The modular PDF-based workflow technology was designed to increase job volumes, decrease turnaround times and squeeze out the most from equipment, EFI claimed.

It is targeted at medium- to high-volume print-on-demand set-ups such as corporate reprographic departments, print-for-pay outfits and commercial printers.

The new Fiery Central, coupled with the Fiery colour digital print server, offers an open, flexible and scalable VDP solution, said a spokesman.

It enables users to easily develop customised marketing campaigns regardless of their complexity and supports multiple VDP formats.

The latest software comes in three versions to improve management of prepress workflows. Fiery Central Focus centralises job management and makeready.

Fiery Central Flow automates manual tasks and has digital prepress capabilities. Fiery Central Balance combines multiple devices to optimise use of assets.

John Henze, vice president of marketing for the Fiery division, said the technology would "allow users to create even more productive workflows".

EFI teamed up with Canon for the Drupa launch and the new software forms part of the Canon workflow program that focuses on key workflows in production.