ColorLogic History

November 2021

PRINTING United Alliance awarded the 2021 recipients of the Joe Clarke Innovation Awards. Thorsten Braun won the “Business Innovation and Software Technology” category.

October 2021

Hybrid Software Group PLC (Euronext: HYSG) (the “Company”) announced that on 27 October 2021 it acquired the entire issued share capital of ColorLogic GmbH (“ColorLogic”), a company with its registered office in Rheine, Germany.

October 2021

PRINTING United Alliance has selected 27 recipients to receive the 2021 Pinnacle Product Award. This award honors 58 exemplary technologies and products from leading companies across the printing industry. ColorLogic is proud to announce ZePrA 9 Smart Color Server has won in the Software – Color Management and Quality Control category.

April 2021

April 2021

PRINTING United Alliance today announced ColorLogic GmbH as a recipient of the 2021 Sustainable Business Recognition Award. This award honors business operations that focus primarily on daily decisions that reduce a company’s environmental footprint, improve employee safety and well-being, all the while optimizing the bottom line.

December 2020

ColorLogic is proud to announce the release of ColorAnt 7. This version brings overall new capabilities and enhancements. This update brings more powerful tools to the end user for day-to-day color management challenges.

September 2020

ColorLogic GmbH has released its latest profiling solution CoPrA 7, the control center for ICC color profiling tasks.

April 2020

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, ColorLogic pursued its goals and released ZePrA 8, the latest version of its advanced smart color server that optimizes and automates printing data – now with Proofing. The outputs from the DeviceLink and Multicolor profiles combined with the sophisticated spot color rendering can now be used for color proofs. This is especially useful as many RIPs do not entirely support CxF/X-4 or SCTV calibration, nor do they have a spectral color prediction model for spot color rendering. The proofing module’s outstanding results were confirmed with a 7 color proof at the recent FOGRA Multicolor Forum 2019.

January 2020

ColorLogic is proud to announce the release of ColorAnt 6. The latest version of the color correction and optimization tool includes new features and updates to existing functionalities. This update brings more powerful tools to the end user for day to day color management challenges.

December 2019

In December 2019 ColorLogic moved into its new and larger office in Rheine.

September 2019

ColorLogic GmbH has released its latest profiling solution CoPrA 6, the control center for ICC color profiling tasks.

February 2019

ColorLogic is proud to announce the release of ZePrA 7. The latest version of the smart color server has a host of new features, and includes features that are important specifically to the packaging sector.

January 2019

During the #Color2019 in San Diego, the presentation by ColorLogics CTO Thorsten Braun with the title “Nailing Spot Color Reproduction” was a complete success, there was only standing room left.

November 2018

Many thanks to everyone who took part in the ColorLogic Day 2018 at FOGRA in Munich with Impressed! There were many interesting discussions among the three color experts and the participants.

August 2018

ColorLogic is proud to announce the release of ColorAnt 5. The latest version of the color correction and optimization tool includes new features and updates to existing functionalities. This update brings more powerful tools to the end user for day to day color management challenges.

April 2018

ColorLogic is proud to announce the release of CoPrA 5! The latest version of the profiling solution includes new features and updates to existing functionalities. The application is now even faster and more interactive than ever before.

March 2018

Thorsten Braun, CTO of ColorLogic, discusses the creation, analysis and optimization of measurement data for ICC profiles at the TAGA Annual Technical Conference in Baltimore, MD.

February 2018

ColorLogic’ss Product Manager, Dietmar Fuchs, explains the implementation of special colors in printing to more than 230 participants at the FOGRA Symposium.

January 2018

ColorLogic’s participation at # Color2018 in San Diego was a great success. In addition to numerous interesting discussions and product demonstrations in the exhibitor area of the conference, ColorLogic’s CTO, Thorsten Braun, showed how the implementation of special colors can be made predictable, efficient and reliable with the help of the ZePrA color server.

October 2017

At the fully booked event, users, consultants and color management experts listened to the presentations by the experts from ColorLogic and the German sales partner, Impressed. The focus was on “Multicolor”, whereby different tasks were highlighted and solutions based on ColorAnt, CoPrA and ZePrA were shown.

September 2017

ColorLogic GmbH announces the latest version of its ZePrA 6 color server, which now also enables a direct connection to PantoneLIVE ™, a cloud-based solution for the digital communication of colors within a complete packaging production. The integration of PantoneLIVE makes ZePrA even more versatile and ensures that users can access the latest color tables, regardless of where they are.

August 2017

Printing Industries of America recognized 14 technologies that received a 2017 InterTech Technology Award. This award is given annually to unique and innovative technologies that improve the performance of the graphics industry. ColorLogic is proud to announce that ColorAnt 4 has been awarded one of the coveted InterTech Technology Awards.

April 2017

This version contains the Measure Tool, which now supports the X-Rite i1iO and the Konica Minolta FD-9. Now it is also possible to change the print sequence of primary colors, to extract spot colors from PDF  files and and to export CxF/X4 files. There is a new tool for white and black point modifications and many existing functions have been extended and optimized.

March 2017

Thanks to our long-term technology and sales partners, the steadily growing number of customers and our team that has also grown in Germany and the USA, we were able to celebrate our 15th anniversary.

In the future we will continue to focus on what we can do best – developing innovative technologies and products that make everyday work easier for our customers around the world.

December 2016

The annual Color Conference, organized by the Printing Industry of America (PIA), took place in Phoenix, Arizona in 2016 and ColorLogic participated as a key sponsor for the first time, also to meet the growing demand in the USA.

June 2016

A large number of our customers, especially the numerous online print shops, process masses of data daily using ZePrA and they were pleased with the new MultiThreading feature for increased productivity. Moreover, the cloud based automatic import of color tables and configurations increases productivity and above all production reliability. The expansion of the spot color module by introducing a new report function, which allows to simulate and test spot colors before printing was a key feature to this release.

June 2016

As part of DRUPA 2016, the company organized a ColorLogic day for its partners. The aim was to present the latest innovations in the areas of “Technology and ColorLogic Products” in an undisturbed atmosphere and to intensify the network among our partners.

This was very well received and there were many discussions with and among our partners apart from the presentations. After an intensive 12-hour exchange, everyone agreed: The event was a complete success and will definitely be repeated!

April 2016

The integration of the reprofiling technology for output and DeviceLink profiles made CoPrA 4 the most comprehensive profiling solution. It was complemented by a number of improvements in the areas gamut mapping, accuracy and softness of profiles, the new rendering intent “Minimal White Compression” and additional modes and options for multicolor profiles.

March 2015

In addition to the new user interface ColorAnt 3 offered a variety of new, innovative features, above all the possibility to create custom test charts. The new tool, CIE Conversion, allows the adaptation of measurement data to various lighting conditions. The most important innovation was the introduction of the tool, Edit Primaries, which allows the user to alter primary colors and to recalculate measurement data. This was rounded off by supporting the CxF/X4 format.

August 2014

The close cooperation between the various ColorLogic products was also reflected in ZePrA 4, where the SmartLink module is supplemented by CoPrA SP (Serialized Profiles). This CoPrA version allowed creation of profiles and to define settings which could then easily be used in ZePrA.

ZePrA’s user interface was also newly designed and plainly structured, similar to that of CoPrA. The new transparency reduction allowed to properly convert even difficult PDF files containing transparencies that were previously problematic, whereby existing PDF elements remain preferably unchanged. The-easy-to use auto wizard and the available presets allow all users to create workflows quickly and reliably.

May 2014

The most obvious change in CoPrA 3 was the new design. Plainly structured with various application areas and new features, including the built-in Profile Manager, these features were the basis for this production-oriented profiling solution. This also reflected increased profile quality and the particular features for special printing methods, such as considering the first printed tone in flexo printing. It also indicated the approach to functionally combine ColorLogic products to a comprehensive solution, for example by enabling CoPrA to share DeviceLink settings with ZePrA.

April 2013

The tools in ColorAnt 2 generate, analyze and process spectral data. This version also considered the special requirements for flexographic printing including the exceptional gradation in the highlights.

July 2012

In order to build a successful and competent team in the USA, Barbara Braun-Metz and Thorsten Braun decided to guide it themselves on site. In July 2012 they launched the CrossXColor, Inc. branch office in sunny Cape Coral, Florida.

June 20212

Ten years of developing world-class color management technologies and products.

Ten years of successful and long-term partnership with our OEM partners and introduction of our ColorAnt, CoPrA and ZePrA product range.

And above all – ten years to build a great team that not only works great together, but is also friendly and has made all of these successes possible for us. That had to be celebrated!

May 2012

Together with our sales partner IMPRESSED, we presented our products at DRUPA 2012. The request for product demonstrations and specialist advice was so great that we asked for additional staff from the ColorLogic “Two and a half Men” team over the weekend. In this way, even the most complex questions about color management could be competently answered on site.

May 2012

This version is characterized by the extended SmartLink module, the new DLS Manager, a new function for influencing the image quality and the sharpening of pixel images or images in PDF files. In version 3.5, this was supplemented by the new module for high-quality conversion of spot colors into the target color space.

January 2012

In order to be able to competently and effectively serve the increasing inquiries for ColorLogic products in the USA, Canada and South America, a strategic decision was necessary about which route would be best. Just establishing local sales partners did not seem sufficient to us to address this important market growth. That is why we decided to found an independent company in the USA that will take care of both the support of our OEM partners in the USA and the development of a sales network for North and South America.

September 2011

A large number of new functions have been integrated in CoPrA 2.0: measurement data corrections to enable the best profile quality even with non-optimal measurement data, new options for black point calculation, batch profiling for greater efficiency, creation of PDF profile reports and preview profiles that are suitable for the soft proof of multicolor profiles.

June 2011

Our experience in analyzing profiles has shown us that it is often not the creation of the profile itself, but the underlying measurement data that are the actual cause of many problems and the continually poor quality. In order to be able to analyze measurement data better and more efficiently, a large number of small and large tools were created in our development department.

The benefits of these tools were so great that it made sense to combine them in one product and make them available to everyone who has to do with measurement data. Our product idea for ColorAnt was born. In June 2012 the time had come when we were able to present ColorAnt 1.0 to the market.

December 2010

Version 2 of ZePrA was characterized above all by the new SmartLink technology, which enabled DeviceLink profiles to be calculated dynamically for the conversion. The new gradation module and the ability to integrate ZePrA into complex workflow frameworks through the command line interface made ZePrA 2 one of the most effective color servers.

September 2008

In order to do justice to the growing role of ColorLogic products, it was necessary to take someone on board to help us drive products forward, analyze customer needs and turn innovative applications into a solution. Our former colleague, Dietmar Fuchs, started with us in September 2008. His many years of experience in product management, print, prepress and his cooperation with development departments made him the perfect addition to our team of specialists.

July 2008

In summer 2008 the time had come – the first version of our ZePrA color server was ready. In the beginning a number of critical voices doubted whether there was even a market for such a product, but it soon became clear that we were spot on with our ambitious intentions to develop a color server with our own PDF technology. Even if version 1 still had its limitations, we were able to quickly recognize the potential of such a product: An ICC-based color server that can be easily integrated into different work processes.

August 2007

CoLiPri was better received by the market than we dared hope. But there were always inquiries as to whether we could offer a profiling solution outside of the Adobe Photoshop environment. The answer was a Color Profiling Application – CoPrA. By detaching from the Photoshop environment, there were also additional options that we could not implement with CoLiPri, such as switching between different color spaces. Another interesting aspect is that we always use our own SDK (Software Development Kit) as the basis for our ColorLogic products.

June 2006

What already became apparent after three years was an urgent necessity after four years – we needed larger company premises, also because we wanted to expand our team.

Since we still preferred the concept of “family and company under one roof”, the move to the new premises was due after a year of construction. With over 130 square meters of office space tailored precisely to our needs, we had created the prerequisites for the company to continue to grow in terms of personnel.

September 2005

The first ColorLogic-branded products CoLiPri and ColorLogic DLS (DeviceLink Sets) were introduced through Impressed GmbH. CoLiPri was created as an Adobe Photoshop plug-in, which enabled users to apply devicelink profiles directly in Photoshop.

August 2005

When a first prototype had emerged from the product idea, we looked for suitable sales partners. Here, too, a partnership was important to us, in which we could work together towards one goal – to position CoLiPri and our DeviceLink sets, or DLS for short, sensibly in the printing industry.

With IMPRESSED GmbH, based in Hamburg, we were lucky enough to find a sales and consulting company that “works” just as much as we do. And so, in August 2005, a long-term, trusting and friendly cooperation began, which connects us to this day and which forms the basis for the successful marketing of our products in German-speaking countries.

April 2005

This idea arose during a drive after an appointment with a partner: What would be … if we, as ColorLogic … would simply develop and offer a small product? More than a technology demo that shows which requirements can be covered with DeviceLinks. Preferably in an environment that most users are familiar with, something like Adobe Photoshop.

When we got home, we had the concept for a Photoshop plug-in that can calculate DeviceLinks and apply them directly in Photoshop. We called it: Color-Link-Print – CoLiPri was “born”.

January 2005

One of our founding ideas was to develop a color server that automatically converts color to PDF and pixel data. We now had a PDF expert on board when Dr. Björn Seegers decided to support our team with his knowledge and experience. His addition to our team made it possible for us to put our idea into practice.

August 2002

Our first OEM project was the development of a monitor profiling for the Braunschweig-based Quatographic Technology GmbH.

In the initial phase, the focus was still on CRT monitors, but already during the development of the first software version, our priorities shifted towards CRT monitors and hardware-calibratable monitors. An industry in transition – and we were able to establish ourselves as a young, flexible company in this area.

July 2002

As soon as the first projects became concrete and the development of ColorLogic technologies was due, Thorsten Braun started as the technological head at ColorLogic.

His experience, especially in the development of color technologies, enabled him to develop conceptual solutions that were designed for continuous further development and multiple use. We, our partners and our customers still benefit from this today.

March 2002

Many years of experience in the areas of software development, color management, printing and prepress paired with many ideas on how to optimize color reproduction was the ideal basis for founding ColorLogic GmbH.

Since it was important to us – and still is – to take care of the company and family at the same time, an expanded basement room in our house became the first company headquarters of ColorLogic GmbH.