It is compatible with Prinect, developed by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen (Germany), Prinergy, developed by Eastman Kodak Company (United States), Equios, developed by Screen Graphic and Precision Solutions (Japan) and Apogee developed by Agfa Graphics (Belgium), which are global prepress workflow solutions.
In partnership with these companies, Ricoh has jointly developed the TotalFlow Print Server which utilizes JDF1 and JMF2, the industry standards for setting, communicating and reporting print job instructions. Heidelberg, Kodak and Screen’s renderer can be incorporated in the TotalFlow Print Server. This means that a similarly high level of image quality can be achieved for both offset and digital output. “In today’s commercial print market, there is a need for on demand printing, allowing a fast turnaround of short-run jobs and adding value to printing in general, such as personalized or variable data printing,” says Benoit Chatelard, vice president, production printing, Ricoh Europe.
Improved operational flexibility
He continues, “With this new print server Ricoh helps clients to build a hybrid printing workflow to deliver work to both offset presses and Ricoh’s highly productive and high quality Ricoh Pro C series of digital color presses. This enables improved operational efficiency and flexibility by providing a choice of offset and digital output devices which are managed from the same familiar user interface, as well as the fast turnaround of jobs on the digital presses. TotalFlow Print Server means that prepress operators are now able to use the same powerful and familiar tools, such as imposition and color management, in their prepress workflow solutions, for both offset and digital output, delivering a truly hybrid workflow.”
Ricoh will also work with Heidelberg, Kodak, Screen and Agfa Graphics on marketing, product development, production, sales and customer support to provide added value solutions to the commercial printing market. Launch dates and availability of the supporting prepress workflow software varies by country or region.
Chatelard concludes, “As one of the pillars of its business strategy, Ricoh considers the enhancement of the commercial printing market an area of growth and will continue to invest in products and services to help print service providers boost their competitiveness in the printing industry and grow their business.”
At drupa 2016 Ricoh is showcasing Pro VC60000 at Hall 8a.
- JDF is the abbreviation of Job Definition Format. It is a common format for transmitting printing job instructions for the software and devices of various manufacturers.
- JMF is the abbreviation of Job Messaging Format. It is a format that facilitates communication among systems about the progress of operations and information on changes in job specifications using the workflow coordinated by the JDF.
Packaging South Asia is the cooperating media partner for drupa 2016 which is scheduled to be held from 31 May to 10 June at Dusseldorf, Germany.
