Screenshot showing label proof mounted onto pre-defined Collada bottle shown in 3D
Web to print solutions are growing in commercial print. The powerful Chili Publisher editor offers converters new ways to serve customers by providing a simple way to design short runs and produce press-ready artwork efficiently. It is now available as a module in Esko’s WebCenter. By Sean Smyth.
Chili Publisher 4.0 is a powerful online document editing solution; imagine Adobe Illustrator on the web. The software is a rules-based document editing solution that can be integrated into workflows and production platforms. It is designed to integrate with e-commerce, MIS or workflow solutions as a plug-in and provides customisable, easy-to-use artwork creation and editing functions.
With sophisticated design and typographic control that can be used to produce pack or label artwork in any web browser, this is a very useful tool that label and packaging converters can integrate into their websites to offer high value-added functions and services for their customers.
A converter can upload a range of templates and customers can adjust their artwork and create a label, a carton or any type of product. The converter holds the technical details of substrate, cutter guides, imposition, etc, while offering pre-set choices for customers to add their artwork and designs.
For a customer who requires short runs of standard label shapes, this tool will be extremely useful. A micro brewery will typically use the same bottles for their beers (maybe a couple of sizes), but regularly change the label design for each new and special brews. The necessary information, such as ingredients, alcohol content and ‘drink responsibly’ message can be kept in the same position on the label and linked to a database of text files. Other types of information might include barcodes, nutrition facts, regulatory compliance information, colour or allergy messages that could be updated by the customer going online, opening and editing the file.
Wine or champagne labels may be versioned for a wedding or special event with details input and images uploaded and immediately proofed. The software will allow a three dimensional mock up of the finished label on a pack at the proofing stage, even linked into a virtual supermarket to see how a pack might appear on a shelf.
Functionality
There are two parts to the Chili Publisher software. ‘Back Office’ is the administration function where the assets and user environment are set. This determines the user workspace and view preferences, setting the language and available assets for fonts, logos, graphics and importantly templates.
‘Editor’ is the user interface, where press-ready artwork can be generated by authorised users with no design training or specialist software packages. It can be operated in a template model, where users are provided with pre-set layouts where they can add content into available fields, or in free design mode where there are no barriers to creativity. There are high level typography capabilities, with real-time visualisation allowing the user to see the final document as it is created. A useful function is the use of snippets, artwork that can be placed into other artwork, such as a ‘10% off’ flash. It supports multiple layers and use of spot colours. Output is a PDF that can be configured to be print ready for a specific press profile by setting up the PDF export settings.
Preflight and ‘fix automatically’ tools allow users to identify and correct potential problems before production while 3D visualisation capability allows the file to be presented as an interactive object, working with standard Collada models, a range of pre-determined 3D model shapes. A label can be virtually stuck onto a bottle or rigid pack and content adjusted to become more suitable.
Dynamic growth
Chili Publish was started in 2010 when the principals saw a gap in the market and decided to develop a new comprehensive online artwork editing tool. This could be a flier, a booklet, a poster, or a label or packaging. Today the company reports growth of 60% year on year and employs 15 staff of which 8 are software developers.
A new, dynamic company that is adding new high quality functionality to the wide graphics community, Chili reports that 7% of its direct customers are in labels and packaging. It has OEM customers and several major pre-press suppliers have integrated Chili Publisher to offer enhanced functionality to their systems. This includes Esko’s WebCenter, which adds functions such as colour management and imposition to the design and approval capabilities.
The founders are keen to introduce new easy-to-use functions and operate a very simple licensing model with a one-off fee of €30,000 for the software, and a recurring support fee of 20% per annum. While this might be outside the budget of many small converters, the functionality is now a module within the Esko WebCenter suite making it much more affordable and Esko users can implement Chili Publisher for their customers within the WebCenter browser window. A few leaders are taking advantage of this and building new relationships with customers.
‘When developing version 4.0, we didn’t just aim to keep pace with where the market is today. We wanted to break the mould on what defines an online editing solution. The result of that inventive thinking is a new version of Chili Publisher that includes a complete transformation of the editor and new functionality to enable customers to grow by expanding into new markets, new devices, and new opportunities,’ commented Bram Verniest, chief marketing officer.
Version 4.0 will be commercially available end of Q4, 2013. Existing users will receive ‘an update upon request’ as part of their maintenance contracts.
