Examples - Resolving your technical challenges

WINDOWS 8 SUPPORT

Windows 8 introduces the Metro UI and ARM processor support.

While non-XPS path drivers will be supported, to fully support Windows 8 including showing customized printer preferences in the Metro application print interface then XPS path support, PrintTicket support and ARM processor support will be required.

Software Imaging expects XPS support will be a compulsory requirement for the Windows 8 Logo programme.

Software Imaging has unrivalled longevity working on XPS and provided the Job Finishing filters for Microsoft’s XPS sample drivers:

“Amazing… demo of high-dynamic range, wide-gamut photo printing using the new imaging pipeline in Windows Vista…The output was great…The printer was being driven by a print driver put together for us by Software Imaging.” Andy Simonds, Group Program Manager, Digital Documents Platform & Solutions Group, Microsoft Corporation

Software Imaging expects changes will be required to support printing from Windows 8 running on ARM processors. Software Imaging has considerable experience of porting driver code to run on other processor types including ARM processors.

UNIVERSAL PRINTER DRIVERS

A Japanese printer manufacturer reviewed many options and selected Software Imaging to reduce the number of printer drivers that it needed to develop and manage.

Software Imaging’s Universal Printer Drivers:

  • Reduce printer manufacturers’ driver development costs
  • Help printer manufacturers restricted by the space limits Microsoft is imposing on in-box drivers for Windows 8
  • Reduce driver management hassle for end-users

”The Universal Printer Driver is an important new software release for Epson… SI has a quality solution that helps us provide our customers with easier implementation and installation and lower support costs for their printer drivers” - General Manager of the Inkjet and Laser Printer Planning and Design Department at Seiko Epson

DRIVER DEVELOPMENT KITS

A Japanese printer manufacturer needed PCL driver solutions. They reviewed available solutions and chose Software Imaging’s PCL driver development kit as having the best technical solution, so they established a long term partnership with Software Imaging.

"Our customers are accustomed to the very best performance, quality and functionality from our products” said the printer manufacturer’s Divisional Manager

Software Imaging offers driver development kits for XPS, PCL 5e, PCL5c, PCL XL, PostScript, Raster and custom PDLs. It offers support for x16, x32 and x64 Windows operating systems, as well as Mac & Linux.

PDL EMITTERS

Printer manufacturers who have problems with their PDL emitters can use Software Imaging’s PDL emitters alongside their existing printer driver technology, enabling:

  • the best PDL output in the industry
  • reduced network traffic because of more efficient PDL output

Software Imaging offers support for all major PDLs including XPS, PostScript, PCL5e, PCL5c and PCL XL and support for all major platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android

DRIVER DEVELOPMENT USER INTERFACE CODE

“The printer driver has two parts, the printing core and the UI. The UI is the user interface on the Windows screen and the Software Imaging toolkit allows us to develop the UI. This is a unique feature that no other tool kit vendor can provide.” - Major printer manufacturer

Printer manufacturers who have problems with their driver development user interface code can use Software Imaging’s user interface code alongside their existing technology, enabling:

  • unrivalled flexibility in the driver UIs for specific devices or families of devices
  • superior branding opportunities

COLOR MANAGEMENT & CALIBRATION

Software Imaging’s patented half-toning solutions can protect printer manufacturers from allegations of patent breach (stochastic screening, better ordered screens, error diffusion).

SI's patented solution can save OEMs time characterizing multichannel printers.

SI's color management technology can provide a solution when sRGB cannot:

  • In non-Windows workflows
  • When the printer does not support sRGB eg thermal printers
  • When sRGB doesn’t provide sufficient color space

Software Imaging can provide consistent output across platforms, avoiding end-user discontent with different output on different platforms.

Software Imaging's XPS technologies support 32-bit color, bringing increased color fidelity with which Microsoft’s XPS Raster Service cannot compete.

SPECIALIST DEVICES: EREADERS, SECURITY PRINTERS, LABEL PRINTERS, LOTTERY TICKET PRINTERS

Brother asked Software Imaging to improve image quality at a range of resolutions on a new Electronic Document Viewer.

One of the world’s largest Security Printer manufacturers required Software Imaging to print security watermarks/fingerprints using specialized security inks that show up only under UV light.

An ID Card Printer company needed Software Imaging to find an innovative way to include complex information on their magnetic strip. Software Imaging can also print to RFID label printers.

A Lottery Operator required Software Imaging to provide a secure solution for printing lottery tickets from supermarket checkouts without compromising the security of the draw

“When looking for a solution…we knew that we had to find a partner with proven expertise and solid understanding of secure printing technologies and methodologies. Thankfully, we found Software Imaging. Their knowledge of secure printing, their reliability and reputation as a partner and their ability to deliver a quality, robust solution made them the perfect choice for this project.” - Head of Architecture, Camelot

 

If you a facing a technical challenge in the printing or imaging space, please contact us as it is likely we will have technology & expertise to help you.