HYBRID SOFTWARE’S—AND THEIR CUSTOMERS’—FUTURES ARE BASED ON THE LATEST, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY MULTIPLIED BY EXTREME CUSTOMER CARE
June 16, 2020 Press Release from issuing Company
(Gent, Belgium) HYBRID Software understands that the successes of its customers rely on advanced technologies in combination with exceptional service and care. On the day that was scheduled to open drupa 2020, HYBRID Software has introduced a number of new revolutionary features to its product line of automated production workflow, advanced editing, customizable job ticketing, customer-facing e-commerce portals and version control for critical production files.
“The way we see it, our future is dependent upon the latest, innovative technologies multiplied by extreme customer care: customer squared. We all face a common challenge—the need for connectivity and access to real-time insights. Industry 4.0 focuses on machine and software interconnectivity, which links physical production with smart digital technologies. It lets us serve all our customers on the packaging supply chain—the marriage of technology and customer care,” notes Guido Van der Schueren, Chairman of HYBRID Software. “It means that while our future is reliant upon technology, we must take care of our customers. This will be particularly important during the post COVID-19 restart—and HYBRID is offering new solutions that will do just that.”
PACKZ 6.0: Prepress production, automated and easier for digital and flexo
HYBRID Software has released announced PACKZ 6.0, the latest version of the powerful native PDF prepress production tool designed for labels and packaging. This step change has undergone a metamorphosis with a new user interface and fascinating new features, which include:
• Pactions, with revolutionary automation, lets PACKZ record and edit series of routine tasks, and store them as action lists. These Pactions can be played back any time, acting on an entire design, a selection, or as part of a custom tool. Pactions can be seamlessly merged with CLOUDFLOW Packzflow automation on the server.
• Packzimizer automatically and optimally imposes designs based on job information such as quantity or substrate, for output on digital presses. Advanced decorating with Live Objects completes the imposition. Layout reports can be generated for MIS and ERP systems.
• VDP Execute and Boosters: The PACKZ variable data printing solution lets label and packaging converters augment designs with variable text, varying colors and images, numbers and barcodes. The VDP Execute option combines static and variable design elements in optimized PDF layouts, outputting at lightning fast speeds to any digital press.
• PDF X-4 support: To increase the security of file exchange between the different stakeholders in the production chain, PACKZ can now export this widely accepted industry standard.
“We all know that packaging is gaining traction on digital presses as personalization and regionalization become even more prevalent. So, HYBRID Software continues to develop prepress applications that take advantage of inkjet technology. For example, we received an InterTech award for our work with variable data, recognizing the need for a platform that could keep up with digital presses,” explains Mike Agness, HYBRID Software executive vice president for the Americas. “Stepz 6.0 is a workflow with a reduced feature set, designed specifically for digital print. And, our new Packzimizer feature automatically and optimally imposes designs based on job information, for output on digital presses.”
With Stepz 6.0, HYBRID Software now offers a separate, entry-level version of their award-winning PACKZ product. Its reduced feature set is designed for quick implementation and ease of use; specifically useful for digital print. Stepz is also available with a useful set of optional feature extensions, such as expanded step-and-repeat or variable data printing.
CLOUDFLOW: Enterprise server applications deliver global quality and efficiency
With more than 750 installations, CLOUDFLOW server software for file and asset management, soft proofing, and workflow automation has been updated with new features.
- Tectonics software saves flexo plate material, reduces waste, and optimizes the use of flexo CTP devices by optimizing the layout of jobs. As a result, the software has a typical return on investment within the first six months.
- Intelligent Flexo: While digital print gets much attention, flexo is still considered the most important packaging print technology. HYBRID has worked with industry partners to improve quality in a repeatable, automated way—independent of CTP brand or plate vendor. The technology analyzes customer feedback, applies years of R&D, and arrives at solutions that deliver measurable quality flexo improvement. Quality is key.
- VDP (Variable Data Printing): A prime application for digital printing and an InterTech™ Technology Award recipient, the VDP PDF document structure has been optimized to work seamlessly and quickly on existing digital DFEs. Moreover, the Harlequin-based CLOUDFLOW RIP processes these jobs at lightning speeds, taking full advantage of customers’ investments in digital presses.
HYBRID Software has developed tools and technologies to facilitate deployment and management of its technology across many global sites and companies, large and small. For many of these, HYBRID Software applications facilitate links to ERP or MIS systems.
- HYBRID’s Share file exchange technology helps enterprises exchange files across company sites. The technology is linked to CLOUDFLOW and successfully deployed at many customer sites. With Share as part of a business workflow, printers can eliminate ad-hoc ftp or third party file sharing applications.
- Mars configuration management lets companies define sets of workflows that are versioned and managed in a repository. They can be authored centrally and automatically distributed across a group. Managing workflows and UIs, scaled over many sites, suddenly becomes much easier.
- Nebula, the new CLOUDFLOW user interface, is modern and structured, with new benefits like improved customizability and fewer clicks to get work done.
- With MyCloudflow, HYBRID Software’s Software as a Service (SaaS), printers and converters can utilize the public cloud on Amazon. It lets users perform on-demand document sharing, soft-proofing, and variable data printing.
HYBRID Software technology works with more and more industry applications.
CLOUDFLOW has direct support for many popular digital devices and software systems. New connections include: Xeikon ThermoflexX has chosen HYBRID as OEM partner for its new ThermoflexX Catena flexo plate imagers. HYBRID Tectonics helps optimize flexo plates; new drivers for EyeC, GlobalVision and BST eltromat quality assurance and inspection systems help improve process automation; HYBRID Software’s Datalink module uses a pre-configured connector to bridge the gap between CERM or Label Traxx MIS and CLOUDFLOW.
For more information about the new, innovative HYBRID Software tools, please visit www.hybridsoftware.com.
ABOUT HYBRID SOFTWARE
With offices in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the US plus a global partner network, HYBRID Software is a software development company focused on innovative productivity tools for the graphic arts industry. HYBRID Software’s CLOUDFLOW workflow, PACKZ editor and integration products offer a unique set of advantages that include native PDF workflows, vendor-independent solutions based on industry standards, scalable technology and low cost of ownership. These products are used by hundreds of customers worldwide in all areas of pre-press and print, including labels and packaging, folding cartons, corrugated, wide format and digital printing.
For more information visit: www.hybridsoftware.com