May 11, 2004 -- PrintCity, the strategic alliance of best-in-class suppliers to the graphic arts industry, is delighted to announce its membership of the International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress (CIP4) – the worldwide operating standards body overseeing the development of computer-based integration of processes in the industry. In particular, CIP4 encourages the specification of standards, such as Job Definition Format (JDF). Many PrintCity members, and all those that operate in the field of software connectivity, are already members of CIP4 in their own right, and Rainer Kuhn, Managing Director of PrintCity, described the development as “a natural progression” for the alliance. He added: “CIP4 is exactly the right organisation for the ongoing development of standards such as JDF, so it’s important that the industry understands that our efforts are aligned very much in conjunction with the aims of CIP4. PrintCity’s membership of CIP4 should therefore be seen as a clear endorsement of CIP4’s central role in the further development of the JDF marketplace. “It was always our intention to formally join CIP4, and many PrintCity members are already long-term members of CIP4 also. It is important to work together for the benefit of the graphic arts industry, and this ethos is the strong foundation upon which both CIP4 and PrintCity are built.” PrintCity’s Networking Activity Group has already played a significant role for CIP4 in the early development of JDF, with member companies collaborating over many months on helping to standardise the specifications of the latest version of the format. The results of this work were consequently handed over to CIP4, contributing to the launch of JDF v1.2, which will be seen in numerous environments at drupa 2004. It is expected that the Networking Activity Group of PrintCity will continue its integration work on behalf of CIP4. “PrintCity is among the groups of partnering companies ensuring that their JDF-enabled products are pre-integrated,” said James E. Harvey, executive director of the CIP4 Organization. “By doing this pre-integration work and testing they are making it easier for printers and prepress providers to implement JDF and establish a return on investment sooner rather than later. I look forward to seeing the JDF-enabled products of CIP4 members within PrintCity in action at drupa 2004.” PrintCity is located in Hall 6 at drupa, where it will show a unique concept of five individual, specialized printing factories controlled by a JDF-networked “Integration Centre”, each producing live printed jobs in support of three specially created brands. JDF will be used at every stage of the production process, including job tracking and statistical analysis. Around 50 different jobs will be produced, requiring the production of printed material that covers every point in the “marketing mix”, and including added-value printing techniques and ideas.