PrintCaf has decided to incorporate the Job Definition Format (JDF) into PCX, its job interchange format.
The move comes as an apparent change of heart for the firm, which was heavily pushing PCX as a more viable format to JDF for e-production. The firm was also hoping that PCX would be rolled into the JDF specification.
At Drupa Amos Michelson CEO of PrintCafe's principal shareholder Creo said: "PCX will be open - we hope to make it a standard. PrintCafe went for that because what was defined by JDF isn't good enough."
PrintCaf's about face follows the transfer of the JDF spec from the four founding firms to the CIP4 (PrintWeek, 28 July). "The recent resolution of JDF ownership allows us to incorporate JDF as part of our in-plant communication specification," said PrintCafe president Marc Olin. A group of rival e-commerce firms had set-up a body called PrintTalk to push for industry support of JDF against PCX.
The firm believes that PCX is still a more complete format, European managing director Robert Berkeley said: "JDF is an internal job ticket format, PCX is designed for e-commerce - you wouldn't use JDF to talk to an e-commerce system like Ariba."
Story by Barney Cox