Software - Web-to-print

The role of printer is today the role of content manager. Print buyers are turning to printers for more than one-stop services of an ink-and-paper nature. How do your services measure up? BY MARIE RANOIA ALONSO Do your customers have instant access to their files over the Web? As soon as you have scanned or copied their images onto your server, are they available through a secure Website for your clients? Do your clients come to you for scanning, image distribution—and printing? What's more, do you want to do all of this stuff? Unfortunately, you may not have a choice. Today's truly progressive commercial

Streamlining prepress production with PDF optimizes cross-platform functionality and consistent, predictable output. While some commercial printers are content to watch PDF's development, others are embracing the still-emerging technology full force. Which approach is yours? BY MARIE RANOIA ALONSO This is the second installment in Printing Impressions' ongoing look at PDF workflows in practice at a variety of commercial printing and digital prepress operations. Part I appeared in the June issue. PDF FILES are independent of platform or operating system. PDF files are small and self-contained, with fonts, images and graphics embedded within each PDF document, streamlining electronic transmission and preflighting. PDF files offer

It is increasingly difficult to find major vendors that have not jumped onto the XML bandwagon. Adobe, Agfa, Heidelberg and MAN Roland have teamed up to develop the Job Definition Format (JDF) using XML, while CreoScitex and Quark are both building XML-based applications to drive their own systems. In the e-commerce space, printCafe, PrintTalk—a nascent group of firms—and others are building transaction and supply chain management systems based on eXtensible Markup Language. Not to be left out, the on-demand group PODI has published a specification called PPML—Personalized Print Markup Language—based on this spec, and still another industry initiative, called the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP),

RESTON, VA—Addressing a growing issue as computer management systems and e-solutions tailored for the commercial printing market become standard operating procedure at printing companies, more than 16 of the most prominent print management system and e-commerce companies in the industry have announced plans to form a community to define a "best practice" common and open communications interface between their products. The project has been named PrintTalk. Current participating companies include Avanti Computer Systems, Cirqit.com, Collabria, Graphic Arts IT, GraphiTech Computer Systems, httprint, Impresse, MediaFlex.com, Noosh Inc., Parsec Corp., Press-Tige Software, Printable.com, PrintChannel.com, Profit Control Systems, Streamline Solutions and WAM!NET. "The

CHICAGO—In what could be the beginning of a serious struggle for control of their customers' access, four of the top commercial printing conglomerates in the U.S. have joined forces in an effort that could leave the new crop of dotcom print facilitators on the outside looking in. R.R. Donnelley & Sons, based here, along with Banta Corp., Quad/Graphics and Quebecor World, have announced that they are "working together to create supply-chain efficiencies for industry participants worldwide by establishing standards and leveraging enabling technologies." According to a joint statement, "by building a foundation for industry standards, the four companies will enable customers who frequently work

PALO ALTO, CA—Noosh Inc. has signed a three-year agreement with Moore Corp. The agreement will allow Moore to process its print-related projects through noosh.com, and for the two companies to conduct joint sales and marketing activities, as well as set the stage for potential technology integration. "The Noosh Live Jobs collaborative technology complements Moore's digital product offerings and will enhance our ability to create a more robust environment to handle digital information,'' explains Denise Miano, vice president of emerging technologies at Moore. "The agreement allows Moore commercial print customers who are subscribers to the Noosh service to manage the design, production and management of

There has been a string of incidents in which computer hackers attacked prominent e-commerce sites. The experts hope the incidents serve as a wake-up call. BY CHRISTOPHER CORNELL Not many weeks ago, you could scarcely watch a TV newscast without hearing breathless reports of prominent e-commerce sites being attacked by mysterious, unidentifiable "computer hackers." The stories probably sent chills down the spine of many a CEO whose company has recently ventured out onto the World Wide Web. After all, many of them must have said to themselves, if Internet stalwarts like Yahoo! and eBay can be victims, how can I possibly be safe? Still,

In a world of ever-tightening deadlines and faster production cycles, color proofing is a major stumbling block. Time is required to make the proof, especially in an analog workflow, and delivery and review add to that time. And while nothing can be done about either the creation or review stages of proofing, the delivery of the proof is an area that would seem ripe for compacting. Or at least that's what we've been hearing for some time now. Yet remote proofing is used for just a small fraction of all print materials produced. Why? If service is one of the primary differentiators between companies—a debatable

BY CLINT BOLTE Representatives of the 43 member companies of the International Cooperation for Integration of Prepress, Press and Postpress (CIP3)—two companies joined during DRUPA—used this international venue as another opportunity to meet and discuss the evolving status of their efforts to develop integrated production standards leading to computer integrated manufacturing (CIM). Increasing anticipation in this meeting was evident due to two developments: the fourth "P" for Process to represent the new Job Definition Format (JDF), as well as the potential juggernaut of JDF versus printCafe's PCX specifications. Forged by Adobe, Agfa, MAN Roland and Heidelberg beginning nearly a year and a half

David Steinhardt has built a 17-year career on being what he terms a professional outsider—having worked for four industry associations. Today, Steinhardt is vice president of industry relations at PrintNation.com. He's now an Internet insider. BY MARIE RANOIA ALONSO David Steinhardt was an outsider—if you consider being knee-deep in association work and issues the definition of outside the actual nuts-and-bolts of the printing industry. Interesting. What if the definition of inside the commercial printing industry also meant being an insider at an emerging Internet company, serving the equipment, production and business needs of the commercial printing industry? This is Steinhardt today. Certainly,