Düsseldorf, Germany (September 26, 2003) – The International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press, and Postpress (CIP4) and Messe Düsseldorf today struck a partnership that will in effect make drupa 2004 “the JDF drupa” — the global event heralding the advent of JDF and process automation in the graphic arts industry. The Job Definition Format (JDF) specification provides a common syntax and agreement for how to automate workflows, preserve job data and instructions throughout a print job’s lifecycle, and for messaging to, and between, individual devices on the shop floor. “Given the development and testing time as well as natural market forces, the informal consensus among systems, software, and equipment providers is that drupa 2004 is the coming out party for JDF-enabled products,” says James E. Harvey, Executive Director of the CIP4 Organization. “While there are JDF-enabled products currently on the market and there are pioneering printers, publishers, and prepress services who are using JDF today, I clearly see a flood of new JDF-enabled products at drupa 2004. Beginning with drupa 2004, printers will find that more and more equipment comes with JDF features or capabilities, even if they are not specifically pursuing a computer intenerated or process automation implementation plan. As I’ve heard said, JDF will spread like a virus and it is the biggest change to our industry’s infrastructure since the application of computers to prepress and desktop operations. I know that there are many great innovations expected to be seen at drupa 2004, but I predict that drupa 2004 will be remembered as the ‘JDF drupa.’” “drupa 2004 is more than a shopping trip for graphic arts professionals,” said drupa Project Manager Manuel Mataré, “it is where printers, prepress professionals and postpress professionals learn about workflow, production, technology, and business innovations and directions so that they can incorporate elements of what they find into their competitive strategies. JDF is a key element to the future of print and we are glad to have the opportunity to work with the members of the CIP4 Organization to provide programs and events that will give drupa 2004 a clear and useful vision of the future of print production.”