent Workgroup. “We have
launched this series of webinars to share our knowledge and engage with the print, publishing, and packaging industries”, says Zwang. “Since 2002, the Ghent Workgroup (GWG) has been creating best practice specification and foundations for new standards in an effort to make the global design and publishing processes more reliable and efficient. This introductory webinar will look at who we are, what we do and how we do it. We will look at a selection of best practices and how you can introduce them into your business processes today!
Points for discussion
1. What makes a good PDF file and ensures that it meets your expectations.
2. How can you test your workflow to ensure it can properly process files, reduce errors and meets customer expectations.
3. What you can do to get involved in the GWG.
Webinar Schedule
| Topic | Date and Time | Time |
| GWG – general introduction | 14th November | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| 9 Reasons to Preflight | 16th November | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| PDF2.0 standards – What’s New | 21st November | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| PDF Survey Results | 23rd November | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| PDF and PDF/X-plus | 14th December | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| Ghent Output Suite v5 /testing PDF Workflows | 11th January 2018 | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| Processing Steps | 16th January | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| PDF in Packaging | 1st February | 4pm CET/10am ET |
For a complete overview go to http://www.gwg.org/gwg-webinars
A test-file is also available http://www.gwg.org/9-reasons-preflight
To confirm your attendance and register:
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6324157073543330562
Lees verder....
The Ghent Workgroup (GWG) has announced its 2017/2018 Webinar Program designed to give a deeper understanding of PDF2.0 Standards and PDF/X-Plus. This is an exceptional opportunity to hear first hand from the ‘best in class’ industry experts in their field. Topics during this first series will include ‘9 reasons to Preflight’ ‘Ghent Output Suite v5/Testing PDF Workflows’ and ‘PDF in Packaging’.
The first webinar will take place on Tuesday 14th November at 4pm CET/10am ET and will be hosted by David Zwang, Chairman, Ghent Workgroup. “We have launched this series of webinars to share our knowledge and engage with the print, publishing, and packaging industries”, says Zwang. “Since 2002, the Ghent Workgroup (GWG) has been creating best practice specification and foundations for new standards in an effort to make the global design and publishing processes more reliable and efficient. This introductory webinar will look at who we are, what we do and how we do it. We will look at a selection of best practices and how you can introduce them into your business processes today!
Points for discussion
1. What makes a good PDF file and ensures that it meets your expectations.
2. How can you test your workflow to ensure it can properly process files, reduce errors and meets customer expectations.
3. What you can do to get involved in the GWG.
Webinar Schedule
| Topic | Date and Time | Time |
| GWG – general introduction | 14th November | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| 9 Reasons to Preflight | 16th November | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| PDF2.0 standards – What’s New | 21st November | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| PDF Survey Results | 23rd November | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| PDF and PDF/X-plus | 14th December | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| Ghent Output Suite v5 /testing PDF Workflows | 11th January 2018 | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| Processing Steps | 16th January | 4pm CET/10am ET |
| PDF in Packaging | 1st February | 4pm CET/10am ET |
For a complete overview go to http://www.gwg.org/gwg-webinars
A test-file is also available http://www.gwg.org/9-reasons-preflight
To confirm your attendance and register:
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6324157073543330562
Lees verder....
Georgia Tech has developed a water-based electrochromic ink which can replace the expensive and environmentally damaging inks used now. These can be used for printed wiring, transistors, solar cells, LEDs and biosensors.
These new inks are not only cheaper and easier to process, but smartprint is a step closer. In the future a book, brochure, magazine or other printed articles become a complete ecosystem which feels, smells, communicates and shares information with the reader. Read more about this development via this link to inkworldmagazine.
Mimaki will exhibit during InPrint 2017, the fair for industrial print technology. The tradefair takes places between 14 and 17 November in hall A6 of the Munich Trade Fair Center in Germany. Mimaki´s stand is number 214.
Visitors will find a wide range of industrial class print and cutting solutions. The company will also bring 3D samples which will give an idea of the potential of the company´s full-color 3D printer for rapid prototyping, moulds, models and more. The applications shown are a variety of security labels and number plates, as well as membrane switches, packaging and promotional products.
Lees verder....
Kandidaten gezocht
De trainingen voor 2022 staan gereed. Kijk voor het volledige online aanbod van bestaande- en nieuwe trainingen op de website.
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