Esko super-wide Kongsberg C digital finishing system is featured, along with wide format and packaging production software

Miamisburg, OH – At booth 622 during Graphics of the Americas, February 26-28, 2015 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Esko will feature its fully-featured super-wide digital finishing system, the Kongsberg C60. The Kongsberg C60 is a 3.2-meter table designed to keep up with faster, wider printers, cutting and finishing substrates up to 63" x 126". Esko will also be demonstrating preproduction software for both packaging and wide format applications

Graphics of the Americas (GOA) is the premier event for the graphic communications industry in North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. With a 40-year proven track record, GOA is the biggest show in the U.S. for the Latin American and Southeastern U.S. markets.  Over 8,000 graphic communications professionals from over 80 countries attended GOA in 2014. 

"While Graphics of the Americas attracts attendees from a wide geographic area, we still find two factors that are common to everyone. First, we find that print providers are still exploring diversification into new areas such as wide format and package printing. We also find that companies continue to invest in tools that will increase production efficiency and, ultimately, profitability," explains Jon Giardina, President, Esko Americas. "Esko has an exceptional background in these areas, and can offer helpful hardware, software and consultative services."

Kongsberg C60: A larger finishing table re-engineered for the 21st century
Esko will be featuring its Kongsberg C digital finishing table with its 3.2-meter platform. One of the most noticeable new features is the innovative composite traverse technology that provides the fastest throughput along with the highest quality and precision in cutting and routing compared to all other systems of the same size. It provides the highest versatility for all sign, display and packaging applications. At Graphics of the Americas, Esko demonstrates the Kongsberg C60 model. It can work with 126” wide x 63” long materials to accommodate today’s large format printing sizes, and can cut on a variety of substrates, including corrugated, folding carton, flute, Gatorfoam, Foamcore, Sintra, and textile and magnet rolls—among others. Accompanying these solutions within a complete ‘design to print to cut’ workflow is the Esko i-cut Suite.

Assuring color consistency
Color consistency is critical in brand recognition. Defining accurate brand and spot color standards is the first step in maintaining consistency. Esko Color Engine enables color management across the packaging and print supply chain, allowing users to successfully manage brand color expectations.

Meanwhile, demand for shorter packaging production runs for targeted campaigns and product variations are increasing. The packaging printer needs to meet these challenges in a time- and cost-effective way. Extended gamut printing is one of the ways to do this. Equinox, recipient of PIA InterTech Technology and FTA Technical Innovation awards, is Esko´s award-winning solution for the implementation of extended gamut printing.

Automation Engine: The heart of prepress
Automation Engine serves as the heart of any prepress production operation. It is a modular workflow server with dynamic workflows that are easy to set up and operate. It enables exceptional workflow automation with tight quality control. Automation Engine comes with extensive business system (MIS, ERP) integration capabilities and is highly scalable. It helps organize and centralize job data storage— graphical specifications like barcode, inks, RIP options. step & repeat data, colors to be used, etc.—as well as job metadata: its link to order ID, due date, customer info, customer service rep contacts, among others. Centralized information reduces operator intervention—thus increasing quality, reducing errors and driving cost out of the process. 

ArtiosCAD: Building design structure 
Structural design and graphic design integration eliminates costly mistakes downstream in the workflow. ArtiosCAD is the world’s most popular structural design software for packaging design. With dedicated tools specifically designed for packaging professionals for structural design, product development, virtual prototyping and manufacturing, ArtiosCAD increases productivity throughout the company. ArtiosCAD is also an ideal product for all corrugated, folding carton and display designers. ArtiosCAD Enterprise provides a complete packaging management solution. All necessary assets are centralized in a private, corporate database in the cloud, providing a secure web-accessible database. It enables dynamic on-line collaboration between design groups, 

3D artwork featuring augmented reality 
Studio is a unique set of tools for 3D packaging design made specifically for packaging artwork professionals. It help create exciting 3D visuals, ranging from PDF files with 3D content to movies, hero shots, or a virtual pack shot, for client presentations. With Studio Store Visualizer, brand owners can see their new designs on the shelf next to the competition; presenting a complete product launch in 3D, including retail-ready packaging, displays and other branded items.

With Studio Viewer users can look at 3D objects and spin them around with simple finger gestures. Anyone can view beautiful and realistic renderings of boxes, pouches, cans, bottles—including artwork and print finishing effects. The free Studio Viewer app, on display at GOA, now offers augmented reality. It can present and view Esko generated packaging models in augmented reality on an iPad or iPhone.

"Over the past year, Esko has seen a significant influx of investment in preproduction systems in Latin America. The Graphics of the Americas event is always a highlight of the year for the Latin American print community. While it is held in the US, Esko Latin America is sending a good-sized group of industry experts to serve visitors at the booth," comments Ernande Ramos, Esko Vice President, Latin America. "We look forward to greeting guests in Miami and helping them achieve their print production visions."