Esko launches workflow automation solutions for sign and display graphics at FESPA Digital 2014; software for printing and finishing systems reduce material waste, increase efficiency, company says

Aimee Bellah

GHENT, Belgium , May 20, 2014 (press release) – Esko (www.esko.com), is demonstrating software solutions, from prepress through automated workflows for production and finishing, designed specifically for sign & display businesses at FESPA Digital 2014. Esko is located on stand B2-238 (Munich, Germany, 20-23 May).

“Esko is well-known in the sign & display graphics industry for our industry-leading Kongsberg cutting tables and i-cut software,” says Armand Gougay, Esko Vice President EMEA. “Our line of cutting tables are demonstrated at the show. But for true business success in today’s highly competitive market, sign & display companies must evaluate their entire workflows, removing as much time, errors and cost from the processes as possible. That’s where Esko's expertise in prepress and workflow automation can be applied. We are excited to present a wide array of software solutions at FESPA to help drive both business growth and profitability for these companies.”

Making the most of a FESPA visit

Visitors to Esko’s stand at FESPA Digital 2014 will be able to gain in-depth information about workflow automation and learn from Esko experts how it can be effectively implemented to address specific business challenges and opportunities.

On-stand software demonstrations include:

i-cut Layout+, a new module of Esko’s i-cut Suite, a collection of pre-production software solutions targeted specifically at users of large format digital printers and/or digital finishing systems. i-cut Layout+ intuitively and interactively builds and edits sheet layouts, ensuring that jobs make the optimum use of substrates through intelligent true shape nesting and tiling. i-cut Layout+, which operates on both Mac and PC platforms, saves time, effort and material by ensuring the most efficient use of resources throughout the production process.
The latest generation of Esko's highly successful Automation Engine has been enhanced to address the specific needs of the sign & display graphics market. Automation Engine automates the entire production process from design to print to cut. Users can build dynamic workflows that will automate repetitive prepress tasks, thereby enhancing productivity, reducing operator intervention and errors, and saving valuable time, money and materials in the production process.

WebCenter workflows for signs & display graphics. WebCenter is the customer-facing web portal that provides an easy and effective means of customer communication throughout the entire manufacturing process. It handles both simple and advanced orders, provides for online review and approval of final designs prior to production, and enables the organization of assets by customer and/or by project owner, making it fast and easy for customers to engage with their sign & display partners while keeping order information and digital assets organized for the manufacturer. Online editing capabilities from CHILI Publish have been integrated within Esko's workflow solutions.

ArtiosCAD for structural design. ArtiosCAD brings customers many time-saving features. Its extensive library of resizable display designs helps designers so that they do not have to start from scratch designing new displays. Its Tab & Slot tool ‘assembles’ components of a display with just a few clicks. The Mate tool helps to build and visualize connected folds and multiple parts. Users can identify glue areas and corresponding targets to quickly connect designs or perform simple assembly of displays. Support for thicker materials such as papercore-board, along with correctly designing V-notches and edge bands make it easier to visualize and convert designs of this material.

Studio, 3D software for designers and manufacturers. Studio helps designers and prepress operators produce better artwork. With Studio, they are virtually holding the sign or display graphic in their hands and can check for mistakes before printing, avoiding expensive mistakes, and saving hours formerly required to create physical proofs and mock-ups.

Esko Color Engine offers exceptional color management capabilities, answering to the high expectations of brand owners for color integrity in their signs and display graphics. The updated task-drive user interface of the Color Engine simplifies and automates the fingerprinting process of presses and proofers for an unsurpassed color match. The new color module not only proves to be a great ink-saver, but can also be integrated into an automated workflow, reducing job setup time.

"Handling a greater number of jobs more economically while shortening cycle times is both a challenge and an opportunity for business growth in the sign & display graphics market,” Gougay adds. “To handle the larger number of shorter runs and broader job mix, typical for this market, companies require solutions that remove time-consuming labor from their work process and cost-efficiently enhance throughput capacity. This can make a tangible difference in their bottom-line performance and helps foster stronger customer relationships - crucial in an economic climate where holding onto business already won, is increasingly important."

Learn from the application experts

Esko’s expertise goes beyond the hardware and software solutions it offers to sign & display and large format printing professionals. Its extensive know-how for applications critical to the sign & display graphics industry is translated into expert advice for sign & display graphics professionals. At a dedicated desk with tools and applications, Esko experts will guide visitors in their search for the best-fit solution for specific application needs and provide insight into automating even the most complex workflows.

For more information about Esko products and services, visit www.esko.com.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.