EFI Fiery acquires CADlink Technology

Production and design workflow software to accelerate high value digital imaging

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EFI acquires CADLink |EFI Fiery
Image CADLink

On 5 July 2022, EFI Fiery the digital front end (DFE) and workflow business of California based Electronics For Imaging, announced that it has acquired CADlink Technology, an industry-leading software company in Canada that delivers solutions for the high growth areas of digital direct-to-garment (DTG) and direct-to-film (DTF) printing; digital cutting and engraving; digital wide-format print; and vehicle wraps. CADlink’s products address increasingly important customer needs for customization and personalization, and for reducing the time spent moving work from design to production.

Based in Ottawa, Canada, CADlink is a global software company that serves markets that require unique workflows involving different types of production devices. The EFI press release says that CADlink’s products are recognized leaders in design, RIP and workflow technology, and are sold globally to customers through OEM partners and an extensive network of resellers. CADlink’s products, partners and channels are a natural complement to what the Fiery business delivers for its global commercial, display graphics and industrial printing customer base.

CADlink and EFI Fiery each have long histories of investment and leadership in color management, RIP and workflow solutions, as well as in helping customers get the most productivity out of their digital print and imaging systems. “The synergies between our two companies are tremendous and we look forward to providing customers with more world-class software and support to accelerate their adoption of digital print and imaging,” said Toby Weiss, chief operating officer, EFI Fiery. “This acquisition will directly benefit our customers and it significantly strengthens and expands our presence in growing markets.”

The CADlink software portfolio includes solutions that support the development and growth of eCommerce for custom-manufactured products. “The technology to produce customized and personalized garments, engraved products, vehicle wraps, and other merchandise has transformed the printing industry and requires capable software to create and layout those designs,” according to industry observer Greg Cholmondeley, principal analyst of Keypoint Intelligence’s production workflow service. “CADlink and EFI are well positioned to integrate the design, layout, RIPing, and printing processes in ways that will be key to meet evolving customer demands.”

“Becoming part of the EFI Fiery business will extend the geographic reach for our products and enhance our ability to support and drive greater value to customers and partners worldwide,” said CADlink co-founder and CEO Gordon Reynen. “Our team is excited to join the industry leader in DFE, color management and imaging technologies and combine forces to bring more innovation to market for our customers.”

The CADlink team will be joining EFI Fiery and will continue to work from their current offices. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India

Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.

The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry. While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.

The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.

Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.

Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.

Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.

– Naresh Khanna

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