Marketing materials and fulfilment specialist Greenshires has installed a Digital Information Pre-proofer system that uses two Epson Stylus Pro 9700 printers to provide duplex printing of imposed proofs at sheet sizes up to 44in wide.
Installed by reseller Bodoni Systems, the Pre-proofer links the two Epson wide-format printers together mechanically and electronically so that doubled-sided proofs can be printed for subsequent folding and trimming to produce complete paginated proofs and product mock-ups.
The Pre-proofer combines two Epson Stylus Pro printers, either 7700/7900 models for 24in width output or 9700/9900 for 44in, in a stable platform. A paper guide links the two printers so that one side and then the reverse can be printed in a single operation. Special duplex paper is used which is available in a range of types and weights. Control and data management are provided by Digital Information’s DI-Plot proofing software, which accepts Room (Rip once output many) data in a variety of data formats and from a range of prepress workflow systems. It can apply ICC-based colour management independently to both printers for colour-critical applications as necessary.
Peter Tayler, studio manager at Greenshires’ Leicester site, said: “Previously, we were printing two sheets single-sided and sticking them together, which was very labour-intensive. The Pre-proofer solution is quieter, neater and is saving us a lot of time and therefore labour costs. We’re getting great quality results and there are useful options to trade off print quality against speed of output, which helps as these proofs are often needed urgently. It all helps us to put a much improved product in front of our clients.”