A similar misconception is common in the print industry: many believe that performance and efficiency are derived from their shiny presses. In reality, just as with the internet, a server handles much of the background work and so a printer’s choice of server can be just as important as their choice of press. This lack of acknowledgement of the role the server plays is a dangerous blind spot for printers, and has the potential to seriously hold businesses back.
Much of the lack of knowledge about servers occurs because few people know exactly what a server is. And it’s not easy to define, according to Dan Worth, news editor at technology website v3.com. But there are some guidelines.
"A server is basically a machine used for storing data and processing tasks – so websites and their data, such as Facebook and the photos you upload to it, are stored on servers," says Worth. "The more expensive a server, the more space it has for data and the faster it can process the requests it receives from users – such as being asked to load a web page or run an application."
Larger and more powerful than a desktop PC, servers generally handle data collections and applications that are too large for a desktop computer or that are shared by a number of users.
In digital print, servers perform a number of tasks, according to Chris Little, research analyst at InfoTrends. "In digital print, the server (also known as the print controller or digital front-end) houses the RIPs for digital devices," he explains. "Servers run the applications that convert files in a page description language, such as Postscript or PDF, to a format that can be used by an engine to create an image. In the case of an external server, they can also provide support for pre-press processes, such as colour management, proofing and even pre-press automation – trapping or imposition, for example."
Martin Bailey, chief technology officer at Global Graphics, says servers are now just as integral for conventional litho and flexo printing, in that they are used for ripping files for platemaking and completing other automated tasks. They are particularly crucial, he says, where a job uses a lot of live PDF transparency or in-RIP trapping.
Essential knowledge
So you would assume, considering the importance of the server in the print process, that printers would be up to speed on the minutiae of how their server works and what it should be doing. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case for smaller firms. According to Little, understanding varies from business to business depending on the resources and in-house IT expertise they have at their disposal.
"The company size and the amount of dedicated IT support determines if a print business has enough knowledge of how print servers and RIPs work," he says, reporting that only 47% of the total 284 print service providers questioned by an Infotrends Emerging Trends: The Role of IT in Print Operations, Q3 2011 report, currently employ dedicated IT professionals.
Little adds that InfoTrends’ Digital Front Ends: Understanding Customer Requirements and Market Dynamics report found that only around 30% of respondents purchased a particular brand or type of server because of its ease-of-use, output consistency and ripping speed.
That’s just over half of printers without the necessary in-house expertise to really master what a server should be doing and how they can impact the printing process, and two thirds of printers not considering performance when purchasing a server.
Unsurprising, then, that Reinhild Westmeyer, head of marketing for Fiery at EFI, says that education is still a big part of the sales process for its Fiery server portfolio, though she says things are improving.
"We have an expansive array of e-learning opportunities and we offer courses to our customers and our channel resellers so that they can really understand the role of the server," she explains. "With digital take-up increasing though, we do see knowledge increasing in the market."
That knowledge is crucial to the profitable and efficient running of a print business. Although at the lower end of the digital market, or for some wide-format printers, a server often comes already incorporated into the print engine, this does not necessarily mean they should not be considering an external server instead.
"Embedded servers are more affordable, but they have low processing power. An external server solution more often than not has better hardware, a wide feature set, and more processing power," says Little. "When considering the type of server you need for high-volume work you should consider investing in an external server if you have not already, since they can be easily scaled or clustered to support adequate performance levels.
"For wide-format businesses that typically have short runs but have large file sizes, while some will be fine using a device’s internal server, some printers will need to invest in an external unit to assist in controlling production."
A real danger point, then, is where a conventional printer is expanding into digital. "As print service providers expand by adding digital presses, either to make shorter runs more viable or to go the whole hog into variable data print, then you obviously need to rip a higher proportion of the pages printed," says Bailey. "That has an impact on the performance you want from the RIP; if the RIP can’t keep up with the press [because you have the wrong server] then you won’t achieve your ROI on the press as fast as possible. A bit more power in the server the RIP is running on can make a difference."
Bailey adds though that in litho and flexo, too, opting for the lower, cheaper end of the market can be a false economy. "If you pour the PDF files into the front of your workflow and wait for the plates to fall out of the other end, then extra performance from a server is nice, but generally not critical – unless you’re in newsprint," he explains. "But if you rip jobs and preview them in detail, and perhaps adjust some with the design tools, or tweak trapping settings, etc, and then run them again, then you can really benefit from a bit more speed so that your operators aren’t waiting for the next review cycle. Likewise, you’ll generally need a more powerful server if a large proportion of your work uses a lot of live PDF transparency or in-RIP trapping."
EFI’s Westmeyer adds that the applications you are using are also a crucial factor to consider. "As printers need more applications, these have to be considered when getting the right server for the right printer," she says. "A good server drives a print engine to its maximum capacity utilisation. It should mean the processing of the data is so fast that the engine can run at its maximum speed. Hence, if you buy a print machine, it is only going to run to its maximum capacity and specifications if you have the server to enable that. Likewise, though, there is no point having a server that would enable you to exceed the spec of your machine."
Back-up plan
With servers so critical to the print process, there is also the issue of redundancy and how much back-up you should have in case a server breaks. Westmeyer says having a spare server is currently fairly uncommon. "People do not have back-up servers really," she explains. "I am not saying it never happens, but it is rare."
Back-up servers are, however, more common in the US. And Little says UK printers would do well to follow their lead on this. "It is always important to make sure that you have back-up servers in a print shop to help ensure that data is not lost in the event that servers are down or even broken," he says.
So while some printers are way ahead with server knowledge and know exactly what they need and how to use it, clearly there is a blind spot for many when it comes to these deceptively nondescript-looking, whirring boxes. As print becomes more automated and applications expand, and as prices and turnaround get ever-more competitive, this lack of knowledge threatens to become more and more of an issue.
While the kit suppliers bear some of the responsibility for education, they will always have an agenda in terms of sales maximisation. And so printers may need to take it upon themselves to ensure they have the right server driving the right equipment and so the right model for a successful print proposition.
