Fast track digital printing production workflow
Production Flow is the latest digital business workflow for print shops from the Hewlett-Packard laboratory.
Designed for medium- and large-size print service providers, HP Production Flow is an integrated, open software and hardware system to automate and manage the production workflow process throughout a print shop system.
According to Phillip Rennell, business manager of HP Indigo, (pictured) HP Production Flow is the logical choice for print providers looking for a workable control and ordering system.
“Everyone is looking for a simplified solution that is easy to install and operate, and with this new softwareand hardware combination from HP has lifted the level across the board,” Rennell said. “Production Workflow combines state of the art integration with an in-depth knowledge of the requirements of a digital printing facility.”
“It moves print ordering onto the web in a secure and convenient way, which gives HP Indigo products a competitive edge in meeting the market’s needs.”
Production Flow offers a fast and efficient way of handling job acceptance, tracking, managing, processing, and printing. It is compatible with open-industry standards for job tickets (JDF and XML), database (SQL), and data formats (PostScript, PDF, PPML). It automatically processes PostScript and PDF files and associated imposition, trapping, colour management and variable-data processing, while also managing multiple High Performance Integer Scalable (Harlequin) RIPs.
HP Production Flow contributes to improving the profitability of a business in a number of ways. It removes manual workflow and RIPs jobs faster. The end result is an increased job throughput and a better understanding of where money is made, thanks to the built-in reporting system.
For generating error-free press-ready jobs, HP Production Flow automatically manages and defines production-printing workflow by interpreting job tickets and initiating the desired functions. It improves productivity by allowing operators to tailor their GUI to give an end-to-end view of the production workflow, with production monitoring tracked at the job, workflow module, and print shop level.
Bringing open-system solutions to the printing industry
According to Phillip Rennell, business manager of HP Indigo, (pictured) HP Production Flow is the logical choice for print providers looking for a workable control and ordering system. 
HP Production Flow contributes to improving the profitability of a business in a number of ways. It removes manual workflow and RIPs jobs faster. The end result is an increased job throughput and a better understanding of where money is made, thanks to the built-in reporting system.
Case Study USA – LaVigne, Inc.
Although it is a 100-year-old printing operation, no one would accuse LaVigne, Inc. of being behind the times. The New England firm is considered the benchmark for commercial printers seeking to merge all of their electronic prepress, offset printing and digital print services.
The hardware centrepiece of LaVigne’s digital operations is two HP Indigo Ultra Stream 2000 colour offset digital presses. The workflow solution is HP Production Flow, which LaVigne president Chris Wells claims has totally changed his concept of digital printing. “If we have to touch a file even once during production, the whole value of the job is lost,” Wells said. With Production Flow, LaVigne are able to remain ’hands-off‘ while the jobs are printing, thereby increasing plant productivity. LaVigne is responsible for providing short-run merchandising posters, labels, brochures, catalogues, and personalised direct mail for major financial service firms. LaVigne has also developed its own sample packs and case studies as promotional tools, plus a paper stock and digital printing design guide for graphic designers. HP Production Flow allows LaVigne to run a ‘low touch’ operation, meaning it can maintain an extremely high level of customer satisfaction.