Information

Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. has developed FUJIFILM POD RIP - a front-end system designed specifically for on-demand printing.

Configured with the Xerox DocuColor™, it will be part of a high-quality, high-speed on-demand print system that will be exhibited at drupa 2004.

Short-run variable data printing, used to personalise each individual copy, is attracting widespread attention in the Graphic Arts market. Accompanying this important new trend is the rapid spread of on-demand printers capable of quickly delivering such variable data jobs, a phenomenon that is challenging conventional press concepts.

In recognition of this, FUJIFILM has brought together its proprietary image processing technology, expertise in RIP technology (cultivated in the prepress and printing fields) and colour matching technology to develop FUJIFILM POD RIP as a front-end system for on-demand printing applications. FUJIFILM POD RIP currently supports the Xerox DocuColor™ 6060 and 2060 and support will be extended to other printers in the future.

The Graphic Arts industry is experiencing a major transformation. Value traditionally produced from investment in plant and equipment is now being created with digital technologies and service and support. Customer demands for lower costs and variable data support are increasing at a fast pace. With the establishment of remote printing networks, support efforts are being directed towards shorter-run printing that can be done where needed. Moreover, digital printing is benefiting from recent advances that are beginning to allow cost reduction, variable data support and faster throughput while bringing quality closer to conventional press results — all factors that in turn are promoting its growth. Digitisation has also spurred an increase in image content in the form of digital photographs, thus stimulating demand for automated image adjustment at the front end of on-demand printing systems.

FUJIFILM is meeting these needs with Image Intelligence™ as its core technology. Image Intelligence™ is super high-quality image processing technology derived from FUJIFILM’s extensive experience in analogue photographic technology. Image Intelligence™ is already utilised in a broad range of applications from general photography to pre-press ⁄ press work and is now being applied to new fields. FUJIFILM is also aggressively bringing in image processing technologies from outside of the prepress ⁄ press fields with the aim of adding new and innovative functionality.

As a result of this, plus FUJIFILM’s work on tightening the workflow printing process link,FUJIFILM will from now on be a supplier of high-speed on-demand print systems.Integrating the above technologies as well as customer services in the FUJIFILM POD RIP promises to yield a unified colour management system (CMS) for digitalised on-demand printing environments that can deliver colour reproduction remarkably close to the target during all stages, from proofing to printing.

Features of the FUJIFILM High-Speed On-Demand Print System

FUJIFILM POD RIP is initially released in Japan only. Announcements concerning the availability in markets outside Japan will be made subsequently.

ENDS