Fujifilm Corporation President, Kenji Sukeno announced at drupa 2016 the launch of two new additions to the company’s workflow portfolio that help deliver automation and efficiency benefits for print service providers in the commercial, sign & display and packaging markets.
XMF Controller
XMF Controller is a new solution that sits in front of Fujifilm’s XMF Workflow and is designed to streamline print production. It allows jobs to be created directly from an MIS system, removing the need for the pre-press department to be involved in every job that passes through the business.
XMF Controller assists the streamlining of print production by combining the functions of customer service and pre-press staff. Once XMF Workflow has been configured, customer service staff no longer need to hand jobs over to the pre-press team to setup for production. Instead they can manage jobs all the way from job entry to print production thanks to XMF Controller’s intuitive user interface.
Not only does XMF Controller simplify how production jobs are created, it removes the pre-press stage from every job altogether and automates the workflow so that online PDF submission and job approval can be setup by default for every job. This dramatically reduces the cost of the print production process without any compromise to job quality or visibility.
For print companies who consider the integration of their MIS system with their print production workflow too costly, XMF Controller provides an affordable way to provide this connection. This opens up the option of MIS integration to a range of small and medium sized print companies. Additionally, the configuration and setup is quick and easy, so both existing XMF Workflow customers and printers making their first Fujifilm XMF workflow investment can realise the time and cost saving benefits immediately.
XMF Ensemble
XMF Ensemble is a new solution that combines the power of Fujifilm’s acclaimed workflow solutions with a selection of products from business partners to form a new integrated portfolio. The portfolio concept is being launched to meet the diverse needs of printers across the commercial, sign and display and packaging markets. By combining the power of Fujifilm’s XMF Workflow suite with specific, tailored solutions for key applications in these varied markets, Fujifilm is able to offer bespoke, integrated solutions that meet the diverse needs of many types of print service providers.
Fujifilm’s XMF Controller solution will form part of the new XMF Ensemble print production portfolio, alongside the following products:
XMF Workflow
The popular XMF Workflow product is Fujifilm’s core workflow solution, based on the latest generation of the Adobe PDF Print engine. It is a proven print production workflow system for offset and digital production encompassing job creation, PDF pre-flighting, colour management, imposition and output. It also provides open JDF connectivity to other workflow systems.
XMF Remote
XMF Remote is Fujifilm’s online portal for job submissions and approval. PDF job files can be uploaded for printing either by in-house customer service representatives or a printer’s client. Once in production, XMF Remote also allows for online job approval providing a quick and easy way for jobs to be approved for printing.
XMF ColorPath
Being able to print on press to the ISO 12647-2 standard or to provide FOGRA approved proofs to clients requires a good system for managing colour. XMF ColorPath is Fujifilm’s total colour management system. Based in the cloud, XMF ColorPath allows printers to create colour profiles and calibrations to print to various standards, and provides tools to ensure that over time the standards are continually adhered to.
Phoenix
Phoenix by Tilia Labs is an imposition and planning system for packaging and wide format print production. This imposition tool offers ‘step and repeat’ functionality for irregular shaped artwork, a quick and simple set up process, and planning tools that can automatically setup a wide range of jobs to optimise cost, speed of production and the minimisation of waste.
Packz
Packz by Hybrid Software is a fully featured editor for packaging artwork. It provides all the functionality expected from packaging editorial software plus additional tools such as barcode checkers that allow artwork to be validated and corrected so it is ready for production.
Metrix
Metrix by EFI combines the planning and imposing of jobs for printing into one process. Details of the printing and finishing equipment used within a print company are input into the Metrix system, and the software automatically finds and recommends the most cost effective way to print a range of jobs. Once imposed, the jobs are exported as JDF jobs for printing via XMF.
Caldera
For wide format print applications, the Caldera GrandRIP+ and VisualRIP+ products provide a comprehensive Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE) based solution capable of providing all the rendering and colour management needs of high end wide format printing.
Pressero
Pressero by Aleyant is a web-to-print solution for printing companies who would like to add an e-commerce element to their print business. With both B2B and B2C web to print solutions, Pressero offers online print design and stock management, and supports various payment services. Pressero also integrates with Fujifilm’s XMF Workflow system for print production.
iAutolay Magic
iAutolay Magic is a B2B web-to-print system with high levels of functionality. The system handles variable printing jobs such as business cards and address labels for direct mail, and both images and text can be edited online. iAutolay Magic allows customers to build a web-to-print system to meet their specific needs.
FormMagic
FormMagic is a high speed and automated job composition system. Jobs are automatically composed from variable data to create complete documents for print. The system will automatically create tables, graphs and indexes from supplied data and image editing is managed through integration with Adobe Photoshop.
Says Izumi Watanabe, Fujifilm’s General manager of Workflow division: “Fujifilm supports a wide range of printing technologies across a diverse range of print applications and the introduction of XMF Controller and XMF Ensemble will help us to offer bespoke, tailored solutions to suit them all. This extensive range of workflow tools can integrate seamlessly into existing workflow environments – from commercial print and sign & display to packaging and high quality, on-demand digital print. Our ongoing commitment to innovation means all printers can now take advantage of an extensive range of tailored workflow solutions that offer real value to their businesses.”
Fujifilm Australia
www.fujifilm.com.au
