Global Graphics
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 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Euronext: GLOG | |
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | Nancy (1996) |
| Headquarters | Cambourne, Cambridgeshire , UK |
| Website | Global Graphics |
Global Graphics SE is known for its digital printing and document technology including the Harlequin and Jaws RIPs and the gDoc digital document software The Company supplies its software under licence to Original Equipment Manufacturers and software vendors who build products around it. Today it is primarily used in the Digital Front Ends that power new generation digital and inkjet production presses and in desktop and mobile productivity software products. The Company has a large share of the photobook and newspaper markets. It is listed on the Euronext stock exchange in Brussels under the symbol GLOG.
History
- Global Graphics was incorporated in 1996 in Nancy, France in connection with the acquisition of the Photomeca group of companies and at the time was primarily a pre-press hardware business. However, in 1999 Global Graphics expanded into the printing software market with the acquisition of the Harlequin Group and in 2000 of 5D Solutions through which it acquired the Jaws RIP and Jaws PDF® range of technologies. In 2002 it divested itself of its hardware businesses altogether, emerging as a software only company.
As a result of the Company’s expertise in Page Description Languages such as PostScript® and PDF, in 2003 Global Graphics was chosen by Microsoft to provide consultancy and proof of concept development services on XPS, Microsoft’s new print and document format, and worked with the Windows development teams on the specification for the new format. XPS remains the format for Windows operating systems going forward.
In 2009, Global Graphics introduced the gDoc brand as the successor to the Jaws PDF range, initially as stand-alone productivity applications, such as gDoc Fusion and gDoc Creator. In 2015 these were spun off onto a separate web site, gDoc Inspired, to showcase examples of software applications that can be built on the gDoc Application Platform and the gDoc Printer Platform.
In 2015 Global Graphics purchased its long-standing customer RTI, located in Sarasota, Florida, USA. RTI provides and supports custom-branded versions of the Harlequin RIP direct to print service providers and printing equipment manufacturers, mostly in the North American market. Quick to take advantage of the internet selling RTI has grown a successful on-line sales operation over the past 20 years. In September 2015 Global Graphics acquired font manufacturer URW++ Design & Development GmbH located in Hamburg, Germany. The company invented digital outline font technology and tools 35 years ago and is one of the few remaining font foundries that date from the pre-PostScript® era. In addition to licensing their extensive type libraries to the graphic design market they develop exclusive corporate typefaces, counting brands such as General Motors, Mercedes Benz and Siemens among their customer base
gDoc Application Platform
The gDoc Application Platform enables software vendors and enterprises to create solutions that give users a paper-like experience on their PCs and mobile devices including iOS, Android and Windows.
gDoc Printer Platform
The gDoc Printer Platform enables software vendors or system integrators to add PDF creation to their solutions that they can customise and brand to suit their own requirements
The Harlequin RIP
When Global Graphics bought Harlequin in 1999, the press release included the following information about the Harlequin product line of the time:
"The Harlequin flagship RIP management product (ScriptWorks) is widely regarded as the benchmark high-resolution, high-speed, full feature RIP for the DP&P sector." and "The Harlequin name is an industry icon. Its technology has been largely recognized through the whole industry."
Since the acquisition Global Graphics has diversified the application of Harlequin RIP technology and by 2007 had introduced an embedded Harlequin RIP core – the Harlequin Embedded SDK for use in office printers and copiers, moving on to establish relationships with the leading SOC ( system on a chip) manufacturers, as well as a digital RIP – the Harlequin Host Renderer for use in RIP farms and the digital front ends that power high-speed digital production presses. This version of the Harlequin RIP is widely credited with being the fastest on the market following independent testing by the Rochester Institute of Technology and InfoTrends, published in a White Paper in 2012 entitled " Global Graphics Demonstrates Power with the Latest Harlequin RIP".
Global Graphics has main offices in Cambourne, UK; Acton MA, USA; and Tokyo, Japan.