Esko updates ArtPro+ PDF editor

ArtPro+ helps to reduce unintentional errors when editing and automate repeating tasks without the need for any special programming skills. 

‘With ArtPro+, pre-press teams can enjoy the significant benefits of working directly on PDF files with a complete set of editing features,’ said Frank Woltering, product manager, graphic editing at Esko. ‘With this new release, our next generation pre-press editor further evolves to meet the growing needs of packaging professionals in today’s business environment.

‘With new ArtPro+, Esko is the only solution provider that offers a variable data printing (VDP) technology to label and folding carton converters running Adobe Illustrator or PDF in their pre-press operation. Traditionally, VDP jobs can take hours to expand and rip, for what takes minutes to print on press. Jobs can be cumbersome, involving patchwork data from various sources or vendors, and can comprise thousands of variations, making normal human approval processes impossible.’

Woltering said that with ArtPro+, users can convert any artwork file to a VDP template and validate the output before print. It contains all the functionality needed to go from a customer file to a print-ready file in just a few clicks and without leaving the application. 

‘Images, text, and barcodes can be made variable in size, layout, and color by reading a record from a CSV database. The rule-based validation capabilities not only check the database but also pre-flight the final output and report on potential printing issues before going to press,’ said Woltering. ‘The VDP module allows data to be expanded directly into a Step & Repeat template, resulting in a fully stepped and repeated layout file ready to print.’

New ArtPro+ is also fully integrated for use with Hell equipment. 

‘Hell is the global leader in gravure equipment, which is why we ensured the new ArtPro+ integrates with the proprietary Hell Job Ticket format. With full integration with Esko Automation Engine as well, classic gravure automation can now become a 100 percent PDF native,’ added Woltering. ‘Simply put, ArtPro+ increases packaging pre-press efficiency by eliminating errors and increasing automation of the editing process. Everything from the screening quality tool and a touch of a button pre-flighting to the automated text recognition and PDF Action Lists has been specifically designed to tackle today’s pre-press challenges and improve operational excellence for our customers.

‘For example, the aesthetic trapping algorithm we recently introduced makes trapping jobs up to 70 percent faster. This innovation closes misregister gaps and accommodates individual exceptions, and we were thrilled when it scooped a 2020 InterTech Technology Award from Printing United Alliance. With ArtPro+, we had already set the benchmark in pre-press editing. With this new release, we’ve raised that level higher still, and we’re sure dedicated ArtPro+ customers, and new users around the globe will be equally impressed with this latest version.’