INKdrop reduces ink costs and offers the many benefits linked to better gray balance, including faster make-readies, faster drying times, and faster press speeds.  The second version of INKdrop allows printers the option to "protect" color bars, marks, pure colors, and designated areas, such as logos.  "We want our customers to run INKdrop on all jobs, regardless of run length or content, said Kevin McSweeney, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Rampage.  "The color logic added to the second release of INKdrop fulfills that objective."

Reduced Material Costs and Higher Efficiencies
With downward pressure on prices, printers are looking for savings that widen profit margins.  An early adopter of INKdrop, a commercial printer with several sheetfed presses and two webs, reported ink savings from 12 to 20 percent depending on run length as well as faster time to color on sheetfed work.  Because ink densities decrease with INKdrop, the potential for running on lighter stocks is also made possible, further reducing material costs and offering postage savings.  "There are some efficiencies with INKdrop that the printer can keep, and there are some that can be passed on to the print buyer to attract or retain business," said McSweeney.

The "Right Place" in the Workflow
Similar to other pressroom optimization systems, INKdrop uses ICC device link profiles, to "push" process color to the black channel.   However, because INKdrop transforms after rasterization, but before screening, pressroom conditions (paper, press, ink, etc.) can change at the last minute without consequence.  Another benefit is the ability to deal with transparent effects.  McSweeney explained, "You do not have to flatten incoming PDFs and, as such, files with transparent effects run perfectly through INKdrop.  Again, we want our customers to optimize all jobs regardless of content to accelerate their ROI."

Group Webinars Scheduled for March and April
To help customers evaluate the INKdrop option, Rampage will send invitations via email to attend informational Webinars throughout March and April.  INKdrop 2.0 requires Version 11.2 of the Rampage Workflow, which is slated for Beta testing at the end of this month.