Saving a PPF (CIP3) file to a Heidelberg memory card

[Ultimate]

Hi all,

We have a couple customer who want to save a PPF (CIP3) file to a memory card for the Heidelberg press/console in order to set ink keys.

Has anyone done this before? If so, what card drive are you using? Which software are you using to save from a PC to the memory card?

Any information will help.

Ray Duval

 

[Ret Heidelberg Instructor]

Ret Heidelberg Instructor

Ret Heidelberg Instructor

Hello Ray,

A lot depends on how old the press is and what kind of pre-press software is being used. Heidelberg used a Meta Dimension workflow that could transfer data to a flashcard or directly to the press via pre-press interface. I believe that the card reading device was made by Daytek or (similar name). I believe that any front end that uses CIP 3 data can be stored on a card or sent to the press. Some shops used Scitex work flows or other systems. The data has to tranfer onto the card and be named and put into one of 50 available spaces. The pressman will then put the card into the press card reader and load the data from there. The Heidelberg pre-press software could also be used for plate-making and generate ink profiles. Today newer Heidelbergs use USB data sticks to load and save jobs but it is proprietary to Heidelberg equipment and the software is solely for Heidelbergs. Hope this helps. Bonne Chance

 

[marktonk]

Ray,

There are several pieces to the puzzle.

The Rip/Renderer needs the CIP4 feature to generate the PPF. This is typically an option from the rip manufacturer. With Heidelberg work flow, as Ret Heidelberg Instructor stated, this would be Prinect MetaDimension

In addition, you will need Prinect Prepress Interface or Prinect Pressroom Manager. They receive the PPF file usually over the network via a hot folder. This file is analyzed for ink key presets. The way it is transfered to the Press Console depends on how the console is configured. Prepress Interface can write it to a card or a USB or via the network.

You mention card so Prepress Interface would need the card drive to write to the card. The card is inserted in the drive on the press and read. The settings are job specific so this needs to be married up with the plates that were generated at the Rip/Renderer.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Mark

 

[Ultimate]

Thanks a lot guys.

Mark:
The customer already has a drive to write to the card and the have a software to generate a PPF from PDF file.
I understand they need "Prepress Interface" to save in the Heidelberg file format? What is the ball park price for that?

Thanks in advance
Ray

 

[stu]

I installed a few systems that did exactly this. The device was called inkzone box (google it). It worked very well and was a fraction of the cost.

I've attached the manual for it, I'm not sure if it is still available.

 

[marktonk]

Hi Ray,

The pricing depends on a few factors and format. If you PM me a contact and location, I can have the local rep contact the client, do an audit and propose. Above and beyond just translating the file, we offer a service to calibrate the Printing Characteristic curve. This will make the ink key presetting much more accurate. Depending on the press console, you may be able to store multiple Printing Characteristic curves. One person told me the difference was like having an uncalibrated proofer versus a calibrated one, with calibration, the color is much closer. The higher the accuracy, the faster the ROI, faster makeready, more available press time and less paper and ink waste.

Heidelberg - Reduce Make-ready

Regards,

Mark

 

[mazengh]

you can use presspercent(much cheaper) or prepressinterface as a software that accepts a ppf file outputted from a rip station with a cip3 license... then presspercent or prepressinterface will process the ppf file and output to a queue on the same system which has a USB omnidrive with Linear flash support which can be bought online i think for about $1500. once the user inserts a job memory card into omnidrive, a window opens showing the locations on the card. the user can then drag the jobs from the output queue to the card... and that's all.

 

[Ultimate]

Thanks mazengh.

Actually the customer already has a software to generate the CIP3, PPF file. They also already bought a USB drive for the memory card. According to them, the missing link is a software to convert the PPF into Heidelberg's propriatary format so that it can be saved in a retreivable format for the console.

Any ideas?

 

[mazengh]

this software you're looking for is prepecent or prepressinterface(heidelberg's)

 

[Bran]

CIP3 interface for Heidelberg CPC

CIP3 interface for Heidelberg CPC

Hi all,

We have a couple customer who want to save a PPF (CIP3) file to a memory card for the Heidelberg press/console in order to set ink keys.

Has anyone done this before? If so, what card drive are you using? Which software are you using to save from a PC to the memory card?

Any information will help.

Ray Duval

Try to contact Xitron or Printflow (Printflow s.r.o_Anglicky). They offer this kind of solution.

 

[Mark83]

i have a SM 102-4 year 1992 with CPC 1.02 modify with a card reader, but the print consolle don't read the card writed with prepress interface.
What is the problem? How can i do to solve the problem? Is it a problem with formattation of the card? Someone help me!!!!!

 

[maxon]

If your press console runs Windows and can browse the hard disk and attached drives, are you able to read anything from that card ? If you see any files in file manager or explorer with names ending with .ppf but they don't come up in your working interface it is possible the PPF files are bad. Go back to the program preparing your PPFs and change the export or save options.
Some consoles need an actual job name to be defined when saving PPFs, ask for specific preview params etc.

 

[M.P.Walinga]

Be aware that cards used on a CPC 1.04 or CP2000 can be useless. If you can write on the CPC 1.02 to the card, this card can be used for the transfer of jobs. Use this card only for the CPC 1.02 an NOT for the other machines.

I thought that CPC 1.02 can only read from place number 1 .... PLZ give it a try...

Good luck

 

[Ret Heidelberg Instructor]

Ret Heidelberg Instructor

Ret Heidelberg Instructor

Be aware that cards used on a CPC 1.04 or CP2000 can be useless. If you can write on the CPC 1.02 to the card, this card can be used for the transfer of jobs. Use this card only for the CPC 1.02 an NOT for the other machines.

I thought that CPC 1.02 can only read from place number 1 .... PLZ give it a try...

Good luck

I believe that you are correct. I used to see the tape drive switched out for a card reader and you were able to save and load jobs. You had load from, or save to a Job number on one of 50 positions on the data card. There was no capability of entering a job name. That was possible on a CPC 1.04 Machine. and CP2000 generation presses. They used to supply a template with 50 spots in the operating manual where you physically wrote the name of the job into a numbered slot for future reference.