Esko 26.03 What’s New

ArtiosCAD 26.03 adds new resizable design templates and new 3D handles and clips components from Allen Field to speed up packaging design and reduce manual effort from concept to production. It also improves 3D workflows (an enhanced Bend tool and updated SolidWorks 2026 import/export), strengthens production handoff with new equipment output drivers, boosts project visibility in the Enterprise Browser, and improves usability on high‑resolution/4K displays.

ArtPro+ 26.03 helps packaging teams work faster and with greater confidence by reducing manual effort in everyday tasks. Features like Object Replace, Guides, and improved Step & Repeat give operators more control and accuracy, while cleaner Compare results and smarter automation reduce errors and speed up decision-making. The result is less rework, quicker turnaround times, and more reliable production-ready files.

DeskPack 26.03 improves workflow reliability and consistency, reducing manual effort and the risk of errors. Enhancements include safer QR/GS1 QR code creation with logo support, improved barcode validation, and automatic application of S2 job settings for more predictable results. It also introduces an “Ignore” trap tag for greater control, alongside expanded Dynamic Marks and PDF+ capabilities, helping teams maintain accuracy and efficiency across production

Cape Pack Cloud 26.03 adds several productivity and analysis enhancements, including importing board definitions from ArtiosCAD, advanced search with saved filters, and side-by-side economic comparisons of solutions. It also expands capabilities with optional carbon footprint calculations, broader 3D model support, improved reporting and auto-naming, URL-based access, and more external interface workflows.

Studio 26.03 adds Studio Toolkit improvements that make it easier to create and vary 3D packaging, including editable parametric shapes, editable “Import Into,” and better preview colors; and streamlines collaboration with S2 Drive integration. It also expands 3D viewing/import capabilities with better Collada scene rendering and broader file support in Studio Viewer.

Store Visualizer 26.03 improves general usability (e.g., selecting items behind transparent doors, more accurate placement of small objects, and better translucent-material rendering) and adds VR enhancements like preventing pickups and showing metadata boards. It also handles large projects better with texture quality profiles and faster Store Generator finalization.

Automation Engine 26.03 adds more powerful and flexible PDF automation (new actions and enhanced tasks) to improve processing accuracy, performance, and reliability. It also strengthens integrations and resilience with built-in retry handling for web-service calls and new S2 integration tasks, plus workflow improvements in Flexo Front End+ for plate cutting and plate patching.

Color Pilot 26.03 improves color conversion accuracy and collaboration by strengthening how color behavior is defined and simulated. By using measured tint ramp data, Color Pilot delivers more accurate tint and overprint results, helping reduce unexpected differences between proof and press. Collaboration is improved through the ability to download referenced cloud color assets as synced, editable resources, supporting reuse and consistency across projects. An updated digital press list also simplifies press selection and helps reduce setup errors caused by outdated definitions.

Comply now streamlines packaging compliance by extracting rules directly from PDF/Excel briefs and enabling ad-hoc “Live Inspection” checks without prebuilt rulebooks. It also validates against dynamic CMP tables (e.g., Nutrition Facts) and adds multi-language spell check to catch errors earlier and reduce manual proofreading.

Flexo Front End+ adds improvements that simplify flexo platemaking production at the plate cutting stage: clearer plate-cutting job identification (including job/color info), new iMask support for liquid photopolymer corrugated plates, and UI updates that show which workflow was used per job for better QA.

Print Clone 26.03 enhances consistent color reproduction by improving how press, substrate, and ink behavior are compensated in production. Updates include better true black handling, faster processing, and improved color‑matching accuracy, reinforcing stable and repeatable results without changing the printing process itself. Setup is simplified through direct ICC/ICM profile uploads, while transaction‑based usage visibility provides clearer insight into adoption and value, making Print Clone easier to deploy and manage in day‑to‑day production workflows.

WebCenter Pack introduces a new Prepress Workspace (beta) and an Apply PDF Action List step (beta) so teams can run file-centric prepress workflows with direct S2 automation—without needing a separate Automation Engine installation. It also revamps job details and creation, adds reusable workflow templates and stronger approval/task orchestration (including unregistered approvers), and improves the Asset Library and notifications with multiple UX upgrades.

WebCenter Go now integrates with TraceGains to keep packaging artwork aligned with the latest approved product specifications while reducing manual data entry and the risk of using outdated information. It also adds better project visibility and control through file status tracking, dashboard exports, Dropbox integration, a Gantt timeline, role-based access improvements, overdue notifications, and ongoing UI/UX refinements.

WebCenter 26.03 adds admin and workflow upgrades (user-saved searches, better user management, improved approval UX, child projects from the dashboard, and higher workflow capacity) plus expands cloud quality checks so Comply content-mapping checks can run without a PCM license and can be delegated beyond admins. It also improves content-management workflows (easier Nutrition Facts editing, better content-sheet review/routing, enhanced Word-to-SCM ingestion) and refreshes the Tasks plugin UI for smoother navigation in Illustrator and InDesign.

Phoenix 26.03 adds PDF+ grid support and new step-and-repeat grouping in Imposition AI so imposed PDFs carry smarter grid/mark data that ArtPro+ and Automation Engine can interpret, improving automation and reducing manual setup. It also expands the REST API to support project-level asset management (e.g., adding stocks/devices to the active project) to strengthen automated workflows.