Drupa Preview, Buren, The Netherlands (February 20, 2004) – Creo Inc. is rolling out new and enhanced prepress workflow solutions at Drupa 2004, designed to help printers streamline operations, decrease costs and grow sales. All of these workflow solutions include new features as well as expanded integration that extends Creo support for Networked Graphic Production —the industry-wide initiative that is focused on using open file standards such as JDF to automate the entire print production process—from idea to delivery. Major new editions of both the Brisque and the Prinergy workflow management systems are being introduced along with new members of the powerful Synapse family of software products. “The introduction of these products represents a significant evolution of workflow software as we have known it,” explained Stan Coleman, Creo corporate vice president, printing workflow solutions. “Our workflow solutions help customers increase the quality of their printing, enhance collaboration, and improve efficiency by increasing the degree of integration. The people who work within the print process can now create a more highly automated, optimized workflow.” Integrated Management for Brisque Workflow: Synapse Director At Drupa 2004, Creo introduces the Synapse Director prepress workflow management module. This exciting new member of the Synapse family of products was developed to enhance the new version of the Brisque 5.0 workflow environment by providing powerful production management and full connectivity between the Brisque and NGP systems. Synapse Director allows users to create, manage and automate their end-to-end print production workflow systems. It builds an efficient and collaborative working environment that manages and tracks the production processes across multiple Brisques. Real-time production information can now be accessed from the Brisque and Synapse Director by Synapse Link software and interfaced to management information systems (MIS) from NGP partners or standalone reporting tools. Synapse Director enables printers to streamline their production processes and turn jobs around faster. Users of Brisque 5.0 and Synapse Director now have access to many of the production management features that were previously only available to Prinergy workflow users. The new version of Brisque, the world’s most installed prepress system, transforms the user experience with a brand new interface that provides new ease-of-use, tools and working methods. The new client server architecture of Brisque 5.0 reduces bottlenecks in prepress and increases overall productivity. Other new features include: JDF-based automated ink-key presetting with InkPRO software; PDF tools including the Creo PDF Trapper, Creo PDF PreFlight with vector PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3 output and flattener for PDF 1.5 files, providing new flexibility in the workflow; Preview options from Mac or PC clients of PostScript, PDF files, Brisque files and Brisque Imposition files in high and low resolution format, increase workflow efficiency; ICC profile support in preflight, proofing, the RIP. Multiple spot color libraries support increased color consistency and quality control; Full support of Creo Staccato screening including new import and export screen set options; Enhanced automation and production control with an enhanced Queue Manager, Monitor Palette and Message Viewer to view and track production status. Extended Integration: New Prinergy 2.3 Prinergy 2.3, the newest release of the market-leading PDF prepress workflow, provides users with powerful new features and options that enhance quality, automation and control. New features include: Support for multiple color databases for Staccato Extended Color Screens and Spotless printing options; New Creo PDF Preflight option allows operators to define preflight criteria or to use predefined profiles, such as PDF/X-1a:2001; CT/LW output to streamline interoperability between Brisque and Prinergy workflows; Ability to accept and auto process JDF-based Job Tickets from Preps imposition software; Automated ink-key presetting via JDF with the PrintLink software module; Prepress integration with business systems from NGP Partners via Synapse Link 2.0. Prepress Integration with Business Systems: Synapse Link 2.0 Synapse Link software automatically exchanges prepress production data between Prinergy and Synapse Director/Brisque workflows, and MIS systems—and back again. Information about job status, material usage and prepress activities can be shared between the systems and acted on. The data can be sent to MIS business systems for job costing or used to create stand-alone reports describing prepress activity and the materials used on jobs. Version 2.0 of Synapse Link provides more MIS integration options, which allow for greater data flow, increased automation, and visibility into prepress. Other new features include: Support for Brisque 5.0 via Synapse Director; Support for Networked Graphic Production solutions using JDF specification for MIS to prepress; Prepress events tracked by job part, such as page, surface or separation; Supports advanced process automation in the Creo prepress systems such as Prinergy and Synapse Director, for tasks initiated by business system. Integrating Creative Production with New Synapse InSite 4.0 Synapse InSite is the web-enabled workflow portal that enables printers, print buyers and their clients to streamline job submission, perform color-controlled remote proofing, and online review and approval of jobs for production. Printers are reducing cycle times and proofing costs with this tool, and job errors and miscommunications are minimized. By leveraging the power of the Internet, printers can now attract new business from afar and retain existing customers by offering enhanced customer service. Key features of this new software release include: Reader spread mode for proofing any two pages at the same time. This allows for greater proofing accuracy when copy or color follows across two pages; A Reader Order view, which allows users to see the order of pages in a page set, whether or not a given page position has had a page assigned or not, and whether the page has successfully processed or not. It provides a quick, easy visual reference for job status tracking; Smart Review (the collaborative workspace for viewing high-resolution production-file data remotely) now allows more than one review of a job to occur at the same time. This gives the client project teams more flexibility and allows independent content reviews to take place at the same time as a multi-user review session; Multiple accounts for printers’ clients who use individual accounts for different brands or publications; A job information sheet allows printers to collect and display information about a job. It can be configured by the printer or JDF-based forms can be imported from external systems at any time; Support for color-accurate soft proofing, including the ability to have the Synapse InSite monitor match a printed proof. Integrating Creative Production with Synapse Prepare 2.0 Version 2.0 of Synapse Prepare software was introduced late last year with enhanced integration between creative designers and printers. This automation tool for graphic designers streamlines the print process by generating perfect PDF files for print production. New features include: Enhanced integration with QuarkXPress software, Adobe InDesign software on the creative desktop and with Synapse InSite in prepress. Support for the Mac OS X operating system, QuarkXPress 6 software, and Adobe Acrobat 6.0 software. Integration with Production Planning: Synapse UpFront 3.0 The new version of Synapse UpFront production planning software improves integration with the latest version of Preps imposition software. Improvements in planning accuracy save operating costs, material waste and improve efficiency. Preps 5.0 introduces a new SmartMarks feature that allows users to create and edit templates in a fraction of the time it took with previous releases. Integrating Accurate Color with New Profile Wizard Mio Edition As part of the Creo Certified Color initiative, the new Mio Edition for Profile Wizard color management software makes creating exceptional quality ICC profiles easier than ever before. The Profile Wizard Mio Edition supports both Mac OS X and PC Windows, and the new GretagMacbeth iCColor spectrophotometer. Profile Wizard Mio Edition allows designers and prepress professionals to create color profiles for monitors, input, or output devices for predictable, accurate color throughout the entire print workflow. Quality color profiling with Profile Wizard eliminates costly rework due to color variation, increases productivity, and reduces time and material wastage. All of these new software versions support the NGP initiative with enhanced JDF capabilities providing greater integration from idea to delivery. Whether working together in an integrated workflow, or as individual components, each of these new versions is scalable, open, and modular. This provides greater flexibility to evolve the workflow solution that meets the Creo users’ needs today and for their needs in the future. These new workflow innovations will be demonstrated during Drupa 2004 at the Creo stand in Hall 4, Stand B10, and at the NGP Pavilion in Hall 4, Stand B22, where NGP Partners will showcase integrated solutions.