High-Volume Print Controller support IS/3 AFP standard.
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Press Release Summary:
In addition to AFPC JPEG format and AFPC TIFF set, Océ SRA® controller supports IS/3 standard for Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) printing. It also delivers accelerated RIPing and precise color management features. Designed for high-volume production environments, controller efficiently handles multi-record PDFs by parsing file and creating groups of PDF pages with all associated resources. This eliminates need for additional color management during conversion to alternate format.
Original Press Release:
Oce Extends Powerful Oce SRA High-Volume Controller with Support for Latest IS/3 AFP Standard
Océ SRA controllers help power Océ inkjet printing portfolio
TRUMBULL, CONN. - Océ, a Canon Group company and an international leader in digital document management, today announced it has extended its powerful Océ SRA®controller technology with added support for the latest IS/3 standard for Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) printing. The inclusion of the latest functionalities of IS/3 build upon the fast RIPing and precise color management features of the robust Océ SRA controller, bringing more value and benefit to users needing production-oriented technology. Océ products that use Océ SRA controllers include the Océ JetStream® family, Océ ColorStream® 3500 systems, and the Océ PRISMAproduction® Server for output and workflow management.
A Standard Used to Print Millions of Documents
Transaction documents and other communications associated with financial, insurance, retail, utilities and healthcare institutions use the AFP data format. The printed output amounts to billions of mail pieces every month. Earlier this year, the AFP Consortium (AFPC) announced a new version of this standard to deliver greater cost efficiency and interoperability in multi-vendor environments. The latest interchange set, IS/3, improves productivity in complex, multi-vendor production environments, and supports the latest fonts, images and graphics.
Océ Support Helps Customers with Multi-vendor Operations
"Océ has always been a proponent of open architecture solutions that remove limits on cross-platform inter-operability. As a member of the AFPC, we fully support the IS/3 standard on our full-color continuous feed inkjet systems that use Océ SRA controllers. The new definition helps users reduce the cost and time involved in configuring, installing and operating multi-vendor AFP systems," said Francis A. McMahon, Vice President, Marketing, Océ North America Production Printing Systems.
SRA Is Ideal Controller for Heavy Duty Production
Océ SRA controller technology is uniquely designed for high-volume production printing environments. A key differentiator is how the Océ SRA controller handles the multi-record PDFs often used for massive transactional and direct mail applications.
Methods used by other RIPs can lead to color management issues, large file sizesand excessive rip times.Before printing, some of these controllers RIP files into four color planes, resulting in a massive, hard-to-manage file. This process also causes color management problems if the target printer uses a different data stream than the RIP-prepared file.
The Océ SRA massive processing approach avoids the issues sometimes encountered with other controller technologies.Continuing with the above example, the Océ SRA controller parses the PDF file and creates groups of PDF pages with all associated resources. These are sent to the digital printer as fully intact PDFs, where parallel Adobe®RIP engines process the PDFs at print time and at rated print speed.
As a result, no additional color management is needed to convert PDF to an alternate format.The small file sizes (basically PDF with a "wrapper") are easier to send and manage, with minimal file preparation times in place of the rip process. For example, a file that takes an hour to RIP using other methods may only take the Océ SRA controller about four minutes to package.
What Customers Need to Get Jobs Done
"It's important that we support our AFP customers through compatibility with the standard that they use to get their work out. The proven, heavy-duty Océ SRA controller architecture is the foundation for thousands of our customers who print a myriad of documents each day, so it was essential that we extend its support for IS/3," said McMahon.
Océ already had accommodated most IS/3 functions in its full-color continuous feed portfolio. Additional functions in the newly defined IS/3 standard now available in the Océ portfolio include:
- AFPC JPEG, a format covering regular RGB-based JPEGS and Adobe CMYK JPEG formats
- AFPC TIFF, an extended TIFF set with improved transparency to simplify integration of complex images without white spaces.
The Océ production print engines driven by Océ SRA technology include:
About Océ
Océ is one of the leading providers of document management and printing for professionals. The Océ offering includes office printing and copying systems, high speed digital production printers and wide format printing systems for both technical documentation and color display graphics. Océ is also a foremost supplier of document management outsourcing. Many of the Fortune Global 500 companies and leading commercial printers are Océ customers. The company was founded in 1877. With headquarters in Venlo, The Netherlands, Océ is active in over 100 countries and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide. Total revenues in financial 2010 amounted to approximately Euros2.7 billion. Océ is listed on Euronext in Amsterdam. For more information visit http://www.oceproductionprinting.com/.
Océ North America is headquartered in Trumbull, CT, with additional business units in Chicago, IL and Boca Raton, FL. North America represents 34% of Océ's worldwide revenues, and employment is over 8,000. For more information about Océ North America, visit www.oceusa.com. Outside the U.S., consult global.oce.com.
Océ and Canon: Stronger together
In 2010 Océ joined the Canon Group of companies with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to create the global leader in the printing industry. Canon develops, manufactures and markets a growing line-up of copying machines, printers, cameras, optical and other products that meet a diverse range of customer needs. The Canon Group comprises over 197,000 people worldwide. Global net sales in 2010 were more than US $45 billion. For more information visit www.canon.com.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With more than $45 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks fourth overall in patent holdings in the U.S. in 2010 and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2011. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting http://www.usa.canon.com/rss.
Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.
All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.
Oce North America
Production Printing Systems
Media and analyst contact:
Carro Ford Weston
859-771-5091
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