Intelligent “Imposer”: first automated imposition solution for digital and offset printing

“Imposer” is the name of the new member of the digital print family from manroland web systems. The software solution handles job-specific and automated imposing – for both digital and offset printing. The product was developed by manroland web systems, based in Germany, and Ultimate Technographics of Canada.

Within the past eighteen months, manroland web systems has succeeded in establishing its own software solutions for digital printing. MasterQ and WorkflowBridge, which fully automatically control digital finishing aggregates and manage jobs, are applied by printing companies around the world. Hildegard Heckl, Product Manager Digital and Head of Team “Digital” at manroland web systems is sure that “the new imposition software “Imposer” is just as intelligent and promises to be equally successful”. It combines the specific expertise of its developers – manroland web systems supplied the core intelligence that describes the imposition logics based on the extensive capability of their devices and Ultimate TechnoGraphics executes the processing of the printing data. The software supplies job-specific imposed data that is perfectly prepared for digital and offset printing. Whether for printing books, advertising or newspapers – the Imposer is ideally suited for frequent job and product changeovers. This is where it can fully utilize its flexibility.

Imposer distinctly different
Andreas Elchlepp, Product Management Software Development Digital & Workflow Solutions at manroland web systems explains the difference between Imposer and standard imposition solutions: “The software features a specific logic. It recognizes and uses the production aggregates, the optimized production processes, and the job structure,” The method, whose patent is pending, thus allows imposition that is specifically matched to the printing jobs. For the first time, an imposition-software complies with the requirements of digital printing as well as offset and hybrid printing. This is ideal for today's printshops that vary their printing methods according to the job. Reprinting short or individual runs via print-on-demand is customary. The upgrade of print workshops with digital production lines to create mixed production facilities is a major investment area. 
 
“It was time for the development of a software which imposes the jobs for hybrid printing and that breaches the gap in data preparation. Our solution is modular and perfectly matches existing customer requirements, while being scalable and dynamic for the largest variety of production settings,” said Andreas Elchlepp of manroland web systems. 

His business partner from the Canadian software development firm Ultimate TechnoGraphics, Joanne David, President and CEO, considers the new product Imposer to be a welcome step forward: “We want to support our customers, which so far mainly consisted of digital printing press users and all main manufacturers of digital printing presses. It is great to know that from now on offset printers will also benefit from our imposition expertise.”