On 5 May 2020, Esko announced a new collaboration with Global Inkjet Systems (GIS). The two companies have agreed to combine Esko’s workflow and brand color management expertise with the inkjet expertise of GIS.
Esko has supplied digital front end (DFE) turnkey solutions, including brand color management and RIPing, for more than ten years to several leading digital press manufacturers. GIS is a market leader in the supply of datapath electronics, ink delivery systems, and print control software, alongside its capability in scanning and direct to shape inkjet print systems.
By combining Esko’s DFE and workflow automation expertise with the inkjet electronics and Atlas software capabilities of GIS, the two companies can offer a complete solution, from print job creation to the optimization of print quality through precise printhead control.
Chuck Ravetto, VP/GM Suppliers Business of Esko, comments, “We know that digital press manufacturers are seeking to reduce [the] development times of their presses. By using this integrated solution resulting from our partnership with GIS, they will get innovations to market faster. At the same time, packaging converters investing in digital press capacity will benefit by having more standardized and robust on-press solutions for workflow, color management, and device compensation.”
Ravetto continues, “Whether, for short-run label production, fast turnaround of promotional packaging work or efficiently handling a spike in demand, meeting the delivery deadline as expected by the print buyer is of paramount importance to business success. The combined capabilities of Esko and GIS create a level of integration that extends beyond the digital press and reduces complexity for everyone involved, driving efficiency and productivity when it’s needed most.”
Nick Geddes, managing director of GIS, added, “Combining the packaging management, prepress automation and DFE expertise of Esko with the industrial inkjet capabilities of GIS creates a unique ecosystem for packaging and label digital printing, not seen elsewhere. Our high-speed single-pass inkjet systems, offering very fast screening technologies and closed-loop image quality control for missing nozzle compensation and printhead density correction, fit seamlessly into the Esko workflow creating a powerful advantage for the digital print sector.”