Global Graphics is moving away from its focus on Rips as a result of growing requests for help in creating front ends to drive inkjet presses.
“We have worked with four or five press vendors to address problems that they have uncovered,” says Martin Bailey, chief technology officer of Global Graphics Software. “And because we have so many coming to us to discuss the requirements of driving high speed inkjet presses, it makes sense for us to formalise this service
This has resulted in Fundamentals, a package of software components and engineering resource that speeds the time to market by making it easier for press vendors to get an inkjet press up and running.
Global Graphics has already carried out a lot of work on optimising screening for inkjet printing, to avoid problems caused by droplets running in to each other or coalescing to form unwanted artefacts on the paper. This remains core to the Fundamentals offer along with the Harlequin Rip expertise.
But it is part of a package that includes elements from Hybrid Software, a company that shares the same chairman as Global Graphics, and colour measurement expertise from Mellow Colour. Hybrid has been crucial to the label layout station, a took to optimise arrangement and estimating of labels on an inkjet web press. It also includes Cloudflow, an OEM of Hybrid’s file management system.
“We are collecting a group of best of breed technology from a variety of vendors to put together one package that works well together,” says Bailey. “This is not just Global Graphics technology.”
The perceived opportunity in bringing digital printing to packaging markets as well as the rapid rise of high speed inkjet printing has left a vacuum of expertise in those able to build the systems that combine the software applications to make the most of the opportunity and avoid the trial and error that might otherwise result, lengthening time to market.
“Our primary target is high volume digital printing with packaging and labels a specific target because it’s such a massive opportunity,” he adds.
Global Graphics’ expertise is funnelled through Breakthrough, a team led by Eric Worrall. He explains: “High speed inkjet throws up a completely different set of problems to wide format or ceramics.
“We work side by side with the manufacturer to create a solution that is truly customised to their press and its operating environment. In doing so we give the manufacturer access to our tools and a unique pool of print scientists and engineers with decades of specialist knowledge exactly when they need them.”
Those developing presses have concentrated on ink chemistry and paper transport Bailey explains, but discover they lack the expertise in creating the software to drive the presses. This has resulted in the requests for help from Global Graphics and its decision to create a structure to address the issue. It will be a key theme during the company’s presence at Drupa.
One of the key components is colour analysis expertise from Mellow Colour. Its tools are generally used to ensure that colours are rendered consistently across printing conditions and location, by analysing printed sheets. This is being adapted to provide the feedback needed to adjust software settings to solve the print quality issues that are encountered when inkjet presses are developed.
“Many vendors simply do not have the ability to get the information back from a beta site to understand what is really happening,” says Bailey. “They can be shipping a press and may be not happy with quality or else they may not be able to drive that press at its full speed. We have the expertise to help.”
Global Graphics wants to help companies get inkjet technology to market faster, but tackling the issues that are almost inevitable, such as chaining, to reduce the quality of an image.
