Print Ordering Software First In Netherlands

Zwaan printmedia printing and packaging group in Wormerveer, Netherlands, is the first European company to install Screen's Riteonline print ordering software.

Zwaan printmedia printing and packaging group in Wormerveer, Netherlands, is the first European company to install Screen's Riteonline print ordering software.

Although Zwaan is Beta testing Riteonline the browser-based software, is already providing its customers with the ability to recall previous jobs online and either edit or re-order.

Riteonline is part of Screen's new Trueflownet suite of workflow products announced earlier this year and one of three customer relations management products that can operate independently of the pre-press system, or as part of a JDF enabled workflow.

In Zwaan's case, Riteonline is integrating with its Trueflow pre-press workflow feeding a Screen Platerite 8000 II B1 format platesetter.

Riteonline runs on a Windows PC with a web server that creates customer-specific sites, with password protection and different levels of access privilege possible within the same client company.

Zwaan has been using Screen's Spekta hybrid AM/FM screening system since before its official introduction in 2001.

It has five Heidelberg Speedmaster presses of different sizes and configurations plus digital presses, and employs 40 people.

Customers include Sony Europe, the Albert Heijn grocery chain, as well as regional and international advertising and design companies.

It splits its activities between annual reports or books and stationery and packaging of bulbs for Holland's well-known flower industry.

Zwaan's two sister companies can also access Riteonline - H and S Design in Heerhugowaard and Nova Flora in Heemstede which specialises in flower imagery, created in its own in-house photographic studio.

Zwaan printmedia uses these images in its printed flower and bulb packaging.

Peter Doornekamp, Zwaan's pre-press and print manager who has been in charge of the Riteonline project, commented: "We will be running static and dynamic documents from the start.

Our first step will be to get acquainted with the software and as we actually produce product brochures for Screen Europe's office in Amstelveen, their own brochures, product sheets and stationery are our first lessons.

For our next step we will work with a selected number of customers to implement the system.

For each customer we will have to look at the type of work that is best suited to on-line automation.

For instance, Riteonline will be useful for some of the flower packaging, where we can add variable text or even images.

This way the customers can add their own choices, with Nova Flora still maintaining control over the design and styles.

We will also be able to use it for items such as several language versions of standard product sheet designs, business cards, property sheets, and monthly menu cards for restaurants that can be changed by the chef de cuisine." Riteonline presents customers with a password-secured website that gives them access only to their job details.

They can call up lists of previous jobs and order reprints.

For 'static' jobs, which are unaltered reprints, Riteonline displays low-res PDF documents enabling customers to view them on-screen and visually check they have made the correct choice.

Riteonline creates dynamic job templates using QuarkXPress.

With 'dynamic' jobs, customers can edit some or all of the text and picture fields themselves and then see a low-res PDF proof before placing the order.

Doornekamp is enthusiastic about the benefits that Riteonline will offer both Zwaan and its customers: "Online ordering will offer benefits in time, clear communication, less errors and less cost in pre-press and order management.

It means that the responsibility for accuracy will be with the customer.

Plus I think time will be a strong factor with our customers.

Ultimately, the service will encourage our customers to order on-demand which we see as an important growth factor for our business.".

Back to top