Dusseldorf, Germany (May 9, 2004) - At drupa 2004 the International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press, and Postpress (CIP4) Organization announced the publication of the 1.2 version of the Job Definition Format. JDF 1.2 constitutes the maturation of the JDF specification with over 650 specifically identified additions, deletion, deprecations, clarifications, and modifications plus at least six global changes. JDF 1.2 also includes several important new features. The most substantive changes to JDF are the entirely new features of the specification. JDF 1.2 introduces the concept of "Interoperability Conformance Specifications" (ICS). In practice, no single device (i.e., printer, press, imagesetter, etc.) is likely to implement all that the JDF specification provides for. For example, if you are in the digital printing business, you may not care to facilitate data on hard case binding. ICS provides the minimum standard for individual classes of devices, including the JDF features they must support and how they are expected to handle JDF and JMF. ICS documents will later be used as the basis for certification testing of JDF-enabled products. Perhaps the most extensive addition to JDF is the complete overhaul of the preflight description. Standardized preflight profiles and preflight reports enable seamless integration of preflighting into all steps of the workflow. Other significant changes include: * The addition of a quality control process that incorporates more detailed quality control parameters and measurements as well as more detailed quality control reporting. * The addition of a digital delivery process that will help customers and providers communicate specific instructions for how to exchange files. * Supported color correction and color space conversion methods were greatly expanded and detailed, moving JDF 1.2 beyond the rather rudimentary color management found in JDF 1.1a. * Enhanced proofing to describe the various real world proofing workflows, including ROOM (RIP once, output many) and remote proofing. * The addition of several new Job Messaging Format (JMF, an component of JDF) messages and message details have been added to improve communication between the production workflow and MIS system that governs the production of JDF jobs and the devices that perform the requested processes. * Enhanced device capability definitions including language localization and sophisticated relationships between setting constraints. * The addition of features to both JDF and JMF that facilitate job costing in MIS. Interoperability testing and real-world implementation identified missing settings which have been added to JDF 1.2 as well as many minor changes which are editorial and in nature and either provide clarification or the elimination of ambiguity found in JDF 1.1a "JDF 1.2 represents both the maturation of JDF as a result of real-world experiences as well as the addition of important new features that users and JDF-enabled solution providers have been anticipating," explained Dr. Rainer Prosi of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG and CIP4's Chief Technical Officer. "With JDF 1.2, the core aspects of JDF are becoming very stable and with the standardization of preflight we have made a leap forward towards the long-term goal of covering the entire graphic arts workflow from the creative to fulfillment."