Xitron, a subsidiary of Hybrid Software Group, has announced two additions to its K2 workflow portfolio: K2D-X, a workflow solution designed for digital print production, and K2 3.0, the latest version of the company’s production workflow platform.
K2D-X is aimed at print facilities operating multiple digital presses and digital front ends (DFEs). The system prepares incoming PDF files before they are sent to the press, including preflight, correction, normalisation and imposition. The resulting press-ready PDFs can then be delivered to the appropriate manufacturer’s DFE.
According to Xitron, the approach is intended to provide a common prepress workflow across environments that use presses and DFEs from multiple vendors. Rather than replacing or bypassing the native DFE, K2D-X handles preparation upstream, allowing jobs to be processed through a common workflow before being sent to individual press systems.
“Digital print providers have invested heavily in expanding their production capabilities over the past decade,” said Paul Napolitano, product manager at Xitron. “The challenge is that every new DFE introduces another production island. K2D-X gives customers a common workflow that prepares jobs once and delivers production-ready PDF files wherever they’re needed, without forcing them to replace the equipment in which they’ve already invested.”
Because K2D-X produces press-ready PDF files, it can also be used in digital production environments that do not require traditional RIP functions or options such as trapping. This can allow prepress operations to be standardised across mixed-vendor digital production systems while continuing to use existing presses and DFEs.
Xitron is also introducing K2 3.0, the latest generation of its production workflow platform. The release includes expanded workflow automation, enhanced job management, streamlined deployment and additional third-party integration capabilities. The company says the changes are intended to reduce manual intervention and support production environments incorporating different technologies.
