Esko gives major gift to Ryerson's School of Graphic Communications Management
By Canadian Packaging Staff
General Esko gifts Ryerson University Ryerson's School of Graphic Communications ManagementSchool receives packaging workflow software tools and CDI flexo plate imaging system assist course, extracurricular, and research activities.
TORONTO—Bravo to Esko!
Toronto’s Ryerson University‘s School of Graphic Communications Management (GCM) announced on November 9, 2012, that Esko—a global supplier of integrated solutions for packaging, sign and display finishing, commercial printing and professional publishing—has donated a significant amount of software and hardware to the school.
At a special ribbon-cutting ceremony overseen by Ryerson University president and vice-chancellor Sheldon Levy, the donation will facilitate the school’s work to prepare students for careers as managers in the growing and dynamic printing and packaging industry.
“Esko is very active in the Toronto packaging market and it’s seldom that we have a customer or client who isn’t connected to Ryerson University in some way,” says Larry Moore, Esko’s director of software services in North America. “Considering this, and the fact that Ryerson’s School of Graphic Communications Management is a leader in educating those in the packaging industry, donating this gift to Ryerson was a natural choice for us.”
The products donated to the school will give students access to cutting-edge applications for the design, visualization, proofing and production of packaging, allowing faculty and students to take on new curricular initiatives in printing and packaging. The powerful, customizable workflow software and imaging systems are used by the majority of companies in the packaging industry, giving Ryerson students direct exposure to the latest industry-specific applications. The donation will also allow faculty to expand their professional expertise, and engage in new research activities.
As Canada’s only degree-granting program for future managers in the printing industries, the School of Graphic Communications Management at Ryerson recognizes the dynamic nature of technology and its relationship to the graphic communications industry, including valued partners such as Esko.
“Students in the School of Graphic Communications Management will benefit tremendously from this strengthening of our partnership with Esko,” remarks Ian Baitz, chair of the School of Graphic Communications Management.
Baitz says the donation will allow its 500 GCM students to learn Esko’s industry-leading packaging design and prepress system using such Esko job management and automation modules, including tools such as: DeskPack and ArtiosCAD citing the school’s new Esko CDI Spark imagesetter as an important piece of equipment in the school’s new prepress flexography workflow.
While Ryerson has received a number of seats of some portions of packaging workflow software in the past, the new, more significant gift includes the full workflow system, and enough seats for all of its lab and faculty computers. As well, the current gift is consists of fully up-to-date versions of software. Students will use the workflow for first and third year premedia courses that focus on packaging and layout.
Esko software demo with Hannah Plavnick, 4th-year GCM student.
A portion of the donation was new equipment for the GCM premedia platemaking lab for flexographic platemaking. The Esko CDI Spark flexo has been installed to make plates for flexography, which will help students to learn and practice platemaking processes using the Esko workflow system. Flexography is widely used in the packaging industry and is currently experiencing market growth and quality improvements.
All third year students will produce flexo plates on the new CDI. Files will undergo the workflow and quality management process, and then be individually imaged as flexo plates.
For more information about Ryerson University, visit www.ryerson.ca.
For more information about Esko, visit www.esko.com.
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