RealTimeImage (RTI) has claimed its latest remote proofing system offers the "final link in the digital workflow".

"Proofing is the most broken thing in digital workflow," said vice president of marketing Chris Gulker.

"According to the GATF one third of all hard copy proofs come from the wrong version of the file," he added. "When you get to soft proofing you multiply the problem."

RealTimeProof Express combines features of the firms ASP hosted service and RTI Classic server software. Files remain at the host site, but RTIs central server tracks all annotations.

It will be available by Ipex in April 2002.

RTI OEM customers Heidelberg and Imation/ KPG are beta testing their products based on the technology, which should reach the market in the first half of next year.

"When the world leader in printing and the world leader in proofing who could develop their own systems sign up to us its a commendation," said Gulker.