#Digital Printing

2021-03-25

Xeikon launches new Colour Services: a total colour insurance policy

Xeikon has brought to market its brand new XCS Pro 2.0. The fully automated suite of colour management tools is based in the cloud and delivers every advantage of quality colour control – predictability, repeatability and profitability. Brand owners and retailers and the current high levels of e-commerce continue to drive the need for colour consistency across the whole of the print process.

The new colour package includes training courses plus ongoing consultancy and is offered as a ‘pay as you go’ subscription model making it simple and easy to adopt and utilise. The new XCS Pro 2.0 is available for demonstration – seeing is believing!

Announcing the Xeikon XCS Pro 2.0

Xeikon’s Colour Management Expert, Bruce Dransfield, states, “Historically colour management software has needed an expert to deliver results and this takes time. Xeikon has developed its XCS Pro 2.0 as a ‘no waste’ ‘no expert’, fully automated colour system. Xeikon now has the first digital dry toner, web press solution which embraces self-fixing colour control, quality control and ICC profiling plus Pantone/brand colour generation to meet all industry standards. Xeikon has built its new colour management system’s architecture to enable it to remotely analyse, target and fix any colour problem in minutes. Xeikon’s cloud based analytical tools can diagnose any colour issue and the issue is sorted with no delays which adds to significant time savings in production.”

Xeikon wants to instil a lean approach to colour management and make it practical for all their customers and users, which offers a lot of advantages:

• The quality control tools can be set to industry standards – either theoretical, ‘process corrected’ or ‘house’ standards and results are measured and traced using the new analytics in Xeikon’s cloud-based system.

• It is also possible for the operator to fix and re-verify the colour quality of the print on the fly.

• Xeikon’s dry toner engines are all fitted with inline spectrophotometers to automatically make this possible during production saving on waste and rejected jobs.

• For packaging and label printers, accurate brand colours are vitally important.

• Xeikon’s new suite of colour management software contains tools that can copy and paste from a pre-printed sample to optimise the brand colour for the selected substrate.

• Xeikon uses .CxF (colour exchange format) in order to communicate with tools found in the analogue world such as Flint Group’s VIVO or Pantone LIVE as well as proofing systems.??

Xeikon’s XCS Pro 2.0 offers the printer the predictability and confidence to be able to match digital brand colours alongside the results from other processes. Printers can match spot and brand colours where Xeikon’s new colour tools remove all guess work and avoid down time by trial and error. Customer loyalty is crucial to any business, so repeatability and consistent quality is another important advantage. This was an early design specification of Xeikon’s Color Control toolbox to allow for reproduction of any job at any time with the exact same quality. Using the Inline Spectro-photometer supplied with all Xeikon dry toner engines, colour management becomes touchless and automatic. Last minute tweaks can be made “on the fly” and profiles, colour tables and quality control are all controlled by AI during production ensuring the highest quality print is maintained. For advice please go to our online service (https://transform.xeikon.com/) and for more information on Xeikon’s XCS Pro 2.0 or to book a demonstration please contact info@xeikon.com. For other products and solutions from Xeikon, visit www.xeikon.com.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

USColorworks expands digital platform with Kornit Atlas MATRIX and Atlas MAX PLUS solutions

Kornit Digital Ltd. (NASDAQ: KRNT), a global pioneer in sustainable, on-demand digital fashion and textile production, today announced that USColorworks, a North Carolina-based apparel decoration and fulfillment company specializing in custom and on-demand printing for retail and promotional markets, has expanded its Kornit digital production platform with the addition of Atlas MATRIX and Atlas MAX PLUS systems to deliver high-quality, on-demand apparel across cotton, blended fabrics and polyester.

DTF vs DTG Printing - The technologies shaping today’s custom merchandise market

From sportswear to branded tote bags, custom merchandise continues to grow in popularity across sectors, driving print shops to cater to short runs, personalisation, and rapid turnaround. As print providers look to this market, two printing technologies often stand out: Direct‑to‑Film (DTF) and Direct‑to‑Garment (DTG). Each offers its own benefits, and understanding these differences helps determine the most suitable production method for print service providers.

Mimaki celebrates Triple EDP Award win at FESPA 2026

Mimaki Europe, a leading manufacturer of industrial inkjet printers and cutting plotters, was presented with 3 EDP Awards at the association’s 2026 ceremony, held at FESPA Global Print Expo. These highly acclaimed awards celebrate best-in-class innovation across the print industry, and Mimaki was honoured in three different categories.

EFI brings high-performance display graphics, packaging, and textile printing innovations to FESPA 2026

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (EFI™) is bringing a broad range of new hybrid, roll-to-roll, and textile inkjet innovations to FESPA Global Print Expo 2026, taking place 19-22 May at Fira Barcelona Gran Via. Visitors to the EFI stand (Hall 3, #C85) will see the new EFI VUTEk M3h X hybrid LED printer, new EFI VUTEk® FabriVU® 340 i8 eight-colour dye sublimation printer, the EFI VUTEk X5r roll-to-roll LED printer, and the EFI VUTEk Q3h XP seven-colour hybrid printer in action, each designed to help sign and display producers scale output, diversify applications, and drive more profitable growth.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.