Connect Digital boosts efficiency within Esko-Graphics Scope

Connect Digital Imaging in Bury, Lancashire is predicting a turnover for 2005 in excess of 3 million. Moving to JDF within an Esko-Graphics Scope workflow has helped the packaging pre-press specialist to boost its efficiency and productivity. 

‘Our operation has unique systems providing a service to packaging printers and end users,’ said production director David Piercy. ‘We have used Esko-Graphics packaging workflow and CDI flexo plate imaging equipment since we were established in 2000 and all our files are now full pdf. The recent addition of JDF support within BackStage, a key module of the Scope workflow, has allowed us to automate links with our Topax MIS system.’
‘We definitely work faster,’ continued Piercy. ‘All the folder structures are created by the job ticket, which saves time. There are fewer duplicates because of the JDF integration into BackStage from our Topax MIS system. Prior to this we had to retype all the parameters for the dot gain. JDF has speeded up our workflow and reduced errors.’ 
The routing of the whole job is determined and monitored by Topax, from order entry to production, shopfloor data collection, quality assurance, platemaking and shipping. The reporting module generates management information such as production reports, performance indicators and commercial statistics. Topax and BackStage form an integrated system for production and administrative data exchange.

‘Scope is a very productive workflow and we have used it from the beginning,’ said Piercy. ‘Production supervisors set up job tickets that define a sequence of ‘Task’ processes automatically applied to the job. The tasks available include: file format import (PostScript, EPS, PDF, Illustrator/AI); CertIn PDF normalizing; optimization of PostScript, clean-up of LW objects, color management; ColorStitch vector trapping; FlexRip ripping; output to digital proof; and output to high resolution film or plate.’

Connect Digital will shortly open its asset management system to customers on-line who will be able to call up jobs that are automatically processed by the BackStage servers. A new LES 10 communications system for very high speed Internet has been installed to cope with large data streams.

Wim Delagrange, product mManager at Esko-Graphics, said ‘I’ve heard many companies asking the question what is the future of JDF. I believe that Connect Digital is an excellent example of how real it can get today. As an early adopter of BackStage, the company clearly understood the advantage of digitally connecting the two systems without having to go into large customization projects, building on the fact that BackStage offers standard technologies like JDF (job specifications) and XML (job status feedback). This way they have expanded the functionality of BackStage as a production workflow server.’