LaserSoft Imaging

Infobox Company
name = LaserSoft Imaging AG

type = Private (Aktiengesellschaft)
foundation = 1986
founder = Karl-Heinz Zahorsky
location_city = DEU, Kiel
key_people = Management Board:
*Karl-Heinz Zahorsky
*Helga BischofChairman of the Board:
*Dr. von Hacht
industry = Software
products = SilverFast
revenue = profit € 3.5 million Euro (2006)
num_employees = 20 (2007)
homepage = [http://www.silverfast.com/ SilverFast.com]
area_served = worldwide

LaserSoft Imaging AG is a software developer designing software such as Silverfast for scanners and digital cameras. The company's's headquarters are located in Kiel, Germany, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Hamburg, and another office in Sarasota, Florida, United States.

History

1986 - 1990

LaserSoft Imaging was founded in spring 1986 by the physicist Karl-Heinz Zahorsky, the president of the company today. LaserSoft Imaging became an early adaptor of color- and image processing on the Macintosh. It was the first company to distribute video digitizers, such as Pixelogic's 'ProViz' and Truvel's 'TrueScan', the first professional color scanner for the Macintosh, which was first shown at Hannover trade fair CeBIT in 1988, to which LaserSoft Imaging was invited by Apple Computer. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_Sept_30/ai_n15654546 bnet.com] Company Profile for LaserSoft Imaging AG]

1990 - 2000

Karl-Heinz Zahorsky published many articles about image processing in several professional journals.In 1990 Hell Graphics, the world's leading drum scanner developer in Kiel, hired him as an independent consultant to keep up with the rapidly proceeding desktop technologies. In 1991 LaserSoft Imaging became a registered GmbH and moved into a large Prepress house to help in setting up color reproduction on the desktop and to link Chromacom systems to Macintosh Computers.

With RipLink LaserSoft Imaging presented a system to link major prepress systems, like Hell, Scitex and Crosfield to Macintosh. The distribution of leafscanners started the chapter of high-end scanners on the desktop. LaserSoft Imaging consulted Leaf, Canon, Sony, Seiko and others regarding desktop high end color. LaserSoft Imaging also was involved in the development of the Photone Prepress, after the product had gone through its' infant stages.In 1994 LaserSoft Imaging started the development of SilverFast, which was first presented in its' early stages at CeBIT 1995. Version 2.0 was demonstrated at CeBIT 1996, version 3.0 was released in December 1996, version 4.0 in 1998.The second office opened in Sarasota, Florida in 1997.

2000 - today

LaserSoft Imaging released SilverFast version 5.0 in 2000, version 6.0 in 2002, version 6.5 in 2006 ant the latest version 6.6 in 2008. LaserSoft Imaging changed the company into a public corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) in 2001, the founder is the sole shareholder.Today LaserSoft Imaging has implemented scan software for over 300 scanners for Mac OS 9, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista. In the beginning LaserSoft Imaging's software was mainly distributed in Germany, but now, with its' international and multi-platform solutions, SilverFast is distributed globally through distributors as well as world-wide bundle agreements with manufacturers such as Canon, HP, Seiko Epson, Cruse, Leica Camera AG, Microtek, Nikon, Pacific Image Electronics, Pentacon GmbH, PFU/Quato, Plustek, Samsung and Umax.The company also supports high-end scanners such as the Heidelberg (Linotype) Topaz, Tango, Nexscan and Chromagraph (3300 and 3400). LaserSoft Imaging's SilverFast was awarded 'best color management software of the year 2008' by the European Digital Press Association (EDP). The award was given for improving the dynamic range of most scanners with its "Multi-Exposure" feature and for automatic creation of ICC profiles.

Products

The Company's products can be classified in four different categories :

* SilverFast SE / Ai / Ai Studio (Scanner Software)
* SilverFast DC SE / DC Pro / DC Pro Studio (Digital Camera Software)
* SilverFast HDR / HDR Studio (48 Bit Image Processing Software)
* SilverFast PrintTao (Printer Software)

see also: SilverFast

Literature

* Taz Tally, Ph.D. "SilverFast - The Official Guide." Sybex, 2003. ISBN 978-0782141979
* Taz Tally, Ph.D. "SilverFast - Das offizielle Buch." Mitp-Verlag, 2004. ISBN 978-3826615214

References

External links

* [http://www.silverfast.com LaserSoft Imaging AG - English]
* [http://www.silverfast.de LaserSoft Imaging AG - German]
* [http://www.edpassociation.com/magazine/content/blogsection/4/37/ European Digital Press Association - Best products of the year 2008]