Kehl, Germany - In order to improve the knowledge and safety of consumers, a new European regulation has launched mandatory electronic notification of all products to the European Commission (EC) prior to a product launch.

Among the information to be transmitted to the EC is the ‘product label preview delivery’—any new product labels on the front and back of a package, identifying the product to a consumer, a distributor and more broadly, anyone with access to the product. This process is to be handled at the same time as the creation and approval of the final print-ready PDF file.

The idea of just sending a print-ready PDF file to the EC seems very easy. The expectation is that people wishing to view or print the document can easily do so with a standard PDF reader—for example, Adobe Reader®.

This is where things get quite complicated. In most cases, the viewing of print-ready PDF files does not look anything like what is on the final label or final packaging—even when viewed with the Adobe Reader, the tool offered by the ‘inventors’ of PDF. Unfortunately, while people are viewing the correct files - the ones used for printing - many cannot understand where the error is. Better results do not occur with different readers. The results will be similar. 

Most packaging print experts would not be surprised and would explain that it is caused by the printing order of the inks. Combined with their opacity and overprint settings—whatever is done with the typical tools—it is unlikely that the expected result will be obtained on the monitor. 

Most of the time, the only solution is to generate a second PDF file, where the order of separations is rearranged and transparencies flattened to ensure the correct rendering. Although an expert typically performs this task manually, there is still a risk of a result different from the original print-ready file. In addition, this new file cannot be used for print. It is incompatible and will be immediately rejected by the printer.

Unfortunately, this has usually meant that suppliers must generate two files: one for printing and one for the EC. It involves additional costs, production delays, and a risk that the file delivered is not the same as the one printed on the product. While this is manageable when there are a few files, it is much more difficult when the process is industrialized to handle many SKUs.

DALIM SOFTWARE, with more than 20 years of experience in the world of printing, has developed a solution to this problem. It has been validated with the company, Square, assuring it is compliant with the latest GWG packaging specifications.

"We have been looking for a long time for a solution that would allow us to generate a single file satisfying printing requirements while delivering a reliable preview," says Roland Donzelle CEO of Square. "With DALIM SOFTWARE, we have found a partner who fully understood our expectations and successfully managed to deliver the efficient solution."

From the print-ready file, ES, the DALIM SOFTWARE collaborative production platform, automatically inserts the expected preview of the label within the PDF file—without changing the print file. It then becomes possible to use the same file for printing, as well as consultation, without error. This verified PDF PerfectPreview file solves many problems. There is no longer a need for a print expert to quickly obtain the correct result.

"This is all the more interesting,” adds bleuprocess Packaging Expert, Christian Blaise, ”as this new PDF PerfectPreview technology is completely standard and covers both the expectations of the packaging world and as well the ones of publishing and point of sales."

In addition to generating PDF PerfectPreview, ES allows the viewing of PDF files in high resolution, redefining the order of printing inks as well as their opacity through a web browser. ES offers other possibilities, such as online annotation and validation, project tracking and much more.

Visitors can attend a presentation of the solution at the DALIM SOFTWARE booth (Stand 9 G 72) during Labelexpo Europe, to be held 24-27 September, in Brussels.