Xitron’s K2 Offset Workflow Makes US Debut at Printing United

Ann Arbor, MI, August 28, 2024 — Xitron, a subsidiary of Hybrid Software Group and the developer of Harlequin-based Navigator RIP and workflow products for commercial, flexo, screen, digital, and high-speed inkjet printing, announces the North American launch of their new K2 offset workflow at PRINTING United Expo. Originally introduced to dealers and end-users at Drupa in May 2024, Xitron will be demonstrating K2 in booth C3315 at the Las Vegas Convention Center from September 10-12.

“The overwhelming response that K2 received at Drupa reinforced what our development team already understood,” said Karen Crews, President of Xitron. “The offset market is eager for a new, full-featured offset workflow that is affordable – and not restricted to subscription licensing. We can’t wait to introduce it to printers here in North America at PRINTING United.”

Based on the speedy Harlequin v14 core, K2 boasts a feature list that reads like a “Who’s Who” of leading-edge prepress technology. According to Crews, the code base is strictly Xitron, but incorporates knowledge from sister Hybrid companies ColorLogic, Global Graphics, and Hybrid Software for preflighting, PDF-based interactive trapping, ink remapping, and color management. K2 also integrates Ultimate Tech’s Impostrip Offset Pro for dynamic and intuitive imposition.

“To be clear, this is not a ‘bolt-together’ pseudo workflow,” says Crews. “We leveraged the APIs provided by our partners to perform a seamless integration of their best technologies, which complements our workflow framework. When combined with our browser-based job submission module – built on a SQL Server database – the power, speed, and usability become hard to match. K2 is designed from the ground up to take the place of aging, under-developed, and end-of-life offset workflows. It can drive virtually any existing platesetter on the market.”

According to Paul Napolitano, Xitron’s Product Manager, K2 symbolizes a quantum advancement in offset workflow. “If you look at the prepress workflow landscape, you can see several players who have done a decent job of development over the last 20 years. However, you typically find that, while one is strong in trapping, it might be weak in imposition. Another might be strong in color management but weaker in preflight. By leveraging the best technologies available today, and constructing a strong UI to harness them, K2 quickly climbs to the top of the mountain while balancing productivity, ease of use, and affordability.”

Xitron develops advanced workflow systems and interfaces to drive the prepress industry’s most popular new, and legacy output devices, prolonging our customers’ investments. In addition, Xitron’s Navigator Digital Front End is recognized as best in class by several digital press manufacturers around the world. Xitron’s Navigator RIP, Raster Blaster TIFF Catcher, and Sierra Workflow solutions are recognized as prepress standards. Built around the Harlequin RIP core technology from Global Graphics, Xitron engineers continue to develop solutions for the graphic arts market, driving hundreds of different models of imagesetters, proofers, platesetters, inkjet printers, and digital presses. With shipments of more than 45,000 RIPs, Xitron is the largest independent Harlequin RIP developer in the market and is a subsidiary of Hybrid Software Group.