Phoenix, Arizona -- LithoTechnics Inc., developer of Metrix, the intelligent, automated job planning and imposition system, announced today that Metrix 3.7 has been released.

With the release of Metrix 3.7, LithoTechnics continues its aggressive development schedule aimed at pushing forward print manufacturing automation and cost reduction, so critical in today's print market.

The new features of Metrix 3.7 include:

- Greatly improved support for Fujifilm XMF workflows.

- New barcode marks and special Muller Martini barcodes (Max Edition).

- New component related text mark variables that automatically report information about the products or signatures they're positioned over.

- Split exports for PDF and Fujifilm XMF workflows.

- At multi-user sites, clients can now see who else is logged-in.

- JDF and MXML import have been expanded and improved.

- New project properties – "Type" and "Needs Attention".

- Optionally place collation marks over or under content.

- Import and export stock data, including costs, via comma separated (CSV) files.

Randy Jamerson, Prepress Manager at Ebsco Media (a Metrix 3.7 beta test site), remarked: "Metrix 3.7 has many features that will make Metrix even more productive for us. For instance, the Muller Martini barcode marks will save a lot of time and eliminate errors – we've been wanting this feature and now we'll have it. Another feature we really like is being able to tag projects as Production, Estimate, or Template – this will be helpful as we expand the use of Metrix to other areas of our workflow."

Peter Doyle, Regional Sales Manager at Muller Martini Corp., said, "The addition of Muller Martini barcodes to Metrix 3.7 will benefit our mutual customers greatly, as it will insure the accurate collating sequence of saddle stitch, perfect bound and hard cover products. Metrix 3.7 in conjunction with Muller Martini's ASIR3 signature recognition system provides a solution that eliminates errors due to a form/signature being placed in the wrong feeder or of a job being bound missing a signature/form. This solution is far superior to  signature recognition equipment that only reads the image on the printed page. What's more, the Metrix implementation is very simple and easy to use – so much so that we requested a copy of Metrix for our testing laboratory."

David Grant, Production Manager at Greenerprinter (a Metrix 3.7 beta test site), stated: "Our favorite feature in Metrix 3.7 is simple and one that I wouldn't have expected – the ability to create multiple PDFs instead of one multi-page PDF. This feature has meant fewer errors in production and quickened the turnaround times for multiform layouts."

Bryan Hughes, Product Marketing Manager for Workflow Products at Fujifilm Graphic Systems USA had these thoughts: "The XMF integration in Metrix 3.7 is important because Metrix offers so much more than a typical imposition software – its automation and planning functionality expand the capabilities of XMF and add a lot of value for our customers."

The Metrix family includes Metrix Commercial, Metrix Max, Metrix X-8 and Metrix X-80, targeted at different segments of the commercial print market. The product line also includes Metrix Server, which fully automates planning, imposition, and finishing machine setup without any human intervention. All products are available on Mac OS X and Windows, and all plan and impose flat, folded, and bound work. Select Metrix editions can import JDF and export imposed PDF, and various forms of JDF for prepress and finishing. The Metrix family is available in English, German, Spanish, French, and Simplified Chinese.