Umax Technologies Inc. added SilverFast Ai 6.0 and SE 6.0 software to its line of individual and bundled software-scanning apps. Silverfast Ai features 48-bit real time correction, dust and scratch removal, grain and noise elimination, extended color correction and adaptive color restoration. Also included are one reflective 5-by-7 inch and transmissive 4-by-5 inch IT8 calibration targets.

The software is available for purchase at the Umax Web site and is included in bundles with the Umax line of scanners including PowerLook 1000, PowerLook 1120 and PowerLook 2100XL.

www.umax.com

Digital Technology International released FaceSpan 4.0 for OS X. The announcement follows several months of public review and feedback for a public beta version of the application. FaceSpan 4.0 is designed for creating interfaces and applications with AppleScript and is based predecessor, FaceSpan 3.5.

FaceSpan supports the Cocoa Scripting system, so users will have access to a much larger set of scripting commands. In addition, version 4.0 supports the Aqua interface, including features like sheets and drawers, giving users the ability to create applications with the OS X look and feel.

www.dtint.com


ECRM Imaging Systems is shipping CtServer 5.0. The app lets users accept 1-bit TIFF files and lets workflow and RIP software work efficiently, the company said.

www.ecrm.com

Fusion Systems International is shipping Linux versions of its Fusion RIP software. www.fusionsystems.com

Journal Publishing Co. licensed Publishing Business Systems’ MediaPlus circulation management software suite. Journal Publishing owns The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal and the North Mississippi Community Newspapers, a collection of weekly publications.

 The install will include Target Marketing, an app that lets users segment markets; and Insert Management to coordinates preprints.

www.pbs.com

Vasont Systems released Vasont Universal Integrator. The app lets users access Vasont’s content management software through XML editing tools.

www.vasont.com

The Sun in Bremerton, Wash., selected Saxotech’s Saxopress software for its editorial content and production. The newspaper will install Saxopress Release 6, integrated with the Adobe InDesign CS page layout application. The 42-seat Saxopress app will be integrated with Managing Editor’s Ad Layout software. The Sun will run Saxopress R6 on Mac OS X. Installation is expected be completed in May 2004.

www.saxotech.com

The Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal purchased Harris & Baseview’s Jazbox suite of software. The Gannett Co. Inc. daily will deploy the software to more than 100 users. The daily will also use Harris & Baseview’s Webjaz app to repurpose content for Web publishing.

www.harrisbaseview.com

Vertis’ Color Communicator proofing app received a certification mark from the Specifications for Web Offset Publications. The company said it is one of the first media producers to receive certification for its proprietary proofing system. 

With VCC, Vertis assists clients in managing color for advertising and marketing by applying standardized process controls, including those established by the International Color Consortium.

www.vertisinc.com

Digital Dots launched its independent buyers guide series on JDF, computer-to-plate, preflighting, color management and proofing and digital printing

The Digital Dots buyers guide is sponsored by Agfa, Creo, Enfocus, Esko-Graphics, KPG and Screen. The project aims to raise awareness of production technology to help prospective buyers plan their investments into their next generation systems.

Each guide is presented as a series of articles covering different aspects of the technologies. They include explanations of how the technology works, how it developed and relevant applications.

www.digitaldots.org

Managing Editor Inc. released its Ad Layout System XTension for the Macintosh OS X version of QuarkXPress 6.

Users can overlay an ALS or AdForce issue onto an existing QuarkXPress template or document and create a new document directly from the ad layout with ALS XT. The ALS XT allows users to define import actions and save defined options for reuse.

The ALS XT for QuarkXPress 6 can be downloaded free from MEI’s Web site at www.maned.com/downloads. The ALS XT is also available for earlier versions of QuarkXPress.

www.maned.com

Group Logic released ExtremeZ-IP version 3.1.1, an upgrade to its file and print server product line. The upgrade includes improved file transfer performance with Mac OS X clients, better Unicode character support and other bug fixes, the company said. Version 3.1.1 is a free upgrade to customers that own a license of version 3.x and have a current maintenance contract with Group Logic. Group Logic also introduced MassTransit version 4.2, an upgrade to its file transfer software.

www.grouplogic.com

Appligent combined Global Graphics Jaws PDF Library with its SPDF Library to create PowerAppend, which allows users to create high quality PDFs from PostScript files. Users can create PDFs that retain the image quality and display characteristics of the original PostScript file. PowerAppend also can customize documents and save them in either PDF or PostScript format.

www.appligent.com

Xitron began shipping the XiFlow prepress workflow application, which controls and automates output to Xitron Navigator and other Harlequin-based RIPs.

www.xitron.com

CGS Publishing Technologies International launched Oris Color Markup. The software allows remote users of ORIS Color Tuner to append digital comments and annotations, using a contract-quality hard copy proof as a reference.

www.cgsusa.com