After introducing Automatic Plate Loading (APL), Herold Druck und Verlag AG commissioned ppi Media, a subsidiary of manroland, to install its output management system printnet OM to achieve even more automation in the prepress and printing stages. This is a further step on its way towards being one of the most modern printing houses in Austria.

"For us, printnet OM was the logical consequence as a follow-up to APL. We regard this solution as a safe investment for the future: automating the prepress stage and continuing to use innovative production processes. We've been pressing ahead with this solution for years," said Thomas Unterberger, authorized representative of Herold Druck. printnet OM knows and supports all the requirements of the APL workflow as no other system does. At Herold Druck, the output management system ensures a seamless workflow, from plate logistics through imaging of dummy plates to color coherence and the automatic generation of double-truck forms. printnet OM is supplied with planning data from PECOM. The system uses this data to calculate a production plan for the respective printing forms. This production plan contains both the printing plan and a definition of common pages and forms. On the basis of this plan, imaging is performed according to the principle of first needed, first out which ensures that only the plates that are required are actually produced.

Product demonstration at IFRA Expo 2010
The implementation of standard software is becoming increasingly important due to the high degree of automation and the fact that the prepress workflow has been extended to include the mounting of the plates on the press. At their neighboring stands (nos. 4.430 and 4.420) ppi Media and manroland will show how the perfect interaction of hardware and software functions by giving presentations during the IFRA Expo 2010 in Hamburg from October 4-6, 2010.