Océ South Africa has announced a new version of Océ Prismaproduction, its fully automated high performance workflow and output management system for commercial, book, direct mail and transactional printing.
Océ Prismaproduction version 5.0 features a host of enhancements and expanded workflow management capabilities. From the new InkControl and Print File Enhancer tools to enhancements of existing features, Prismaproduction version 5.0 helps boost efficiency, improve productivity, increase connectivity, and provide for flexible usability.
Hennie Kruger, digital document solutions (DDS) product and marketing manager for Océ South Africa said, ‘With the launch of Prismaproduction version 5.0, we’ve raised the bar in terms of output management. Print service providers now have access to a more robust suite of workflow management capabilities designed to help enhance their creative capabilities while streamlining print shop production management.’
For high precision and transparency of print job calculations, Prismaproduction version 5.0 includes InkControl, a dynamic new feature which enables customers to estimate job-specific ink usage before a print run. InkControl uses the pixel counting feature in the Océ SRA MP controller, along with data about actual droplet sizes defined in the job setup, to calculate ink consumption estimates prior to printing. Actual ink usage is reported during production.
Another new feature, the Print File Enhancer, allows print service providers (PSPs) to enhance and/or modify PDF and AFP files through the use of a graphical user interface. They can create index information, add barcodes, text or images, insert pages, shift content, or sort print files for postal optimisation with just a few clicks of the mouse. This allows for last-minute changes on print-ready files without having to go back to the original application.
Additional enhancements, new to Prismaproduction version 5.0, include the Pre-Printed Forms Replacement Module, which allows users to use plain white paper rather than pre-printed stocks for forms output. The module generates the form data electronically replacing the pre-printed paper, and controls its use based on settings in the job ticket.
Meanwhile, the enhanced Professional Document Composer (PDC) uses a new user interface which provides an intuitive way of imposing files, resulting in the streamlined production of books and personalised documents. The PDC is fully integrated into Prismaproduction and controlled by the job ticket for maximised automation. This helps eliminate the need to use external third-party software to do the imposing and allows for a fully-automated workflow.
Users will also find a multitude of integration enhancements, as well as improvements to support new extensions of the SRA controller according to the most recent AFP specification. A new operating system, Suse Linux Enterprise System 11, and full 64-bit support, help increase performance and eliminate limitations on file sizes.
‘With increased pressure on costs and turnaround times, the ability to effectively manage the entire production workflow is critical,’ said Kruger. ‘Prismaproduction version 5.0 not only gives print service providers control over all their applications, but helps maximise flexibility, improve turnaround times and reduce production costs.’
