HP Hall 4, D60-1 & D60-9
New workflow solutions include HP SmartStream Production Center for managing large job volumes through comprehensive production processes, as well as updated versions of HP SmartStream Production Pro DFE and HP SmartStream Director. HP also now offers HP Hiflex cloud-based software solutions, including MIS and W2P solutions, as a result of its recent acquisition of Hiflex. HP Hiflex solutions address most application areas, including commercial printing, sign and display, publishing, and direct mail.

Kodak Hall 5, Stand F9-1

Kodak will present its latest suite of workflow production tools, including Kodak Prinergy 6 software, Kodak Insite Prepress Portal software and an app for iPad devices, plus new versions of Kodak Colorflow software and Kodak Preps Imposition software. These tools help increase profitability by automating manual production processes in customers’ digital and hybrid printing environments, says Kodak. The newest version of Prinergy Workflow provides unified job management driven by production intent, resulting in reduced costs in the manufacturing process. "Efficiency improvements are required long before the actual print production process," says Jon Bracken, Kodak’s general manager of unified workflow solutions. "Prinergy Workflow 6 takes optimisation further to address the entire production planning process, driving equipment and manufacturing capabilities based on customer intent." In the new solution, Prinergy captures product and processing information, reducing the time customer service representatives, production planners, and prepress operators collectively need to spend on preparing optimised production plans. Jobs are now planned with a customisable interface, automated and easily monitored across multiple devices. Also new at Drupa will be the Kodak Intelligent Prepress Manager 2.0, which enables printers to harness more productivity and achieve peak quality and efficiency from their prepress systems, says Kodak. The new mobile app enables customers to manage their prepress systems anytime, anywhere from their smartphone or other mobile device.

Heidelberg Hall 1

Drupa will herald a wave of additions to the Heidelberg Prinect system, all targeted at demonstrating the company’s aim of highlighting what it calls the "coming of age" of workflow integration. Additions include Prinect Business Manager, a new MIS following on from Heidelberg’s acquisition of Belgian company CERM. Prinect W2P Manager, a development that comes in the wake of a collaborative deal with US developer Pageflex; increased functionality for Prinect Digital Print Manager; and developments of the Prinect packaging workflow. "By integrating all Prinect modules, users will benefit from a single database, GUI and business, sales, administration and production workflow that can be seamlessly integrated," says Prinect, workflow, UK and Nordics business executive Lance O’Connell. "It means job planning and production data will be available in the same system as, for instance, job processing and materials management data. Heidelberg has been a strong advocate of seamless CIP4 connectivity since its inception and at Drupa visitors will be amazed at just how far the integration has evolved." Prinect Business Manager and Prinect W2P will be shown operating in an integrated way although it might be 2013 before the final seamless version comes to market. Gang automation will also be shown at Drupa. The Prinect packaging workflow at Drupa will include modules to cover CAD and one-up design, one-up editing, sheet layout and processing, printing and die-cutting and folder-gluing applications. The company says that in the very near future, there will be a single workflow for digital and offset printing, with it possible to automate the processes of creating and costing a job and allocating work to the most suitable production technology or hybrid production, even providing imposition layouts for inline finishing on the Ricoh digital lines. Colour management will be optimised in the workflow, it says, so a particular colour produced on the digital press can aim to match the corresponding colour in offset.

Pitney Bowes Hall 4, Stand C4

The Pitney Bowes stand will feature dedicated software booths demonstrating the tools that the company says will enable customers to build towards an end-to-end, fully automated ‘White Paper Factory’ approach. Highlights include a demonstration of Pitney Bowes’ Hybrid Mail solution P/I OfficeMail. The demo will show how the solution enable customers to capture distributed mail and route it through a cloud-based architecture for print and mail production for cost efficiencies, robust compliance and more. Pitney Bowes will also be announcing several new versions of core products that enable and enhance the White Paper Factory concept including the ability to add demographic enriched transpromo content to transactional documents while tracking the multitude of client jobs within one full-colour print flow through the White Paper Factory.

Screen Hall 9, Stand A40

At Drupa, Screen launches its Equios Universal workflow, which has been designed for conventional and personalized printing environments. This single workflow with a single interface drives streamlined production from W2P to the delivery of the finished item automatically. With Equios, users don’t need to operate different device-dependent workflows, each with a different way of handling imposition and colour management, to drive their variety of Screen and third-party CTP, toner and inkjet devices. Screen will also bring a world-first to Drupa 2012: the introduction of a cloud-based variable data application that "simplifies the production of variable jobs and gives printers an investment-free entry into the fastest growing area of printing." Designers and data owners can collaborate on projects via a web browser before the finished file is sent to the printer (Equios user). The service will be launched within the next 12 months and will be demonstrated on the stand.

Six Offene Systeme Hall 7a, Stand E1

Six Offene Systeme develops software and solutions for print and online publishing. Products include CMS, asset management and workflow tools and all will be on show.

StudioRIP Hall 7a, Stand E14

Workflow and RIP providers StudioRIP will showcase the media-saving capabilities of its software. This can be used on anything from ganging pages on a proofer or film, to an imagesetter, to control manually the placement of pages, thus wasting fewer consumables. The company will also highlight the way its CIP3 module reduces paper and ink waste by calculating the ink coverage for the ink ducts of the press, thereby improving the speed of the press.

Xerox Hall 8b, Stand A62-1 & A62-5

Xerox is keeping details of its Drupa line-up under wraps until just before the show, but says it will have its range of Xerox FreeFlow workflow at Drupa, as well as other pre-media related technology such as the new Xerox Phaser 7800. The latter was launched at the end of last year and can print on a range of media weights from 75gsm to 300gsm at up to 45ppm.