EFI ABCs of Workflow_6.indd

ABC’s of Workflow
A GUIDE TO STREAMLINED PRODUCTION
ABC’s of Workflow
A Guide to Streamlined Production
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Contents
Introduction
Introduction
Enabling Factors
What is Workflow
Workflow: What It Is—and What It Is Not
It’s More Than a Box … It’s a Toolbox
Receiving and Preparing Files
Composition
It’s All About the Customer
Artwork, Images and Fonts
Preflighting
PDF or PostScript?
Processing Jobs
Proofing
Remote Proofing
Soft Proofing
Color Management
Trapping
Imposition and Preparing for Print
RIP
Output Management
Variable Data Printing
Archiving
Post-Press
Focus on Finishing First
The Business of Workflow
Estimating
Quoting
Planning
Scheduling
Getting Paid
Supply Chain Management
The Role of JDF and CIM
The Role of JDF and CIM
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Making the Right Choices
What About Existing Equipment and Software?
Build or Buy?
The Hidden Costs of Workflow
Staff Training
Customer Education
Infrastructure Investments
Planning a Smooth Implementation
Selling and Marketing Your New Capabilities
EFI Workflow Solutions
Interoperability—a Critical Consideration
EFI PrinterSite, EFI PrinterSite Exchange, EFI PrintSmith Site
EFI Digital StoreFront
Third Party Web, Prepress and VDP Applications
EFI Print MIS Solutions: Hagen, Logic, PSI and PrintSmith
EFI JDF Connector
EFI OneFlow
EFI ColorProof with Best Technology
EFI PrintFlow and AutoCount
EFI Balance and EFI MicroPress
EFI Fiery
EFI Fiery Graphic Arts Package
Glossary
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Introduction
Introduction
Shorter runs. Reduced turnaround times. Increased pricing pressure. Viable
alternatives to print. These are just a few of the trends that are affecting the
printing industry. And none of them are going away anytime soon. While suppliers to the industry are continuing to deliver more hardware features and
functionality at a better price performance as technology continues to evolve,
suppliers and service providers alike have come to the conclusion that “better, faster, cheaper” hardware, while important, is not the ultimate solution to
addressing the impact of these trends.
Instead, increased focus is being placed on improving the flow of work through
the printing operation, from the initial customer inquiry through shipping of final
product. Producing more work with
the same resources—that is, improv- That is what workflow is all
ing efficiency throughout the entire
about—automating and integrating
operation—is the key to running a
more profitable operation. And a the process of manufacturing
guaranteed method for achieving that
printed products to ensure a
result is the deployment of a rational,
logical path for work coming into the rational, logical flow of work from
operation, using as much integration
customer engagement through
and automation as possible.
delivery of the printed piece.
Of course, manufacturing a printed
product has not historically lent itself
to deploying process automation in the same way that manufacturers of
appliances, apparel and automobiles have been doing for years. But the good
news for the graphic arts industry is that process automation is finally feasible,
despite the fact that we are still essentially in the business of manufacturing
custom products.
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Introduction
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And that is what workflow is all about—automating and integrating the process of manufacturing printed products to ensure a rational, logical flow of
work from customer engagement through delivery of the printed piece. It’s
about doing more with less and delivering more customer value. It’s about
differentiating yourself in a marketplace where high quality and competitive
price levels are a given. It’s about relieving your staff of the burden of performing non-productive repetitive tasks and unleashing their creativity to develop
value-added services that will generate new revenue streams. It’s about better
positioning yourself for continued growth in the future regardless of the accelerating changes that are coming your way in an industry that is more dynamic
than ever before.
The good news for the graphic arts industry is
that process automation is finally feasible,
Enabling Factors
What are the major developments that have made possible a more streamlined print
manufacturing process in an industry where it sometimes feels as though nothing
has changed since Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type—or at least since
offset printing began to gain ground in the early part of the last century?
There are two critical enablers that have contributed to the accelerated pace of
change and brought more efficient manufacturing processes within our reach:
• A print production process that is increasingly driven by digital—the submission of digital files, digital proofing, digital print devices, the flow of
information to computer systems that manage both production and the
back office; and
• The development of—and compliance with—a robust set of industry standards that ensures that the disparate parts of the production and management process can communicate amongst themselves in a meaningful way.
Suppliers to the graphic arts industry have
This is a powerful conembraced the work of CIP4 (The International
Cooperation for the Integration of Processes
fluence of factors that
in Prepress, Press and Postpress, an industry
has changed the printing
standards body founded in 1995 as a joint initiative of vendors for the graphic arts industry).
industry forever.
And you can barely open a trade publication or
read a press release without reading about JDF (Job Definition Format) whose
most prominent features, according to CIP4, are “its ability to carry a print job
from genesis through completion, its ability to bridge the communication gap
between production and Management Information Services, and its ability
to do so under nearly any precondition.” This is a powerful confluence of factors that has changed the printing industry forever. It is enabling us to deploy
more flexible manufacturing configurations and to gain more control over the
production process in a constantly changing environment. And workflow is at
the heart of it.
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Introduction
Introduction
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What is Workflow
Workflow: What It Is—and What It Is Not
Workflow is not …
Workflow is …
… a brand or a boxed solution … although a number
of suppliers do offer workflow product suites with
excellent functionality and productivity. While one of
these workflow suites might very well meet all your
needs, it is important to understand how they stack
up relative to flexibility, scalability and compliance
with standards so that you can ensure that workflow
solutions you invest in today will meet your needs
tomorrow as well.
An effective workflow will comprehend all aspects of
production and business management, incorporating as much automation as possible across products
and solutions from multiple vendors. Above all, an
effective workflow will eliminate unnecessary rekeying—or better yet, the need for any keying at all,
reducing errors and speeding the job through the
production process.
The execution of and the
interaction between
• Receiving and
preparing files
• Proofing
• Imposition and Preparing
for Print
• RIP and Print
• Post-Press (Finishing)
• Archiving
• The Business of Print
• Supply Chain
Management
The key is not to key! Capture data at
the source, or only key in once
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Introduction
What is Workflow
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It’s More Than a Box … It’s a Toolbox
Receiving and Preparing Files
Whether you buy a pre-packaged workflow or build your own, there is obviously more to implementation than cracking the shrink wrap on a box and
running Set-Up from a CD. Workflow lies at the heart of your business—it is, in
fact, your business. And changing the way your company manufactures print
will affect every corner of your organization—people, processes, and technology. This is not a trivial task and should not be taken lightly. And regardless of
the approach you choose, you will find a need to customize the workflow to
the needs of your particular business and your customers. The important thing
is to establish a standardized workflow with operating procedures that can be
applied no matter what type of job you receive.
The majority of work today is being received—or could be received—in electronic form. Files can be delivered on electronic media, uploaded to an FTP
site, attached to an e-mail or provided via a Web job submission tool. Receiving
files electronically versus in hardcopy or film format eliminates steps—and
time—from the production process, for both you and the customer. Even if
customers are starting with paper documents, it can often be easier for them
to scan their files and transmit them electronically than to deliver hardcopy
originals. Scanners are inexpensive, and accessible in most offices. And most
networked copier/printers these days have a scan-to-file feature that makes
conversion of paper to digital easy. Many scanning solutions, whether using a
standalone scanner or a networked copier/printer, have the ability to produce
PDF files—a de facto file transmission standard that can be viewed on almost
any computing platform and edited with readily available software. Developed
by Adobe but placed in the public domain to encourage third party development, PDF delivers smaller file sizes than native scan formats because it has
file compression built in to it.
EFI’s OneFlow provides the
operator with a graphical interface that unifies all the tools
you need for Digital and Analog
prepress work into one easyto-use “control center.”
Let’s take a look at the individual process steps and the implications of automating workflow. You are no doubt already performing all of these activities;
the goal of implementing an integrated, automated workflow is to allow you to
perform them better—faster and with less human intervention and opportunity
for error, ultimately saving you time and money, positioning you to provide
exceptional customer service. Let’s face it, one of the most significant differentiators for any business in any industry is customer service. If you don’t provide
an exceptional customer experience (and the bar is being raised every day),
your customers will seek other alternatives. Don’t lose sight of the customer
as you reinvent your production workflow.
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What is Workflow
What is Workflow
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Composition
Print shops have varying levels of involvement in document composition. Some
shops simply receive “print ready” files or “camera ready” paper-based materials, faithfully reproducing them according to customer direction. Others may
offer graphic design or other types of creative services. Besides Adobe Acrobat
to handle PDF files, there are a few other native—or document creation—applications that are commonly used to create files for print. These include:
• Adobe InDesign. Relatively new
to the market but experiencing a
high rate of adoption, this desktop
publishing package integrates
with other popular Adobe products, including Acrobat (which
generates PDF), Illustrator and
PhotoShop, which are staples in
the graphic arts industry. Adobe
products all utilize a similar
user interface, including menus,
keystrokes and tools, making it
easy for users familiar with one
package to quickly learn another.
InDesign also supports publishing
to other media than print, including Web, e-books and more.
Page layout applications like Adobe’s InDesign have
long been a staple for professional users creating
documents for print production. Your workflow
environment must be flexible enough to work
with your customer’s input files no matter what
application they use to create them.
• Microsoft Office. Consisting of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook,
Microsoft Office is the most widely used application suite in the corporate
world. As powerful and convenient as these applications are for the office
user, they are not designed to create complex, high-production-value documents for commercial printing. Nonetheless, printers have little choice but
to accept files generated by Microsoft Office applications and to learn how
to process them efficiently.
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What is Workflow
• Microsoft Publisher. This is a Windows-only application (does not operate
on the Apple Macintosh) and is commonly bundled with PCs. It is a low-end
document layout application that is not known for its “print friendliness,”
but like Office, is in increasingly common use in the corporate and home
markets, and thus processes for handling Publisher files should be in place.
• QuarkXPress. QuarkXPress has long been the leading electronic publishing
software, although Adobe InDesign has been gaining in popularity. Quark
has encouraged the third-party development community to develop what
the company calls XTensions, software plug-ins that can add increased functionality to the base product. With QuarkXPress and a set of XTensions, the
graphic arts service provider has the tools required to create, design and
deliver high-quality documents for both print and electronic media.
It is important for the graphic arts service provider to have these applications—
as well as any other applications common to the service provider’s customer
base—on hand in order to deal with not only last minute changes to native files
in lieu of sending them back to the originator, but also to properly process the
files for printing. For example, a customer might want to produce a catalog in
Macromedia Freehand. While this could be the printer’s worst nightmare, it is
even more of a nightmare if the printer does not have access to Macromedia
Freehand! Thus, these applications become a key element of the workflow toolbox. One potential way to avoid the necessity of maintaining copies of a large
number of document creation packages is to advocate that your customers
submit their jobs in PDF format. For those that are willing to do so, you may
need to help them do this, either through training or provision of tools—an
investment that will be well worth your time.
As a further note, along with Web submission of print projects comes an
opportunity to add more services, including the establishment of a Web document repository to make it easier for customers to manage their files and to
submit work for reprinting. The graphic arts service provider who has this
capability may also wish to offer customers the ability to work with a database
of pre-designed templates that protect their brand integrity but allow dealers,
franchisees, agents and sales staff to localize brochures within a defined set of
guidelines. This can significant increase the volume of work the print service
provider receives, as well as deliver market differentiation. Templates can be
created using the native application packages we have discussed here.
What is Workflow
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It’s All About
the Customer
Artwork, Images and Fonts
Managing images and fonts is critical to a smooth production process. Missing
images or fonts can cause a job to print or image incorrectly, or even cause the
printing or imaging process to fail, resulting in delays and added costs.
Tools such as Extensis Suitcase and Font Reserve, both popular font managers,
allow the management of fonts in both Windows and Macintosh environments,
are used in most prepress environments and are widely used by designers as
well. These products make it easy to manage, organize, preview and work with
fonts. These tools are especially important when using Mac OS X. For the print
service provider who accepts print-ready PDF files, it is important to ensure that
the PDF is created with fonts embedded in order to guarantee accurate printing.
Artwork and images are primarily provided in digital format in today’s world.
These could be digital photos or other imagery in raster or bitmap format, or illustrations (drawings) created in applications such as Adobe Illustrator, in vector format. Vector files tend to be much smaller in size than bitmap or raster images.
Bitmap images can be stored in either CMYK or RGB format. Historically,
images were primarily delivered in CMYK format, but with the increased prevalence of digital cameras, which produce images in RGB format, RGB workflows
are an increasing requirement for management and processing of images.
Materials provided on hardcopy or film can be scanned to a bitmap format.
Leaving RGB images in RGB format offers the most workflow flexibility. Images
can be fine-tuned in RGB, and then converted to CMYK at the last minute for
printing (if conversion is necessary at all—if your intended output device is a
digital printer, you might be able to skip this step entirely).
As the number of images, artwork files and even fonts that the graphic arts
service provider must manage continues to grow exponentially, simply storing
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What is Workflow
It's All About the Customer
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these files within a hierarchical (or folder) file structure rapidly becomes inadequate. To overcome this inefficiency, many graphic arts service providers have
implemented some type of content management database solution. Full details
about content management are beyond the scope of this booklet, but a simple
Internet search will generate significant information on the subject.
Preflighting
It is no surprise that graphic arts service providers commonly receive “problem”
files—files that are missing images, artwork or fonts or have other errors that
affect their ability to print correctly. Processes should be in place to address the
most common file errors, and in promising delivery dates, extra time should
be allowed where possible
to deal with unexpected file There are a number of tools available
problems. There are a numto automatically process incoming files,
ber of tools available to automatically process incoming identifying errors—and often fixes for
files, identifying errors—and
those errors as well.
often fixes for those errors
as well. This process is called
preflighting. Some preflighting software even has “self healing” properties that
can automatically fix problems during preflight. Common preflight applications include Enfocus PitStop (a PDF preflight tool), Extensis Preflight Pro and
Markzware FlightCheck.
Before PDF workflow, jobs would be sent to a proprietary workflow system as
PostScript and converted to an internal format. An example of such a legacy
proprietary format would be the CT/LW format employed by Creo’s Brisque
workflow. Workflow processes would then be applied and problems fixed within the proprietary format. Once the file was converted to the internal format,
job files were no longer susceptible to the problems associated with the native
applications that created them. However, because the format that these workflow systems employ is proprietary, only the tools within the workflow system
can be used to perform operations on the job—i.e., preflighting, trapping,
imposition, etc., all needed to be performed using proprietary technology.
PDF workflow, on the other hand, offers all of the advantages of working with
the job in one convenient format, but adds the benefit of the ability to use
a large variety of tools from multiple vendors because the PDF format has
become an industry standard. There are a wide variety of PDF tools and plugins readily available in the market that can meet just about every need.
Internet
Laser
Plotter
RIP
File Server
Imagesetter
PDF or PostScript?
PDF has become an industry standard in corporate environments for document
distribution and now for pre-production workflow applications. Regardless of
whether customers are supplying PDF files as input to the print production
process, PDF can be employed as a labor- and time-saving tool in the workflow.
And there are many advantages that can be gained by converting files to PDF
as they enter the production workflow.
Whereas a PostScript workflow makes you reprocess the entire file (or job) to
fix something on a page, with a PDF workflow you can select, view, and modify
a particular page or the entire job. The ability to process jobs in this way has
been important in high end production workflow for some time, and now it is
just as important for smaller shops that also need the ability to work on jobs in
the most efficient manner possible.
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It's All About the Customer
Workstation
RIP
Workstation
Workflow Server
Workstation
Modern PDF workflows provide numerous advantages over legacy Postscript RIP workflows. Jobs enter the workflow either as PDF, or from a variety of native files—customers
don’t have to supply PDF files, but they can. Other advantages include the ability to work
on customer jobs using your choice of off-the-shelf tools, and the ability to change pages
for revisions and corrections at any point before output.
It's All About the Customer
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Processing Jobs
Proofing
The importance of proofing in the print production cycle cannot be underestimated. Basically, with a proof you are presenting the customer with a prototype of the final product you are going to manufacture. And the customer will
expect the final product to look like the proof in one way or another. Proofing
is how you communicate what you are going to produce and set customer
expectations. Most graphic arts workflows encompass three different types of
proofing processes:
• Content, or Preliminary
• Position, or Page Imposition
• Contract—the final proof against which the job is produced
A Summary of proofing technologies and their appropriateness for customer applications.
Proof Type
Color Laser
B&W Laser
Inkjet
Content
X
X
Position
X
X
Contract
X
PDF
Monitor
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Halftone
X
Depending upon the complexity of the job and the individual customer requirements, some or all of these proofing stages may need to be included. Your
workflow system needs to provide the ability to generate any and all of the
different types of proofs your customer relationships will require. It should also
be noted that as color calibration tools continue to improve, you can expect to
see a migration to PDF or monitor proofs for certain types of contract proofs,
particularly in short-run, quick-turn applications where moving hardcopy
proofs around adversely affects an already tight cycle time.
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It's All About the Customer
Processing Jobs
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Remote Proofing
With the proliferation of high-quality, relatively inexpensive inkjet proofing
devices, much of the proofing that was historically done at the print production plant can now by done at the customer site. This is called remote proofing
and it requires careful color management on the part of the printer and the
customer to ensure color integrity between the two sites.
Inkjet Proofer
Corporate Customer
New York
Internet
Corporate Customer
San Francisco
Proofing Server
Inkjet/Laser
Inkjet/Laser
Prepress
Workstation
Prepress
Workstation
Remote and Soft proofing can help save time
and money by significantly reducing the time
between proofs and approvals, and by reducing
courier charges.
Soft Proofing
Soft proofing, or proofing on a computer screen, is gaining in popularity and there
are a number of products available that make it easy to incorporate soft proofing
into the production workflow. By its very nature, soft proofing is less expensive and
time consuming than other proofing methods. Soft proofing can easily be used for
the content and position steps of the process, and with appropriate color calibration
of computer monitors, may also be acceptable for contract proofing as well.
print devices and presses. Color management profiles, sometimes called lookup tables or LUTs, are digital representations of each device’s ability to process
the color information it receives from other devices in the workflow. Color
values are mapped from one device to another to maintain color integrity from
input to output.
While color management still requires a fair amount of expertise to ensure the
best color integrity throughout the entire process, color management solutions are
becoming smarter and more capable and can even allow customer involvement in
color-managed operations. Nonetheless, it is important to ensure that you have a
solid process in places to deliver color quality, consistency and repeatability.
Standards play a role in color management as well, with the International Color
Consortium (ICC) playing a leading role. The ICC has established standards for
creating ICC profiles, which are digital files with embedded information that
adjusts or corrects color and grayscale information based on the characteristics
or deficiencies of a device in a digital workflow, such as a scanner, digital camera, monitor, digital printer, or printing press. ICC profiles can be interpreted by
any operating system or application that is compliant with the specification and
can also be embedded in images and documents to facilitate the movement of
color information among devices and networks.
Trapping
One final and important step in preparing a file for print is trapping—the process of controlling how two colors that meet in a printed piece will interact with
one another. Trapping prevents inappropriate overlapping of colors, as well as
white spaces appearing between adjacent color elements. In a digital workflow,
trapping is an automated part of the process, although some manual inspection may still be required.
Color Management
A brief word about the complex topic of color management, an essential element of digital workflow, is appropriate here. The purpose of color management is to ensure that color values remain the same throughout the entire
process, including scanners, monitors, proofing devices, plate setters, digital
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Processing Jobs
Without Trap
With Overprint
With .5 point trap
(magnified)
Trapping determines how two colors interact when they meet on the page. Trapping software built
into a workflow system can automatically set the parameters of traps where the colors meet.
Processing Jobs
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Imposition and Preparing for Print
RIP
Now that you have an error-free color-managed file in hand, the next step is
to actually produce the output, either by generating plates for an offset press
or preparing the file for printing on a digital output device, or in the case of a
hybrid workflow, quite possibly to both. Flexibility in this stage of the production
process is critical. With the reduced cycle times inherent in a fast-paced environment, it is increasingly common for a buyer to request a shorter (digital) run of,
for example, a brochure required for a trade show with a tight turnaround time,
The final phase prior to actually producing images on plates or digital presses
is the RIP—or Raster Image Processor. This step transforms the preflighted,
trapped, imposed, and color managed file into a format that is understandable
by the output device, whether it is a plate maker or digital press.
Imposition is the process
of arranging a document or
job’s pages for the particular
configuration of a press, so
they can be finished without
requiring much manual intervention. Imposition software is
necessary to take advantage
of output devices that print
more than a single page on a
sheet, and can automate the
sheet layout and/or let the
operator manually control how
the document is imaged.
while at the same a longer production run (offset) is produced for later distribution. Or in the case of a variable data project, static data may be printed using
offset (often termed “offset shells”) with variable data overprinted on a black &
white or color digital output device. An effective digital workflow must be structured to accommodate this increasingly common hybrid approach.
Depending upon the job content, finishing requirements and target output device,
an imposition step will most likely be required. Imposition is the arrangement of
pages on a press sheet so that they will be in correct order after the printed sheets
are gathered, cut and bound. Imposition is also used to make the most effective
use of a press sheet; for example, an A4 two-sided brochure may be printed twoup (two images on a sheet), four-up (four images on a sheet), or even eight-up
(eight images on a sheet) depending upon the size of sheet the digital or offset
press can accommodate and the unit count being produced.
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Processing Jobs
Most RIPs are PostScript based and either license technology from Adobe or utilize
“clone” software developed based on published Adobe PostScript standards.
Many RIPs support distributed processing for workload balancing and improved
productivity. Some vendors have created software that separates the RIP,
screening and output device-driver processes so that screening the file and driving the output device don’t cause a bottleneck in a particular server. The RIPping
process is generally output-device specific, which could result in the file being
RIPped twice in some workflows. However, post-RIPped files can be stored for
later reprinting by most print servers.
Output Management
Once the file is RIPped, it is important to
have maximum control over how it is
output, regardless of whether it is being
output to a digital print engine, CTP
device, proofing device or a monitor
for soft proofing. Some output management solutions are capable of
separating color from black & white
pages to ensure utilization of the
most cost effective printing technology
on a page-by-page basis, including insertion of
appropriate commands to ensure proper reassembly of
the job later in the workflow.
Variable Data Printing
As customer databases and the price/performance of color digital print engines
improve, one-to-one communications using variable data printing is gaining
ground. Please refer to EFI’s ABC’s of VDP: A Variable Data Printing Basics Guide,
for more information on this topic.
Processing Jobs
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Archiving
Once the job is complete, the chances are that you may either produce the same
job again or the customer may ask you to deliver digital media containing the job
as it was printed. Your workflow must include an easy way to save a job and put it
on the shelf for later use. In the “old days,”
Your workflow must include an printers stored film on a shelf, and when a
job reprint was required, the film was used
easy way to save a job and put it to create new plates. Today’s equivalent of
on the shelf for later use. film is a print-ready document stored on
digital media, either a CD, DVD or tape, or
within the context of a content management (CM) or hierarchical storage management (HSM) solution. The latter two—CM and HSM—are database solutions that
enable more effective tracking, storage and retrieval of digital files, or digital assets,
than simply storing CDs, DVDs or tapes on a shelf.
In a perfect world, a print job arrives at the shop and is put through its paces
with no delays, delivered to the customer on time—or even early—and customer payment is received promptly. We don’t, of course, live in a perfect
world, and workloads experience peaks and valleys. Management of the business aspects of printing—estimating, quoting, planning, scheduling, invoicing,
and management of the supply chain, including inventory management and
material purchasing—are critical elements that must be taken into consideration when implementing an end-to-end digital workflow.
Post-Press
Estimating
Printers like to say that “a job is not finished until it A job is not finished
is finished.” Finishing includes cutting, collating, folding, stapling or stitching, and binding in a variety of until it is finished.
ways: saddle stitched booklets, perfect bound books,
wire or plastic comb binding, even tape binding. Finishing can be either in-line
(connected directly to the print output device or press); near-line (with finishing
completed at or near the location of printing) or off-line, meaning that binding
or finishing is completed as a separate process, usually in a different location
within the printing operation—or even as an outsourced activity.
Estimating plays several roles in the print pro- A balance must
duction operation. First and foremost, estimating
be struck between
determines how much a particular job will cost to
produce, and what the optimum customer price for when the customer
the job will be. During the course of developing
needs the product
an estimate, all of the components of the job are
identified, and a determination must be made as to and the availability of
whether all components are available in inventory
production resources
or some elements might need to be ordered—and
what those order lead times are. The estimator in order to establish a
must also determine whether certain operations
feasible delivery date.
need to be outsourced, and what prices and lead
times are for those operations. And a balance must
be struck between when the customer needs the product and the availability of
production resources in order to establish a feasible delivery date.
Focus on Finishing First
While a job is not finished until it is finished, an effective workflow must focus
on finishing first. What are the requirements for the job? How does that affect
the page imposition? What sheet size(s) lend themselves to the most effective
processing of the job in the bindery? What bindery equipment is located onsite versus work that must be outsourced? What is the bindery workload; will a
bottleneck in that department cause the job to be late? What makes most sense
for an individual job, in-line or off-line? These are just a few of the aspects of
finishing an automated digital workflow must take into consideration early in
the workflow process.
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The Business
of Workflow
Processing Jobs
There are a wide range of estimating tools and procedures in place in the
graphic arts industry; not all of them are automated or efficient! In many
shops, the estimator relies on his or her knowledge and expertise more than
system capabilities, and may use anything from a pencil and calculator to a
spreadsheet to a formal estimating package, with the corresponding levels of
accuracy, productivity and process cost inherent in each.
The Business of Workflow
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Quoting
Scheduling
Once the estimate has been completed, a formal quote can be prepared for the
customer. A quote might be generated real time during the course of a Web
inquiry; it might be formally typed based on work the estimator has done; or it
could be generated automatically by the estimating system and presented for
review, modification and approval by an operations manager, sales representative, customer service representative or other key staff member.
A scheduler will then examine the overall shop load, the due dates of the
various jobs in the queue and strike a scheduling balance that hopefully has
everything in the shop going out the door on time. Schedulers commonly use
a white board, post-it notes, constant monitoring of the shop floor and other
ad hoc procedures to keep things moving smoothly. Individual scheduling
elements for a job may change multiple times during the process as various
priorities are balanced. In an increasingly complex and fast-paced world, these
ad hoc scheduling methods can cause significant workflow inefficiencies. As
a result, many shops are moving to more automated procedures utilizing
dynamic scheduling software. Such automation can enable the consolidation
of the planning and scheduling steps.
Timely and accurate generation of a quote could make the difference between
securing a job, or not; and it could make the difference between a profitable,
or not-so-profitable, job.
An estimating system can help
you return quotes to customers
more quickly. Just as important,
it will help to ensure that quotes
accurately reflect your real
costs-- resulting in improved
profitability on each job.
Planning
Getting Paid
Finally, generating an accurate and timely invoice, either for delivery with the
job, for inclusion on account-based billing or for separate delivery by mail
or other means, is critical in an environment where margins may be literally
paper-thin and cash flows uneven. An inaccurate invoice can cause significant
delays in getting paid, eat up margins on what might have ordinarily been a
profitable job, and even result in a frustrated customer.
An inaccurate invoice can cause significant delays in getting paid,
eat up margins on what might have ordinarily been a profitable job,
and even result in a frustrated customer.
Once the customer gives the go-ahead, the planning function must determine
the most effective way to produce the job. Sometimes the production methodologies will align perfectly with the way the job is estimated; often they do
not, based on actual workload and production capacity available at the time.
Planners will also often be responsible for creating imposition schema, ordering materials not available in inventory and scheduling outsourced tasks.
22
The Business of Workflow
The Business of Workflow
23
Supply Chain Management
In addition to managing interactions with customers and the progress of a job
through production, workflow solutions also play a role in the management of the
rest of the supply chain.This includes careful management of inventory and of the
data that flows back and forth between your operation and that of your suppliers.
For example, effective management of your paper supply can result in significant
cost savings. Paper is the most expensive single component of a print job and it
costs money to have excess paper in storage. Effective supply chain management
will ensure that the appropriate paper is available when a job is scheduled to be
produced without requiring an excessive paper inventory.
It is important to understand all costs throughout the entire
production process, whether the costs are incurred internally or via
an outside supplier.
Another aspect of supply chain management is managing outsourced service providers such as bindery trade shops. It is important to understand all costs throughout the entire production process, whether the costs are incurred internally or via
an outside supplier. Waiting for suppliers to invoice you before you, in turn, can
invoice your customer can have a significant, negative impact on cash flow.
Supply chain management also encompasses managing downstream suppliers such as mailing services and shippers. Timely exchange of information
is critical to ensuring customer satisfaction—if the job gets delivered a week
late or if the mailing doesn’t drop on time, it doesn’t matter how beautiful the
printed piece is; the customer will be unhappy and may choose to eliminate
your firm from his or her supplier base.
The Role of JDF
and CIM
The Role of JDF and CIM
The key to managing the business of print effectively is the same as the key to
managing production workflows efficiently—and that is, don’t key at all. Or certainly, absolutely minimize the amount of rekeying of data required throughout
the process. The good news for the graphic arts service provider is that this—for
both production and business management—is getting easier every day.
Thanks to the efforts of CIP4 and its members, huge strides have been made
toward the finalization of the Job Definition Format (JDF) standard which is the
cornerstone of the ability to implement computer integrated manufacturing
(CIM) in the printing industry. The printing industry has been slow to adopt computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) techniques which have been in use in the
manufacturing industry at large for quite some time. Because we are a custom
manufacturing industry, automation can be somewhat problematic as compared
to manufacturing of such items as food products, apparel and automobiles. A
further complication has been the lack of consistent communication standards in
a multivendor environment that would allow disparate systems to easily talk with
each other as a job is being processed. That’s where JDF comes in.
Customers are part of the supply chain, too. An effective workflow solution will
help you in managing the process of change orders and authorized alterations
(AAs) from customers. When a customer sends you a change, that change
needs to be noted and tracked so you can charge for it as appropriate.
In implementing a workflow solution, be sure to think through the entire process, from start to finish, involved in producing a customer job, leveraging automation and integration to cut time—and cost—out of the process, ensuring an
uninterrupted flow of data and materials throughout the entire supply chain.
24
The Business of Workflow
The Role of JDF and CIM
25
JDF (Job Description Format) is a comprehensive XML-based file format
and emerging industry standard for end-to-end job ticket specifications,
combined with a message description standard and message interchange
protocol—called JMF or Job Messaging Format.
• JDF is designed to streamline information exchange between different applications and systems.
• JDF is intended to enable the entire industry, including media, design,
graphic arts, on demand and e-commerce companies, to implement and
work with individual workflow solutions.
• JDF will allow integration of heterogeneous products from diverse vendors
to seamless workflow solutions.
And JDF, through its Job Messaging Format (JMF) component, offers the ability for two-way communication between business and production systems.
Business Systems
Management Systems
Creation
Pre-Press
Post Press &
Delivery
Press
CIP3
JDF is emerging as the most important technology for interoperability between equipment
and software in the print manufacturing environment. It creates a link between business
systems, prepress workflow systems and production equipment, from digital output devices
to presses to finishing equipment.
But as depicted above, JDF doesn’t stand alone; it is part of a suite of things that
make CIM possible in printing. JDF is a technology that is enabling us to automate workflows and it is an enabler for CIM. One often overlooked benefit of JDF
is its ability to drive increased customer satisfaction for the print service provider.
26
The Role of JDF and CIM
Increasing profits is not always about cutting costs. Most printers would agree
that if they could increase the amount of business flowing into the firm, driving
up revenues while utilizing the same fixed cost base, the result will be an increase
in profits. If they could increase business volume, they could make up costs. With
its full implementation, JDF can help increase customer satisfaction and increase
business volume. The automation offered by JDFenabled products presents the print service provider JDF can help increase
with a better view, for example, of when a job will
customer satisfaction
be completed, improving the ability to comply with
promised due dates. Thus, it is important to think and increase
about JDF not only in terms of automation or cutting
business volume.
costs, but also in terms of its ability to drive increased
customer satisfaction.
With JDF, graphic arts service providers are able to extend an automated communications capability to the customer, increasing the ability to implement
a self-service model. While human interaction and relationships will always
be important in a service business such as ours, customers are increasingly
desirous of taking advantage of the Internet at a time and from a location that
is most convenient for them. This includes such capabilities as viewing online
proofs, checking job status, entering orders, uploading files and accessing
activity reports. With a fully implemented cross-vendor JDF-enabled workflow,
customers can even assess the viability of a job prior to submitting it—will the
design result in the job being too expensive, too time-consuming? These are
the types of things that often inform the buying decisions for a savvy buyer. To
the extent an effective self-service model is utilized, productivity is enhanced
for both the customer and the service provider. The end result is improved cash
flow and job throughput for the service provider, and improved customer convenience—contributing to higher retention rates—for the customer. Of course,
the service provider can still choose to filter information as appropriate. But the
traditional separation between customer interfaces and the production operation begins to erode, making the entire process much more customer-oriented,
and much more convenient for all parties to use.
In a nutshell, JDF, and its JMF component, bring the notion of computer-based
integration and automation to the printing industry, reducing bottlenecks and
improving overall business practices. It also comprehends the need to produce
The Role of JDF and CIM
27
business communications in media other than print, helping customers make
appropriate choices about what is—and what is not—printed, and placing the
service provider in the position of managing an entire range of multimedia
communications on behalf of the customer. In a time when the printing industry is experiencing negligible growth and stiff competition from outside the
industry, this functionality offers a logical way for graphic arts service providers to diversify their portfolio of services, experiencing growth in spite of the
pressures on print.
Making the
Right Choices
What About Existing Equipment and Software?
As you look toward incorporating JDF-enabled solutions into your workflow,
you should be looking for solutions that will take into account your existing
operation, helping you incorporate your existing equipment into a computer
integrated manufacturing (CIM) environment. In other words, a JDF-enabled
workflow should work with your existing equipment and make it better in some
way. Solutions that include dynamic scheduling and
direct machine interfaces can enhance data collec- JDF compliance will
tion and improve your overall production process.
become an accepted
Keep in mind that with effective workflow, “the key
is not to key.” With direct machine interfaces, sen- and mandatory
sors, attached to presses and finishing equipment,
element of all graphic
enable a flow of real-time information about the job
being produced to management and workflow solu- arts solutions:
tions. Prepress operators should be able to record
work they have done on a particular job right from their Mac without logging
it on paper and have that information roll right to the business systems. Over
time, JDF compliance will become an accepted and mandatory element of all
graphic arts solutions; but as that transition takes place, and as you are implementing your own workflow solutions, look for opportunities to begin taking
advantage of the power of JDF with each new component you acquire.
Build or Buy?
There are several major vendors who offer “pre-packaged” or modular workflow solutions, from EFI’s Balance, Fiery, MicroPress and OneFlow workflow
solutions to Creo’s Prinergy or Brisque, to Agfa’s Apogee, to Heidelberg’s
Prinect. While these solutions will offer answers to some of the knottiest problems faced when transitioning a production operation to a digital workflow,
the likelihood is high that they will not provide all the answers. Thus, while
pre-packaged solutions may form the basic scaffolding for a customized, end-
28
The Role of JDF and CIM
Making the Right Choices
29
to-end digital workflow, they must also be able to be used in conjunction with
elements from other vendors that will fill out the functionality a shop ultimately
needs to put in place. So first and foremost, solutions should be assessed in
terms of their compliance with standards and the ease with which “foreign”
elements can be integrated. At the same time, manufacturers of these solutions should be assessed The initial cash
relative to their overall support of standards, the
outlay in a workflow
likelihood that they will continue to be heavily
involved in the development and implementation investment isn’t the
of emerging standards, and, of course, their finanonly consideration
cial viability—will they be around to support their
products in the future.
when calculating a
And keep in mind that the initial cash outlay in a return on investment
workflow investment isn’t the only consideration
(ROI).
when calculating a return on investment (ROI). The
solution must improve production and business
efficiencies and enable you to accomplish things you could not do before—
faster and more cost effectively.
30
The Hidden Costs of Workflow
No discussion of workflow is complete without an examination of what could
be categorized as the hidden costs. Acquisition of the hardware and software
components is a clear hard dollar cost, but there are other elements you should
keep in mind as you build an investment strategy and consider your true return
on investment. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself—and your vendors—relative to hidden costs.
Staff Training
• How easy are the new solutions going to be for your staff to use? Are they
complex and difficult to learn or do they build on a base of knowledge your
staff already has?
• Who supplies the training, and are there fees associated with those
training services?
• When a trained employee leaves, how difficult will it be to train a replacement, and what will be the impact on organizational efficiency?
In addition to implementing a digital workflow off of a pre-packaged base, the
graphic arts service provider has the option to approach workflow from a doit-yourself perspective. Here again, vendors supplying individual components
must have a heritage of support for standards and a demonstrated ability to
work well in multivendor environments.
Customer Education
And in either scenario, make sure the vendor or vendors you select can provide
the appropriate level of support for your applications, whether by telephone
or on-site visits, through thorough training and allowing you to act as your
own parts depot, or any other combination of reliable support metrics that you
believe will be required to meet your needs.
• What level of training will customers require and how will that training
be deployed?
Making the Right Choices
• What impact will new operating processes have on customers? One of the
goals of implementing a digital workflow is to make it easier for customers
to interact with you; make sure you are achieving that goal.
• How will you recover costs incurred in customer training activities?
Making the Right Choices
31
Infrastructure Investments
• Do you have adequate networking capability in place to handle the
increased traffic a digital workflow will entail?
EFI Workflow
Solutions
• How about storage? More digital information means more requirement for
storage, whether online, nearline or offline.
• Do you have the right skills in your employee base? Will you need to add or
eliminate positions?
Planning a Smooth Implementation
• As you transition to a new workflow, how will you stage deployment of new
processes, procedures and equipment without impacting your ability to
meet customer commitments?
• How will you ensure minimum waste during the testing and transition process? Rework is expensive and customers have little tolerance for delays.
Selling and Marketing Your New Capabilities
EFI’s solutions help its customers deliver better quality printed products,
streamline their operations, reduce costs, reduce turnaround times, and capture business and production information to help drive continuous operational
improvement. And they are designed to work in multi-vendor environments,
taking advantage of existing hardware and software and making them better.
As a software company, EFI is entirely focused on selling software solutions
based on their own merits, with no hardware agenda. EFI has partnerships and
alliances with all of the key industry players and is committed, in conjunction
with its partners, to bringing to market solutions based on open architectures
and compliant with industry standards.
EFI’s Connected Workflow Strategy touches virtually every step of the print
production value chain. Let’s walk through it:
• What marketing materials should you have to help communicate your new
capabilities to existing and prospective customers?
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• What resources are available to help you develop these materials?
• Will a new workflow entail a change in sales compensation plans?
These are a few of the questions you should be considering as you plan your
new digital workflow. The answers to these questions will help you more effectively shape your acquisition strategy.
The answers to these questions will help you more
effectively shape your acquisition strategy.
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32
Making the Right Choices
EFI Workflow Solutions
33
Interoperability—a Critical Consideration
Throughout its entire portfolio of offerings, EFI has incorporated compliance
with the latest industry standards in order to ensure the highest level of
interoperability possible. While a graphic arts service provider can build an
end-to-end workflow based solely on products and solutions from EFI and its
partners, EFI recognizes that the reality of today’s world is the need to interoperate in a multivendor environment. Thus, EFI has structured its offerings to be
able to fit into almost any environment, enabling the graphic arts service provider to optimize existing investments and to select best-of-breed components
based on the needs of the individual shop.
EFI PrinterSite, EFI PrinterSite Exchange, EFI PrintSmith Site
Production workflow starts with the customer. That’s why EFI has an Internet
solution that brings every shape and size of customer closer to the print supplier by providing an integrated workflow right from concept to production.
• The EFI PrinterSite suite of Internet
applications provides sales force automation and Internet-based fulfillment
applications for commercial printers.
Third Party Web, Prepress and VDP Applications
EFI has a long track record of providing open solutions that enable customers
to configure customized solutions that best suit their individual needs using
components from a wide range of vendors, equipment and software based on
technical merit. Because EFI is a leader in the development and implementation of industry standards, including extensive involvement in the important
industry standards bodies, EFI’s entire product portfolio is designed to interoperate with offerings from other companies who also embrace open standards,
including PDF, JDF and PPML.
EFI Print MIS Solutions: Hagen, Logic, PSI and PrintSmith
• EFI PrinterSite Exchange provides
Intranet and Internet job submission
with integrated job tickets and workflow automation for the commercial
print environment.
The print production environment is more demanding than ever before. The
ability for a printing enterprise to stay competitive is dependent on how effectively it can manage the information inside the plant. Printers need powerful
software applications to help them connect all of the pieces of the printing
process to gain efficiencies and better manage their businesses.
• EFI PrintSmith Site provides an
integrated Web storefront for users
of the popular PrintSmith print management system.
No matter what kind of printing operation—from digital to sheetfed to web—EFI
has a business and production management solution that will streamline
operations, provide better visibility
into costs and finances and increase No matter what kind of printing
profitability. The industry’s best solutions—EFI Hagen, EFI Logic, EFI PSI operation, EFI has a business and
and EFI PrintSmith—make it easy for production management solution
printers to automate and integrate
everything from estimating and cost- that will streamline operations
ing to accounting, production man- and increase profitability.
agement and more.
EFI Digital StoreFront
EFI Digital StoreFront provides job submission, job ticketing and job status
tracking, along with full-featured e-commerce capabilities. The system creates
an “end-to-end” content and commerce workflow from the desktop of the corporate user, directly to EFI Fiery, Balance and Micropress.
34
EFI’s PDF generating drivers, included standard with Digital StoreFront, simplify job submission and can be installed on unlimited corporate desktop workstations to drive traffic to corporate print centers. PDF delivery streamlines
workflow in the print center by delivering settings-correct files that require
virtually no operator intervention. The system is fully localized and available
today in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. An entry-level version,
called DSF Express, includes Job Submission and Job Ticketing without e-commerce or add-on modules.
EFI Workflow Solutions
EFI Workflow Solutions
35
EFI JDF Connector
EFI’s JDF Connector provides JDF connectivity between EFI products and
those from third-party vendors, including Internet, prepress workflow and
output solutions. EFI is committed to bringing the benefits of open standards
and Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) to its customers by providing
JDF-enabled solutions that conform to the latest published CIP4 standards.
EFI is committed to preserving the openness and integrity of its JDF-enabled
solutions and has integrated and tested EFI’s JDF-enabled products with
JDF enabled products from a number of suppliers. Additionally, EFI is working closely with CIP4 in the development and implementation of a set of
Interoperability Conformance Standards (ICS) that will make it easy for buyers
to verify that a product complies with the latest JDF specifications. The EFI JDF
Connector supports the published ICS for both prepress and press.
A great example of a JDF Connector application in use today is the two-way
communication between EFI print management systems and third-party commercial printing press systems to share job data such as press and makeready
times as well as good/bad counts. JDF Connector links directly to press
consoles, including K-Station from Komori and MAN Roland’s PECOM, and
to onboard production management systems to provide a two-way flow of
information with little or no operator intervention. The goal is to allow printers
to more accurately configure the press and reduce waste. EFI’s JDF Connector
will also interoperate with Heidelberg presses.
EFI OneFlow
EFI’s OneFlow introduces advanced digital prepress capabilities in an easy-touse, cost-effective software solution for any computer-to-plate, computer-tofilm, direct imaging, or digital printing environment, and OneFlow is also ideally
suited for hybrid environments using two or more
With one intuitive
of these output methodologies. With one intuitive
interface, users can “click and drag” prepress funcinterface, users can
tions to design a customized workflow. EFI OneFlow
“click and drag”
integrates powerful tools to convert files to PDF,
prepress functions to preflight, trap, impose, and screen, and offers a true
“RIP Once Output Many” (ROOM) architecture. This
design a customized
next-generation, all new workflow system provides a
workflow.
true workflow for hybrid shops, supporting both digital and offset workflows within the same system.
36
EFI Workflow Solutions
EFI ColorProof with Best Technology
EFI ColorProof is the leading contone proofing solution for
production environments. EFI ColorProof operates in
the Windows environment and offers all network
users up to 15 input channels that can be individually configured for quality, color simulation and
output media. Files can be printed directly on
virtual PostScript printers or placed into hot folders. Everything else is automatic. EFI ColorProof
supports a wide range of printers from A3+
up to 62-inch large-format production devices.
ColorProof is a key element in EFI’s portfolio of
proofing and color management technologies
for commercial print.
EFI PrintFlow and AutoCount
EFI Auto-Count allows existing (or “legacy”) equipment to become part of
a printing plant’s CIM infrastructure. By adding Auto-Count’s patented DMI
(Direct Machine Interface) sensors—along with data collection hardware and
software—staff and operations managers can monitor “speeds and feeds,” and
track waste data from web and sheetfed presses as well as bindery and finishing
equipment. This data can then be used to tailor job costing and estimates for
future jobs, as well as to analyze the profitability of jobs that have already been
produced. EFI PrintFlow™ is a unique tool that provides the ultimate visibility
into plant operations. PrintFlow Dynamic Scheduling optimizes decision making
about which devices to use for which jobs, as well as the order and sequence in
which to run those jobs. It helps managers decide how to staff, and whether the
plant should take on additional work—and at what price points for maximum
profitability. With PrintFlow, every cost center in the plant becomes part of the
CIM equation, even equipment that doesn’t have computerized interfaces.
EFI Workflow Solutions
37
EFI Balance and EFI MicroPress
EFI’s Balance and MicroPress workflow software leverage the combined
power of multiple output devices to effectively handle the most demanding
jobs across multiple printers regardless of brand. With EFI Balance and EFI
MicroPress, handling complex jobs has never been easier, with in-line automation for reduced manual collation, decreased inventory with on-demand tab
printing, and load balancing to deliver increased throughput and split hybrid
color and black & white jobs.
EFI Fiery
Over 10 years ago, EFI made history when it introduced the world’s first print
controller. This groundbreaking product, branded “Fiery,” changed the way
people print. Suddenly, ordinary, standalone printers and copiers were transformed into networked
printing devices that could be shared across workgroups. Advertising agencies, graphic designers,
copy shops and other businesses could easily and
economically print documents in brilliant color or
black & white. Today, with over 1.2 million EFI print
controllers installed worldwide, EFI continues its
tradition of innovation and excellence. EFI’s EDOX,
DocStream, Fiery and Splash print controllers provide solutions for every segment of the digital
printing market—from entry-level desktop printers
to production-level digital devices that can output up to
2000 pages per minute. EFI partners with all of the world’s leading printer/copier
manufacturers, ensuring that EFI is likely have a print controller solution to meet
the needs of any printing operation.
EFI Fiery Graphic Arts Package
EFI has also extended the scope of its Fiery family of products with an optional
package designed to meet the specific needs of the high-end prepress and
production markets. This includes capabilities such as auto trapping, hot folder
workflow, postflighting (a diagnostic tool designed to troubleshoot files at the
printing stage) and more effective handling of spot colors. With the optional
Graphic Arts Package, EFI’s Fiery provides an advanced feature set which will
ensure its seamless integration into even the most demanding environment.
38
EFI Workflow Solutions
Glossary
Bitmap Graphic A format for describing graphics that uses a collection of tiny
dots, called “pixels,” that together form a pattern. “Raster” graphics is another
name for bitmap graphics.
CIP4 The International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress,
Press and Postpress, an industry standards body founded in 1995 as a joint initiative of vendors for the graphic arts industry.
CMYK Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black; subtractive primaries of the color space for
conventional printing.
Content Management (CM) Electronic database management of images, text,
audio and video used in the production of printed or electronic materials by combining rules, process and/or workflows to create, edit, manage, store, retrieve and
publish content.
DVD DVD initially stood for Digital Video Disc, but has since been redefined as Digital
Versatile Disc, a high capacity multimedia data storage medium that can accommodate a complete movie on a single disc, content rich multimedia or very high quality multi-channel audio. DVDs are available in read-only and various writeable and
rewritable formats. For more information on DVDs, visit www.dvdforum.org.
FTP File Transfer Protocol, a widely accepted protocol, or standard, for transferring
files via the Internet.
Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) A data storage system that automatically moves data between high-cost and low-cost storage.
ICC International Color Consortium, a standards body creating ICC profiles, digital
files with embedded information that adjusts or corrects color and grayscale information based on the characteristics or deficiencies of a device in a digital workflow.
Imposition Grouping and arranging pages for efficient printing on larger sheets of
paper, taking into account the need to cut and bind the pages after printing.
Glossary
39
JDF Job Definition Format, an XML-based industry standard designed to simplify
information exchange among different graphic arts applications and systems,
including Web-based systems. To that end JDF builds on and extends beyond preexisting partial solutions such as CIP3’s Print Production Format (PPF) and Adobe
Systems Incorporated’s Portable Job Ticket Format (PJTF)). It also enables integration of commercial and planning applications into the technical workflow.
JMF Job Messaging Format, the messaging component of JDF
Native application A software application used to create documents or files. This is
contrasted with standard file formats such as PDF. Adobe InDesign is an example of a
native application.
PDF Portable Doucment Format, a file format invented by Adobe Systems to
describe text and graphics in documents.
PDL Page Description Language, a computer language that describes a page for
printing. Printers and RIPs understand page description languages. Examples
include AFP (invented by IBM), PCL (invented by Hewlett Packard), PDF and
PostScript (both invented by Adobe Systems).
Plug-In A software module that “plugs in” to an application and adds features to
the application.
RGB Red, Green, Blue; additive primaries, primarily used in displaying images
RIP Raster Image Processor, a device or software program that converts page description language code to a format understood by the print engine so it can print pages.
ROOM RIP Once Output Many
Trapping Controlling the way in which two colors meet in a color printed piece to
eliminate muddy tones caused by too much overlap or white areas caused by too
little overlap
Vector graphic A format for describing graphics through instructions for drawing
the graphic by designating coordinates and drawing lines or geometric shapes
in relation to the coordinates. Vector graphics can be scaled—that is, enlarged or
shrunk—because the instructions for drawing them remain the same.
Workflow the execution of and the interaction between the various steps of the
production process within a graphic arts production environment
XML Extensible Markup Language, a simple, very flexible text format derived
from SGML (ISO 8879). Originally designed to meet the challenges of large-scale
electronic publishing, XML is also playing an increasingly important role in the
exchange of a wide variety of data on the Web and elsewhere.
PODi The Digital Printing Iniative, PODi, which was formerly known as the Print
On Demand Initiative, is a not-for-profit multi-vendor initiative working to develop
the market for digital printing.
PostScript A page description language invented by Adobe Systems that is used
for describing the text and graphics in documents.
PPML Personalized Print Markup Language, an XML-based language for variable
data printing. Developed by PODi, PPML makes variable data jobs print faster by
allowing a printer to store text elements and graphic elements and reuse them as
needed. PPML is a non-vendor-specific language and is therefore considered to be
an open industry standard.
Preflighting Checking the integrity of a file prior to imaging to uncover and correct
errors, including missing elements, incompatible file formats, etc.
Rasterization The process of converting code that describes text and graphics into
the format that is understood by a printer’s “print engine” to print them on a page.
40
Glossary
Glossary
41
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Auto-Count, ColorCal, ColorWise, Command WorkStation, DocBuilder Pro, EDOX, EFI, Fiery, the Fiery logo, Fiery
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RIP-While-Print, Splash, and Spot-On are registered trademarks of Electronics for Imaging, Inc. in the U.S. Patent and
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