Modern pre-press applications like Adobe InDesign are moving to a direct PDF output workflow allowing advanced features like PDF transparency, drop shadows, and embedded XMP metadata. These features are incompatible with today’s PostScript output, but will be fully supported by this Helios solution.
According to the company, the main advantages of the Helios server based OPI solutions are remote page composition with low-res images; server based colour management to colour transform images for different printing processes; apply or embed ICC profiles into PDF print jobs; and output optimisation – downsampling, compression, and file format conversion. Additionally, the server offers faster image placement with superior preview quality; the ability submit PDF print jobs before all images are ready; and much faster InDesign PDF Export, using “Omit images for OPI”.
Helios says working with OPI low-res images offers significant performance advantages.
The online table (click here to view) shows the time requirements for a three-page InDesign print job with a total of 37 MB of image data, compared to an ImageServer OPI workflow.
With performance improvements of 8-30 times faster, the table shows that native PDF-based OPI image replacement offers enormous time savings and makes remote page composition productive and practical.
Remote users using Helios WebShare can download low-res images and return PDF print jobs containing low-res images, which are then replaced on the server for final output. Customers can remotely verify their InDesign documents and PDF print jobs via any web browser.
Native PDF-based OPI image replacement translates into workflow flexibility, and faster turnaround times, for a vital competitive advantage.
The Helios fourth generation product family comprises network and prepress server solutions. EtherShare, PCShare, and WebShare provide integrated cross-platform networking for Macintosh and Windows clients, with advanced file and print server services, and easy remote server administration. Helios ImageServer, PDF HandShake and PrintPreview bring high efficiency and advanced capabilities to design, prepress and printing operations.
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