Prepress

Next-generation ArtPro+ supports excellence in packaging and label prepress

Friday 09. April 2021 - Esko released ArtPro+, the latest generation of its award-winning native PDF editor for packaging and label prepress. With a new VDP module for variable data printing and full compatibility with HELL gravure systems, the latest version of this market-leading software sets a new impetus for operational excellence in prepress.

Compelling native PDF editing in prepress – now even easier with ArtPro+ 21.0.3
As the leading native PDF editor for packaging prepress, ArtPro+ has more than proven itself in the market. The editor offers users the ability to minimise unintentional editing errors and automate repetitive tasks without the need for specialist programming skills. “With ArtPro+, prepress editing teams benefit from practical enhancements that enable direct editing of PDF files with extensive editing capabilities,” said Frank Woltering, Product Manager Graphic Editing at Esko. “With this new version, our innovative prepress editor has been consistently enhanced to meet the growing demands of packaging professionals in today’s exceedingly demanding business environment.”
“With the new ArtPro+, Esko is the only solution provider to offer a VDP (Variable Data Printing) solution for label and folding carton converters who use Adobe Illustrator or PDF in their prepress operations,” explains Frank Woltering. “Often VDP jobs require several hours for enhancement and RIP processing, which are then printed on the press in just a few minutes. The jobs can be extremely elaborate, contain patchwork data from different sources or suppliers and include thousands of variations, making normal, manual approval processes almost impossible.”
“But with ArtPro+, users now have the ability to convert any artwork file into a VDP template and check the output before it is even printed,” he adds. “ArtPro+ includes all the features needed to turn a client file into a print-ready file in just a few clicks, without leaving the application. The size, layout and colour of images, text and barcodes can easily be varied by reading a data set from a CSV database. The rule-based checking functions not only check the database, but also perform a preliminary check of the final product and report possible printing problems before the file goes to print,” explains Frank Woltering. “The VDP module enables the data to be transferred directly into a step-and-repeat template. The result is a print-ready layout file with all the necessary steps and repeat blocks.”
The new ArtPro+ Editor is also extensively designed for use with HELL equipment. “HELL is a world-leading manufacturer of gravure equipment. Therefore, we have ensured that the new ArtPro+ Editor is compatible with HELL’s proprietary job ticket format,” says Frank Woltering. “By fully integrating the Esko Automation Engine, traditional gravure automation can now also be 100% PDF.”
Compatibility with HELL equipment and the new VDP module are just a few highlights of an extensive list of features in this cutting-edge software, which significantly reduces the time required for non-value-added tasks and greatly increases the speed at which jobs are processed through to press.
“In short, ArtPro+ software increases the efficiency of packaging prepress by eliminating errors and increasing the automation of the handling process,” explains Frank Woltering. “Every element, from the halftone quality tool and one-touch preflight to the automated text recognition and PDF action lists, has been specifically designed to address the day-to-day tasks and challenges of prepress to optimise our customers’ operational excellence.”
“For example, the aesthetic trapping algorithm we recently developed speeds up job trapping by up to 70 per cent,” said Frank Woltering. “This innovation closes registration errors and takes individual exceptions into account, and we are very proud that it has been awarded the 2020 InterTech Technology Award by the PRINTING United Alliance.”
“With ArtPro+ we have already set the bar very high in prepress editing,” concludes Frank Woltering. “With this new release we have now raised the bar even further and we are sure that both our loyal ArtPro+ customers and new customers around the globe will be delighted with this new version.”