As part of Graph Expo 2015, CHILI Publish and Enfocus were on hand to give demonstrations of their latest prepress software, which is designed to “make artwork intelligent.” The event took place from September 13-14, 2015, at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL, USA.

Both companies displayed software designed to produce higher-quality labels in an automated process. Enfocus, a Belgian-based software company, offers Switch 13 and Pitstop 13. These prepress tools give customers efficient options for low creation, remote communication and improved speed. Users can connect to the company’s server using any browser and log in remotely. The company describes Pitstop 13 as “as a pocket knife for PDF preflight and editing.” Users can manually edit and correct PDF files without leaving the Adobe Acrobat environment.

“A lot of label companies are using our products, and we are very PDF-centric,” explained Fabian Prudhomme, vice president of Enfocus. “That’s how Enfocus began, with PDF knowledge, so basically any company that receives PDF files–that needs to preflight print PDF files–typically would be using our software.”

According to Prudhomme, nearly eight out of 10 printers will use one version of Pitstop to preflight or edit PDF files. The company also has over 100,000 licenses worldwide.

“With Switch 13, we focus on lot on reliability and quality,” adds Prudhomme. “It’s new and modern technologies but also a new user experience. We have now included, for the first time, a web browser interface, which means that anybody working with Switch can log into Switch using a web browser, and it’s browser independent so anyone will do. You can keep an eye on the workflow and you don’t need to be at your machine anymore. We’re going to evolve much more in that direction.”

CHILI Publish, a provider of online document editing, integrates within multiple production platforms and workflows. Document editing enables personalized content production of labels and packaging. Customers can open up a web portal and visualize their label and packaging designs in 3-D. After editing in the company’s software, a PDF is generated and sent to a production workflow.

“It doesn’t really matter what kind of front end you’re going to be creating,” said Kevin Goeminne, CHILI Publish CEO. “We’ll have people that are integrating in (Esko) WebCenter, for example, and people that are building their own storefront or website that their customers can go online and basically edit files.”

The company’s CHILI Publisher Converter allows for the migration of documents into an online publishing solution, and the 3-D artwork can be mapped onto hypothetical packaging designs. The Publisher is also mobile-ready, which allows users to access the document editing software from a smart phone or tablet. CHILI Editor is also offered in HTML5 technology in order to allow branding, customization and personalization.

“We have our own 3-D rendering technology, allowing you to basically show how the package is going to be folded fully in 3-D,” explained Goeminne. “It creates some kind of soft-proofing so that the user can go online and view it and edit it.”

Goeminne illustrated how Raja Pack, one of the company’s European customers, used its software for customization. “What they basically do is have supplies for e-commerce companies, so anything from a wrap, a box, tapes, or labels, they can all be personalized online through their website,” he said. “There is an opportunity online to personalize bags. I cannot only edit the content of the bag, but I can view it in 3-D. The same can be done for a label. I can go here and say, ‘No, I don’t want a name on the bottle, I want a picture.’ And you see instantly that I’m going to get an update and I can visualize that.”

Enfocus and CHILI Publish have partnered to offer a workflow that uses Switch in CHILI Publisher to edit documents online. A Switch configurator is available to automate CHILI Publisher, as well. According to the companies, the partnership allows users to optimize input and output workflows while transitioning “seamlessly and transparently.”

Enfocus also developed the HP Indigo EPM preflight solution, which is intended to increase print volume, automatically sort files, reduce touch points, and save time and costs while increasing profits.

Many companies wrestle with file delivery problems, and this software creates an integrated file delivery system that contributes to integrated workflow automation. Workflow automation also helps handle manual preflight issues such as discovering problems with file preparation.

CHILI Publish conducted live demonstrations and panel discussions at the Printverse Theater, as well. The company then showcased its prepress solutions at Labelexpo Europe. 

Click here to listen to a podcast with Enfocus.