BOSTON -- October 8, 2003 -- Creo Inc. is now shipping Pandora 2.5 software, the next major release of itts PDF-based step-and-repeat packaging layout solution. Prepress professionals in packaging and label printing segments will welcome the many new features created specifically to increase productivity. Users experience increased efficiency and greatly improved accuracy when placing marks with the groundbreaking new enhancements to the SmartMarks feature within Pandora software. User Quote... "The new SmartMarks enhancements have enabled our imposition department to finish each layout twice as fast," says Steve Sostak, prepress supervisor, Fort Dearborn Company of Niles, IL. "Being able to save templates cuts our time doing layouts by about two-thirds. These jobs fly through our pressroom now that we can fill in the press sheet with any color. Creo is really tuned into the enhancements we need to increase productivity in our shop." New Features... Other new features include: -- Mark sets; -- Templates for quick reuse of common layouts; -- Simultaneous resolution of identical bleed overlaps; -- CAD die filtering, which allows Pandora to import a broader range of CAD die files; -- Smart mapping of source file spot colors to SmartMarks such as color bars. Pandora software supports JDF, an XML-based file format used to describe the entire print production cycle. This support, combined with support for PDF, PJTF, PCF, and CIP3, makes it even easier to integrate Pandora software into existing workflows, including the Brisque Pack and Prinergy Powerpack(tm) packaging workflows from Creo, as well as other popular workflow solutions. A Pandora JDF file contains all the necessary data for further processing in the workflow, including information about a job's artwork, marks and colors, ensuring that opportunities to improve operating margins are easily detected and captured. In addition, Pandora JDF implements the CIP4 imposition and separation process. By supporting JDF, Pandora is an important element of Networked Graphic Production(tm), the strategic initiative that is streamlining and automating every step in the print production process. Version 2.5 is a free upgrade for current users of Pandora software.