Best workflow for igen 4 using a fiery rip

[MacManiac123]

Hi, we have an Igen 4 and an Indigo for which we use Agfa Apogee for both. It works great for the Indigo but isn't always great for the Igen.
We are looking to invest in a new workflow so I would like others opinions on the best PDF workflows for both presses please?

thanks

 

[Dov Isaacs]

Hi, we have an Igen 4 and an Indigo for which we use Agfa Apogee for both. It works great for the Indigo but isn't always great for the Igen.
We are looking to invest in a new workflow so I would like others opinions on the best PDF workflows for both presses please?

thanks

The real issue is what is your current workflow that “works great for the Indigo but isn't always great for the Igen?” And exactly what “isn't always great?” Color? Performance? What?

The Agfa Apogee is based on the Adobe PDF Print Engine which is optimized for color-managed PDF with live transparency for which PDF/X-4 is really your best bet. (PDF/X-1a has no color management and any transparency in your original content is ruined by flattening done in the process of PDF creation or PostScript creation for subsequent distillation into PDF/X-1a.)

If the issue is color, your problem(s) may be associated with how you are configuring your Agfa Apogee for each of these devices and corresponding color settings for same.

- Dov

 

[michaelejahn]

Indigo as hat folder mechanism for both PDF or JDF + Indigo has a JDF processor

Indigo as hat folder mechanism for both PDF or JDF + Indigo has a JDF processor

The real issue is what is your current workflow that “works great for the Indigo but isn't always great for the Igen?” And exactly what “isn't always great?” Color? Performance? What?
- Dov

I agree with Dov - Apogee probably has all you need. Set it up so Apogee normalizer exports / generates PDF/X-4 and then send it to a RIP that has the Adobe PDF Print Engine and you solve most of the production / color issues.

- my GUESS is that your question is workflow related, as in "how to I connect Apogee to send a job to the iGen RIP" -

- if THAT is your question, it is a matter of setting up the RIP driving the iGen to watch a hot folder. Then, Apogee can send files to that hot folder - and - you operator can see them and print ( manual )

I do not know if you have the iGen RIP that would have a JDF processor ( I know Indigo has such a thing, we send JDF from PressWise to Indigos within most of our customer systems ) - if you can find a Xerox tech that might know how to set up a JDF processor for the iGen, then Apogee can even send a JDF that calls out the paper tray and tells the iGen how many sheets it needs to print for that order.

Hope that helps !

 

[MacManiac123]

Thanks for the responses.

We do send as JDF to both presses, we can provide fully RIPd PDF proofs for the Indigo, but not for the Igen because the enhancement features the Fiery uses for text etc are no longer useable if we send rendered jobs to press, we have had slight variation in results now and again from proof to print, obviously we don't get that on the Indigo.

The Fiery does have the option to use Adobe PDF Print Engine, we don't use this as standard, should we do?

We colour manage through Apogee for both presses aiming for ISO Fogra 39, we used to use the colour management on the Fiery but that is when we had a lot of issues from proof to print so we had AGFA come in sort out the CM in Apogee.

I was wondering what other workflows integrate fully into both Fiery and HP RIP if we were to change?

thanks
Paul

 

[csawatzki]

I would have to agree with Dov that we need a bit more information. There are plenty of color/workflow/rip-trap/integration solutions out there that will work with both.

What level of integration do you need? Do you need color management, or is that something you would do upstream? Are you good with some system just simply making a decision what queue on the press to drop it into?

I would love to help you with your problems, just let us know a bit more.

Cory Sawatzki
[email protected]