Inkzone Ink Presetting (CIP3) Connection

Pune-based Akruti’s owner Girish Rao says that his company has saved time in makeready plus money with the help of this system that is an interface between its pre-press and pressroom.

10 Aug 2012 | By PrintWeek India

What does the software do?
There are two types of software, one which picks up the 1-bit TIFF or the CIP3 file, extracts all the ink coverage data and then sends it to the other software which connects to the press directly. This ensures that the machines has been pre-set with the right data of the design on the press keys.

Why did you choose this particular software?

Being an easy software to use we don’t need an expert to operate. Plus data is transferred to the machine very quickly. The software is accurate in its pre-set.

Did you look at any other similar software?

No, we have not looked at any other software.

Why did you make the purchase?

We wanted to eliminate printer’s skill to set the Ink Zone and print accurate colours from design files provided by clients.

What features do you particularly like?

I like the efficiency of the software to convert the accurate colour data from design file and set the Ink Zone in no time. Also the feature of the paper curve generation ensures that the quality of the pre-set does not degrade in spite of a change in the machine condition or paper.

Is there anything you wish it had that it doesn’t?

It has everything which is required for reproducing quality.

How fast is it?

The ink pre-set is done accurately within one minute.

What’s the quality like?

The quality is very good. We get the correct colours within 10 to 15 sheets.

How reliable is it?

My clients tell me: we have reproduced the correct colours.

How easy is it to use?

It is easy to operate. Even a printer without much knowledge of computers can operate it. It is just copy, paste and click.

How much time or money has it saved?

Ink pre-set saves 15 minutes of each job’s make-ready and in terms of money, it saves a lot of paper and ink wastage.

Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?

Not much, initially we had some issues regarding compatibility with our machine but after that its running very smoothly.

What about the pre- and after-sales service?

The pre- and after-sales service provided by AGS is excellent. Any problem is resolved within 24 hours by them. They have really good team of people for service.

Who do you think the software is right for?

This software is good for any commercial and packaging print house who want to produce quality print job with wastage reduction.

Under what circumstances would you invest in another?

If I invest in another machine then I would invest in this software again. But if I upgrade from existing machine to a new one then I would say that the ink pre-setting system can be transferred to the new offset press by upgrading a small hardware at a minimal cost – regardless of the make of the offset machine.

Conclusion

User’s verdict

Speed 5/5

Quality 4/5

Reliability 4/5

Value for money 4/5

Supplier’s Response

Vishnu Kamat, associate vice president, sales at Advanced Graphic Systems, says, “InkZone Ink Presetting (CIP3) System from Digital Information offers an automated interface between pre-press and press that’s equally powerful and economical. The InkZone softwares compares the computed preset data with the corrected values during each press run. By reading back the values measured throughout the print run, the calibration curve for a given set of printing conditions can be continuously corrected and will gradually approach an optimum. Pune-based Akruti, the offset printing firm has saved time in makeready and money as it has reduced wastage of paper and ink.”

Contact
Vishnu Kamat

Advanced Graphic Systems

+91 9223191789

+91 22 67812000

vishnukamat@agsindia.com