At booth 5202, Esko will participate at Labelexpo Americas 2012 (September 11-13, Chicago) with its largest presence ever. Esko will demo a range of products and services that offer tag and label printers 'Results that make you smile' - the company's campaign theme launched at drupa. In addition to a host of products introduced at drupa, the company is unveiling new solutions that will be of specific interest to tag and label printers.

“Over the past year Esko has been developing a number of new prepress applications for label printers working with flexo, digital, gravure or offset. We offer an extensive array of sophisticated software tools, flexo plate imagers and finishing systems. All of our solutions have one objective: to help companies optimize costs, streamline workflows and improve quality and consistency,” remarks Mark Quinlan, President, Esko Americas. “I am confident that any visitor to our booth will find a number of solutions capable of delivering results that will make them smile.”

New product focus for label production

At Labelexpo Americas, visitors can expect the commercial availability of PantoneLIVE support within Esko’s workflows. PantoneLIVE delivers an end-to-end color management and color communication solution that, for the first time, addresses the needs and requirements of every single discipline within the packaging supply chain. The brand manager will see an accurate representation of on-press color early in the design process, while converters can be assured of first-time-right color proofing and easy-to-match color on press. Experience with beta sites that have been testing the solution show very positive ROIs.

In a related development to PantoneLIVE, Esko recently developed an improved ink model. This is a critical component to the definition of color from the PantoneLIVE cloud. The new ink model helps to predict how PANTONE colors interact, and overprint on press. Using spectral analysis, the technology will produce an inkjet proof that shows an accurate representation of what the result of two overprinting spot colors will look like on the press.

Esko will be also be describing its ongoing efforts in remote proofing, where this technology produces the same results remotely as they do at the primary prepress site. Esko will be offering a soft proofing solution first, with easy off-site calibration.

Historically, when labels are produced with hybrid printing – typically a screen or flexo press in tandem with a digital press – separate workflows are required to drive each station. That’s because each printing process requires different parameters such as inks and distortions. Esko will be introducing new automated production software that requires just one workflow to drive all the stations – with the elimination of many steps, and reduction of errors as a result.

North American premiere of latest solutions for label prepress

During Labelexpo, a raft of new solutions launched earlier this year at drupa will be shown for the first time in North America. On twelve workstations, visitors will discover a wide array of software solutions addressing label and tag artwork, management, design and prepress, color management, workflow automation and process integration. With the release of Suite 12, Esko focuses on adding value for the user by introducing new productivity and efficiency benefits. This is done by closely integrating all flagship tools and engines, by adding rich 3D functionality for a holistic experience, and by enabling mobile collaboration and web-based packaging management.