Hybrid Software Group, which was formerly known as Global Graphics PLC, has acquired the German software company ColorLogic GmbH, not to be confused with Color-Logic, which is an American company behind a system for printing metallic effects.
ColorLogic has developed a range of software for dealing with colour management that’s sold to both end users and OEM vendors. This includes Colorant, for measuring and optimising colours, CoProA, for creating printer profiles and ZePrA, a colour server. There’s also DLS, standard device-link sets, and a set of SDK modules that vendors can use to easily integrate various aspects of colour management, including a Colour Management Module, device link and ICC profiles and a colour transform module.
ColorLogic has a small but highly experienced team. The company was set up in March 2002 by CEO Barbara Braun-Metz, with Thorsten Braun officially joining as CTO once the first projects were confirmed. They were joined in 2005 by R&D manager Dr Bjorn Seegers, and in 2008 by product manager Dietmar Fuchs.
Mike Rottenborn, CEO of Hybrid Software Group, explained: “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 4-colour CMYK process. As the production of labels and packaging shifts to digital printing, more capable 7-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. ColorLogic will become the fifth operating company in Hybrid Software Group, joining Global Graphics Software, Hybrid Software, Meteor Inkjet, and Xitron, and its products and technology will enhance the offerings of all of these companies.”
As such, this is a very sensible acquisition that expands the group’s footprint as well as plugging a gap in one of its core products, the Harlequin RIP. It’s also worth noting that Durst, which uses the Harlequin RIP as the basis for its workflow, opted a couple of years ago to integrate ColorLogic software to overcome some of the issues that Rottenborn identifies. In addition, ColorLogic already has existing OEM arrangements with several companies such as ColorGate and SAi.
ColorLogic now becomes the fifth company in the Hybrid Software group, alongside Hybrid Software, which develops software for labels and packaging, Global Graphics, best known for its Harlequin RIP software, Meteor Inkjet, which produces electronics and software to drive printheads, and Xitron, which has developed the Navigator and other workflow products. As such, ColorLogic will continue as a standalone company, with the existing management and development team.
You can find more details on the colour management software from colorlogic.de, the Harlequin RIP from globalgraphics.com, and on the main group from hybrid software.group.
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