The Ultimate Guide to JDF
Introduction Following our very successful JDF Guide available since 2002 as a free download, we thought it was time to update the Guide. JDF for the Graphic Arts Industry continues to gain momentum and remains at the forefront of many Print Companies buying decisions. As a major Management Information Systems provider to the Printing Industry, has always recognised the importance of JDF to its customers and the market as a whole. Group Software Design Director for, Henny van Esch, has been instrumental in the evolvement of JDF as Chairman of the CIP4 MIS working group a position Henny has held for the last seven years. This means that is not only involved in ensuring the incorporation of required functionality within to generate JDF; but continues to help to steer the direction of its implementation in co-operation with other vendors. In this booklet we aim to continue with the original view of providing a no-nonsense, easy to understand guide to JDF; what the technology means for the industry and what the gains and pitfalls could be for the end user. The following is not a technical manual but it should at least answer most of the questions surrounding the subject. We look forward to hearing your feedback on this updated guide. Nicola Bisset Group Managing Director Page 2
What is JDF? JDF is recognised as the industry standard for describing print jobs electronically. JDF, which stands for Job Definition Format, is a comprehensive XML- based message format designed to enable the exchange of information between different software applications used in job production workflows within the graphic arts industry. A JDF file contains the management and production details of a job and in a true JDF environment would seamlessly adjust the setting of each piece of equipment. In turn the MIS system can receive real-time production information back from the equipment through JMF Job Messaging Format. Therefore it is possible to achieve a two way communication between the software applications managing and controlling the equipment and your MIS system, feeding back real-time production information. Indeed it has also been widely recognised that an MIS system plays a key role in the JDF workflow, acting as the glue between each piece of equipment, sending and receiving to multiple applications/equipment and multiple vendors. A JDF job ticket does much more than save the operator from having to make adjustments to a machine. It is designed to provide a means of monitoring and controlling a job from the point at which a successful estimate is confirmed as a job within the MIS system. When we think of a digital workflow, we normally consider pre-press. However, a JDF workflow would encompass all aspects of production from pre-press to finishing with each stage being fed back to the MIS system. Management should have the ability to not just reduce costs by improving automation, but also ensure that the whole operation is as cost efficient as possible. Page 3
What will JDF do for the graphic arts industry? JDF remains one of the biggest potential areas to make the industry much more efficient. Higher levels of automation can only bring efficiency benefits and can also lead to less skilled operators. There will be a reduction in waste, but consider waste not only in the traditional sense of less make readies but also in terms of time taken in manual processes and keying of data. By automation and less manual intervention comes less potential errors. With a JDF workflow, businesses have the opportunity to streamline their processes and procedures. The traditional roles within the business need to change to reflect a completely different way of passing a job through the factory. The opportunity to create an environment where less people are required and become more multi-skilled, we believe is definitely worth pursuing. With a complete JDF workflow brings the opportunity to manage businesses more effectively with information being automatically fed through, highlighting potential bottlenecks and pinpointing profitable work and high levels of wastage. The internet continues to influence how businesses perform with an increasing number of customers requiring ordering facilities to be made available on-line. Many good e-commerce systems allow job proofing by the customer, this leads to a print ready file being sent directly to the press and the MIS system. Again the efficiencies gained are potentially enormous with no re-keying by staff and less errors. Information is king and being able to control, access and utilise that content is critical to all businesses. JDF provides this opportunity in the graphic arts industry. Page 4
How will JDF benefit my business? Even if you are not using JDF within your business today; you should be asking about it, enquiring what your suppliers are doing with regards to it, and planning it into your future strategy. Many suppliers have been developing their systems to ensure they are JDF compliant for the last few years. In the early days it was mainly pre-press workflows that were the first to implement JDF along with good MIS suppliers, this has widened over the years to include press and post-press operations. The benefits in a true JDF workflow are easy to pinpoint. Greater efficiencies through automation, less wastage in the areas of make readies, ink usage and time. These benefits are available today. Print runs have become shorter and are required in less time and for less money. Through the automation efficiencies, the problem of shorter print runs can be addressed. The level of automation spreads much further than machinery settings. The information for the digital job ticket comes from the details held in the original estimate. This is held within the MIS system, thereby ensuring that key data is only ever input once. The digital job ticket would in effect, automatically control each item of equipment as it was used to produce the work and feed back into the MIS system. All key data, time taken and materials used would be captured, whilst also showing the status of the job. The following are just some of the benefits of JDF to the printer. Reduce the potential for errors Real-time management information Greater automation of the production process Faster turnaround of work Ability to act quickly to production problems Reduce administration and re-keying of information Reduce delays by greater control of production Easier system integration for smaller companies Page 5
What financial benefits will I gain when I invest in JDF enabled equipment? The acceptance of the JDF standard leads to greater control of jobs throughout the factory, resulting in significant improvements to efficiency. With higher levels of automation, faster make readies and the ability to handle more jobs in shorter time frames becomes a reality. In addition to making individual jobs more cost effective to produce, JDF gives management the opportunity to run their business more profitably. Jobs that generate the most money can be easily identified as will those that make the least, or worse still, a loss. Although JDF is not plug and play and needs careful planning together with willing suppliers who have good relationships with other suppliers, the financial benefits are huge. The following are a sample of some of them: Reduce wastage and costs Optimise production equipment Handle more jobs with fewer staff Take out real costs from production Reduce turnaround time of jobs Identify most profitable work Page 6
What preparations do I need to undertake before investing in JDF technology? Like any investment, you need to do your research to avoid potential pitfalls. The first thing is to agree what you do now and what you want to achieve in the future. A good start to this is to prepare a flow chart of the administrative steps and the departmental staff involvement for each job. Once completed, involve your chosen partners in the review process this should include your MIS provider and the equipment suppliers you wish to see within the JDF workflow. As stated before, JDF is not plug and play and although the benefits are enormous, the hidden cost of the benefits is less flexibility. The key to the JDF workflow is accurate information at the start of the process. This means the first procedure to look at in your business is how the job arrives in your MIS system. The JDF message is generated from an estimate within the MIS system which is turned into a job. Therefore if you do not prepare estimates for your work or have many changes to a job once it has been booked in, chances are you will not be able to achieve an automated JDF workflow. Equally roles may need to change within the business. Whereas traditionally Production picked up the job as it was booked in from an estimate, the lines will become blurred as the estimate itself becomes the bible of the JDF workflow, therefore production and estimating may need a far greater cross- over in their roles. Involve staff from all departments. Although management may have a vision of an automated JDF workflow, staff may not be able to understand the vision and could perceive the strategy as a threat to them. Without buy in from staff, any changes that may be necessary to your processes and procedures may be hindered by lack of cooperation internally. Appoint a project leader who understands the technology and the implications and who can bring the relevant suppliers together. This will ensure the project does not become fragmented with different suppliers providing their solution in isolation. Produce a check list of activities along with a schedule of who does what and when your MIS supplier should be able to help you draw up the list. The important thing to establish is; this project needs both you and your suppliers working closely together to achieve one common goal it is a partnership! Ensure that your chosen suppliers are fully JDF compliant, but a word of caution the specification for the JDF standard is extensive with areas being open to interpretation. This is why we say that JDF is not plug and play. However, a good measure for you is if a supplier is actively involved in the CIP4 inter-operability tests (carried out bi-annually), chances are, they will have working links to other suppliers or the ability to develop the links. Page 7
Why is MIS so important? A good MIS system is at the heart of a successful JDF environment. Many of the features available via JDF are already in use by printers operating leading MIS systems. These features include: Digital job bags, job profitability analysis and time collection. The concept of using the details from the estimate to control subsequent processes and the use of e-commerce between the printer and his customer, are also present in most good MIS systems. The role of the MIS system is to provide two-way communication with all equipment in the factory, from pre-press to finishing using the JDF job ticket created within the MIS. This in combination with JMF messages coming back from the equipment to the MIS system completes the two way flow. The MIS system must be able to create full JDF tickets, incorporating management information for each job, not just the product intent details. The MIS system creates JDF job tickets for pre-press, press and finishing equipment and has demonstrated this ability for a number of years at both Drupa and Ipex exhibitions. can also accept JMF messages back from equipment for job tracking and data collection. has been involved in the JDF process from the very beginning, ensuring that the MIS system remains fully JDF compliant. has built successful relationships with many of the key suppliers to the printing industry and is happy to assist customers with their proposed JDF projects, with a level of knowledge and professionalism built on many years of experience within the JDF arena. Page 8
What will happen in the future with JDF technology? The future is here! Although JDF technology will continue to evolve, there are already high levels of integration and automation available. JDF has come a long way since the early ideas and many businesses around the world are enjoying the benefits today. A high percentage of suppliers now offer JDF compliant equipment, where previously, suppliers worked in isolation. Now, every supplier needs to develop open systems to ensure integration is possible. JDF has been widely accepted and developed for litho printers. However with the enormous growth in the Digital Print Sector, JDF will continue to be developed. This will ensure no matter which sector of the printing industry and which equipment is used, JDF will be at the forefront of development for all suppliers. In recent years it has been shown that it is the software applications from individual suppliers- not hardware, which provide the links for an automated JDF enabled workflow; therefore with the continuing leaps in technology available for software applications, integration can only improve. Page 9
What does the CIP4 organisation do? To explain this fully, it is worth briefly outlining how CIP4 came into being. Its history can be traced back to Drupa 1995, when Heidelberg in co-operation with German organisation Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics, launched the Print Production Format (PPF). This was an attempt to standardise digital communication of job metadata between different pieces of production equipment. For this to be developed independently, several companies got together to take the concept further, they operated under the name CIP3 International co-operation for integration in Pre-press, Press and Post Press. The PPF format was production focussed. It looked at how digital data could be used to set pre-press and press equipment to be ready for the following job, this utilised proprietary communication languages. The next major development occurred early in 2000, when Adobe, Agfa, Heidelberg and Man Roland announced they would be working together to create an XML-based job ticket called Job Definition Format or JDF, with the idea that business and management information would be incorporated with production details. Later that year the project was handed over to the CIP3 members under the condition that they re-form as an open and not- for- profit association which, with the addition of Processes became the CIP4 organisation. Today, CIP4 consists of vendors, consultants and end-users that are involved in the graphic arts and related industries. The membership has grown to three hundred and twenty two members worldwide, covering a wide range of hardware, software and technologies. There are some twenty working groups within CIP4; these focus on different areas that require development in order for JDF to be implemented throughout the workflow from creation to delivery. Most of the funding for the projects comes from the manufacturers and suppliers, so end-users can join for a nominal fee. CIP4 organise inter-operability testing bi-annually. The meetings are held in different locations around the world and members attend to test their latest software with other members. This ensures that the CIP4 organisation members continue to develop their products with the intention of linking through JDF to other member offerings. Page 10
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