Xerox and EFI lay groundwork for next-generation printing with new Fiery-powered digital front end

January 24, 2018January 25, 2018 GaryPageau EFI, EFI Connect, Xerox

January 24, 2018 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time – LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Xerox and Electronics For Imaging (EFI) today demonstrated a new Fiery^® digital front end (DFE) that will give print providers a powerful new tool to manage high-value jobs that require special embellishments and effects using dry inks including silver, gold and clear.

Keypoint Intelligence-InfoTrends projects that digital print enhancement volume will grow at a 27 percent compound annual growth rate through 2020, providing print operations with new business that promises both growth and profit¹.

“This new development by Xerox and EFI is a testament to the commitment by both suppliers to enrich their solutions with efficient production workflow, processing power and color management needed for the range of applications produced today,” said Ron Gilboa, group director, Keypoint Intelligence. “These tools are critical for print providers who are looking to grow their business and offer their clients differentiated solutions including color and the use of special embellishments in metallic gold and silver.”

High-value iridescent mixed metallic images in a single pass demonstrated at EFI Connect on the soon-to-be-announced new Xerox color technology featuring a new EFI DFE.

In February of last year, Xerox announced the sale of its FreeFlow^® Print Server (FFPS) DFE business to EFI, along with plans to work with EFI to market a single DFE to drive Xerox digital production presses. The new DFE combines unique features from the Xerox FFPS with the capabilities of the market-leading EFI Fiery DFE.

“This is an important step in our collaboration with EFI to offer our customers a single and more powerful DFE,” said Andrew Copley, president, Graphic Communications Solutions, Xerox. “Customers will benefit not only from greater production efficiencies and performance capabilities but also from increased support in the field.”

The new DFE delivers fast Raster Imaging Processor (RIP) speeds, seamless automation integration, and advanced workflow efficiency and productivity. Additional customer benefits include:

Access to EFI’s sales and technical field resources working side-by-side with their Xerox sales reps.
A standardized and simplified digital workflow. Fiery Command WorkStation^® provides a single, intuitive user interface across a customer’s entire print operation.
Customized workflows for metallic applications. The DFE optimizes processing speeds for single or multiple jobs with Fiery HyperRIP technology.
Color management tools along with gold, silver and clear dry ink capabilities that allow customers to create more metallic effects and tactile embellishments for higher-value applications.

“Working with Xerox on the 2017 acquisition of FFPS technology marked a new level of cooperation in our longstanding partnership, and we are excited about the new technology that it has yielded,” said Toby Weiss, senior vice president and general manager, EFI Fiery. “The new technology demonstration at Connect will show customers the important ways digital print is expanding, with fully color managed metallic effects, stronger, better automation, superior options in late-stage editing, and much more.”

The new DFE will be driving a production color press technology demonstration at EFI Connect in Xerox booth # 101. The booth will also display a Xerox AltaLink^® C8000 with the recently launched Xerox EX-c C8000 Print Server Powered by Fiery along with a workflow station featuring Xerox FreeFlow^® Core.

About Xerox

Xerox Corporation is an $11 billion technology leader that innovates the way the world communicates, connects and works. Our expertise is more important than ever as customers of all sizes look to improve productivity, maximize profitability and increase satisfaction. We do this for small and mid-size businesses, large enterprises, governments, graphic communications providers, and for our partners who serve them.

We understand what’s at the heart of work – and all of the forms it can take. We embrace the increasingly complex world of paper and digital. Office and mobile. Personal and social. Every day across the globe – in more than 160 countries – our technology, software and people successfully navigate those intersections. We automate, personalize, package, analyze and secure information to keep our customers moving at an accelerated pace. For more information visit www.xerox.com.

About EFI

EFI logo EFI™ is a global technology company, based in Silicon Valley, and is leading the worldwide transformation from analog to digital imaging. We are passionate about fueling customer success with products that increase competitiveness and boost productivity. To do that, we develop breakthrough technologies for the manufacturing of signage, packaging, textiles, ceramic tiles, and personalized documents, with a wide range of printers, inks, digital front ends, and a comprehensive business and production workflow suite that transforms and streamlines the entire production process. (www.efi.com)