Prepress

callas pdfChip streamlines production processes at etikett.de

Friday 19. June 2020 - A Transparency Label Generator has recently become available on etikett.de. Here, customers can configure secure labels on their own using the transparency process and thus protect their brands from product counterfeiting. The entire process - from order entry and print approval to production - is fully automated. The basis for this is pdfChip from callas software and a page description developed by calibrate Gmbh, which saves the label design entered by the customer as a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) file and passes it on to pdfChip via an interface.

Until a year ago, etikett.de used pdfToolbox from callas software to automate digital printing. In order to be more flexible in label assembly, the company switched to pdfChip. pdfChip is a solution that automatically converts HTML files into high-quality, true-color, printable PDF documents. It supports all HTML functions as well as CMYK, spot colors, XMP metadata, PDF standards, barcodes and much more. “This solution makes it easier to take into account the special requirements of label printing, which are comparable to those of individual, variable data printing,” says Peter Kleinheider, Managing Director of calibrate GmbH, which has been advising etikett.de for many years. “In addition, pdfChip can be used to generate barcodes and position them on sheets or rolls so that they can be read for post-processing”.
Fully automated assembly of printable labels
“With the implementation of pdfChip we have already been able to fully automate the assembly of our products,” says Michael Wey, Managing Director of CCL Label online, the operator of etikett.de. “What we were missing was a seamless transfer of print jobs entered on our website to pdfChip, and calibrate has also been of great help in this respect.
Intuitive label design without HTML knowledge
calibrate has developed a page description for this, which has recently been implemented on the website. This allows companies to design labels approved for transparency independently and without HTML knowledge. pdfChip is controlled via an interface also supplied by calibrate and generates a printable PDF file with the received JSON data in the shortest possible time, which is made available to the customer for visual inspection. After the release, production takes place immediately. “This saves us manual data handling and the coordination process with the customer,” explains Michael Wey.
Since this test pilot was successful, CCL Label online plans to equip further websites with this process. Specifically, this involves websites on which customers design labels with hazard symbols or markings and then place the print order. The launch of these websites is planned for late summer 2020.
Respond scalably to the degree of utilization with the license server model
etikett.de has decided to use pdfChip as a license server, where the processing quantity is based on process units. This means that etikett.de can react flexibly at any time with regard to incoming order quantities and reorder order units if necessary. The associated licenses are managed by the calibrate server.