Suggestions for a replacement workflow needed

[hivy]

We currently use one of the top four workflows available, but due to changes, we are looking for a good alternative, that is more cost effective. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions before I start contacting vendors for price.

We want to Rip, Trap, send to Epson Printers, and create a HR PDF. But also, we currently attach the IDEAlliance Control Wedge 2013 on each proof, to read with a X-Rite i1 iO spectrophotometer, to make sure our proofs are within GRACol specs.

 

[sveibl]

I vote for prinergy. If you don't buy for the support plan it is cost effective in my eyes. 1st system cost 60K lasted 8 years, never needed support. 2nd system over 80K (quite robust) year 4 never needed support. Solid system in my experience

 

[Magnus59]

Second vote for Prinergy, depending on volume of work, would recommend Prinergy Connect with APA, RBA and Printlink
You will also need a proofing solution to output to your Epson printers, you can use either Kodak Proofing System or an alternative KPS will integrate directly with Prinergy

 

[cementary]

Third vote for prinegy. It's cost effective and easily scalable to any volume

 

[Magnus59]

Second vote for Prinergy, depending on volume of work, would recommend Prinergy Connect with APA, RBA and Printlink
You will also need a proofing solution to output to your Epson printers, you can use either Kodak Proofing System or an alternative KPS will integrate directly with Prinergy

I you're a digital shop, add Digital Direct too, it will give you a lot more control of your digital workflow, for digital work we export imposed PDFs from Prinergy and copy them to hot folders on the HP Indigos, but would be much more efficient with DD

 

[Slammer]

Fourth vote for Prinergy, maybe think twice about Connect and if EVO would not suffice.

 

[PDL]

Hivy, Just curious to what kind of printing you do. Are you primarily commercial and pages oriented, or packaging/labels? Are you an offset or flexo shop?

 

[hivy]

eskopdl, we are not printing anymore, all worked being sent out to outside vendors to print. All we need to do is Rip, Trap, output Contract Proof, confirm Contract is within specs, and send out HR PDF to vendors. Our current system is too robust, and costly for what we need.

 

[Joe]

I love my Prinergy but it is in no way "cost effective". I think in your case something like XMF would be much more cost effective.

 

[hivy]

Thank you Joe, I was thinking the same thing about Prinergy. I will look into XMF, but I think we looked into it a couple years back, and it didn't have the trapping flexibility that we wanted, but I will look again. Thanks.

 

[scotts]

We run Prinergy, and looked at XMF a year or so ago. It looked pretty interesting, but for us it was missing the Rules Based Automation function, which we use a lot. I know now that some of the automation could be achieved via Enfocus Switch. Still definitely worth a look.

 

[OffsetStorefront]

We run Prinergy, and looked at XMF a year or so ago. It looked pretty interesting, but for us it was missing the Rules Based Automation function, which we use a lot. I know now that some of the automation could be achieved via Enfocus Switch. Still definitely worth a look.

Switch is considerably cheaper than Rules Based Automation and will probably work with most workflows. Don't feel like you have to be tied to one workflow because of the company's other offerings

 

[abc]

If you want to talk to someone about the possibilities with Switch just drop me a PM. It can probably integrate with a lot of what you have now, as well as providing automation and workflow opportunities itself.

 

[sveibl]

This is all very clear to me now. We were a 50 million dollar plant that got closed so manufacturing could be done at the Mothership up North. Sales, CSR's & Prepress were moved to office space to do what you are doing now...... 1 year later, Mothership prints poorly, mis-ships products and runs us all out of business!

Hang on to prinergy, dump the support to save the $$$. Now the forum knows how I own 2 prinergy systems I saved from the dumpster.

FYI: when Kodak was in financial trouble, the Kodak brains left and created XMF for Fuji. Similarities are remarkable.