Gent (Belgium), September 27, 2007 - EskoArtwork, global supplier and integrator of innovative solutions for packaging, commercial printing and professional publishing, will present at Labelexpo Europe 2007 from September 26 till 29 in Brussels (Belgium) on stand 5B30 in Hall 5 and stand 6H75 in Hall 6. Labelexpo marks the first time that EskoArtwork presents in Europe under its new brand since the merger announcement in August 2007.
Announcing New Partnership Agreements
At the show EskoArtwork will announce new strategic alliances with HP and ExxonMobil. EskoArtwork has a long history of developing and integrating prepress and color management solutions for HP Indigo Presses. The new agreement to be announced at Labelexpo extends that cooperation to an OEM relationship. At Labelexpo, EskoArtwork will demonstrate a new variable data printing option specifically developed for the HP Indigo press ws4500. Designed to work in Adobe(r) Illustrator(r) environments, the new solution is focused on industrial VDP needs such as barcodes, sequential numbering and graphical codes. In the context of the OEM agreement with HP Indigo this means all HP Indigo industrial presses will be able to take full advantage of Esko Variable Data Printing.
EskoArtwork and the Films Division of ExxonMobil Chemical have teamed up to develop a complete solution for ensuring color accurate digital label printing -a bundle based on PacVantage(tm) software and technology. ExxonMobil Chemical is the leading global supplier of oriented polypropylene (OPP) films, with 30-years experience of working with customers to create innovative packaging solutions.
On stand 5B30, EskoArtwork brings a range of innovative label and tag workflow solutions in design, pre-press, workflow, plate preparation, flexo plate production and digital finishing. EskoArtwork will showcase Esko Visualizer, Esko Variable Data Printing module, Esko Digital Flexo Suite for Labels and Tags -all part of the newly released Esko Software Suite 7. All of these contribute to a faster, more efficient and error-free workflow for the entire label and tag production. The digital print focused solutions will also be present at the HP Indigo stand (Booths: 5D30, 5D40).
On stand 6H75, EskoArtwork will demonstrate how its digital printing solutions easily integrate with hardware solutions from key industry players. The company will show visitors just how simple it is to use some of its well known products, including Nexus; the revolutionary Odystar Label System dedicated to the Label market; and its unique Neo editing package, in the digital printing environment - bringing both speed and flexibility to label production in combination with high quality output. The Odystar Label System is a modern, user-friendly workflow that uses PDF and Certified PDF(r) as its native file format and JDF as its preferred job ticket format for both internal and external workflow communication. Odystar can be combined with Neo - a 'last-minute' editing tool which gives the operator all the high-end editing and correction functionality in a native PDF environment that previously only existed in proprietary non-PDF systems, and proves to be a huge asset in drastically reducing the approval an correction cycles. Also the new Esko Digital Flexo Suite will be demonstrated with an integrated setup of the Esko CDI 4835 for the digital imaging of flexo plates, the Esko Kongsberg i-XE10 for automatic cutting up these flexo plates and the Esko Software Suite 7 software demonstrating the ease of use and cost saving features of the Digital Flexo Suite.
New products to be demonstrated at Labelexpo:
NEW UPDATE - Esko Software Suite 7, demonstrated with specific software modules aimed at labels and tags, is a complete update of Esko's design and pre-production software tools offering significant improvements in features, productivity and compatibility with third party software. Esko Software Suite 7 is entirely based on Adobe(r)'s PDF and is compatible with Creative Suite(r) 3. Esko Software Suite 7 further adds new capabilities for variable data digital printing and JDF integration with business systems. Esko Software Suite 7 components include a full range of structural design, graphics design, project management, and prepress production tools for packaging. Users get additional value from the Esko Software Suite by combining it with other software and hardware products from EskoArtwork as well as from third party suppliers.
NEW - Esko Visualizer will be demonstrated live for the first time. It is the first product resulting from Esko's cooperation with (and acquisition of) Stonecube Ltd (UK). Esko Visualizer takes graphic information of a label or package, interprets or adds information about substrates, special inks and finishes, and delivers a variety of realistic moving, interactive 2D and 3D representations of the final product. Esko Visualizer incorporates patented technology to accurately render the resulting effects from various paper grades and other substrates, types of inks including metallics, and finishes such as varnishes, foils, embossing, glitter and flitter, and this in a specific surrounding of choice.
NEW - the Esko Variable Data Printing module expands EskoArtwork's capabilities in digital printing for HP Indigo industrial presses. This new software module was developed specifically to be the first variable data printing solution to fulfill the requirements of labels and packaging markets, and is based on EskoArtwork's extensive experience in this domain. The application works from one-up files, using Adobe(r) Illustrator(r) or Esko PackEdge, and focuses on variable barcodes, formatted texts and images. EskoArtwork collaborated on the development of the HP IndiChrome Plus that will be available to all HP Indigo press ws4XXX users, using the new version of EskoArtwork Digital Front-end.
The Esko Digital Flexo Suite for Labels includes a number of post-Rip tools to increase efficiency in the plate-room, also specifically for label printers. For example, PlatePrep automatically crops, sorts and arranges labels on a large flexo plate for an efficient and cost-effective plate output -with as little waste as possible. As soon as a plate is filled with label separations, it is sent to an Esko CDI flexo plate imager. At the same time, information about the plate is sent to a Kongsberg cutting table, where the individual label separations are cut automatically. With increasing design variations and ever shrinking print run lengths, this automated solution saves time and money for tradeshops and label converters.
During Labelexpo the new WebWay 5.0 will be demonstrated. WebWay 5.0 features many new additional functions over previous versions, and provides convenient, secure and cost-effective communication and file sharing between the print buyer and label production plant via remote connection. Printers gain the capability to quickly and accurately produce labels of extremely high quality for their customers by using a digital printer.
EskoArtwork software for JDF integration and workflow automation
EskoArtwork has paved the way for the integration of JDF systems for tag and label converters and will provide demonstrations of customer case examples during Labelexpo. Wim Delagrange, EskoArtwork Product Manager Packaging Workflow, comments: "A number of our customers are utilizing JDF systems for various uses. At Labelexpo, we will demonstrate how EskoArtwork can integrate JDF-compliant systems to realize significant manufacturing efficiencies. There will be different case examples we will be able to demonstrate. For example, one of our clients expressed the need for financial savings by automating order information processing while accelerating print job processing time. By working closely with the client's internal IT organization as well as other external partners, we created and implemented an integrated JDF architecture, which achieved substantial process improvements throughout the entire workflow. All folder structures are now created by the job ticket. Our client is now working much faster and with reduced errors."
The EskoArtwork booth will also showcase the dedicated digital flexo imaging devices aimed at the label and tag markets, the Esko CDI Spark 2120 and Esko CDI Spark 4835 and the digital dieless cutting table Esko Kongsberg i-XE10. The Kongsberg table is demonstrating not only flexo plate cutting as part of the digital flexo suite for labels, but also will be showing the cost-efficient and swift cutting and finishing of various label and label-like materials.
Cooperative Presentations with Partners
EskoArtwork will present its solutions on stand 5B30 and 6H75 and will also have an active presence at their partners' booths.
AV Flexologic b.v. is presenting on stand S60 in Hall 11 and will be demonstrating the CDI 2120 dedicated digital flexo solution with Toyobo water washable photopolymer flexo plates.
On the Xeikon stand 5B40, EskoArtwork is presenting their Digital Front End solution to streamline the preproduction process offering preflighting tools to make press ready files.
EskoArtwork's digital flexo partner DuPont is presenting in hall 12 stand V40. EskoArtwork is running DuPont plates for all flexo and digital flexo suite demonstrations.
EskoArtwork partner EFI will co-present on stand 6H60 the EFI Flexproof/E proofing output solution. The new output module, incorporating high quality drivers powered by EFI Bestcolor(r) technology, is able to output to a wide variety of inkjet proofing devices, ensuring contract proof print quality. The operator can be sure that the proof from FlexProof/E will be created from exactly the same data used for the final production plate. The EFI FlexProof/E will also be demonstrated on EskoArtwork's stand 6H75.
CERM will be presenting on the EskoArtwork booth a typical MIS integration workflow demo. CERM builds, installs and supports software that support the administration needs of printing companies. CERM offers a global solution for automated administration of the printing business that includes an integrated software application, the implementation and maintenance of the hardware, as well as training and assistance of their clients. In cooperation with EskoArtwork, CERM has automated the prepress workflow for label printing. Demonstrations during Labelexpo will explain how Esko Backstage and the CERM MIS system streamlines a preproduction workflow to produce labels. This joint development has resulted in a new solution called LabelXpro that specifically addresses problems in label production, i.e. step & repeat, re-using moles, calculation of packaging cost and automatic follow up of price offers.