Providing the primary focus on today’s production operations, the digital front end (DFE) carries the responsibility for controlling, pre-processing, RIPping and post-processing jobs before they’re passed to the output device.
Although there are no rules to state that all components need to be from a single supplier, many users prefer to work with a single manufacturer’s products as this gives the additional guarantee of flawless end-to-end functionality without compromise.
What users expect from their DFE is that their data, which can come from a variety of different sources, must be input and handled seamlessly to incorporate the specific parameters of a given job. The architecture needs to be structured to provide speed and accuracy, with the capability for the DFE to work with variable data printing, generate consistent colour quality and accuracy, and output to a variety of digital devices for the right results every time.
With the fastest currently available, EFI’s Fiery is always under continuous improvement to bring considerably quicker processing speeds, plus improved image quality and more easily automated workflows. The recent launch of the Fiery FS150 Pro DFE, for example, incorporates advanced imaging features, and builds on its predecessor that, at the time, was the first to carry a 100% pass label from VIGC’s PDF RIP Audit. This ensures that output matches the designer’s intent on the first print.
EFI’s Fiery DFE links seamlessly with its MIS, ERP, eCommerce, web-to-print and scheduling tools and offers support for APPE 3.0 (Adobe PDF Print Engine). Time and cost savings are incorporated into its workflow integration via JDF configuration settings, with a free Fiery Go app for iPhones and iPads to facilitate remote monitoring and managing of print jobs.
Wide-format printer users can reap the benefits of EFI’s Fiery XF proServer which again ensures accurate colour, fast processing speeds, and simultaneous job generation to optimise printer up-time. Again, integration is the key as its JDF technology enables jobs to be submitted with important meta data to the printer, and integration with other EFI products such as Pace MIS and Digital StoreFront web-to-print software.
The key to EFI’s DFE philosophy is flexibility, speed and accuracy, with the added benefits of integration ensuring that print companies of all sizes can benefit from Fiery. Efficiency in workflow is vital, starting with data input from different sources and fast job processing to different print engines, through eCommerce and web-to-print, to accurate tracking, reporting and accounting functions.
