Esko vs Hybrid Workflow

[Ping]

Hi All,

Our company has plan to implement the Workflow on the Pre-Press. What we are using now is Adobe. We focus on Folding Carton and most of the time, customers supply us with the file we need including the structure. We want a major upgrade on our Pre-Press department so I want to know a real use case on Esko Solution (Artios, Artpro+, Automation Engine) and Hybrid Solution ([no CAD so might need to use Impact], Packz, Cloudflow). I research a lot on both Solutions but still cannot decide. There are many people moving from Esko to Hybrid and also many that said Hybrid is more limitation than Esko. So if any of you have experience on either solution, can you share your thought? What are pros and cons? What you like or dislike? Thanks a lot.

 

[Stanislav Rakov]

Hi All,

Our company has plan to implement the Workflow on the Pre-Press. What we are using now is Adobe. We focus on Folding Carton and most of the time, customers supply us with the file we need including the structure. We want a major upgrade on our Pre-Press department so I want to know a real use case on Esko Solution (Artios, Artpro+, Automation Engine) and Hybrid Solution ([no CAD so might need to use Impact], Packz, Cloudflow). I research a lot on both Solutions but still cannot decide. There are many people moving from Esko to Hybrid and also many that said Hybrid is more limitation than Esko. So if any of you have experience on either solution, can you share your thought? What are pros and cons? What you like or dislike? Thanks a lot.

Esko AE is more common, easier to find specialists has more tools to work with. In general, it is already a ready-made environment with all necessary applications.

SloudFlow hybrid will work better under heavy loads, but it will be extremely difficult to find specialists.
Difficult to learn, just very difficult.

 

[Ping]

Esko AE is more common, easier to find specialists has more tools to work with. In general, it is already a ready-made environment with all necessary applications.

SloudFlow hybrid will work better under heavy loads, but it will be extremely difficult to find specialists.
Difficult to learn, just very difficult.

Thank you.

 

[MacTwidget]

Esko AE is more common, easier to find specialists has more tools to work with. In general, it is already a ready-made environment with all necessary applications.

SloudFlow hybrid will work better under heavy loads, but it will be extremely difficult to find specialists.
Difficult to learn, just very difficult.

I found Packz Hybrid not too difficult to learn. The main difference being that Esko's products tend to be Illustrator add-ons where Packz products are standalone. The both have their assets and deficits.
MANY of the engineers at Packz jumped over from Esko so the knowledge is there.
I found the tech support at Packz to be second to none. Often times I would have them wanting to do a screen conference less than a half an hour after I sent my email.

 

[Stanislav Rakov]

It's more about full automation on Automation Engine ot CloudFlow, rather than a Pdf editor.
Yes, Esko moved support to India, laying off good specialists. I can't say how the quality of support is, I don't get it anymore, I know it all myself

Hybrid left European support, which is important.

 

[Ping]

I found Packz Hybrid not too difficult to learn. The main difference being that Esko's products tend to be Illustrator add-ons where Packz products are standalone. The both have their assets and deficits.
MANY of the engineers at Packz jumped over from Esko so the knowledge is there.
I found the tech support at Packz to be second to none. Often times I would have them wanting to do a screen conference less than a half an hour after I sent my email.

Thank you MacTwidget

 

[Ping]

You

It's more about full automation on Automation Engine ot CloudFlow, rather than a Pdf editor.
Yes, Esko moved support to India, laying off good specialists. I can't say how the quality of support is, I don't get it anymore, I know it all myself

Hybrid left European support, which is important.

You mean Hybrid has no support in Europe?

 

[Stanislav Rakov]

You

You mean Hybrid has no support in Europe?

What I meant was different, the hybrid has support in the form of staff from Europe and generally around the world, as I understand 24 hours a day.
Esko moved all support to India.

 

[Ping]

What I meant was different, the hybrid has support in the form of staff from Europe and generally around the world, as I understand 24 hours a day.
Esko moved all support to India.

Thank you so much for your comments.

 

[Soft_Sam]

Hi All,

Our company has plan to implement the Workflow on the Pre-Press. What we are using now is Adobe. We focus on Folding Carton and most of the time, customers supply us with the file we need including the structure. We want a major upgrade on our Pre-Press department so I want to know a real use case on Esko Solution (Artios, Artpro+, Automation Engine) and Hybrid Solution ([no CAD so might need to use Impact], Packz, Cloudflow). I research a lot on both Solutions but still cannot decide. There are many people moving from Esko to Hybrid and also many that said Hybrid is more limitation than Esko. So if any of you have experience on either solution, can you share your thought? What are pros and cons? What you like or dislike? Thanks a lot.

Do have a look at Layout Planning software by Imposition and Ganging Large Format Diecut Print Estimation This Nesting and Ganging software integrates with all workflows.

 

[Stanislav Rakov]

Do have a look at Layout Planning software by Imposition and Ganging Large Format Diecut Print Estimation This Nesting and Ganging software integrates with all workflows.

Esko Phoenix more intuitive to use, also integrates with anything. Plus Esko has built-in GangRun

 

[ravi.thinkingant]

Hi Ping, As you mentioned that most of your input files have the carton CAD structure included in them, you might consider using a solution which focuses more on optimizing your material and production time. Imp from InSoft is ideally suited for automatically calculating efficient layouts considering:

- Automatic search and reuse of existing die-tools
- Material optimization
- Printing costs
- Adaptive interlocking
- Die-making/cutting costs

Further, nesting for single-knife edges and bleed resolution, is completely hands-free.

It might be worthwhile exploring it - Packaging Software for Cups Lids Cartons Rigid Box Labels Layout

 

[sealleung]

I suggest Hybrid Software, many yeas ago we abonded Esko, it is too expense. Hybrid can integrate with GMG, Arden ,which mean the pdf ,color and structure can join together.

 

[2ndShiftProblemSolver]

Here's another vote for Hybrid!

Esko as a company is too difficult to deal with and their top-of-the-line products are not keeping up. The upper management has destroyed the once great company and now they can't properly support the stuff they do sell.

 

[Sidnei Baptista Jr]

We use Prinect Workflow from Heidelberg, it's complete, has everything we need, color management, impositioning, TVI control, Gracol, all standards incorporated, Pantone library, package designer, workflow, connection with the presses, it's really powerful and reliable.