Hybrid Software, the new name for Global Graphics, has found “the last big missing piece” with the acquisition of German colour management specialist ColorLogic.
ColorLogic joins a group that includes the Harlequin Rip and Global Graphics workflow software, Hybrid’s packaging production workflow, Meteor Inkjet Integration, and prepress workflow and integration through Xitron. Hybrid Software Group CEO Mike Rottenborn explains: “Our Harlequin RIP is the market leader in speed and quality for digital printing and is used by many industry leading OEMs.
“But its colour management has historically been built around the four-colour CMYK process. As the production of labels and packaging shifts to digital printing, more capable seven-colour printing devices are required to provide colour accurate matching of brand colours. ColorLogic has long been respected as an industry leader in extended gamut colour management, and their tools provide the perfect combination of speed and quality for these demanding applications.
“I think that colour management was the last big missing piece and ColorLogic has filled that perfectly.”
ColorLogic will remain a separate company with its operator, based in Rheine, Germany, continuing to operate through its established channels, one of which was already the Hybrid Software Group. Says Rottenborn: “We have been a reseller of ColorLogic’s profiling tools – Copra, Zepra and ColorAnt – for a year and have also licensed their SDK for colour management in some of our own products, specifically Mako from Global Graphics and PackZ from Hybrid Software.”
This has come off of the back of ongoing conversations between the two as ColorLogic looked to secure its future. These “really picked up steam in 2021”, he explains.
There was interest from other potential suitors before Rottenborn’s company won out. “I think a big factor in their decision to become part of the group was based on shared values: a commitment to innovation, strong customer focus, and running sustainable businesses.”
ColorLogic was founded 20 years ago by Barbara Braun-Metz, who is still its CEO. And while she says that ColorLogic is the leading developer of high end colour management technologies, there was an appreciation that it would need to join forces with a larger company to take the next step. “To ensure the future development of our technology we decided to join forces with Hybrid Software Group. This will allow us to grow and allocate the resources needed for future requirements while continuing to provide uninterrupted support for our existing customers and partners.”
That next step is towards what Rottenborn calls the holy grail of a full colour managed automated workflow for a distribute and print model for packaging. This involves being able to deliver brand colour accuracy, through the extended colour gamuts and extended ink sets that are being developed by many digital press manufacturers.
“Many of these pieces revolve around colour: soft proofing of new designs, colour standards for digital presses, acceptance criteria for spot colour matching etc. The low hanging fruit is still the conversion of analogue printing to digital printing, whether the digital printing is done locally or halfway around the world.
“There are many other areas of collaboration for ColorLogic within the group, but I see this as the highest value opportunity.”
