Tilia Labs and Cerm Report Partnership

Published: December 13, 2017

OTTOWA, ON, CANADA | Tilia Labs, a developer of planning, imposition, and automation software solutions for the graphic arts industries, has announced a new partnership to benefit label printers. In a development with Cerm, Brugge, Belgium, an MIS provider to this sector, the two companies will combine their strengths to offer integrated prepress capabilities dedicated to maximizing efficiencies in label print production on an ongoing basis.

The initial result of the collaboration between the two companies is a new, seamless integration between Cerm MIS and tilia Phoenix, ganging capabilities to deliver a “Plug and Play” solution for optimizing sheet-fed label production workflow, from design through to distribution.

Geert Van Damme, managing director of Cerm, says an increasing demand from customers for an “intelligent ganging system” acted as the catalyst for Cerm to explore options for a dedicated imposition solution. “Cut & Stack sheet-fed label producers were asking for a sophisticated capability that would allow them to combine a variety of labels with different sizes, colors, and quantities on print sheets.”

He adds, “We tested several different offerings and options with a number of customers, and tilia Phoenix came out way ahead in every respect. Its speed was the first thing to impress everyone. It also offers an extensive set of preferences, allowing the print shop to align the system with its routine production habits. The user can make any number of changes to the chosen option and even save it as a template for the future. On top of this, the system is very intuitive—for usability it couldn’t be matched.”

Tilia Labs’ flagship imposition solution, tilia Phoenix, draws on new developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in automating planning and imposition for all types of devices and print applications. At its hub is Imposition AI, a set of tools and protocols designed to search across millions of possibilities to calculate what is said to be the most cost-effective ganging and nesting combinations for up to 1,000 orders at a time. The system factors in parameters, such as job specifications (quantity, dimensions, colors, substrates), presses/print devices, postpress requirements, and delivery considerations, to deliver optimal layout options, company says.

“In line with our strategic focus on selecting and integrating with the best technology partners, we’re thrilled to join forces with Cerm,” says Sagen de Jonge, CEO of Tilia Labs. “Tilia and Cerm customers can now tap into a wealth of combined knowhow via a single source to gain a very powerful management system. The ongoing development opportunities are also promising—Cerm is already looking at our die-cut capabilities to explore the potential of developing a joint offering. This is not simply a technical interface between the two systems, it’s about complete solutions that will evolve with new developments from both sides over time.”

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