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Print Technology News

Published news and source-linked reporting for printing, signs and graphics professionals.

  • Kornit Digital Acquires PrintFactory to Unify Workflow and Color Management

    Kornit Digital (NASDAQ: KRNT) announced on April 12, 2026 the acquisition of PrintFactory, a Netherlands-based cloud-native RIP, workflow, and color management software company. PrintFactory is deployed across thousands of production sites globally, supports over 3,500 different models of printing and cutting devices, and has more than 10,000 active users. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal closed in Q2 2026. PrintFactory will continue to operate from the Netherlands as a technology-agnostic platform serving all markets.

  • Epson Takes a $170M Write-Down on Fiery -- And There's More to the Story

    Epson paid approximately $570M for Fiery less than 18 months ago. On May 1, 2026, Seiko Epson Corporation disclosed a 25.9 billion yen ($170M) impairment loss on Fiery goodwill, citing deteriorating market conditions in commercial and industrial printing and constrained customer capital expenditure driven by US tariff policies. The write-down cut Epson's full-year profit by 55.6% versus forecast. Epson maintains Fiery's core business remains intact and positions the acquisition as a medium-term growth contributor.

  • Wasatch SoftRIP Version 8.4 Marks Three Decades of Innovation with Core Rebuild

    The latest release of Wasatch SoftRIP represents a ground-up rebuild of its core engine, delivering improved color accuracy and expanded device support across wide-format platforms.

  • Are OEMs Cornering the RIP Market? The Top Ten Independent Providers

    With Kornit's acquisition of PrintFactory and Epson's Fiery write-down, the independent RIP market is contracting. Here is who the remaining players are and what it means for buyers.

  • Caldera Releases PrimeCenter 5.0 with Enhanced Automation and Nesting

    Caldera's PrimeCenter 5.0 introduces advanced nesting algorithms and expanded automation features, targeting wide-format production environments running multiple printer types.

  • AI Workflow Automation Emerges as Major Production Trend

    From automated nesting to AI-driven color correction, workflow automation is reshaping how wide-format shops approach production planning and job scheduling.

  • ONYX Thrive Adds Advanced Color Management for Specialty Substrates

    ONYX Graphics' Thrive platform update expands color management capabilities for specialty substrates including textiles, ceramics, and architectural films.

  • CoreFlow RIP Integrates with Hanrun Transfer Paper for Streamlined DTF Color

    CoreFlow RIP's deep integration with Hanrun Paper's i3200 platform delivers precision color management and continuous feed automation for high-volume DTF transfer production.

  • Why Parametric Design Is the Next Productivity Unlock for Print Shops

    Most print shops still redraw packaging structures from scratch every time a customer changes a dimension. EngView's parametric approach lets structural designers build once and resize infinitely -- folding cartons, corrugated displays, and POP fixtures all update automatically when a single parameter changes. For shops doing any volume of structural packaging work, the time savings compound fast.

  • Structural Packaging Inside Adobe Illustrator: EngView's Approach to Unified Design

    Graphic designers live in Adobe Illustrator. Structural designers live in CAD. EngView bridges both worlds by embedding its Package Designer directly inside Illustrator -- letting creatives apply artwork over a structural dieline and verify the result in 3D without leaving their native environment. For sign shops and display producers, this eliminates the back-and-forth between two separate teams and two separate files.

  • POP and POS Display Design: How EngView's Software Handles the Hard Structures

    Retail displays are among the most complex structures a print shop can produce -- multipart corrugated assemblies with interlocking tabs, variable heights, and brand-specific graphics on every panel. EngView's Display Nesting and Master Canvas modules are built specifically for this work, automatically arranging multipart display components on a sheet and ranking layouts by least-waste criteria. The result is fewer material errors and faster production turnaround.

  • 2,500 Packaging Standards Ready to Resize: Inside EngView's ECMA and FEFCO Library

    The ECMA and FEFCO international packaging codes cover the vast majority of folding carton and corrugated structures used in commercial production. EngView's parametric library includes all of them -- fully resizable, with every dimension linked so changing one measurement updates the entire structure. For print shops quoting or producing structural packaging, starting from a verified standard rather than a blank canvas eliminates a significant source of error and rework.

  • 3D Packaging Visualization Is Changing How Print Shops Win Customer Approvals

    Sending a flat dieline PDF to a customer and asking them to visualize the finished box is a friction point that slows down every packaging project. EngView's 3D Presenter generates a photorealistic virtual prototype -- with the product inside the box -- that can be shared as a 3D PDF, a web link, or an MP4 video. Customers approve faster, revision cycles shrink, and the shop looks more professional. The 10-day free trial is a low-risk way to see how it fits your workflow.

  • From Dieline to Cut File in One Step: EngView's CAM Module for Die-Makers

    Die-making is precision work where a single miscalculation multiplies across thousands of cuts. EngView's Diemaker bundle includes a CAM module that generates optimized tool paths for cutting plotters, lasers, and waterjets directly from the dieboard design -- no manual translation between design and machine. The Dieboard Design, Counterplate Design, and Stripping Dies modules cover the full die-making workflow from layout to production file. North American contact: Kris Hanchette at ContactUs@engviewusa.com or (469) 902-9754.

  • DTF vs. DTG in 2026: Why USColorworks Just Made a $1M Decision That Tells the Whole Story

    USColorworks is replacing DTF production with Kornit's Atlas MATRIX DTG system to handle polyester on-demand orders, projecting 30% production growth. The decision reflects a broader shift: DTF dominates custom transfers and low-volume decoration, while the new generation of DTG is reclaiming on-demand, polyester, and high-volume production.

  • AI in Print Shops: What the Industry Is Actually Doing vs. What the Vendors Are Selling

    WhatTheyThink's analysis of AI in production printing cuts through the hype: AI is facilitating incremental improvements, not replacing production processes. Color management, job routing, predictive maintenance, and waste reduction are the real use cases. Ninja Transfers' Shinobi chatbot is the most instructive real-world example -- not glamorous, but it solves a real problem.

  • The Digital Signage and Print Convergence: OOH, QR Codes, and the 90-Foot Display That Changes the Question

    Three stories from the Canadian sign market crystallize the tension between digital and print signage: a 90-foot digital display installation, a pointed analysis of QR code conversion rates on static signage (typically under 2%), and Daktronics' LiveWrx platform for high school sports. The lesson is not that one medium replaces the other -- it is that each serves different functions in the same environment, and the shops that can spec both will win.