Author: Paula Halpin

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The countdown to Labelexpo Europe is on

With less than two weeks to go until Labelexpo Europe 2023, the countdown is on: the team are packing up their demo machines and looking forward to heading over to Brussels on the Eurostar. This year, we’ll be showcasing the award-winning SmartDFE™, the AI-powered Digital Front End for high-speed, single-pass industrial inkjet presses. We chatted to Ian Bolton, product owner of the Smart Control components in SmartDFE, about what you can expect to see when you visit us on the Hybrid Software Group stand 8b/45:

Ian Bolton, product manager for SmartDFE at Global Graphics Software
Ian Bolton, product owner of the Smart Control components in SmartDFE at Global Graphics Software

This will be my first time at Labelexpo Europe and I’m excited to be demonstrating the SmartDFE, which is not only built on established, award-winning technology, including the world’s fastest PDF RIP, Harlequin RIP®, but also has some new, ground-breaking technology inside.

SmartDFE is a combination of technologies that OEMs can choose to customize to suit their needs, so we can demonstrate whichever component our visitors are interested in.

The Smart Print Controller™ is the hub of SmartDFE and the interface where the press operator manages job submission and connects to the Harlequin RIP. Its automation capabilities provide complete control of the print workflow, as well as valuable information for QA and inspection, press maintenance and stock control. We’ll also be demonstrating Streamline Autotune™, which leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to print the best image quality at the fastest printing speeds.

SmartDFE also includes a suite of components that simplifies the process of obtaining good quality and color, due to encoding specialist knowledge within the software. This makes selecting the appropriate media and ink set combination very easy for users of any level of color expertise and takes care of calibrating a given press to match your reference settings as well!

Of course, we mustn’t forget the workflow components in SmartDFE: with STEPZ™ and Smart Workflow™, you can perform a thorough pre-flight check on PDF files to optimize them to print efficiently and at high quality – and use additional features to handle various pre-press tasks that usually require a specialist reprographics studio to correct.

I’m looking forward to welcoming you any time to Stand 8b/45. If you’d like to arrange a demo in advance, then don’t hesitate to contact me: ian.bolton@globalgraphics.com

#LabelexpoEurope2023

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Meet Applications Specialist Nigel Wild

Nigel Wild, Applications Specialist at Global Graphics Software

Meet Nigel Wild, an appplications specialist and responsible for workflow in our SmartDFE™. Nigel joined us in 2022.

How did your career path lead you to Global Graphics Software?

I started life as an electronics engineer working for Misomex, servicing and installing CAD, Laser Stepper, and Step & Repeat machines. As the technology moved, so did I; Graphoprint was where I found my passion for workflow whilst working in the platemaking department, helping to introduce their first digital platemaking workflow.

Having enjoyed frontline technology, I was drawn to Artwork Systems (AWS, who have many developers now working at HYBRID Software) and seized an opportunity to join them as an application specialist. At AWS I supported their PCC pageflow system which evolved into Nexus.

More recently and over the past few years, I have been involved with a multinational packaging specialist Brand Imaging Solutions, a brand management and reprographic trade shop, working with brands such as Coca Cola, Del Monte, Weetabix, Vimto and Hallmark specializing in workflow automation.

What do you enjoy most about your role at Global Graphics Software ?

Demonstrations and presentations to people. I love demonstrating how our software simplifies routine and challenging operations, reducing common pain points for their companies, saving them a lot of time. I have to say especially after COVID, I enjoy the interaction with my colleagues, discussing new ideas between different teams with such a large group – it is amazing how solutions evolve and are implemented throughout our software product range.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Being Manchester born and bred, I have followed Manchester City Football Club since 1978.

What are two ‘hybrid’ qualities about you?

This is a hard one to answer. I suppose, having worked in the printing industry in most areas, from printing, prepress, supplying services, hardware, and software solutions, I have had the honor to meet so many talented people. With everyone I meet I am always learning new stuff allowing me to constantly evaluate new and existing methods and processes. This sets me in good stead for my current role as an applications specialist as this is a true hybrid role between sales and technical.

If you’re interested in joining Global Graphics Software visit our web page to find the latest vacancies: www.globalgraphics.com/careers

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Innovating beyond ink: where small ideas blossom

Advertising is everywhere, but it might be a new form that captures the imagination: In July 2018 an artist was commissioned by Spotify to create a picture out of a field of crops (Lawhorn, 2018). This was a painstaking labor which consisted of ’34 days in a row of work’. It also used a large amount of weed killer, which can have a negative impact on the environment.
Advertising is everywhere, but it might be a new form that captures the imagination: In July 2018 an artist was commissioned by Spotify to create a picture out of a field of crops (Spotify, 2018). This was a painstaking labor which consisted of 34 days in a row of work. It also used a large amount of weed killer, which can have a negative impact on the environment.

When our software developers take time out in The Shed, our maker space where we try out new technologies and hardware, we never quite know what ideas will surface. But thanks to one software developer’s ingenious creativity we’re now the proud owners of a patent for a method that uses seeds instead of ink to create images.

Former Global Graphics’ software developer Andy Cardy invented the method from a process we use in the printing industry known as screening or half toning. Screening takes a source image with a wide color gamut and creates an output raster format which determines the position and size of droplets of ink required by the printer to recreate the original image.

With this new patent, instead of the output raster format controlling droplets of ink on a printer, it determines:

  • which plant or seed is planted to create a color reproduction of the original image, allowing for variable space in the reproduction, for example larger drop sizes could represent large foliage plants;
  • how deep the seed is planted, for variable images throughout the growing season;
  • where the seed is planted;
  • and how many seeds are planted.

The screening process and output also takes into account variables such as soil color and its properties. By incorporating these variables, the method guarantees that the final plant-based reproduction appears visually accurate, accounting for the natural hues that may appear between plants, just like we would consider the substrate in the printing industry.

The approach could be suitable for a range of applications including large-scale advertisements, especially on busy flight paths, public artwork and even fallow farmland, where wild bird seed or nectar and pollen sources could be sown in an advertisement image, benefiting both wildlife and the farmer.

Aside from advertising, this technology could be used in place of any activity that would use weed killer or the ploughing of unwanted crops. This could include the methods used to create maize mazes, which are becoming a popular supplemental income option for farmers. The current method of creation is to sow the whole field, then destroy the crop that’s no longer required, tracked by GPS. Instead, this technology would simply avoid planting seeds where they are not required.

Of course, we know from our own gardening experience that things don’t always grow as planned, but there’s a chance we could say goodbye to hours of painstaking work to create that advertisement in a field of crops and hello to a new wave of agricultural artistry! 

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Be empowered with Mako Core!

This week we announced a groundbreaking update to Mako Core™, our popular software development kit (SDK) for developers specializing in print document processing and manipulation.

Mako now includes a game-changing intelligent Document Object Model (iDOM) that provides unparalleled access to every aspect of a document’s composition, including fonts, images, vector art, layers and metadata. Unlike other SDKs that offer generic support for various Page Description Languages such as PDF, PS, OXPS, and PCL across print and digital document domains, Mako is sharply focused on print.

During WhatTheyThink’s 2023 Technology Outlook, David Stevenson, Mako product manager, spoke to David Zwang and revealed what’s possible with the new iDOM:

Further reading

1. Mako helps to increase productivity and profitability for HP Site Flow users
2. How to retain print quality with vector-based transparency flattening

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See SmartMedia at Fespa 2023!

Visit us at Fespa 2023 and find out more about SmartMedia, a suite of components that simplifies the process of obtaining the best quality and color output from a digital press.

We’re now counting down to Fespa 2023 – this time being held in Munich, 23 – 26 May.

We know obtaining the best color output from your digital press is a complex process and that’s why we’ve created SmartMedia™; it’s a suite of components that make it easy for press operators who are not color experts to get great color from their press. It reproduces spot colors accurately and easily using extended gamut or 7-color printing, which is particularly important for print applications such as textiles and packaging where reproducing color accurately from the original artwork is key. It’s available with SmartDFE™, the full software and hardware stack that adds a print subsystem to the fully automated smart factory.

So come along to Hall B2-Stand B55 for your personal demo. We’ll be exhibiting alongside our sister company, Meteor Inkjet, on the Hybrid Software Group stand.

There’s still time to register and receive a discount, simply use code: FESAYbxsD10.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in Hall B2, stand B55 – see you there!

#fespa2023

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Mako helps to increase productivity and profitability for HP Site Flow users

HP chose Mako™, an SDK from Global Graphics Software that offers pre-flighting options and streamlines PDFs.
HP Site Flow is a workflow and production automation system for HP digital press owners.

When HP Inc began developing HP Site Flow, an end-to-end workflow and production automation system for HP digital press owners, they encountered several challenges including: addressing the growing personalized market; the need to ‘normalize’ PDFs, given the wide variation in the quality of files entering the system; and the ability to quickly scale up or down to accommodate varying levels of demand.

Read the case study to see how Mako Core™ SDK proved its capability and adaptability by rising to HP Site Flow’s development challenges, resulting in increased productivity and profitability for its users.

Download the case study: HP uses Mako for HP Site Flow

DOWNLOAD THE CASE STUDY

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We’re back in Lucerne for Hunkeler Innovationdays 2023

The Hybrid Software Group team at Hunkeler Innovationdays 2023

It’s great to be back in Lucerne this week for Hunkeler Innovationdays 2023. We’ve had some interesting conversations and it’s been a good opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues in the industry. But it’s not over yet! If you’re interested in adding a print subsystem to a smart factory or manufacturing line, come and talk to us on booth 45 to find out more about our SmartDFE™.

This year, we’re exhibiting on the Hybrid Software Group booth, alongside our sister companies: ColorLogic, HYBRID Software, iC3D, Meteor Inkjet and Xitron. In this recent interview with Inkish TV, our CEO, Mike Rottenborn, explained how we all work together and what you can expect to see from the Group at Hunkeler Innovationdays:

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Celebrating 20 successful years in Japan

This month we’re celebrating the 20-year anniversary of our Japanese office. We chatted to sales director Hagiwara Yoshiyuki who told us how it all began, how the market has changed and what’s next for his team:

The team from the Global Graphics office in Japan join colleagues at the IGAS exhibition in Tokyo last year.
Hagiwara Yoshiyuki, front left, and the team from the Global Graphics office in Japan join colleagues from Hybrid Software Group at the IGAS exhibition in Tokyo last year.

Tell us about your background. What did you do before you joined Global Graphics Software?

After graduating from university, I worked for a Japanese office computer manufacturer, developing various controller boards, ASICs and semi-custom large-scale integrations. The printer controllers I designed were very successful and widely installed not only in Japan, but also in Europe and Oceania. We were one of the first companies to develop a serial impact printer that prints Kanji characters for the office market. I designed many controller boards and firmware for laser printers, inkjet printers and RIP servers for large format printers. I then set up the Japanese subsidiary of a US company providing PostScript Level 2 interpreter software licenses to printer and MFP manufacturers.

After working with several foreign companies that developed RIP servers and embedded controllers, I established Global Graphics KK as a Japanese subsidiary in 2003.

Tell us about the early days with Global Graphics KK

Initially I rented the smallest room from Servcorp, an office rental company offering fully furnished spaces. On seeing my office, Gary Fry, former CEO with Global Graphics PLC, commented that it was ‘smaller than an elevator’. Over the years I’ve employed more engineers and have changed rooms several times to accommodate us. Today, we are five very talented engineers.

Back in 2003, I offered solutions for the Harlequin RIP® and the PDF creation software, Jaws PDF Creator™. My first customer was Justsystem. We developed the Justsystem PDF Creator, which was sold as a standalone packaging application then bundled as part of their Ichitaro word processing software. Ricoh Ridoc and Fuji Xerox DocuWorks followed.

Today, the team supports a range of products from Hybrid Software Group including, Harlequin, Mako Core™ and SmartDFE™ from Global Graphics Software; color management solutions ColorAnt, CoPrA, ZePrA from ColorLogic; pre-press software for packaging STEPZ®, PACKZ® and CLOUDFLOW® from HYBRID Software; and 3D rendering software for packaging from iC3D.

How has the market changed over the last 20 years? You must have seen a lot of changes.

Yes, there have been many changes:
Firstly, companies that used to develop everything in-house are starting to consider using ready-to-integrate products, which offer a faster time-to-market. Our SmartDFE is ideal for this.

Secondly, the decrease in profits from office MFPs and printers, partly due to less paper being printed to help the environment, means office printer manufacturers are expanding their reach into industrial inkjet printing.

In addition, we’re seeing growth in digital printing, especially printing customized products on demand and in the labels and packaging sector. We’re seeing many new applications, for example, textiles and décor, due to the non-contact printing characteristics of inkjets. Digital inkjet is also growing as it meets many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ways of doing business are also changing, with more cloud-based solutions and there’s also the introduction of 3D printing.

How important is sustainability in print to the Japanese market? Have you noticed a change in your customers’ requirements so that they can meet their sustainability commitments?

From a sustainability perspective, it’s essential that we consider the SDGs when developing new products and it seems to be easier for a company to follow through with their plans when they are linked to those goals. The amount of ink, electricity and iron needed for large-sized printing machines cannot be ignored. Also, as I mentioned earlier, we need to consider new ways of working to eliminate paper usage.

What’s next for you and your colleagues?

We will focus on promoting ready-to-integrate products, such as SmartDFE. In addition, as an ambassador for the Hybrid Software Group, we’ll focus on promoting the Group’s industry-leading products.

What do you enjoy most about working at Global Graphics KK?

It’s said that Japan is ‘the world’s printer factory’ where there are many printer manufacturers. This has certainly been an advantage; I enjoy building on my experience as a printer controller developer and using my knowledge of PostScript to ensure the best outcomes.

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Streamline your PDF files for optimal press performance

Are you confident that all your print jobs can be printed at full press speed? How do you know at what speed the press can be run for a given combination of print job – RIP / RIP – PC etc.

In his presentation at the recent FuturePrint Tech Digital Print for Manufacturing, David Stevenson explains how, using Streamline™ and the help of machine learning, we can analyze a PDF file and intelligently estimate how long it will take for that file to run through the press. But it doesn’t stop there: David explains how we can then optimize the file to ensure it will fly through the press without compromising quality or color integrity.

Further reading:

Ditch the disk: a new generation of RIPs to drive your digital press

Is your printer software up to the job? The impact of rising data rates on software evolved from traditional print processes 

Future-proofing your digital press to cope with rising data rates

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Introducing SmartDFE to INKISH TV at Fespa 2022

At the recent Fespa show in Berlin, Justin Bailey, managing director at Global Graphics Software, spoke to Morten Reitoft of INKISH TV about the technologies offered for inkjet by Hybrid Software Group and why the SmartDFE™ is a key component if you’re planning to integrate print into your smart factory. 

Find out more:

  1. Global Graphics Smart QI: New Platform for On-the-Fly Inspection
  2. Connecting print to a smart factory.
  3. How to transform your inkjet business with Industry 4.0 and OPC UA
  4. Short introduction to the OPC UA

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