Tuebingen – GMG Americas, the US office of Germany-based GMG GmbH & Co. KG, leading developer and supplier of high-end color management software solutions, will be introducing PrintFactory GMG Edition, the company's first workflow solution for wide format digital printing, to the Americas at Graph Expo 2011, booth 227. This follows the worldwide introduction at Fespa Hamburg in May, and is the first result of the company's acquisition of Aurelon this past May.

Based on the success of the GMG ColorServer & GMG SmartProfiler bundle with industrial wide format printers, GMG found customers in this market are in strong need of a production solution well beyond the capabilities and limitations of traditional wide format RIPs. Additionally, the workflows and processes of wide format print providers differ significantly from those of printing press oriented solutions, so a dedicated solution to their needs was a key requirement.

Wide format users typically open incoming production files, check that content is appropriate for the chosen production system, add formatting and sometimes cutting elements, and then produce output on a variety of production systems, many purchased specifically to work with particular materials. Analyzing these steps, it becomes clear many are repetitive and very specific to wide format production, while few are machine specific. Further, many tools in use today were made for different purposes, burdening the user with inefficient, repetitive, and error prone steps – often being split between multiple editing applications and different output RIPs.

"GMG identified a specific need among wide format printers for an all-inclusive workflow system with high quality color management. We are strengthening our presence in the wide format print production market significantly, while continuing our strategic expansion beyond traditional market segments," explains Jim Summers, GMG Americas president. "This is considerable step for GMG, offering a fully integrated solution with all the functions needed to manage the production process from file delivery to finished output. Of course, GMG already had the color management expertise, but with Aurelon's ability to provide innovative, modular and scalable technology for the design, automation and processing of digital information to any media, we now have a fully-integrated, one-stop solution."

The all-in-one, complete solution for automated, standardized and color-consistent wide format print production

PrintFactory GMG Edition is a complete workflow, including production automation, color management, real-time previewing, output RIPing, as well as cutting and finishing instructions for a wide variety of wide format printers and cutters. The range of features is specifically developed for wide format print providers, offering all tools needed to complete a job.

With PrintFactory GMG Edition, the workflow is optimized by splitting file checking and editing features from the RIP process, providing all the tools used for production in a separate preparation application, PrintFactory Production Editor. The editor provides instructions to a processing architecture, which can be centralized or distributed for maximum efficiency. A rapidly growing list of more than 600 printers and cutting systems are currently supported.

This flexible architecture is modular and dynamically reconfigurable, allowing customers to change and grow cost-effectively as their business and work processes change. Additional editor and RIP licenses can be added, seamlessly integrating with each other. Customers can concurrently launch as many Editor or RIP sessions on PC or Mac workstations as they have licensed. Floating licensing means shutting down an application on one workstation immediately frees up the license for use on another one.

Preflighting and PDF file editing: PrintFactory GMG Edition has a unique, built-in preflight engine. Each file opened is checked against a set of job specific parameters allowing rapid identification of potential production problems. Should any mistake be detected, PrintFactory GMG Edition allows operators to make last-minute edits or corrections to virtually any object element in the job within the PDF file. Time consuming RIPing of files is not required to inspect output.

Color management: PrintFactory GMG Edition uniquely includes GMG ColorServer technology with its industry-leading MX4 color management technology, assuring maximum efficiency and color consistency for any kind of wide format production. Colors match between different substrates, printers and work locations.

With GMG SmartProfiler, creation of custom color profiles and printer calibrations is supported with easy-to-use wizards producing high-quality results quickly and dependably.

Job preparation system: A dedicated wide format job preparation system makes it possible to easily add tiling set-ups, folds, seams and tunnels, define die cut lines and create tiles and grommets. White ink and varnish can be added either on or behind an object or the entire job. Softproofing based on the same interpreter as the RIP offers an accurate representation of the job on screen.

Ink Savings: The GMG ColorServer engine can easily reduce waste of expensive production media and ink. The EcoSave option can significantly reduce ink usage - up to 20% - while maintaining or improving color and print quality.

Automation: The modular architecture of PrintFactory GMG Edition is built for growth, making it easy to add job preparation, processing or printing capacity.  For recurring jobs, standard and customized templates make it possible to prepare repeat jobs quickly and automatically, while eliminating errors.

PrintFactory GMG Edition separates file preparation from production, allowing multiple, parallel processes to increase throughput. Workstations can operate with either Macs or PCs, increasing operator flexibility within the prepress department.

PrintFactory GMG Edition is available by contacting GMG directly, and is offered in two versions:

• PrintFactory GMG Edition for Print Shops, mainly focusing on indoor communications such as banner, POP/POS, displays, labels and decals.
• PrintFactory GMG Edition for Industrial LFP, for very large format production with mixed production processes, with a combination of indoor and outdoor communications projects, such as billboards, POP/POS, large banners and vehicle wraps. Cutter support and extended profile editing tools come as standard with this version as well.