White Papers

Introduction
This document introduces the LexmarkTM Universal Print Driver (UPD), describes its capabilities, and provides an overview of the devices it supports. This edition applies to the Lexmark Universal Print Drivers version 2 for Windows.

Notes:
• The Universal Print Driver version 2 can be installed along with Universal Print Driver version 1.0 or later.
• To obtain a copy of the documentation for the Universal Print Driver version 1.0 or later, visit our Web site.
• For more information on the driver version numbering format, see “What is the UPD version numbering format?” on page 24

What are the Universal Print Drivers?
The Lexmark Universal Print Drivers provide users and administrators with a standardized, one‑driver solution for their printing needs. Instead of installing and managing individual drivers for each printer model, administrators can install the Lexmark Universal Print Drivers for use with a variety of both mono and color laser printers.

Benefits
Allows versatility
The Lexmark Universal Print Drivers are available in 22 languages, supporting more than 60 printer models, whether attached locally or over a network. All packages have been tested in cluster server environments, Microsoft Terminal Servers, and Citrix Presentation Server environments, and are Microsoft WHQL certified (digitally signed), PCL 5, PCL XL, and PostScript 3 emulations are available for Windows XP or later. continue reading...

In today’s market, pricing pressures are intense and profit growth is hard to find. Printers, prepress services, in-house graphics departments, and others are seeking a clear path to streamline workflows, reduce costs, and enhance profitability—and EFI® believes that
Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is that path. The goal of this whitepaper is to explain how, by implementing CIM using the open JDF standard from CIP4, printers can turn these challenges facing the industry into real opportunities for success.

CIM is the application of computerization to seamlessly integrate the flow of production instructions throughout the print workflow—reducing wasted time, labor, and material—and to automate or eliminate inefficient steps. While CIM has been a cornerstone for many manufacturing industries since the late 1970s, until recently it has been difficult to implement CIM in print manufacturing. Printing is the ultimate form of custom manufacturing—no other industry retools its production line for every job ordered (e.g., changing paper, ink, plates, bindery configuration, layout, etc.) Despite the need for flexibility, and the wide range of input materials that print customers bring to the manufacturing process, there are indisputable trends facing printers today that make the adoption of CIM concepts imperative. These trends include:

• Shorter runs, greater job complexity, and customers demanding shorter turnaround times make it necessary to optimize equipment and staff utilization for maximum throughput and cycle time reduction.

• Relatively slow print market growth and increasing competitive price pressures are driving print service providers to offer new, diverse services in addition to finding new ways to cut costs and improve profitability.

• Print shops are continuing to add an increasing number of devices with embedded electronic controllers that allow them to be integrated with other devices;

• The wide adoption of CTP (Computer to Plate) printing, digital printing and digital proofing, as well as standard file formats, now makes it possible to apply CIM to print production workflow.

These trends can be considered challenges or they can be opportunities for those printing companies who embrace the
application of CIM technologies to improve their performance, profitability and customer relationships. continue reading...