[IDS Exec] [Management] [COLD] [Page Handler] [Printers] [Image Handler] [MTC Media]
Page Handler

Paper - when it piles up, it's a beast. A drain on time and energy. A drag on productivity. And costly to handle, mail and manage. Paper is a tiger that must be tamed - before it bites.

Page Handler Tames the Paper Tiger

Long ago, when paper was created with line printers, COM subdued the paper tiger. COM systems dramatically reduce paper flow and archival storage requirements by interpreting line-print data streams and storing information on film the most efficient, cost-effective way.

But just when you'd found the means to tame the paper tiger, along came page printing. Page print formats, like Xerox and IBM's Advanced Function Printing (AFP), have changed the face of the printing environment. While these newer data streams have vastly expanded printing options for composition, electronic forms, flexible fonts, and more, they also require a higher level of investment and commitment.

What's more, these full-featured data streams have become more restrictive, making output on COM technologically infeasible. And because no existing document management vehicles can interpret page-print data streams, communications, information distribution and archiving have been driven back onto expensive paper. We've lost a vital piece of the process. Why must we take a step backward in information management to take advantage of these enhanced printer capabilities?

From now on, it's full speed ahead. MTC delivers the missing piece you need to tame the paper tiger. MTC's Page Handler gives you the flexibility of yesterday's line printing coupled with the full benefits of today's page-print environment. Without restrictions or incompatibilities.

A Robust Page Print Interpreter

Page Handler is a high-speed electronic page-print interpreter. It accepts print data, instructions and printer resources generated for Xerox and IBM printing systems. It then assembles these inputs into logical pages and converts them into COM readable files. This conversion allows cost-effective distribution and archiving of printed pages on microfiche without changes to the application or its resources. Page Handler fully processes page print files in real-time including:

  • line data formats
  • conditional data strams such as
    • Xerox's DJDE commands
    • AFP instream commands (IMM/IDM/IPO/IPS/PTX)
  • all points addrssable formats such as
    • Xerox Metacode
    • AFPDS/MODCA-P
  • job rules such as
    • Xerox's PDL
    • AFP's page and form definitions

Retains the Look and Feel of Your Documents

Page Handler accepts intelligence from incoming data and resources. This means output on COM mirrors the look and feel of the printed page.

Page Handler retains print file attributes including:

  • print data and resource positioning
  • resource usage and libraries
  • page size and origin
  • simplex and duplex printing
  • preset copy requirements or copy override
  • existing indexes.

And with automatic bi-directional scaling of 240, 300, 480 or 600 dpi resources, Page Handler preserves the document's shape characteristics, dimensional accuracy and baseline integrity. So you won't sacrifice anything in document quality.

Adds Intelligent Enhancements to Print Data Streams

Page Handler also provides intelligent enhancements to the print file for output on COM including:

  • conditional page and fiche breaks
  • enhanced titling
  • master and cross-reference index extractions
  • job accounting for billing and reporting

Expanding the Functionality of COM

MTC's Page Handler expands the functionality of your COM production stations to include page print datastreams. As an add-on solution to your MTC production environment, Page Handler allows you to:

  • protect your investment in page print resources (you can use existing resources from your Xerox or IBM printers for micrographic output)
  • eliminate duplicate processing (Page Handler accepts all data, instructions and resources completely without application or resource rewriting)
  • replicate the Xerox or AFP printed page on microfilm with the same "look-and-feel" as the original document, without worrying about document authenticity
  • automate microfiche printing by sending digitized print pages directly to MTC's COM system, eliminating the need for expensive source document filming
  • preserve page-printed documents and reports on microfilm cost-effectively for on-line distribution, back-up and archival

With MTC's Page Handler, all the pieces are in place to keep the paper tiger at bay while creating an advanced, high-performance work environment.


Copyright © 1996
Softnet Systems, Inc.
717 Forest Ave.
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045