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Xerox at drupa
I spent the first day at drupa wondering aimlessly around Hall 8b. The Xerox stand was pretty large, so I wanted to make sure I got the full Xerox VDP scoop before moving through the other halls. Xerox has some interesting VDP news and applications worthy of a mention at drupa, which I've summarised in this entry.
Adobe PDF Print Engine
On their stand Xerox are demonstrating the Adobe PDF Print Engine running on FreeFlow Print Server (formerly DocuSP). Xerox are one of the first vendors to publicly commit to supporting Adobe PDF Print Engine. This new engine has significant implications for VDP as it interprets PDF files natively—and only PDF files. Yes, that's right, you can't send down PPML, VIPP or any other VI format to Adobe PDF Print Engine. So, is this the end of an era for Xerox VIPP? Of course not. Xerox has taken the surprising direction to include both the Adobe PDF Print Engine and CPSI (Adobe's Configurable PostScript Interpreter) in Print Server. As a result, it can ingest PostScript, PDF (natively), PPML and VIPP.
FreeFlow Print Server with PDF Print Engine is scheduled for release in 2009.
PDF/VT
Xerox also announced support for PDF/VT in this upcoming version of FreeFlow Print Server. This news comes as a surprise, as PDF/VT isn't a published standard yet. If you're not familiar with PDF/VT, it will be an ISO standard for Variable and Transactional printing (hence 'VT') using PDF. It's true that ISO Technical Committee 130 are working on this specification (working draft ISO/WD 16612-2), but this is still in early stages and isn't slated for publication until sometime in 2009. Xerox now join GMC Software on the list of vendors already pledging support for this future standard.
VDP Applications
Xerox are showcasing a host of customer applications on their stand which include many innovative VDP applications. One of the applications worth noting is personalised chewing gum packets from Personal Media Solutions. This Xerox customer uses XMPie to personalise the template, the packaging is printed on an iGen3, then die-cut offline. While this is definitely a niche application, it has good potential for promotions and giveaways. You can create and order your own personalised chewing gum online at mychewinggum.com.
Another XMPie application on show was personalised greeting cards with a mug shot of stand visitors against a backdrop of their choice. The card was three dimensional, as it was printed then die-cut using a laser, tracing around the persons head. It looked quite effective and was an innovative use of on-demand personalised print and finishing.
In summary, it was reassuring to see a strong mix of VDP applications and technology on Xerox's stand. It's obvious that Xerox recognise the importance of VDP for their production business. I look forward to assessing the other print vendors during the week and seeing how their VDP offerings match up to Xerox.
Posted on Thursday, 29 May 2008 at 11:49 PM | TrackBack: http://www.veedeepee.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/138