Fuji adds to "open" Rampage

Fujifilm Graphic Systems has added new tools to its Rampage workflow and says its open offering gives printers more freedom than others on the market.

The new additions include Rampage Cegway, which allows users of Brisque workflow to output to Fuji devices, and Rampage Remote, a remote-proofing tool.

It has also launched Rampage Baseline, an entry-level RIP that contains core elements of the full Rampage system, such as the Rampage Digital Master (RDM), and supports more than 150 output devices from most manufacturers. It can also be upgraded to the full Rampage workflow.

Divisional director Keith Dalton said: The flexibility and openness of Rampage make it ideal for the UK market. Printers want the freedom to choose, adapt and grow their businesses without being tied to a single supplier and without scrapping their existing hardware and software to install a workflow system.

Prices will start from around 15,000 for Baseline up to 30,000 for a full Rampage workflow.

Fuji is going after the B2 market, where, it believes, workflow is the most important issue for many companies.

Another of its new offerings is the Rampage Pathway JDF interface.

Dalton said that too many suppliers, particularly in the early days of digital workflow, had offered an all or nothing system and compared printers decision-making process to Russian roulette.

If you could capture the customer you could lock him in and have him for life, he added. Its a nice idea from the suppliers point of view but not from the customers point of view. Nobody wants a monopoly.

Fuji Rampage is installed at between 2,500 and 3,000 around the world, but Dalton conceded that there hadnt been a great awareness in the market of Fujis success in the field.

The workflow launch marks the start of phase two of Fujis campaign to increase awareness of its offerings as more printers adopt digital pre-press technology.

Fuji is in the process of installing the first Baseline systems, while Pathway installations will start next month.