Bills and Statements Print Focuses Consortium

An IBM United Kingdom Limited product story

Edited by the Printingtalk editorial team Jan 30, 2006

A 27-company printing industry consortium has begun releasing key colour components of the architecture used by clients worldwide for the high speed printing of bills.

A 27-company printing industry consortium has begun releasing key colour components of the architecture used by clients worldwide for the high speed printing of bills, statements and other customer communications.

The AFP Colour Consortium, created by IBM in 2004, is publishing the new open standard as part of an effort to spur innovation in the rapidly accelerating high-end colour print arena, said the company.

The consortium has been working collaboratively to define the colour management portion of IBM's advanced function presentation (AFP) architecture.

Members are designing the architecture to help businesses develop device-independent colour applications, resources and workflows that can be printed initially with high-quality greyscales and, eventually, in colour.

Keenie McDonald, general manager of IBM's Printing Systems Division, said: "This marks a milestone in the evolution of high-volume business printing.

By addressing the full range of technical specifications associated with printing in colour, the consortium is helping take the industry to the next level and is paving the way for future innovation across the AFP architecture." The AFP Colour Consortium currently includes members from 27 international companies, such as IBM, Kodak, Lexmark, Oce, Xeikon, and Xerox in the hardware sector.

Software vendors include CDP Communications, Cincom, Compart Systemhaus, COPI, Crawford Technologies, Docucorp International, Document Sciences, Elixir Technologies, Emtex, Exstream Software, GMC Software, Group 1, Intermate, Inventive Designers, ISIS Papyrus, Metavante, MPI, Printsoft, Solimar Systems, Streamserve and Xenos Group.

The consortium also announced the formation of a new on-line community designed to provide information and documentation on the open colour elements of the AFP architecture, which the consortium believes will help speed adoption of colour transaction printing and offer more flexibility to clients.