Old Habits Die Hard

Though available for years, options are just now being used to improve prepress workflow.

Like most businesses in the current economy, convertors are constantly looking to increase their cost-effectiveness through new technology. One often-overlooked stage that printers have begun to explore in an effort to improve workflow, and therefore costs, is the prepress facet of the industry. Improvements in prepress workflow and/or data transmission have been available for quite a while now, but converters have been slow to take advantage of these opportunities.

"The tools for improvement are there," says David Zwang, IPA operational TEAM consultant leader and founder of Zwang & Company, a firm specializing in process analysis and strategic development of companies in the fields of electronic publishing, design, prepress, and printing. "The biggest factor in adoption rate is a fear of change."

In addition, the long-time member of the International Prepress Association believes that companies are continuing to remain focused on sales and not cost control.

"Specific technologies like softproofing, remote proofing, color management, etc., have been around for a while," he adds. "And while many have integrated these technologies into their workflows, a vast majority haven't. Eventually they will have to because their client base will drive it."

Zwang also points to automation in RIP workflow systems, PDF, JDF (Job Definition Format), color management, and a spreading of the printing load across an increasingly disparate and collaborative workgroup.

"JDF will have a significant impact over time and this will force many of the workflow software vendors to rethink their current solutions," he predicts. "In addition, the continued influence of variable data publishing and cross media publishing will have a significant impact on direction."

Streamline software saves

In the mid 1990s, Colorbrite, recently acquired by Southern Graphic Systems, began actively shopping for enhanced workflow software that would combine streamlining and cost effectiveness.

The busy 110-employee packaging prepress shop was using a traditional raster-based workflow when they made the decision to install a Barco Graphics—now Esko-Graphics—workflow in 1995. The Minneapolis-based company's decision was motivated by their need for better, vector-based trapping rather than application-based trapping that couldn't be viewed until output.

When work was first transferred to the Barco workflow, Colorbrite immediately experienced significant savings, to the tune of 30 to 40 percent. As employees became more experienced with the workflow, executives at Colorbrite figured it was the right time to move all packaging jobs to the workflow. Running on a BackStage server, the workflow is not only extremely fast, but client changes are also now much easier. Color-corrected images or changes in text are now able to be replaced without reworking an entire PostScript file. Today, the company has seven Barco PackEdge workstations.

With large format, high-end flexo work, Colorbrite benefits from the workflow's step-and-repeat accuracy. Its three FlexRips allow completed work from any of the workstations—as well as trapped Macintosh files received directly from customers—to be sent directly to any flexo or offset platesetter and imagesetter.

Colorbrite has also found that they can now output different line screens and dot shapes on the same piece of film. For example, they'll generate a 120-line round dot for a product photo and a 110-line random 'Samba' hybrid dot for its drop shadow. Todd Baker, vice president of operations, says it makes the product look more noticeable and pleasing to the consumer.

"For one of our large accounts, we built a master database of over 900 packages, trapped and set in one-up forms," remarks Todd. "We'll get calls to produce plates of a certain size, run in different product combinations. In a half-hour, we'll have the digital offset plates ready for the customer. There certainly is a benefit to investing in a workflow that is designed, up front, for packaging."

Digital data transmission

At times, a simple change—such as improving the way a customer sends files to the production department—can be rewarded with greater workflow efficiency. That's what happened to Green Printing & Packaging, a business unit of the Chesapeake Corporation in Richmond, Va. Green focuses on commercial printing as well as flat board folding cartons, such as machine set-up, J-boards, U-boards, V-cards, inserts, and belly-bands.

Until a couple of years ago, Green relied on their FTP server to receive files from customers. Although the system was inexpensive, there was one glaring problem: their customers weren't using it. Most often the customers just didn't know how to use FTP software. Because of this, Green was receiving compressed, unworkable files attached to email messages and overnight disks that were often received battered and broken from travel.

"When we looked into WAM!NET services, we didn't know that their private network was available through the Internet," notes Vicki Stone, director of technical services for Green. "That solved a major problem for us. Anyone can send us a file using a browser."

Each customer has its own account number and can deliver files by simply dropping them into a Hot Folder. At Green, the customer service representative and the prepress technician assigned to that account are alerted when files have been received, along with the size of each file. On the other end, the customer is notified that the files have been successfully delivered.

Now, Green has begun to notice that customers are using file transfers because it has made their work easier and more efficient. When the file transfer services are used, turnaround time is considerably reduced and Green can typically assure customers of same-day proofs. "In our minds, customers who send files via WAM!NET get priority treatment," summarizes Vicki. "It's a lot easier to begin work when we have the files in hand. We get jobs on press faster."

Intelligencer Printing, in Lancaster, PA uses WAM!NET's services to not only improve their communication with clients, but to eliminate their reliance on the traditional messenger service. The company often wasted hours waiting on couriers to hand deliver the daily job needs of its clients.

"Since we are within four hours of all of our major markets, we weren't losing any days waiting for job materials to be transported, but we were still losing valuable time," explains Director of Sales, Dean Baker. "What could take two to four hours to transport by courier could be transmitted digitally from a client to our prepress department in minutes." The time lost during messenger transport is instead better served moving job information.