According to Integrated Futures managing director Alastair Sames, the UK distributor for the product, version 2 will be an "exciting development".

"Like version 1.5, it will have very significant workflow optimisation and enables CMYK JPEG output," he said. "But all that will pale into insignificance with the release of version 2, which will be a major step forward."

The new product will allow for the RIP to be more capable of processing images at a faster rate. Version 2 uses Unix-based technology and will run on Macs as well as PCs. It will also speed up the process of personalising multiple images on one sheet.

No specific release date has been set and prices are yet to be confirmed, but it is expected that the cost of the version 2 software will be similar to version 1.5. Prices for that range from 1,500 for the basic edition to 6,800 for the ProPlus version. Existing DirecType customers will be able to get version 2 for free if they have a current support maintenance contract.

DirecType has also developed an SMS module for existing and future versions of the software, which can run alongside the print and web options. There is no firm date for when it will come onto the UK market, although Sames said that it would be in "the next month".

"It allows a customer to run a complete cross media marketing campaign," he said.

At Ipex, version 1.5 was on show and Sames added that more DirecType software had been sold in one day than in the previous best month.

DirecType can run with any digital press that can print an image such as machines from HP Indigo, Xerox, Xeikon, Oc, Kodak NexPress and Konica Minolta.

Resellers for the software are NCS, Litho Supplies, Oc and Punch Graphix. 

DirecType Version 2
- Platforms: PC Windows, Apple Mac Output file
- Support: CMYK jpeg, BMP, TIFF, RGB
- Operates: using Unix technology