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Print Express and Print Express / CPM Consolidated Production Management. Print Express/ CPM. The workflow system designed just for newspapers. Adds power and control to newspaper output. Configurable and scaleable. Integrates with your existing systems.
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PrintExpressand PrintExpress/CPM Consolidated Production Management
PrintExpress/CPM The workflow system designed just for newspapers Adds power and control to newspaper output Configurable and scaleable Integrates with your existing systems In use by many major newspapers worldwide
The Preferred Solution AlfaQuest solutionsin ten of the largest 16 U.S. newspapers • 1. Wall Street Journal –PrintExpress • (First all PDF system at Asian Wall Street Journal - remote printing 13 sites) • 3. New York Times –PrintExpressCPM, MGS3 workflow manger, clusters • 6. New York Daily News --PrintExpress • 8. Newsday –PrintExpressCPM, MGS3 workflow manager • 10. Chicago Sun-Times – RipExpress, MGS3 workflow manager • 11. San Francisco Chronicle & Examiner –PrintExpressCPM • 12. Dallas Morning News –PrintExpressCPM, MGS3 workflow manager • The Boston Globe -- PrintExpressCPM, MGS3 workflow manager • New York Post –PrintExpressCPM • 16. Newark Star Ledger –PrintExpressCPM, MGS3 workflow manager
PrintExpress/CPM PrintExpress Functions: RIPping Page Pairing Remote Printing Load Leveling Proofing Plate Composition Tracking CTP & Imagesetter Output
PrintExpress/CPM Complete production management “System” • PostScript and PDF spooling and routing • System-wide prioritization • PDF Creation • Adobe CPSI PostScript 3 RIPs • Broadcast, remote transmission • Site management • Standard TIFF import and export • PDF input, PDF output, PDF workflows • OPI with MGS3 Workflow manager • Page Pairing / Imposition • Furniture merging, bitmap merging • Soft Proofing • Network Proofing • Negative/plate labeling • Press position labeling of plates • Ink Presetting • Press control system integration • Page planning integration • Complete Tracking • Plate Tracking • Reporting
PrintExpress/CPM To provide those functions, PrintExpress makes use of a collection of software modules 5. Bitmap Assembler 9. Bitmap output 1. PostScript / PDF spooler 6. Bitmap Rotate 10. TIFF Import and Export 2. PostScript RIP 7. Bitmap Color Proof 11. OnTrak 3. Bitmap spooler 8. Bitmap Soft Proof 12. CIP3 ink control 4. PagePairer
PrintExpress/CPM PrintExpress systems can be built using any quantity of each module Modules connect together in numerous ways to build the required system Lets take a look at some examples….
PostScript Pages PostScript / PDF Spoolers receive incoming pages and spool them in configurable queues PostScript Spooler
PostScript Pages Each queue in the spooler is configured to send their pages to one or more other modules. These could be other PostScript spoolers for example. PostScript Spooler PostScript Spooler
Remote site PostScript Pages PostScript Spooler PostScript Spooler Other modules could be at another site, at the end of a digital communications link PostScript Spooler
queue print priority queue stopped or started number of jobs in each queue output destination of each queue multiple queues page files in highlighted queue
PostScript Pages To convert Postscript or PDF files to bitmaps, PrintExpress RIP modules are added PostScript Spooler PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP
PostScript Pages PrintExpress RIPs use the Adobe PostScript3 CPSI for accurate rendering of PostScript files. Where two or more RIP modules are used, the PostScript spooler can “loadlevel” by sending pages to the first one free. PostScript Spooler PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP
two RIP modules running current job name RIPing progress bars Output to next module progress bars
PostScript Pages PostScript Spooler RIP output, with the pages now in bitmap form would typically be sent to a Bitmap Spooler PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP Bitmap Spooler
PostScript Pages PostScript Spooler Bitmap Spoolers have multiple queues which are configured to output their bitmaps to other modules PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP Bitmap Spooler
queue print priority queue stopped or started number of jobs in each queue output destination of each queue multiple queues page files in highlighted queue page rotation angle blue indicates that jobs in this queue will be held for approval before being sent to next stage right/wrong reading, pos /neg plate color plate approval status file size date of entry to queue
PostScript Pages PostScript Spooler Bitmap Spoolers have multiple queues which are configured to output their bitmaps to other specified modules - Bitmap Output for example to drive an imaging device PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP Bitmap Spooler Bitmap Output Laserbus
Queues in Bitmap Spoolers can also output to many other processes, such as Bitmap Spoolers at remote sites for output there PostScript Pages PostScript Spooler PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP Remote site Bitmap Spooler Bitmap Spooler Bitmap Output Bitmap Output Laserbus Laserbus
Several recorders can be driven at the same time. Queues in the Bitmap Spooler are set to print to specific Bitmap Outputs, or to “loadlevel” across several PostScript Pages PostScript Spooler PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP Bitmap Spooler Bitmap Output Bitmap Output Bitmap Output Laserbus Laserbus Laserbus
PostScript Pages Functions can be added to the Bitmap Spooler to provide integration with other systems. These are: PostScript Spooler PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP TIFF Export can output files in several one bit TIFF formats including G4 Bitmap Spooler TIFF Export Bitmap Output
PostScript Pages Functions can be added to the Bitmap Spooler to provide integration with other systems. These are: PostScript Spooler PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP TIFF Import receives several formats from devices such as copy dot scanners or third party RIPs like Harlequin. Bitmap Spooler TIFF Import Bitmap Output
PostScript Pages Functions can be added to the Bitmap Spooler to provide integration with other systems. These are: PostScript Spooler PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP CIP 3 files can be generated and transferred to press systems for ink duct control Bitmap Spooler CIP 3 output Bitmap Output
PostScript Pages Functions can be added to the Bitmap Spooler to provide integration with other systems. These are: PostScript Spooler PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP RipExpress can output bitmaps directly to the spooler using its Bitmap Send option. Bitmap Spooler RipExpress Bitmap Output
PostScript pages In order to provide page pairing for 2 up or 4 up plate output, PrintExpress uses the Page Pairer module. PostScript Spooler Single pages enter the Page Pairer from a Bitmap Spooler and are returned to another queue after pairing. PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP Bitmap Spooler Page Pairer Bitmap Output
Pages enter PrintExpress with file names that describe their publication as well their edition, page number and the date. These are used by the pairer to identify the pages and then by referring to the pre-defined pairing plan for each publication, the page is paired with its mate when both are available. Other information in the name could describe other functions such as its routing through the system. PostScript Pages PostScript Spooler Pairs can be dynamically assigned new names which are derived from the single page names. These could be used to allow pairs to be paired for example or steer the pairs to a specific remote print site. PrintExpress RIP PrintExpress RIP Remote site Bitmap Spooler Page Pairer Bitmap Spooler Bitmap Output Bitmap Output Laserbus
The Page Pairing GUI is typical of all status and configuration monitors within PrintExpress. Any machine on the network able to run Java can use these windows.
The left hand part of Page Pair status window shows the product configurations which include: Publication Edition Section
The two columns to the right are progress bars which for each pairing plan show: Single pages received Sheets produced by pairing pages
The right hand half of the window shows the status of sheets being processed: Type of sheet; P for pair of single pages S for single spread F for fly sheet Color turns to green when all data for that sheet has arrived Name of the sheet
The right hand half of the window shows the status of sheets being processed: Number of the two pages forming the pair
The right hand half of the window shows the status of sheets being processed: CMYK boxes are displayed when all seps are received for color pages
The right hand half of the window shows the status of sheets being processed: Grey boxes are displayed for monochrome pages
A sheet is made up by first positioning and stitching each separation of two page bitmaps together
Then PrintExpress can add furniture such as: color bars, crop marks, reg marks, web marks,
Barcodes can be generated from details in the file name and added to the plate
Panoramic plates are produced by pairing sheets or broadsheet pages.
The Soft Proof module provides a means of viewing pages or sheets together with their status in any bitmap queue. Here sheets are seen in a Bitmap Spooler queue after the Page Pairer.
Here, single pages are seen in the Soft Proofer under a publication Bitmap Spooler queue.