IEnfocus Switches It Up n Booth 444, in the Software: Workflow & Design/Prepress Pavilion, Enfocus Software is unveiling the latest version of Switch, version 13, the company’s popular automation software. Enfocus spent two years revamping the product, adding features, fixing bugs, improving the user interface, but more importantly, preparing it for the workflow of the future. “In the past, we’ve been focusing on incremental improvements by adding a lot of features,” says Bjorn Willems, Director of Product Management for Enfocus. “For Switch 13, we decided that we had to look a little more broadly than that. It’s no longer about features. We’re working with webbased client technology, and working on scalability. We’re preparing Switch for the next decade.” One big change that users will notice is that Switch now offers a browser-based interface. “The entire client isn’t running a web browser yet, but it shows what we intend to do with Switch,” says Willems. “We want to prepare Switch for the future in a more cloud-based environment.” Enfocus understands that not all of its customers are in the cloud, or even want to be, at least right now. So Enfocus wants to be sure that its customers have a choice. “We won’t use the cloud as the only strategy with Switch,” says Willems. “We believe in a hybrid model, where on-premise workflow and assets will still be very important for many users, but there will be a portion of the market for which the cloud has a lot of advantages.” In addition to these broad changes, Enfocus has made a number of small improvements that add up to an improved user experience. It’s also faster—in some cases, up to 10 times faster than Switch 12, said Willems. In addition, integrators are able to add their own user interface on top of Switch. “That was an important request,” says Willems. Switch 13 also includes a new feature that debuted in PitStop 13, released last April: a software analytics module, a way for the company to track how customers are using the product, which features they use regularly, and which they don’t use all that often. Users have to specifically opt in for this module to collect data; Enfocus is not collecting data surreptitiously. “For PitStop, it’s giving us a tremendous amount of valuable information,” says Willems. “We know which features are used the most, and we can use that data to focus on certain feature requests.” Likewise, he adds, “we want to know what our customers are doing with Switch to give them more relevant features in the future.” One of the big value propositions of Switch is its open architecture, and Switch 13 ships with new configurators, the results of partnerships with other vendors to be announced over the course of this week’s show. One new partnership, launched at FESPA in Cologne last spring, is with Caldera. “The configurator is ready and will be available in Switch 13,” says Willems. This will allow Switch to be used with a Caldera RIP, which is a key to bringing more automated workflows into the wide format printing market. “The value of automation is quite clear in the commercial print market, but in wide-format there is still some preaching to do,” says Willems. Enfocus is also showing PitStop 13, as well as a minor (13.1) release of Connect. MGI Showcases New Digital Technology Mat GRAPH EXPO GI Digital Technology (Booth 3013) is launching a breakthrough new digital toner foiling solution, the iFOIL T, as well as new 100ppm digital production printing press, the Meteor DP1000 XL integrated with the inline DF Pro finishing system, and a brand new standalone digital finishing system, the DF Pro Solo, at GRAPH EXPO 15. Other noteworthy attractions are an art gallery-style display of new customer packaging, publishing & marketing applications that utilize the renowned and dual PIA InterTech Technology Award-winning original iFOIL (2015) & JETvarnish 3D (2013) solutions. New product launch: The iFOIL T The new MGI iFOIL T (Toner)—demonstrated live in production mode with the MGI Meteor DP8700 S+—is a dramatic innovation in print finishing. The product is a 100% Inline Hot Foiling solution that seamlessly integrates with the MGI Meteor DP series of production digital presses. For the first time, printers now have an integrated inline digital solution to create elegant, eye-catching foiled effects directly on uncoated paper using toner at high production speeds. The iFOIL T & Meteor Press combination allows both Variable Data Printing (VDP) & Variable Data Foiling (VDF) for job-based customization and sheet-based personalization. It is also compatible with hundreds of different products from major foil manufacturers in many attractive design styles (Colors, Reflective, Metallic, Glitter, Holographic). Multiple roll & pass options include layered application of “foil over foil” and “toner over foil” for virtually unlimited color variations. As an inline finishing solution, the iFOIL T offers Toner-Based Variable Data Foiling (VDF) on hundreds of different substrates from major industry manufacturers—including most commercial papers, matte and glossy laminated surfaces, sheets with or without aqueous coating, layered paper, plastic, pvc, and other coated materials. The iFOIL T is a 100% digital solution that completely eliminates the time, labor, cleanup, and cost of traditional offset methods of foil stamping. The iFOIL T uses no dies and no prepress makeready processes. The MGI iFOIL T & Meteor DP Digital Press combination offers GRAPH EXPO 15 printers, finishers, and converters a tremendous competitive advantage for adding value— and revenue—to their standard toner ink output. New product launch: The Meteor DP1000 & DF Pro The new MGI Meteor DP1000 & DF Pro solution is an integrated product suite that combines a new unique high-performance (100 ppm) digital printing press and an inline finishing system with 20 functions of cutting, creasing, perforating, and trimming into one single package. The range of print size formats reaches up to 13x47" and features the widest range of specialty substrates in the industry-including diverse papers, plastics, magnetics, adhesives, synthetics, and envelopes. The high-speed DP1000 XL & DF Pro product suite delivers personalized, variable data printed (VDP) documents that are finished for job completion and customer delivery in a single pass. The DP1000 & DF Pro system allows VDP personalization & POD customization of both printed output and finished product applications in one single pass. The DP1000 & DF Pro combination product suite is the most versatile and complete digital inline 100pg/m production and finishing Solution available in the industry today. New product launch: The DF Pro Solo The new MGI Digital Finisher (DF) Pro Solo is specifically designed to function as a freestanding finishing hub and centralized workstation for all commercial and in-plant printing operations—including digital and offset environments. The DF Pro Solo allows printers to select from 20 different functions of cutting, creasing, perforating, and trimming on hundreds of substrate types. SheetFeeder Roll Feed System Partnership Announced for Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS 2250P Production Printer Konica Minolta (Booth 1913) is announcing the partnership of the Tecnau Sheet- Feeder KM 2250 roll feed system for up to 14 hours of non-stop cut sheet paper feeding to the new bizhub PRESS 2250P Monochrome Digital Production Printer. Based upon the established Tecnau SheetFeeder family, the SheetFeeder KM 2250 sits next to the input side of the printer and includes a quick-change unwinder and precision cutter. By feeding as many as 50,000 or more sheets from a single 50" diameter roll, users print more in less time while lowering paper and labor costs. SheetFeeder KM 2250 creates all form sizes the printer can handle, right up to a large 13x19.2" sheet, over the printer’s basis weight range of 40 to 350 gsm. Users may switch between 8.5x11" and 11x17" applications without changing rolls. Paper savings are especially significant on odd-sized sheets, lightweight and other non-standard papers. Optional three-hole punch offers additional savings. The DF Pro Solo 22 September 14, 2015 | GRAPH EXPO Official Show Daily | PrintingNews.com
GraphExpo Show Daily September 14 2015
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