EFI and Konica launch new Fiery DFE

EFI and Konica Minolta have launched a new Fiery digital front-end (DFE) for Konica's bizhub Press 1052e and 1250e/P black and white digital printers.

The Fiery MIC-4150 DFE, which is available with immediate effect, is built on the latest Fiery FS200 Pro platform.

It is said to deliver superior image quality and advanced job management to further enhance the performance of the Konica kit. It also achieves high definition in monochrome imaging and streamlines the print process with automation and other tools that boost productivity.

Features include centralised user interface Fiery Command WorkStation, which enables users to manage their devices driven by this Fiery DFE along with Fiery DFEs on colour digital presses in a tightly integrated workflow.

Fiery Grayscale Calibration ensures consistent and accurate image reproduction by automatically enhancing shadow details and preserving upper and lower tonal variances while the optional full-resolution raster preview tool, Fiery ImageViewer, enables users to make black curve adjustments to maintain output consistency between multiple devices.

Additionally, the optional Fiery Impose and Fiery JobMaster visual makeready tools streamline complex tasks, which gives users more flexibility in imposition, tab insertion and design, page-level ticketing, finishing, scanning and late-stage editing.

Olaf Lorenz, general manager of Konica Minolta's international marketing division, said the new DFE meets the demands of the firm’s customers.

"It gives our customers higher performance in printing, remarkable image quality, as well as advanced job management and makeready functionalities. Combined with the common EFI user interface, these features shorten learning curves and streamline production processes."

EFI Fiery marketing vice-president John Henze added: “This offering gives Konica Minolta customers in the in-plant CRD, print-for-pay, and commercial print spaces the ability to integrate their black and white and colour operations for a consolidated, more efficient Fiery-driven job-management environment.”

The new DFE can be integrated into existing production workflows for digital colour and offset printing through JDF implementation. This connects with automated estimating, scheduling, job ticketing, accounting and other processes managed by EFI's suite of MIS and web-to-print products.