Cover Story
14
PRINT.IT
01732 759725
Exceed
expectations with EFI
EFI Fiery Digital Front Ends can help print centres exceed
users’ expectations and improve profitability
print centre to match the print
quality, service levels and range
of services offered by existing
suppliers.
A good starting point is to
invest in an EFI Fiery Digital
Front End (DFE) running Fiery
Command WorkStation job
management software.
Compatible with all leading
production printers and digital
presses, a DFE provides a
range of essential functions
including job management,
job automation, colour
management, pre-flight
and soft-proofing, media
management, document make-
ready, variable data processing,
finishing support and web-to-
print processing.
By combining the functions
of a print server with a full
range of software tools, EFI
Fiery DFEs enable users to
take full advantage of their
investment in colour and black
and white print engines.
Speed and Accuracy
EFI Fiery DFEs are designed to
optimise performance in four
main areas:
1. Productivity
The primary
function of
a DFE is to
provide faster
and more accurate
processing of print files so that
print centres can handle more
print jobs and offer their users
improved turnaround times.
As print resolutions and
colour usage have increased
so has the need for greater
processing power. EFI claims
that Fiery SmartRIP technology
enables its DFEs to process
print files significantly faster
than competing devices
especially when using
applications like variable data
printing (VDP) to personalise
output. EFI says that its DFEs
can process variable data jobs
from two to 50 times faster
than other DFEs, thanks in part
to features like the Fiery VDP
Resource Manager, which lets
users store, view and re-use
RIPed objects.
EFI’s latest DFE, the Fiery
FS150 Pro, incorporates Fiery
HyperRIP technology, which
processes a print job on four
processor cores simultaneously.
This enables it to process full-
colour digital print jobs up to
55% faster than Fiery Driven
presses without HyperRIP.
2. Usability
The enhanced productivity
of EFI Fiery DFEs is not just
a result of their processing
power, it also reflects the ease
of use and functionality of
Fiery Command WorkStation
software.
Drawing on EFI’s experience
in the print room, this award-
winning job management
application can be used to
manage Fiery Driven devices
and prepare and submit print
jobs. Its intuitive interface and
advanced makeready functions
make it easy to produce high
value jobs such as catalogues,
photo books, guides and
reports.
A key benefit is the ability to
create and apply job pre-sets
and automated workflows so
that complex tasks can be
carried out with just a few clicks,
saving time and eliminating
the errors that can occur with
manual programming.
Other benefits, says EFI,
are real-time print previews
and soft-proofing through Fiery
ImageViewer. The new version
of this useful application
includes the ability to save last-
minute colour adjustments, so
that future jobs requiring the
same type of colour correction
can be produced faster.
In addition, a Raster Preview
feature allows users to view full
resolution raster data in real
time and adjust the final raster
output at the last minute before
printing, for example by adding,
deleting and re-ordering pages
or by merging pages from
another print job.
To help with print centre
supervision, EFI has produced
a free Fiery Go app that
enables iPhone and iPad users
to monitor and manage print
jobs from anywhere in the print
shop while they get on with
other tasks.
Organisations with more
sophisticated needs can build
on the capabilities of Fiery
Command WorkStation with
EFI’s modular Fiery Workflow
Suite.
This includes a number of
distinct solutions including
EFI Digital StoreFront and EFI
Online Print Solutions for job
submission; Fiery JobFlow and
Fiery Graphic Arts Package for
prepress; Fiery Job Master, Fiery
Impose and Fiery Compose
for makeready; Fiery Central
for output management; Fiery
VDP Technology for variable
data printing; and Fiery
Color Management and Fiery
Color Profiler Suite for colour
management.
3. Colour Management
Print centres competing with
specialist print providers can’t
afford to compromise on
quality, which is why so many
choose to use the same tools
as their commercial rivals,
including EFI Fiery DFEs.
Through a combination
With cost-effective short
run printing, fast turnaround
times and the ability to
personalise communications,
digital printing has opened
up new opportunities for
businesses to promote
themselves through the
printed word.
The size and capabilities of
today’s production printers and
digital presses have encouraged
many organisations to bring
high speed colour and mono
printing in-house.
In order to attract internal
customers and, in some cases,
external customers as well, it is
imperative for an organisation’s
