According to the manufacturer, the new iteration of the system, originally developed by Océ, includes a number of enhancements and added capabilities that will enable printers to improve efficiency, productivity and connectivity.

Canon said the system is targetted at the commercial, book, direct mail and transactional printing sectors. It is suitable for use on a range of Canon Océ machines as well as those from other manufacturers.

Among the new features is InkControl, which enables users to estimate job-specific ink usage prior to a print run, and Print File Enhancer, which enables printers to modify PDF and AFP files via a graphical user interface.

InkControl uses the rasterising engine in the Océ SRA MP controller combined with data about actual droplet sizes, defined in the job set-up, to calculate ink consumption prior to printing. Print File Enhancer can be used to quickly make last-minute changes to print jobs, such as add index information, barcodes, text or images to files, to insert pages and shift content, or sort print files for optimised dispatch.

Updates include an enhanced Professional Book module, which automates book production functions through a batch, barcode and scanning process, and a revamped Professional Document Composer imposition system that has an improved user interface and is now fully integrated into Prismaproduction.

Craig Nethercott, commercial print group director, Canon UK, said: “Print service providers now have access to a more robust suite of workflow management capabilities designed to help enhance their creative capabilities while streamlining production management.

“With increased pressure on costs and turnaround times, the ability to more effectively manage the entire production workflow is critical. Prismaproduction version 5.0 not only gives print service providers control over their complete range of applications, but also helps maximise flexibility, improve turnaround times and reduce production costs.”