Information Bulletin 2008/07-8

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List of Suppliers:
- Equilibrium
- HELIOS
- Canto Cumulus
- Dynagram
- Farrukh
- Dev Zero G
- SeeFile
- Printable

Business Solutions:
- Digital Asset Mgmt
- Creative Solutions
- PDF Workflow
- Digital Distribution
- Prepress & Printing
- Document/Image Mgmt

GASAA Major Sponsor

PODi Member 2008

DBIB JULY-AUGUST 2008

In this issue:

• Canto Cumulus News & Forthcoming Releases
• HELIOS - the Future of DTP & Technical Updates
• Printable Technologies' FusionPro 5.8 and FusionPro Web 6.5.0
• Dynagram's New Web Tools
• Technical Hints and Tips - Cumulus & Exporting Metadata

Canto Cumulus News & Forthcoming Releases

Cumulus 7.5.4 - available now - offers a few minor updates and marks the end of updates for Cumulus 7.5. Cumulus 7.5.4 primarily addresses an issue that affected a small number of customers who take advantage of the Cumulus Backup Manager, making the update a must-have for those users.

But the update benefits others users too. Performance of Cumulus Servers running in 64-bit Linux environments is increased, and reliability enhancements for customers using central asset locations, or providing previews of Microsoft Office documents is included too.

Cumulus 7.5.4 is a free update available to all customers now using Cumulus 7.5.

All customers who use the Cumulus Backup Manager should update to Cumulus 7.5.4 immediately. Customers on active service agreements who do not use the Cumulus Backup Manager can safely wait for Cumulus 7.6.

Cumulus 7.6 is scheduled to arrive in late August, marking the first major feature upgrade to Cumulus since the release of version 7.5. Among the new features will be the ability to embed watermarks into images, and generate PDF previews and thumbnails without Adobe Acrobat installed - even via the Canto Web Clients. Additional features and benefits will be announced when the update ships.

Cumulus 7.6 is an update available only to customers on active service contracts.

Customer Portal Account - All Canto software updates are available through the Canto Customer Portal for those with current Software Maintenace Agreements. User accounts are free, and they also offer you access to the Canto User Forums. To get an account, go to Customer Portal - you will need your Cumulus serial ID.

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HELIOS - the Future of DTP & Technical Updates

At drupa 2008, HELIOS was demonstrating Web based drag-and-drop workflow solutions, PDF production tips, proofing, and more - dubbed the Future of DTP. Fulle details in DataBasics recent Focus on HELIOS & Future of DTP http://www.databasics.com.au/docs/focus_future_dtp.pdf (pdf) and online at The Future of DTP.

One important aspect of the HELIOS software gained great attention: the HD-colour capabilities of HELIOS UB+.

For 30 years, print colour space has been limited to 8bits per channel colour depth. Meanwhile, the latest digital cameras, photo software and file formats are offering up to 16 bit per channel colour. HELIOS announced support for 16bits per channel throughout the workflow, ensuring maximum quality for repurposing - see the technical updates below.

Another attention grabber was the absolute blistering performance demonstrated with EtherShare over the Arastra 24-port 10 Gigabit switch - giving a record-breaking 600MB/s file transfer rate and, in the process, totally demolishing the case for local disk storage. See HELIOS NEws for more details.

Update: u0712-722 (in 11 parts)
Product: All HELIOS UB+ suite
Severity: Recommended/New feature
Subject: 16 bit raster image support

u0723 libsfio write problem
u0724 Script Server could dump core
u0725 synchronizing WebShare brandings could hang
u0726 dt tools problem with file names containing umlauts
u0727 several PostScript fixes and improvements
u0728 incorrect DSC information in separated PDF printing
u0729 connection failure to Create PDF Server
u0730 disk space calculation on Linux
u0731 fixes for Directory Services on Mac OS X 10.5
u0732 PCShare connections without NetBIOS
u0733 sending data to notification server could fail

Updates are available for all customers with a software service agreement. The updates can be downloaded automatically via the HELIOS Update Installer or from HELIOS web site - http://www.helios.de/support/

See also HELIOS TechInfo #117 Notes for PDF-Hires usage with PDF-native OPI at http://www.helios.de/support/ti.phtml?117

To find out more about how HELIOS UB+ can help your workflow, why not contact us at info@databasics.com.au or give us a call on 1300 886 238.

Printable Technologies' FusionPro 5.8 and FusionPro Web 6.5.0 released

Printable has incorporated Unicode Standard character coding into its latest FusionPro version 5.8 variable data publishing (VDP) products, including FusionPro Desktop, Direct and Server.

The added Unicode functionality in the FusionPro 5.8 VDP product suite allows multilingual variable data document composition to promote personalised international communications for businesses with multilingual customers.

The FusionPro Web 6.5.0 release affects Printable customers using the FusionPro Web hosted solution (the Printable web-to-print system), and includes several new enhancements and issue resolutions. It supports the creation of localised English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Dutch language storefronts, as well as calculating currency values and taxes for these European Union countries.

The 6.5 release will also allow the input of Unicode text in the eight newly supported languages in the following areas: forms for versioned items (e.g., brochures and business cards), file uploads for VDP items and saved data for quickfill presets and employee lists. By offering this expanded functionality as a SaaS model, Printable provides a fully scalable solution that works well for multiple users, communicating in disparate languages, located across widely distributed locations.

FusionPro Web 6.5 uses both desktop design and web-based publication tools to merge online list data with business rules, layout rules and branded imagery via FusionPro Desktop, to create templates for transactional items including statements and invoices with personalised marketing messages.

Additional updates to FusionPro Web 6.5 include Google Analytics support, improved template uploading and catalog editor functionality, and an expanded library of "How-to" video tutorials - see http://www.printable.com/self-guided-tutorials/

Contact DataBasics for more info and pricing http://www.databasics.com.au/printable/

Dynagram's New Web Tools

Looking to find the right imposition solution? - now its easier than ever with new tools available on Dynagram's website.

1. Product Selector: A new Product Selector tool is now available to help printers find the right imposition solution for their business. According to their equipment, the types of job they mostly do and the file formats they use, they can find the right solution with a few clicks of the mouse.

Discover this practical new tool at http://www.dynagram.com/WebSite/solutions.asp

2. Optimization Movie: Dynagram will shortly be releasing v3.0 of inpO2 imposition software. inpO2 v.3.0 includes a new Optimization Module for automated ganging. Simply drag and drop jobs into the optimization module interface of inpO2, enter the desired run length, and select your target output. Please note that the Optimization Module is included with the standard edition of inpO2 and can be purchased on top of inpO2 ATOM.

You can find out more about these new advanced functionalities today by watching the Optimization Movie at http://www.dynagram.com/movies/Dynagram-inpO2-Optimization_Module.mov

3. Imposition Planning Movie: V3.0 of inpO2 also introduces the Imposition Planning Module. Share your planning layouts with production for final imposition using the same inpO2 product, or integrate with your workflow system with JDF export. Try different layout scenarios with just a click of the mouse. Profile your presses and paper stocks to quickly change from one set-up to another with instant feedback on press-run length and waste!

To get a taste of the new features, see the Imposition Planning movie at http://www.dynagram.com/movies/Dynagram-inpO2-Planning_Module.mov

More info and local pricing at http://www.databasics.com.au/dynagram/

Technical Hints and Tips - Cumulus & Exporting Metadata

The Cumulus metadata importer was a welcomed addition to the Cumulus 7 product line, but did you know Cumulus can also export metadata? Even better, an asset record field's metadata can be automatically exported each time the field is updated, making it easy to make always current data files available to other applications.

Cumulus exports metadata through the use of the XML MetadataBridge module - part of Cumulus 7. When a metadata field that has been configured for export is edited by a user, the XML MetadataBridge creates an XML file that includes the exported metadata. (If the XML file exists, its contents are refreshed.) The XML file is written into the same directory that stores the asset itself. One XML file is created per asset. The XML file is named for the asset with the .xmd file extension added. So, the XML file for picture.jpg would be named picture.jpg.xmd.

The XML MetadataBridge is configured as part of an Asset Handling Set (AHS), which makes it easy to control whose updates will generate the XML files.

For step-by-step instructions on configuring an AHS go to http://www.canto.com/quick_links/news_events/enews/2008.07/PowerTips.html

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* Pre-2007 DBIBs in the Information Bulletins (DBIB) Archive.