Pamex 2020: Drupa countdown - Ten questions with EFI’s Terry Garvey

PrintWeek (PW): EFI is launching the new software application EFI Color Profiler Suite with Fiery Edge (CPS). When was it first launched?
Terry Garvey (TG): The EFI Fiery Edge has already been available for our Fiery wide and superwide printer users, but it is now available for selected Fiery Driven printers since the fall of 2019.

PW: What does this new software do? Can you explain what are the added features over the EFI Color Profiler Suite, and the benefits?
TG: This technology delivers out-of-the-box print quality and colour improvements such as smoother colour transitions, and richer blacks for more dynamic range. Plus, users of Fiery Color Profiler Suite 5.2 get more controls to tune colour to meet customer preferences, such as features to intelligently boost colour and adjust shadow detail levels.

PW: Who is the new software targeted at?
TG: The software is available for all Fiery users from cut-sheet to wide and superwide format production, who seek high-quality output for their customers.  

PW: There are some print companies who know what exactly to do when using colour management systems or personalisation, some don’t. One why is colour management important, and two, how should digital press owners in the photo album domain get most out of such software solutions?
TG: Colour management is about printing the expected, any day, every day. It ensures that there is a proper translation between the job reference and the printer (including a definition for the lighting to be used), so that the job is printed with the expected colours. EFI offers a wide variety of colour management technologies, such as the EFI Fiery Color Profiler Suite. This technology creates calibrations and ICC profiles, monitors profilers (for soft proofing), aligns colour output between printers, verifies colour output against industry standards as well as custom/house standards, and helps users to print the desired colour any day, every day.

Fiery Color Profiler Suite 5.2 introduces a new colour profiling technology for Fiery digital front ends  (DFEs) — in particular how to utilise all of the black generation settings in Fiery Edge in order to help providers optimise the colour output from their printer as well as customise the output to meet the needs of specific customers.

PW: Besides, managing colour, how does the Fiery Edge (CPS) help the digital print service providers in the photo segment?
TG: Fiery Edge sets a new standard for profiling and provides digital print service providers in the photo segment to manage and extend the profiles they and their customers want for their own applications – allowing them to always hit the right and needed colour each time.

PW: EFI acquired Xerox’s Freeflow, which was integrated into the Fiery platform. Tell us more about this EFI Xerox Fiery association?
TG: EFI and Xerox have been partners for over two decades when it comes to the development of DFE technology. EFI invests heavily in R&D efforts to bring the most advanced technology to the market. So, it only made sense to have EFI take over the development and management of the Xerox FreeFlow DFEs – combining both technologies to develop new and better solutions.

The first example of this new single DFE was the Fiery EX-P 6 for the Xerox Iridesse Press, which uniquely provides existing Xerox FreeFlow Print Server users to transfer their files with all embedded printer commands directly to the Fiery EX-P 6 providing them with an easy transition path to take advantage of the latest Production Press with 5th and 6th colours.  

PW: Xerox has an accessory, Adaptive CMYK Plus Technology which augments the traditional cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) offering. Does Fiery support the new accessory? If not, can we expect more developments in this direction?
TG: Yes, Fiery DFEs support the Xerox Adaptive CMYK Technology, which will soon be available for example for the new Xerox Primelink range of printers. Adaptive CMYK Plus technology provides a great example of customers being able to add 5th and 6th colours such as white and gold as well as fluorescent magenta and yellow colours – to achieve unique results unexpected from a digital press. We believe that this is one example of how print providers can add value to jobs they produce for their customers.

PW: One major contribution that EFI has made in the past decade that you are proud of?
TG: EFI is proud of providing our customers and with cutting-edge solutions, which allows them to be more productive and profitable. EFI technology addresses many different and diverse market segments and allows for integration with a different type of products. The EFI Fiery range of DFEs all come with the same easy-to-use user interface, driving different presses across different segments of the printing industry.

PW: What are the major trends that will drive the print industry in the future?
TG: We have seen significant changes in our industry in the last decades, and I believe that we are only at the tip of the adoption of these new technologies. Inkjet presses, for example, are beyond impressive with the output that can be produced today – unique, haptic, and personalised.

PW: EFI at Drupa 2020 – What’s new?    
TG: EFI will be showcasing new technologies and solutions that will further enable the market to expand its services, increase profitability, and enhance production. We will be announcing our Drupa line up and plans in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!