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| The following table is a summary of some of the functionality provided by each application and the relationship between them. | |
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| Plain (no graphics) package printing | |
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| Graphic (text, barcodes, borders etc) rich package printing |
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| Memory mates |
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| Swap cards, ID cards, proof/order cards, rolodex cards etc |
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| Novelty items (bookmarks, greeting cards etc) |
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| Certificates, magazine covers, calenders etc |
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| Camera cards, order cards/envelopes etc |
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| Mug/proof sheets (page of images) | |
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| Composite group pages | |
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| Traditional group (name-under) pages |
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| Professional applications that can share job files |
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| Digital camera image capture | |
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| Applications that can create job files for CapturePost to use | |
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| Applications that can print identification cards for use by CapturePost | |
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| Applications that can accept order information | |
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| Order information statistics and reporting | |
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| Group name entry (for NeoGroup) and reporting | |
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| Alleviating long print times at Neo production workstations | 1 |
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| Increasing throughput to printer from PrintTime | 2 |
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Notes:
1. One PrintTime per printer
2. Multiple RIPTimes required
A customer runs a minilab business which is equipped with a digital minilab. She employs a photographer who takes photos of newly born babies at the surrounding hospitals with a digital camera. From these images she produces baby announcement cards. The parents also have a choice of layouts and designs.
She uses NeoPack/Plus. She has designed all the templates with the in-built template designer. At each run, she brings the images into the application from the camera's smart card. For each image she enters in the baby's details and selects the appropriate pack(s) according to the order. When ready, she then prints all the packs as JPEG files at 300dpi to the appropriate hotfolder where her digital minilab finds and prints them.
Example 2
A school photography company offers traditional group photos and individual portrait packages. On photography day each student hands the operator an identification card which are kept in order on a spike and is photographed individually on film. The class is then assembled for the group photo. The group is photographed with a polaroid camera and the photo is stapled onto pre-printed form which the teacher fills in to identify the students.
This customer uses NeoPack/Pro and NeoGroup.
Pre-photography, the student data is imported into a job file using NeoPack/Pro. From this data the student identification cards are printed and distributed to the students. After photography day the films are scanned (by external hardware and software) and the images are brought into the job file. The images now need to be matched to the students. The identification cards are processed in order by scanning a barcode on each one which identifies the student and matches to the image. Any inconsistencies are easily fixed. The required packs are prepared and printed.
In NeoGroup, the class images are brought into the job file and the row/name details are set for each class. Various templates have been created. Each template describes where the image, names (including alignment, color, font etc) and other elements appear on the page. To prepare the pages for printing, each class is selected along with a template - everything is properly formatted ready for printing.
Example 3
A company specializes in junior sports photography and provides trader cards. The kids are photographed digitally and their details are collected on photography day.
This customer uses NeoPack/Pro and CapturePost.
Prior to photography day, enough identification cards are printed using NeoPack/Pro to cover the number of people expected to be photographed. Each card is uniquely identified with a barcoded number and provides space for them to write in their details - name, position, statistics etc.
On photography day, each person is handed a card which they complete with their details. This card is handed to the operator, the barcode is scanned and a picture is taken using CapturePost. This makes a new entry in the job's database and links the photo with it. The day progresses until everyone has been photographed.
Back in the lab, the details for everyone is entered. Using NeoPack/Pro each identification card is scanned which brings up the person's entry in the database after which the details to be filled in.
To prepare the required pages for printing, it is a matter of selecting the appropriate templates.
Example 4
A printing lab provides printing services to independent photographers. The photographers use digital cameras. The lab is able to print numerous digital products, including composites, traditional groups, packages and other items such as bookmarks. The lab does relatively little work to prepare the products that require printing - almost all of the work is done by the photographers.
The photographers are equipped with DataPost and CapturePost with the ordering information option.
Using DataPost they import subject details and print barcoded identification cards which are distributed prior to photography. These cards include barcode representations of the available packages.
On photography day, each person hands their card to the operator. Using CapturePost, the operator scans the barcode identifying them and their details appear on the screen. The barcode identifying which package has been ordered, if any, is also scanned. One or more photos are taken and are linked to the person's details.
Back at the office, using DataPost, the photographer can look through and enter further orders and printout statistic and financial information. They can view, crop and color correct any images. If they provide traditional groups, the group names can be entered. They can even export the images for school year book production. The finished file is then sent to the lab.
The lab opens completed files and automatically forms whatever requires printing according to the order information in the file. They use NeoPack/Pro to form the portrait packs, NeoComposite for the composite groups and NeoGroup for the traditional group. Any extra items such as bookmarks, ID cards, certificates are produced using NeoPack/Pro.
The lab has 10 operators using the various Neo applications. Printing takes time as the application has to render (rip) each page. Rather than each operator waiting for the jobs to print, the pages are sent off for PrintTime to render and print - this happens very quickly allowing the Neo operator to continue with the next task. Normally PrintTime renders the pages and sends them to the printer. However, since the printer is much faster than PrintTime this would mean that the printer would be waiting for pages to arrive - a waste of a valuable resourse. Multiple RIPTimes are installed to help PrintTime render and send pages to the printer quickly.
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