Esko unveils “Spec to Pack” packaging workflow tools, AI-enabled cloud platform

GLOBAL – Esko has introduced “Spec to Pack,” linking packaging specifications, assets, workflows, and production data across the packaging life cycle in a single digital system, alongside the Packaging Hub platform and XPS Spark 4835 LED plate exposure system.

The updates include SmartSelect in ArtPro+ for interactive editing; ReArt for prepress work such as object replacement, trapping, and marks creation; and Comply for AI-assisted artwork checks inside WebCenter covering copy, formatting, barcode data, and required symbols. 

Packaging Hub, built on the S2 platform, helps teams track packaging links, handle changes, and reuse components through a connected record for packaging data, with AI-driven discovery for reuse and optimisation.

The Problem with Disconnected Workflows

Packaging development involves multiple stakeholders: brand owners, designers, prepress technicians, structural engineers, quality assurance, and production managers. 

Each uses different software, stores files in different locations, and communicates changes via email. 

Disconnects lead to version errors, redundant work, and compliance failures. Esko’s “Spec to Pack” creates a single digital record that tracks every change, making the current version visible to all stakeholders. 

Srinivas Kuppa, Esko chief product officer, stated that packaging today is no longer a collection of disconnected workflows, and that with the Esko AI-enabled packaging cloud, the company is creating a connected digital foundation where intelligence permeates every capability layer.

AI-Assisted Compliance

Comply uses artificial intelligence to check artwork against regulatory requirements, nutrition facts panels, ingredient lists, barcode formats, warning statements, and mandatory symbols. 

For a brand launching a product in multiple countries, artwork must meet different regulatory standards. 

Comply checks the same artwork file against each country’s requirements, flagging inconsistencies before the file goes to prepress. The system reduces the risk of a recall due to a missing “Recycle” symbol or an incorrect allergen statement.

LED Platemaking

The XPS Spark 4835 replaces UV tube bank exposure systems with LED exposure technology for flexographic plates. 

LED lamps consume less energy, last longer, and emit no ozone. The system delivers consistent exposure across the entire plate, reducing dot gain variation that affects print quality. 

For label converters running multiple presses, plate consistency means that a job printed on Press A matches the same job printed on Press B. 

The XPS Spark 4835 is on display during Esko World 2026 and is now available to order globally.

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