At Dacar Digital Printing in Beerse, efficiency is key. The company processes an average of one hundred orders per week, each with around ten order lines. This means a constant stream of files and production tasks that must run seamlessly throughout the organisation.

‘Our production is very diverse,’ says Dennis van der Linden. ‘We make banners, textile fabrics, self-adhesive materials and sheet material. It is precisely because of this variety that it is important for our workflow to be flexible and reliable.’

That workflow starts at the order portal, where the approved designs are placed. From there, the information is automatically sent to the invoicing software and to PrintFactory. ‘PrintFactory is at the heart of our production. The software ensures that files are formatted correctly and sent to the various printers in the right way.’

PrintFactory plays a central role in this process in several areas. The built-in preflighting prevents errors before production starts. The layout module then makes optimal use of the material, leaving as little waste as possible. Colour management is controlled centrally, enabling Dacar to guarantee the same consistent colours on different printers. ‘Ripping is also done centrally,’ explains Van der Linden. ‘That gives us more control, and if necessary, we can call up a visual preview to perform an additional quality check.’

Automation is key here. Dacar has automated the workflow wherever possible, from file input and nesting to output to the printers. XML integration controls the nester, while templates are used for certain finishes. With PrintFactory Cloud, the team continuously monitors production progress.

Dacar's wide range of machinery, including an Efi Vutek 5r, several Agfa printers, an Epson SC 80600 and two Zund cutting tables, is fully supported by PrintFactory. Drivers are included as standard in the software, and Dacar creates its own colour profiles for each material. ‘The colour management works excellently,’ says Van der Linden. ‘We have sufficient control over the output and see consistent quality time and time again.’

Employees also appreciate the software. Although there is a learning curve due to the many functions, the interface proves to be user-friendly in practice. ‘Some prefer to work in Illustrator rather than the built-in editor,’ smiles Van der Linden, ‘but once they get used to PrintFactory, they see the advantages.’

For Dacar, these advantages lie mainly in automation and efficiency. ‘The fact that files are processed automatically, that we can work with templates, and that nesting and output run so smoothly saves us a lot of time. In addition, the software is always up to date with the latest printers and Adobe versions, and we can monitor production remotely. That makes PrintFactory indispensable for us.’