Fiery LLC and Ricoh USA Inc. continue their long-term partnership with the launch of two new Fiery digital front ends (DFEs) for the new RICOH Pro C7500 digital color sheetfed press. As with the recently launched RICOH Pro C9500, Fiery servers are the exclusive DFEs driving the RICOH Pro C7500.

RICOH Pro C7500 customers have a choice of Fiery Color Controller N-70A, based on the high-performance Fiery NX Premium platform, or Fiery Color Controller N-50A, based on the Fiery NX Pro platform.

Go Beyond CMYK

The Fiery Driven RICOH Pro C7500 enables the use of neon pink and neon yellow as gamut expanding toners to brighten, smooth and highlight images and skin tones, improve spot color accuracy and amplify visual impact. Both neon pink and neon yellow can be calibrated and profiled to ensure consistent, uniform visual output. And, with brand new, built-in CMYK+ factory color profiles that leverage exclusive Fiery Edge technology, it's simple for Ricoh customers to utilize the gamut expanding capabilities with no additional design work required.

Customers have the option to create dramatic effects using clear, white, invisible red, gold or silver as specialty colors. White toner can be calibrated to ensure smooth, consistent output when printing on dark media. In addition, customers can create their own custom metallic spot color recipes that include gold or silver toners with CMYK using Fiery Spot Pro, included with Fiery Color Controller N-70A.

"Once again, we have partnered with Fiery to drive operational effectiveness for the RICOH Pro C7500," said Gavin Jordan-Smith, senior vice president and general manager, and head of Global Sales Strategy Division & RICOH Graphic Communications North America Sales, RICOH Graphic Communications. "With the Fiery DFEs, print service providers will be able to take full advantage of the RICOH Pro C7500's expanded color gamut capabilities to elevate print quality and deliver on the evolving demands of their clients while reducing workload and improving print margins."

Additional features include:

• Significant speed boost. Both Fiery servers enable print providers to produce more jobs per shift with faster job processing times and 40% faster application launch times. Plus, Fiery Color Controller N-70A, with built-in Fiery HyperRIP technology, delivers maximum horsepower to process multiple jobs simultaneously or, for large files, split a job into multiple parts across multiple RIPs. This enables operators to turn jobs around faster, optimize press capacity, and accept additional work to boost revenue.

• Faster job setup. Save hours per week of valuable production time with built-in Fiery features. The award-winning Fiery JobExpert intelligent automation technology leverages advanced proprietary algorithms to reduce job setup time by automatically analyzing and selecting the right color and imaging settings. With Fiery JobFlow Base, customers can set up one-click workflows that automate job submission and other job prep tasks for ready-to-print files. And, with the included Fiery Impose on Fiery Color Controller N-70A, users can automate imposition tasks and apply templates for offline finishers from Duplo, Graphic Whizard, MBM, Horizon, Morgana, Standard and Plockmatic, eliminating manual data entry and setup, saving up to 70% in job prep time.

• More efficient media management. Media Catalog makes media management a breeze by enabling a single entry for a media type, grouping multiple sizes together, and automatically applying calibration and color profiles to all.

• Accurate, consistent color. Integration with the Pro C7500's inline sensor enables automated color calibration, including neon pink and neon yellow, for increased operator productivity and color consistency.

• Seamless integration. Customers can establish broad, business-wide integration with industry standard MIS or Web-to-print solutions using Fiery JDF, or rapidly develop live, bidirectional integration with homegrown software or web services for their unique workflow automation needs using Fiery API.

"These high-value DFEs are customized for the RICOH Pro C7500, allowing customers to maximize their investment and easily broaden their range of digital printing applications," said John Henze, vice president of sales and marketing, Fiery. "With Fiery Driven Ricoh presses, customers can streamline job setup, optimize throughput and cost-effectively produce accurate and vibrant colors across a range of media types."

The Fiery Driven RICOH Pro C7500 is available from Ricoh and/or its authorized dealers or distributors.

In other news, Fiery LLC has announced the latest release of the Digital Factory RIP software, making it easier than ever to create personalized, customized and other specialty production products with perfect color accuracy through custom print modes and color profiles. Driving virtually all direct to film (DTF), direct to garment (DTG), sublimation, UV, toner transfer, and wide format print and cut devices, Digital Factory v11.1 features a more intuitive user interface, redesigned layouts, enhanced workflow automation and true shape nesting. The new capabilities streamline print operations, save hours in production time and increase profitability by reducing costly material waste.

"Customers expect quality, accuracy and speed when it comes to direct-to-film and specialty print applications, and no other software RIP combines color accuracy with device support like Digital Factory," Henze said. "Collaborating with our extensive customer base, we developed a next-generation interface with the user in mind. With this latest update to Digital Factory, businesses of all sizes can quickly find the right tools and dial in the perfect settings to achieve efficient, high-volume production with the highest possible quality."

"Digital Factory v11 was already a favorite, but with the launch of v11.1, it has taken a giant leap forward," said Tony Lee, sales director, All American Print Supply Co. "There's simply no match out there for its excellence. The improvements are astounding — it's now even better, cleaner, more intuitive and easier to use than ever before. Digital Factory v11.1 sets a new standard for digital solutions, and it's a joy to see how it continues to evolve and exceed expectations."

Digital Factory offers powerful production management tools and color profiles to achieve stunning color reproduction and accuracy on the widest variety of substrates. New capabilities in Digital Factory v11.1 include:

• Improved Usability, Organization & Layout: A new interface offers clear navigation and user-friendly controls, reducing the learning curve, streamlining job setup and increasing productivity while minimizing production errors. For example, Queue Groups can now be created with a single icon click with drag and drop features, allowing both Queues or Group tabs to be quickly reordered for improved organization and layout.

• Reduced Material Use: Digital Factory now provides true shape nesting, allowing more efficient use of spaces or gaps when nesting print and cut designs. This reduces material usage and supports sustainability efforts.

• Quickly Identify Job Lists: New icons, settings menu and image scaling make it easier for operators to quickly see production feedback and what has been processed.

"This new release takes the powerful tools and features customers love and makes it easier than ever to operate," Henze said. "Designers and printers have the power to create at their fingertips and produce vibrant DTF or DTG prints that set them apart from the competition."

Digital Factory v11.1 is available now.