Xitron has a long history of great products, anchored by their Navigator RIP (built on Harlequin). They've been a leader in the entry-level to mid-range commercial printing market, providing interfaces for just about any platesetter on the floor. Proven products, excellent support, and not too expensive.

Xitron's Interesting Position

Xitron sits in a genuinely interesting spot. It's now one of the operating companies of Hybrid Software Group PLC, alongside Global Graphics Software, HYBRID Software, Meteor Inkjet, ColorLogic, and iC3D.

That family tree matters more than it might sound. It means Xitron can draw on technology from any of its sister companies — and one of those sisters, ColorLogic, is a recognized leader in extended-gamut color management. Hold that thought.

What K2 Does Today

We just visited Xitron HQ in Ann Arbor, Michigan for certification training on their new K2 workflow software. K2 provides:

• PDF compositing
• PDF preflighting — create and apply Enfocus PPPs directly in K2
• Ink remapping
• PDF-based trapping
• Dynamic imposition — seamless integration of Ultimate Impostrip
• Direct connectivity to many platesetters, or high-res TIFF output

This is version 1 of K2, and it's already very powerful, affordable, and easy to learn and use. That combination is unusual.

For the Color Geeks: Where Color Management Stands

Straight answer: right now there is no color management functionality in K2 itself.

There is color management in the underlying Navigator RIP (Harlequin), where you can add G7 and plate curves and perform ICC transforms with the ColorPro option. So the capability exists in the stack — just not in K2 yet.

Here's the part that got my attention. In version 2, Xitron plans to add a Color Conversion action in K2, integrating the color server technology from sister company ColorLogic.

That's significant, and it's not marketing fluff. ColorLogic was brought into the group specifically because Harlequin's color management had historically been built around 4-color CMYK, and the shift toward extended-gamut printing demanded more. Putting that engine inside a platesetter workflow at K2's price point is something the more expensive platesetter RIPs simply don't offer.

Why This Matters

Xitron K2 will rival platesetter workflow RIPs from mega-corporations for considerably less money. If you've got an aging product, or you're tired of spending too much, you should take a hard look at K2.

Many thanks to our friends and partners at Xitron for hosting us. We're proud that Alder Color Solutions and Great Western Ink were the first dealers in the US invited for training and certified in K2 — and we look forward to selling and implementing a whole lot of it.

Schedule a Demo

Reach out for more information or a demonstration of Xitron K2.
info@aldertech.com