Special Report
PrintIQ released v48 last summer with added capabilities
third-party ones. The EFI range is supported by both its and eProductivity Software’s (EPS) offerings thanks to the companies’ history as a single entity. Machine-agnostic workflow products also come from RIP developers Onyx and Caldera, which both support very wide ranges of digital printers and cutters. Another option here is PrintFactory,
which in addition to carrying out prepress tasks, with particular emphasis on colour management, provides real- time data on production performance, enabling users to identify inefficiencies and optimise operations. The software collects and analyses data on ink usage, media waste, and machine downtime to support informed decisions. This also enables predictive maintenance, reducing unscheduled downtime. Agfa’s Asanti workflow for wide
format print offers automation features such as pre-filling roll or sheet media with nested or step-and-repeat artwork to maximise use of the material, plus hot ticket/ folder workflow and the ability to interrogate PDF artwork to establish output size and route jobs accordingly.
Asanti doesn’t just drive
Agfa’s own printers, it can send PDFs that include cutting paths to anyone else’s devices. “Think of it as a planning tool,” explains Agfa’s UK inkjet systems specialist Graham Clark, noting that while many designers prepare artwork for print in Adobe Illustrator, manually duplicating and aligning elements for step-and-repeat or adding cutting paths, Asanti can handle this aspect of the work automatically. “It’s about producing the greatest amount of work in the least time,” he says.
A holistic ecosystem Sitting somewhere between workflow and web-to-print is OnPrintShop, which VP sales Naimish Patel describes as a comprehensive web-to-print and print order management solution that offers a holistic ecosystem designed to streamline sales, order processing and production while remaining focused on enhancing customer experience. This software offers dedicated
workflow for job management, order tracking and production management,
PrintFactory places emphasis on colour management and providing real-time data on production performance
plus dynamic pricing and estimating tools for several print segments; these include digital wide format, signage and banners and canvas and wall art applications. In addition, OnPrintShop offers inventory integration for larger printers relying on real-time stock management, and automated production routing according to job type, as well as integration with shipping service providers. Other players that cross over
between the categories include PrintPLANR and Hexicom. The former is a cloud-based MIS that includes W2P and sign estimation modules. It’s claimed to cover CRM (customer relationship management), quoting, job management, dispatch, inventory and Invoicing modules. Hexicom is also a cloud-based
offering print MIS and web-to-print capabilities, with sign estimating and online print ordering components. Like all cloud-based systems, it allows access from anywhere with an internet connection. It can create both detailed work orders/ job tickets for production staff, and supplier purchase orders, delivery dockets and customer invoices. This isn’t an exhaustive list of MIS
Asanti is Agfa’s workflow for wide format print
and workflow options, but it should be clear from the issues they address that there is plenty of scope for improving overall productivity and profitability across the business by using the people, hardware and materials together in the most efficient ways, driven by the data.
www.signupdate.co.uk January/February 2025 | 77 |
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