On the day before the Print 01 show in Chicago opened, Heidelberg chairman and CEO Bernhard Schreier put his signature to a joint development and distribution partnership with RealTimeImage.

The agreement with the Californian internet-based imaging products provider will result in Heidelberg offering the most advanced on-line proofing support on the market, Schreier said.

The technology will be branded HDProof and is slated for a Q4 2001 delivery date.

HDProof can be integrated into all of Heidelbergs workflow solutions such as Delta, Prinergy and MetaDimension. It will enable the review and measurement of jobs in full resolution over the internet and for ink-jet proofs to be produced at any location.

For the longer term HDProof is a vital component helping to drive the evolution of Heidelbergs strategy to create a truly customer-focused e-service portal for printers, added Heidelbergs main board member responsible for digital products Wolfgang Pfizenmaier.

Story by Lauretta Roberts, at Print 01 in Chicago