Artwork Systems

CHICAGO—EskoArtwork, a global market leader in design, pre-production, and collaboration solutions for the packaging and commercial printing industry, made its first public appearance at Graph Expo this week, since the merger of Esko and Artwork Systems was announced a month ago. The company demonstrated its productive solutions based on Artwork Systems, Enfocus, and Esko products across its two booths. The company launched a series of major updates to its industry leading software products, including Nexus 8.6, ArtPro 8.6, Odystar 3.0, Neo 1.2 and WebWay 5.0. Each new version incorporates a host of new and improved features. Featured solutions also included Equinox and Concentric screening

In today’s intensely competitive consumer environment, a package is considerably more than an inert enclosure or container for a given product. As marketers compete for shelf space and consumer dollars, packages have become dynamic, high-performing marketing tools. From a design perspective, the creation of a package involves two distinct but intimately related workflows representing structure and graphic design. And, while graphics continue to play a critical a role in boosting a product’s visual appeal, the practical and functional advantages of a well-engineered package should never be discounted. Indeed, the lexicon of box styles—reverse tuck, same tuck or rollover end, crash bottom, snap-lock bottom

GENT, Belgium—Esko and Artwork Systems have announced the completion of their merger transactions. The new combined business will go forward under the name EskoArtwork. EskoArtwork is a global market leader for innovative design, pre-production, and collaboration solutions to the packaging industry. The company also provides a broad range of workflow solutions to the commercial printing market, as well as the Enfocus suite of PDF tools for graphic designers and print production professionals. Bringing together products, people, and practices of the integrated companies, EskoArtwork is ready to support its customers’ needs through a global sales and support network, including distribution partners, backed by 1,000 professionals.

GENT, Belgium—Esko and the three principal shareholders of Artwork Systems reached an agreement for Esko and Artwork Systems to combine their operations. The resulting new entity, with estimated 2007 revenues in excess of $248 million and a combined workforce of close to 1,000 professionals, consolidates the market positions of both companies in packaging and printing pre-production products and services in Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. On August 2, the three principal shareholders of Artwork Systems Group signed an agreement to sell their shares in Artwork Systems Group to Esko . The transaction enables the combination of the operations of Artwork Systems with those

SEWICKLEY, Pa.—Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) recently announced the recipients of the 2007 InterTech Technology Awards. For over a quarter of a century, recipients of this prestigious award have not only had a major impact on the graphic communications industry, but they also consistently prove to be successful in the commercial marketplace. The independent panel of judges deliberated over technology submissions ranging from printing presses to software solutions to ancillary services. A recurring theme with 2007 InterTech nominations was green printing, and numerous submissions contained solutions to minimize the environmental impact of printing. Great strides in technology were also demonstrated in

GENT, Belgium—Esko and the three principal shareholders of Artwork Systems today have reached an agreement for Esko and Artwork Systems to combine their operations. The resulting new entity, with estimated 2007 revenues in excess of $248 million and a combined workforce of close to 1,000 professionals, consolidates the market leadership of both companies in packaging and printing pre-production products and services in Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific. On August 2, the three principal shareholders of Artwork Systems Group signed an agreement to sell their shares in Artwork Systems Group to Esko . The transaction enables the combination of the operations of Artwork Systems

FORT WORTH, Texas—Lewis Label Products installed an Esko CDI 2530 digital plate imager on July 18. Training and calibration is complete and digital plates are being produced and used for all flexographic presses. The transition of rotary letterpress plates to digital plates will begin next month. Digital plate imagers are a breakthrough technology for pressure sensitive label and flexible packaging converters. The laser imaging technology enables Lewis Label to print higher quality images and higher line screens with more consistency and faster turn around. The acquisition of the CDI 2530 completes Lewis Label’s transition to an all digital prepress workflow that

In today’s economic times, with fierce competition, both domestic and foreign, the packaging industry faces shortages in human resources—that is, skilled packaging professionals who have basic skills in both production processes and management techniques. Few companies have the resources to take unskilled personnel and train them from the ground level. At the same time, the nation’s university system seems underfunded and unable to equip laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment in technical disciplines. The budgeting formulas are geared more for classes that aren’t as laboratory-oriented as that of the printing and packaging industry. By 2005, the Department of Graphic Communication Systems and Technological Studies at North Carolina

SEWICKLEY, Pa.—Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) announced the recipients of the 2007 InterTech Technology Awards. The independent panel of judges deliberated over technology submissions ranging from printing presses to software solutions to ancillary services. A recurring theme with 2007 InterTech nominations was green printing, and numerous submissions contained solutions to minimize the environmental impact of printing. Great strides in technology were also demonstrated in the form of innovative press design, touchless workflow systems to automate production steps, anti-fraud measures, and new materials and systems that increase productivity. Recipients were recognized from across the entire production workflow. Thirty-one nominations were submitted, and

GENT, Belgium—Artwork Systems Group N.V., a world leader in professional pre-press software, is investigating claims made by Markzware in a lawsuit filed in the federal district court in Santa Ana, California, that Enfocus products allegedly infringe Markzware’s U.S. patent. The lawsuit, which focuses on two Enfocus software products—PitStop Professional and PitStop Server—comes as a surprise to Enfocus, whose leading PDF preflighting products have been on the U.S. market for many years, according to the company. Artwork Systems Group CEO, Peter Denoo said, “Artwork Systems and Enfocus respect the intellectual property rights of third parties, and are currently conducting a full investigation into what appear