Xerox is setting up its stage to storm the graphic arts market, including using offset print production to produce "smarter documents" at Drupa.

Via strategic alliances with print players Imation and Presstek it is planning inroads into offset.

"We believe offset is complimentary to digital," said David Tashji, Xeroxs worldwide marketing manager, product business strategy, DSG, graphic arts organisation. "Lots of people see us as squaring off with the offset industry, we see opportunities to combine DI offset and digital. Smarter documents have the quality benefits of offset with the variability beneifts of digital. The two are highly complimentary to each other."

Tashji said: "We are very excited by Presstek as an organisation and the way they use offset DI. We will demonstrate how DI offset with Xerox digital provides a portfolio of products that can meet expectations for print quality and variability. Hybrid documents provide the best of both technologies."
It is gearing up to make its DigiPath digital front end a universal document production workflow capable of driving DI presses and platesetters as well as driving digital presses and creating documents for the web. Tashji said: "It could become a crossroads feeding documents to any media: offset, DocuTech, DocuColor or www."


Its strategic alliance with Imation covers proofing, asset management and colour management across print and the web. Initially the deal will to drive the Xerox DC12 as a proofer using an Imation Matchprint RIP and consuambles.

"It is the first of numerous announcements," according to David Tashji, Xeroxs worldwide marketing manager, product business strategy, DSG, graphic arts organisation. The firm is set to use the Matchprint colourspace as a standard across all its workflows. "Were in process of assessing moving Imation colour technology up the productivity scale of our printers for later this year," said Tashji.

The Xerox hall at Drupa will also have a Presstek Pearl HDP halftone digital proofer being driven by Xeroxs DigiPath front-end. Tashji refused to confirm whether the stand will also feature the PAX press developed by Adast and Presstek, which it is rumoured to be the third partner involved.
Story by Barney Cox