Modern publication production is really teamwork — the combination of technical and business processes. Getting all parties involved in the development of ‘publishable material’ to collaborate on a project in real time — at the right time — increases productivity, efficiency, and transparency between business partners.

Much more than just a job-status reporting system, MISTRAL is a JDF-compliant, web-based, production management system for publishers, marketing departments, media service providers and printers. It acts as an interface for electronic file submissions and prepress production management, as well as for tracking projects, project administration, content correction, approval and printing. It is all viewed on a standard web browser, without requiring additional software or plug-ins.

While one user might set up customizable job tickets for a new job, planning deadlines and approval cycles, in the meantime content files can be submitted for automatic preflighting by the client, to check whether the documents match the printer’s expectations. Working in the background, TWIST with its custom-built workflows and Adobe® PDF Print Engine, and the DIALOGUE Engine, an optional soft proofing server, deliver quality control with just a few mouse clicks and ensure true WYSIWYG.

Depending on assigned roles, the resulting flatplan offers the right function for each user. Publishers use it to plan stories and versions of their publications, applying their modifications with a simple drag and drop user interface. CSRs follow job progress by checking the status icons for each page. Advertisers approve the latest versions of their marketing materials. All can be done until just before a job ‘goes to press’, allowing deadlines to be extended as late as possible.

The future of automated production, the Job Definition Format (JDF) and Job Message Format (JMF) communication standards allow MISTRAL to deliver exceptional, automatic web-based production.

For example, MISTRAL can dynamically assign pages to a magazine template based upon data taken from any third-party JDF compliant imposition application. From within the MISTRAL interface, the user can view the flatplan imposed for the press for each job, complete with press marks and trim marks. The user can print large format proofs directly from the web interface. The JDF capabilities of MISTRAL extend into the unique and specialized needs of the packaging industry too. MISTRAL can import the JDF description of packaging-specific geometry, offering similar levels of automation and convenience.

MISTRAL’s capabilities don’t stop at automating and streamlining production. Communicating with systems-independent databases, MISTRAL provides resource planning, along with a record of customer-, job- or even page-level costs for analyzes by accounting or MIS systems.

This is a ‘total solution’ production management, scheduling and tracking system. It serves as the production backbone, handling all of a printer’s projects and communications with suppliers and clients.

DALIM SOFTWARE realizes that users like to look at page information in different ways. While one user might want to see every technical aspect of a page, others may prefer a view that is much closer to the final product. The VIRTUAL LIBRARY is not just another page-turning application. Connected directly to the production server, it provides real-time access to job progress for soft proofing and approval, giving a realistic ‘look and feel’ of a publication — even simulating different paper grades and characteristics.

For those who do not need the full collaborative power of MISTRAL, PRINTEMPO helps printers driving CTP front-end systems by automating the creation of impositions.