Global Graphics Software achieves King’s Award for Enterprise

Print Software Software Solutions

Cambridge based Global Graphics Software has been awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise. The company has received the honour for its excellence in innovation for SmartDFE – intelligent software that drives high speed label and packaging and industrial inkjet presses. Global Graphics Software is one of 197 organisations nationally to be recognised.

The company developed SmartDFE in response to growing demands of their customers, who increasingly needed to build inkjet presses that could handle extremely large files while printing at high speed. Global Graphics leveraged artificial intelligence to develop software that analyses the files and then optimises the system configuration to process them in real time as the press operates, enabling faster, more flexible production, reducing delays and enabling immediate adjustments. It ensures that press operators can confidently submit a job to the printer and maintain continuous, efficient production and minimise waste. Much of the drive for innovation has also been fuelled by a global shortage of skilled operators in the markets served by digital inkjet printer manufacturers. As a result, the ‘Smarts’ – the print domain expertise once held by operators – needed to be embedded directly into SmartDFE.

Justin Bailey, managing director, explained: ‘We are immensely proud to be honoured with this most prestigious award from His Majesty The King. Developing SmartDFE has been a journey that has seen our company transition from supplying software development kits to a complete platform that our customers can develop into their own customised software to be sold with their digital inkjet printers. Developing SmartDFE has brought a fresh and innovative culture to what was a mature business. It has helped us attract new talent and enabled us to create new patented technology. We are very grateful to our customers and partners who drove our innovation for their trust and support.’

SmartDFE has the potential to transform digital printing: it enables traditional printer manufacturers to more easily diversify into the digital press market by offering their own fully integrated products built on the SmartDFE platform. With its built-in intelligence, SmartDFE empowers press manufacturers to consistently deliver first class products without the need for specialised knowledge, and to do so quickly in a constantly evolving market.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, was renamed in 2023 to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II by recognising outstanding UK businesses.

This is the second time Global Graphics Software has been honoured with this award, having received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation in 2020 for its ScreenPro screening software.

The company will attend a royal reception for King’s Award winners at Windsor Castle and will celebrate with all employees at its head office.

From the left: Eric Worrall, vice president of products and services, Peter Goodwin, group finance director, Justin Bailey, managing director, and Ben Gilbert, engineering manager.