The JDF standard, overseen by the International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress (CIP4), is a Job Definition Format, an industry standard for end-to-end job ticket specifications. It allows RIPs, imagesetters, presses, finishing and other equipment and software to “speak” a common language. JDF job tickets describe a complete workflow or an individual process step.

In an ideal JDF scenario, all information about a job will be entered only once. The job now flows through a complete workflow system, carrying all this additional status information, ready to use for planning, analysis and so on.

A Packaging & Labels workgroup was formed on behalf of converters. Some of the specifications the group is working on include:

·        Definition barcode specifications

·        Resolution of a high level definition of step and repeat

·        Definition of the interface to a conventional die cutting device

·        Definition of the interface to a folder/gluer device

·        Media definitions

 

Why is JDF important for the packaging industry?
Traditionally there have been weak communication links between the consumer product company (CPC), the design firm, the prepress company and converters — and many different departments within those organizations. It results in a workflow that is error prone, hard to optimize, and hard to automate.

One way to check for errors is to make the process traceable. If the system can be optimized, it can provide global status information of the process, checking that deadlines will be met, with rescheduling or reprioritizing tasks when needed. Many think JDF is the solution.

Esko-Graphics and JDF
Esko-Graphics holds the seat at the head of the CIP4 Packaging & Label committee, and has not only worked diligently on the JDF spec, but has developed JDF capabilities for our own products. Esko-Graphics also is co-chairing the pre-press subcommittee.

Scope’s BackStage is completely JDF-enabled, capable of accepting instructions that direct BackStage tasks to correctly process a job, and to remotely drive other software functions via JDF commands. Thus, a supplier has the means to integrate itself into its customers’ supply chains, thus providing substantial added value for the packaging buyer, the end customer.

JDF-enabled BackStage is already used in several JDF scenarios, such as job creation linking an MIS/order entry system to BackStage; digital delivery between BackStage and an asset manager or proofing system; receiving feedback from a device such as a platesetter; and launching tasks, even from the web.

JDF and JMF are the way to go to optimize workflow in the bindery

When it comes to the binding industry, the key to optimizing daily work is to incorporate those digital workflow solutions that will best enable book binderies and other print-finishing businesses to raise their levels of productivity by merging today's data exchange technologies into their work processes.

Read the full story (PDF: 559k).

Industry comments

"Adobe Takes a Step Toward JDF — Adobe's Acrobat software and the PDF file format have become synonymous with one of the most important interfaces in the production chain between print providers and their customers. Meanwhile, JDF will evolve into an industry standard for the future and will eventually lead to an industrialized, integrated and mostly automated production process. So the question is, will Acrobat 7 JDF be the starting point for a broad acceptance of JDF in the printing industry?

"Adobe's Acrobat software and the PDF file format have become synonymous with one of the most important interfaces in the production chain between print providers and their customers. Because PDF simplifies things so much, it has become the most commonly used data format for transferring content in graphic arts. It's hard to imagine any prepress without PDF today. Adobe brought Version 7 of Acrobat into the market earlier this year and introduced JDF features for the first time. JDF (job definition format) will evolve into an industry standard for the future and will eventually lead to an industrialized, integrated and mostly automated production process."

— Michael Mittelhaus, The Seybold Report, July 20, 2005

"Through the years as Adobe improved the technology and third party vendors brought products to the market that allowed shops to truly create a successful PDF workflow, many shops have a true, successful PDF workflow. With the new tools in Acrobat 7 the process of outputting files has just gotten easier....You can create new JDF job definitions in a variety of ways using the JDF Job Definitions dialog box. Each resulting JDF file can be edited and used in a production environment. Commercial printers who routinely print certain types of jobs may find it useful to create several JDF files that match these job types, and use them as templates."

— Print Image Newsletter, March 2005
The New Production Tools of Acrobat 7, by Stephen Mills

"With the March publication of CIP4's catalog of JDF-enabled products, we saw more than 120 JDF-enabled products and services. I expect that number to top 150 by drupa 2004 and double by Print 2005. We've recently heard folks like Time, Inc. and Hachette discuss timetables that predict JDF implementation with their print providers in the late 2004 to mid-2005 time frame. JDF is definitely making the move from R&D and beta testing to the shop floor in 2004."

— James Harvey, executive director of CIP4 (Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress)

"JDF will revolutionize publishing production, radically simplifying information exchange between the applications and systems essential to the graphics arts industry — and Adobe will be among the first to show JDF being generated from industry-standard creative tools. As a founder of CIP4 and one of the creators of the JDF specification, Adobe plans to integrate this technology across its publishing and design platform and work with other members of CIP4 to drive JDF adoption throughout the creative industries."

— Don Walker, general manager, Publishing Technologies and Services Group at Adobe

"Print producers who purchase products that are based on the CIP4 JDF standard can be assured that regardless of vendor, products will all be able to communicate with each other, using a vendor-neutral standard that ensures easy set up and guarantees long lasting collaboration."

— Chris LaFontaine, product manager, Agfa

"JDF is helping customers map out powerful, optimized solutions that add incremental value to existing technology investments, and provides a roadmap leading to the next generation of automated 'smart systems.'"

— Tim Daisy, NGP (Network Graphic Production) initiative manager, Creo Americas Inc.

"JDF was created to eliminate fragmentation. Every department in a production chain often re-enters the same job data, creating error opportunities and adding unnecessary time. With JDF, the process becomes more streamlined. It's essentially a standard for any digital file describing every possible specification (number of pages, ink settings, binding type, deadline — everything) required to produce any print job. JDF also defines all processes and resources to get the job delivered."

— Gee Ranasinha, worldwide director of marketing, Dalim Software GmbH

"JDF provides two significant advantages. First, it allows the description of more job definition elements than any other format. Second, it's been adopted by a large, ever-growing number of vendors. Consequently, JDF will deliver automation within reach of small to midsized companies — while larger companies will be able to rely on standard solutions rather than building their own."

— Freddy Pieters, product manager, Commercial Printing, Esko-Graphics

"The CIP4 Job Definition Format (JDF) standard defines an open XML-based standard for a job ticket that encompasses an end-to-end print workflow. JDF will allow a job to flow from a customer to a service provider to a pre-press application to a print server to a printer controller with full management and tracking. Today many of these processes use vendor-proprietary formats that don't work together. JDF is open and extensible and can work with any print datastream."

— Rich Howarth, director of strategy, IBM Printing Systems

"With JDF, presses communicate with estimating systems, production schedulers communicate with presses, imposers communicate with folders and so forth. It results in simplified production automation from the moment a customer places the order through the production, delivery and, ultimately, invoicing of the finished product."

— Michele Struchil, workflow product manager, Screen (USA)

If you want to implement JDF in your operation how do you get from where you are now to where you want to be? A lot has been written about the potential that JDF has for improving the efficiency of print workflows but Global Graphics is one of the few companies to identify the practical steps that can be taken along the road to implementing JDF! For more detail download our White Paper by following the link on the right.  Your first step is to analyse your existing workflows. What exactly does every piece of equipment, and every staff member do during the production of a job? Be sure you record what actually happens, rather than what your standard operating practices say should happen. Start with the route taken by a job of a typical format, assuming that no errors occur and that no late changes are requested by the customer. Then add in the error handling and rework processing routes. What happens if you don't get customer approval on time? Where are the bottlenecks in the process? Where do quality control checks find errors most often? Are you receiving a number of poorly constructed files from your customers? Where do the errors come from?