Polestar Launches Online Magazine Workflow

The Polestar Group has launched Isis, an internet-based service that is claimed to provide a comprehensive workflow system for managing and controlling the production of magazines and catalogues.

The Polestar Group has launched Isis, an internet-based service that is claimed to provide a comprehensive workflow system for managing and controlling the content and production of magazines and catalogues.

The automated Isis has been developed in partnership with Atelier and its DPDX web-enabled virtual publishing technology.

It will be rolled out to customers over the next few weeks.

Polestar chief executive Barry Hibbert said: "Polestar has a well-respected reputation for offering its customers more than just an ink on paper service and Isis is further testimony to this.

By utilising Isis, our customers will have improved management of their data, from conception to production, with all the benefits that greater visibility and control offer." He continued: "The role of workflow control is increasingly important in publishing and production efficiency and with almost every element digitised, the challenge is how to manage it.

With the advanced DPDX technology and our expertise in digital pre-press, we are building a digital platform that is core to our business and which complements our production facilities." Polestar group technical director Jack Bisset has been instrumental in the partnership with Atelier and the development of Isis.

He said: "We believe DPDX is the most advanced and proven system for managing publishing workflows and obviously we want to offer the best in class solution." Atelier's business development manager Mike Palmer added: "DPDX will assist Polestar in making a definitive move to improve the collaboration between printer and publisher.

The common goal is to create a digital workflow that delivers high quality pages to print on time and within budget, which Polestar has the vision to deliver with Isis.

Through utilising such a system, publishers will benefit from improved efficiency and the potential to save significant costs - a major development for the printing and publishing industry." Polestar added that Isis enables magazine, book and catalogue publishers to gain control of their commissioning, creative, advertising and reprographic processes, saving time, cost and resources through a streamlined process and greater visibility and accountability throughout.

Secure data is then delivered in to the company's offset, gravure and digital print operations, although customers may also use the system in conjunction with other repro and print providers.

Paul McMorrine, retail category director of Polestar said: "When preparing to print catalogues or brochures, our customers handle a multitude of images and data, from a variety of sources.

Isis will streamline this process, in particular as images can be archived and retrieved quickly and easily through a simple filing system.

Isis is an efficient production tool that does not have the substantial entry cost typically associated with alternative production control systems, making it the ideal choice for many customers in the retail, mail order and travel industries." Isis offers users a suite of services, including pre-flight checking, automated page-building for advertising, print-ready PDF creation, flat planning, online approval, status tracking and digital asset management, in what are described as user friendly, desktop-based, formats.

Linked to Polestar's management information system (MIS), costing and historical information can be obtained for post-production analysis, said the company.

Jack Bisset concluded: "With Isis, we can offer all the benefits and cost savings of a fully managed digital workflow, without the need for capital expenditure or the overheads required to manage and maintain in-house systems.

This system can make a real difference to the processes, with technology that can help them produce print-ready data more efficiently.".

Back to top