MIS Automates High Volume Repro In Six Minutes

The installation of an Odystar system at the print management division of Oce Business Services has transformed the way in which the company handles print on behalf of its clients.

The installation of an Odystar system at the print management division of Oce Business Services in Brentwood, Essex (UK) has transformed the way in which the company handles print on behalf of its clients.

Oce's Business Services division is the fastest growing part of the organisation, with 50 major corporations currently on its books, representing around GBP 25m of business last year in the UK, and GBP 300m worldwide, said Oce.

Rob Day, the creative and pre-press systems development manager at Oce, said: "For the past five years we have utilised a reprographics process based around PDF 1.3 technology, in order to send imposed PDF files to the 40 UK sheet-fed and web offset printers we have on our approved suppliers list.

To truly service our clients' print requirements we need to manage the job that is sent to the printer and this includes quality, content and delivery.

We take on the responsibility for ensuring the accuracy for all of this.

However, as part of a recent move to OSX we needed a system to handle the ever growing functions of the design applications.

Odystar fits perfectly with our strict underlying procedures and processes and allows us to benefit from a level of technology that will deal with PDF 1.5 formats as well as accurately handling transparencies." He added that the implementation of Odystar had made an impact on the services the company offers and the efficiency with which it can provide.

The level of automation of reprographics functions meant that Oce can receive a file and have it fully pre-flighted, trapped, flattened, imposed and sent for client approval in around six minutes.

Aimed at pre-press houses and commercial printers, Odystar is an automated digital workflow based on Artwork Systems and Enfocus technology.

The modular design means that it can be integrated easily with RIPs and workflows from other manufacturers, turning existing output equipment into PDF 1.5 compliant devices, said Artwork Systems.

Day commented: "One of the beauties of Odystar is its flexibility.

Once we have named the file, input imposition requirements and job number, virtually everything else is automatic.

We generate low-resolution PDFs for quick reference and attach those to the electronic job bags created in our e-procurement system.

With that basic information we can automate a course through the correct processes to deliver the on-site and off-site proofs, deliver the correct files to the print supplier and notify through the Odystar 'mail' gateway all of the relevant recipients that there are files awaiting proofing or imaging to plate.".

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