Kothari Print Pro - Label edition.
All Kothari Print Pro editions share the same technology platform. Based on the end-use requirements each of these edition offer different features relevant to the application.
Introduction.
Handles any kind of label printing workflow with accurate rendering of colors. Combines powerful automation feature to print large rolls of labels unattended together with variable data. It can handle workflows with ink setup of upto 12 colors including white ink.
On demand label printing essentially involves printing labels with variable data. Kothari Print Pro can work with third party label design software like Nicelabel and BarTender through its specially developed printer driver or multi-page PDFs.
Together with our specially designed software for variable data and label designing - Kothari VDP Pro, this label edition of Kothari Print Pro is an extremely powerful combination, capable of handling variable data inputs, working in an automated mode.
On demand label printing essentially involves printing labels with variable data. Kothari Print Pro can work with third party label design software like Nicelabel and BarTender through its specially developed printer driver or multi-page PDFs.
Together with our specially designed software for variable data and label designing - Kothari VDP Pro, this label edition of Kothari Print Pro is an extremely powerful combination, capable of handling variable data inputs, working in an automated mode.
Specially designed custom driver is available to driver OKI based roll to roll label printers.
Typical Workflow.
1. Kothari VDP Pro - This software allows you to design the label templates with fixed or variable data fields in it. Various types of label templates can be designed with simple and efficient designing tools available in the software. It also allows you to bind the variable data with the input to be used for generating the printed labels. This input data can come from one or more databases or can be manually entered through the keyboard or via an automation queue or can be provided using various types of counters. The label templates are used to generate and send job files to automation folder of the RIP software. The RIP then scans the automation/ hot folder and nests the various jobs before outputting on the label printer associated with it.
2. Kothari Automation Printer - This is a printer driver that allows you to print the labels from your favourite label design software. If you are working with a third party label design software other than the Kothari VDP Pro, then using this printer driver you can print labels to the Automation/ Hot Folder of the RIP. This RIP then scans the automation/ hot folder and nests the various jobs before outputting on the label printer associated with it.
3. Kothari Print Pro (Label RIP) - This edition of Kothari Print Pro RIP is the heart of the whole label printing process. The RIP is responsible for scanning the Automation/ Hot folder for incoming jobs either from the Kothari VDP Pro or Kothari Automation Printer along with the graphic files supported by the RIP. If one or more jobs are available, then RIP automatically fetches the jobs and then rasterizes them into the format understood by the label printer associated with it.
Description of various automation workflow components.
Highlights.
- Color Control.
- Color managed workflow. Open images in any color space (RGB, CMYK, Lab) for printing. Embedded color profiles in images are read and recognized for proper interpretation of the intent of the designer.
- Color tools like Color Book, Direct Color Editing (DCE) and Direct Channel Firing (DCF) for managing Spot colors in the images.
- Color profiling tools. With easy to use wizard based interface, these tools are best in the class, allowing for ink linearization, ink restriction/ limit and color profiling. They are specially designed to work with extended primaries (spot colors), besides CMYK in a N-color ink configuration. Working in the ink space with full color gamut spawned by the inks used, the software can also use fluorescent inks as process primaries for gamut enhancement to the maximum extent. The tool provides sophisticated method to blend light and dark colors to achieve maximum smoothness in the prints without loosing the color gamut.
- Create profiles for printer with upto 12 colors.
- UCR/GCR control with CMYK and Spot color primaries.
- Support for Auto/ Manual gray balancing of printer profile.
- Generate profiles for Monitor and Scanner in addition to printers.
- White Ink handling. (Applicable only for scenarios requiring to print with white ink)
- White underbase generation. Automatic generation of white underbase based on the media color type, resulting in optimized usage of white ink based on media color without compromising on color gamut. The software recognizes and use the transparency information in the images during the underbase generation.
- White highlight.
- Underbase choke.
- Ink cost calculator. Compute the print cost for each print based on the ink consumption. This allows you to know your cost of printing before you commit for an order.
- Job tracking and accounting. Track usage of the printer with respect to jobs printed, their print settings, number of copies and ink consumed. MIS can be generated for Job accounting purposes. Multiple printers can be tracked and programmed for automatic reporting in combination with our KoJac.
- XML based, barcode controlled workflow for Job automation. Designed to bring efficiency at the shop floor and reduce chances of errors in production, this is a must have tool no matter what your size of business is. If you are accepting orders through the web then you can automate your production process by directly generating XML tickets and placing them in the queue and tagging the media to be printed with corresponding barcodes. Alternatively, if you don't use the web then also, you can generate XML tickets using our Job panel for all the jobs. This panel is also capable of pulling data from a database. The RIP software takes instruction from the XML ticket and knows from there, how to process the incoming Job. Also, the moving XML Job ticket in your network allows your IT systems to keep track of the progress made on a particular Job as it moves through various stages of its life cycle - from order point to printing until shipment. As a business owner, it helps you plan your production and supervision more efficiently, reducing chances of mistakes. This frees you from production blues and let you focus on your task of managing your business!
- Image handling. Support most of the known Image file formats including the native Photoshop format with Channels. The software also reads, interprets and uses transparency in the images.
- Layout.
- Nesting. Automatic nesting of multiple copies of same label design in rows and columns based on the size of the printable media with user defined gap in between.
- Flexible image composing. In the same print area, you can place multiple images with transparent background to compose. It treats every image as a layer. Each layer can be in different color space (RGB, CMYK, Lab, multichannel etc.).
- Output Quality.
- Bi-cubic expansion of images for excellent details and resolution enhancement.
- Advanced dithering with variable dot control for exceptional smoothness and print quality.
- Reliability and ease of use.
- Advanced Memory management for handling almost unlimited size of image data without significant impact on the performance.
- No limit on the RIP output size.
- Multi-threaded application with exceptional ripping speed.
- Stable platform that rarely crashes, allowing you to focus on your Job than worrying for the next event !
- Intuitive user interface.
- Hide print settings complexities behind the user defined definitions as print environments. These can be shared among various print stations using printer of same type and recalled easily from a drop down list.
- Installation of new print modes and taking backup of existing print modes is easy. This allows to keep backup of various customization done for printing, in due course of time.
- Handle more than one printer with the same software (Subject to limitations imposed by the processing capabilities of the PC).
- Port Manager. Define ports and associate them with the name of the Printer as identified on the shop floor for easy recall.
- Print Queue Manager. Load, RIP, Print and Manage Jobs in the same queue going to various printers. Job priorities can be changed by simply moving them up and down in the list. Store RIPPED jobs on the disk for future recall.
- One pass printing is supported with multiple ink layers (more than one) printed in the same pass based on the order of printing. These layers can be of different resolution and head nozzles are utilized accordingly to optimize the print speeds. This feature is available only for printers, where Print Pro's custom drivers can control the printhead nozzles directly.
Please see our Technology page to learn more about these features.
Technical Specification.
- Requires a PC based on Intel core i3 running at 2.3 GHz or better processor. RAM 4GB or more.
- Operating system: Microsoft windows 7 or later.
- Hard Disk: Hard drive requirement varies based on your usage requirement. We recommend 500 GB or more fast SATA/ SSD (SSD preferred), with atleast 100GB of free space.
- Monitor: 24 bit color or better, with minimum resolution of 1366x768 pixels (recommended 1920x1080 pixels).
- One USB port for software dongle.
Gallery of labels printed with Print Pro (Label edition).
Following images were printed on a OKI based label printer using Kothari Print Pro RIP software.
Following photos of printed labels were kindly provided by - Impression Technology (Compress brand), Australia. The labels were printed on OKI based Compress Label printer manufactured by Impression Technology.