Contact: Tim Sexton, VP Marketing / Michelle Cowan, Marketing Coordinator
ZBE, Incorporated, 1035 Cindy Lane, Carpinteria, CA 93013 USA
Phone: (805) 576-1600; fax: (805) 576-1601
Email: info@zbe.com

ZBE, Inc. Launches WorkStream Imaging Automation Software:
  a powerful and fully integrated photographer / lab digital workflow solution.

Santa Barbara, CA, USA - This PMA ZBE Incorporated, a manufacturer of professional photo imaging technology, announced an important digital print production and workflow solution: "WorkStream". WorkStream software is comprised of two independent, yet integrated software applications, WorkStream IA for imaging labs and WorkStream DS for digital studios and photographers.

The WorkStream IA (Imaging Automation) application manages the print production process in the digital photo lab or the imaging service bureau. In the professional lab, WorkStream IA handles all aspects of order creation, management and production from order entry and scanning, through color correction, cropping and retouching, to scheduling and printing. In addition, WorkStream IA provides package creation with image rendering tools to produce the exciting new customized products.

"With WorkStream IA, professional imaging labs can dramatically streamline and automate digital workflow, and improve production efficiency at virtually every step of digital production. At the same time, WorkStream provides seamless integration of orders generated in the studio, requiring little or no manual handling by the lab," said Zac Bogart, president of ZBE Inc. "Conventional silver halide workflow has been highly refined over 30 years and now, WorkStream provides the same level of refinement to digital imaging workflow.

An intuitive and powerful suite of VCNA-style image-editing controls, with real-time on-screen soft proofing and integrated color management, speeds image production. This powerful suite of image editing controls include on-screen cropping, sizing, rotation, global color, saturation,
contrast, and sharpness control. Sophisticated retouching is provided via a seamless integration with PhotoShop.

Especially valuable for portrait/social labs, WorkStream provides fast drag-and-drop package order creation with a generous selection of package units. For volume-production imaging labs,

WorkStream IA streamlines order finishing by integrating job and order grouping with efficient image nesting and paper management options. WorkStream will also provide quick automation of composite templates, allowing an unlimited potential of new imaging products from simple logos to posters, calendars and greeting cards.

Additionally, WorkStream IA is designed to seamlessly accept photographer- or studio- prepared orders for fast and accurate order fulfillment between the lab and their customers, utilizing the compatible WorkStream DS (Digital Studio) application.

WorkStream DS (Digital Studio) runs in the photographer's studio. WorkStream DS is used to prepare images and orders that will be printed at the photo lab. All aspects of the order can be entered directly by the photographer including image color corrections, cropping and composition, retouching and product selection. WorkStream DS automatically generates an order archive and database for your studio. Orders prepared in WorkStream transfer seamlessly to the photolab for automated production. A key benefit of WorkStream DS is that it allows the lab's customers to efficiently transfer precisely prepared, cropped, and edited final orders and image files via the Internet or CD to a WorkStream IA imaging lab.

WorkStream IA is compatible with both the Chromira 30 and Chromira 50 large-format high-resolution digital RA-4 photographic printers as well as the Fuji Frontier digital mini labs.

ZBE, Incorporated is headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, USA and has been serving professional imaging needs since 1980.