Xerox opening up

Print Action, May 2003 by Robinson, Jon

Hatch says that the production management group is currently looking at making PPML a part of the FreeFlow structure because it's an emerging standard, but that the company will wait to adopt it and embrace it at a time that is appropriate. For now, however, Xerox has partnered with Creo's Network Graphic Production model, which truly may become one of the leading models of convergence. He also says that there is a lot of learning still to be done before variable data and other on-demand models are employed on a regular basis, that printers and their clients are finding out just how difficult variable data is, and also the challenge of digital colour.

"It's funny," says Hatch. "If you went to a service bureau they probably have the skill set but they don't know anything about image quality. You go to the printer and they don't know anything about data, but these guys run a 12-head press. It's converging, that's why we created these consultancies."