RIP remotely and decrease prepress errors with new SDP Smart Tools

RYE, NY – Mitsubishi Imaging (MPM), Inc., today announced a new version of SDP Smart Tools, workflow software that integrates and automates prepress tasks to cut down on mistakes, save time and reduce costs. Smart Tools 3.1.2 gives operators greater remote control over the RIP, refines the graphical interface and improves compatibility with non-Mitsubishi RIPs.

“With SDP Smart Tools, what once took several workstations, operators and hours to do, can now be handled by one operator from any workstation, in less time, with fewer mistakes,” said Mitsubishi Senior Product Manager Colleen Molkenbur. “This latest version puts more control into the hands of the operator and offers greater ease-of-use and flexibility, especially when it comes to managing the RIP.”

SDP Smart Tools covers PDF creation, preflight and enhanced file viewing. Its client/server design allows operators to send files to the RIP workstation, monitor progress and make changes, all from any Smart Tools-enabled workstation. Eliminating trips to multiple workstations often produces a dramatic increase in productivity; often one or two hours per day.

“It used to be that your only choice without Smart Tools was all or nothing to the RIP,” added Ms. Molkenbur. “With Smart Tools you can stop a mistake – the embarrassing headline typo that no one seems to catch until the end – before it hits the proofer or platesetter. That adds up to a lot of saved paper and a lot of saved plates. And perhaps a much relieved customer.”

New in version 3.1.2 are:

• Greater Remote Control Over RIP Page Setup Manager A user will almost never need to access the RIP itself. In addition to selecting Page Setups, operators can control the following from any Mac or Windows client:
• Rotation
• Trapping
• Separation setup
• In-RIP Imposition templates (requires simple imposition)
• Page Features
• Windows Printer
• Print RIPped images through any Windows printer
• Enhanced Interface
• Graphics closely represent each output device
• Improved interaction for individual job edits
• Better Compatibility and Reliability
• Compatibility improvements for Smart Tools controlling a Non-Mitsubishi RIPs
• Compatibility with the Ryobi Ink Volume Setter software when using a version 7 RIP action

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Mitsubishi Imaging makes the case for Polyester CTP at Graph Expo

RYE, NY – The price of raw aluminum is skyrocketing. Industry experts predict metal plate prices will follow.

According to WhatTheyThink.com columnist Andrew Tribute, “Suppliers have absorbed huge increases [in aluminum and materials] and have not passed these on…In the evolving two- and four-page format markets the battle is about price.”

The time is right to consider upgrading to high-performance, economical polyester CTP.

Printers and graphic arts professionals are invited to experience the polyester CTP difference as Mitsubishi Imaging (MPM), Inc., showcases its entire family of industry-leadingSilver DigiPlateproducts, polyester platesetters and workflow automation tools at GRAPH EXPO in Chicago, Oct. 15 to 18, booth 4629.

Mitsubishi Imaging also will demonstrate its commitment to inkjet with the release of new Diamond Jet proofing papers and will exhibit the full line of Diamond Jet products and Canon inkjet printers.

Why Polyester? Quality and Price.

Mitsubishi Imaging pioneered polyester CTP technology more than 20 years ago, mostly for black-and-white and spot color printing. Polyester has come a long way since then.

Today, thanks to improved resolution, tone reproduction, backing and registration, Mitsubishi polyester prints process color as well as metal plates. Polyester plates are capable of 175 lpi, and are just as easy to run on press. Further, Mitsubishi’s DPX platesetter has a built-in punch, ensuring perfect registration, even on plates made at different times. The DPX platesetter is available in 2-up or 4-up formats.

Equal in quality, polyester and metal are worlds apart in price. Automated metal systems cost at least 30 percent more than their polyester counterparts, and all signs point toward even higher metal plate prices. Consumables, equipment and overall labor are lower with polyester CTP, so total cost of ownership is much lower.

“It’s about taking the long-term approach to business,” said Mitsubishi Imaging Marketing Director Frances Cicogna. “If you purchased a car today, with gas prices out of control, would you buy a gas-guzzling SUV or a fuel-efficient model?”

Ms. Cicogna added, “Polyester is every bit as good as metal, and far cheaper to own and operate. In today’s competitive print market – with shorter and shorter run lengths and intense pressure to turn jobs around quickly – MitsubishiSilver DigiPlateis a smart investment.”

Customers Enthusiastically Back Polyester

Mitsubishi customers have noticed an immediate, bottom-line benefit after upgrading to polyester:

“The cost of jobs dropped 30 percent. I can see several jobs a week that we have now that we weren’t doing before installing the Mitsubishi DPX 4 polyester CTP platesetter. We looked at manual metal platesetters, but you have to have someone dedicated to it. Polyester takes one person out of the mix.”

Phil Ruschak, Co-Owner, Kwik Kopy Printing, Crown Point, Ind.

“The combination ofSilver DigiPlateand DPX Platesetter has helped us grow in the short-run, process-color market. The DPX puts us on par with Indigos and DIs when it comes to cost. The difference is withSilver DigiPlateand my Speedmasters, I can produce better looking work.”

– Wayne Nemecek, President and Founder, AmeriPrint Graphics Inc.,Neenah, Wis.

With customer accolades like this, it’s clear why Mitsubishi has the lion’s share of the polyester market. Non-metal CTP sales in North America are projected to increase 9.5 percent through 2010. Analysts expect 90 percent of those sales to come from the small-to-mid-size commercial printer segment.

“We’re already seeing renewed interest in all market segments, including commercial printers with short-run process color work, newspaper printers and book printers,” said Ms. Cicogna.

* Source: “When buying CTP, technology no longer matters – but relationships with CTP suppliers are everything,” WhatTheyThink.com, May 2, 2006.

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