Scitex

Scitex
Name	Scitex
Type	Public
Founded	1968
Fate	Acquired / spun off
Headquarters	Israel
Industry	Digital imaging, printing, hardware

Scitex was an Israeli high-technology firm founded in 1968 that became a major developer and manufacturer of industrial digital imaging, prepress systems, and large-format printing equipment. It played a central role in transforming workflows for Kodak, Xerox, Hewlett-Packard, Agfa-Gevaert, and other global firms in the transition from analog to digital production for newspapers, magazines, packaging, and advertising. Over several decades Scitex divisions interacted with multinational corporations, venture capital firms, and academic institutions such as the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Hebrew University of Jerusalem to commercialize phototypesetting, color separation, and direct-to-plate technologies.

History

Scitex was established by entrepreneurs and engineers associated with Israeli technology ventures in the late 1960s and expanded during the 1970s through product development and exports to European and North American markets. The company grew through organic R&D and acquisitions, attracting interest from investment groups and corporate partners including Goldman Sachs advisors and industrial conglomerates. In the 1980s and 1990s Scitex developed strategic alliances and licensing agreements with firms such as Apple Inc., Eastman Kodak Company, and FujiFilm to integrate digital imaging modules into publishing and photographic supply chains. Financial restructurings and spinoffs in the early 2000s led to the emergence of successor entities and sales of divisions to companies like Esko and Creo before later consolidation with larger multinationals such as Eastman Kodak and Hewlett-Packard.

Products and Technology

Scitex produced a range of hardware and software systems including high-resolution scanners, computerized color prepress systems, platesetters, electrophotographic printers, and wide-format inkjet machines. Its innovations included thermal imaging platesetters competing with technologies offered by Agfa-Gevaert, Heidelberg Druckmaschinen, and Komori Corporation. Scitex systems incorporated digital halftone screening, color management modules interoperable with Adobe Systems solutions, and RIP (raster image processor) engines comparable to offerings from EFI and Screen Holdings Co., Ltd.. The company also developed workflow automation tools used alongside products from Kodak Polychrome Graphics and Oce N.V. to accelerate prepress pipelines for periodicals produced by publishers such as Condé Nast, Time Inc., and Hearst Communications.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Scitex’s corporate structure evolved through multiple reorganizations, with separate business units focused on graphics, medical imaging, and industrial printing. Shareholdings involved Israeli investment houses and international institutional investors including Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers (prior to 2008), and strategic corporate stakeholders such as Canon Inc.-adjacent partners. Divestitures transferred assets to companies like Creo Inc. and EskoArtwork, while joint ventures created temporary corporate vehicles with firms like Kodak and Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.. The company’s public listings and private placements included cross-border capital movements involving exchanges and advisory services provided by firms such as NASDAQ and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

Market Impact and Competition

Scitex influenced markets for commercial printing, newspaper production, and packaging by accelerating adoption of direct-to-plate technologies that disrupted incumbents such as AGFA-Gevaert Group and Heidelberg. Competitors included Xerox Corporation in digital presses, Hewlett-Packard in wide-format printers, and specialized vendors like Mutoh and Mimaki Engineering. Scitex’s speed-to-market in color separation and workflow automation pressured legacy phototypesetting suppliers and spurred consolidation across the prepress industry, prompting mergers and acquisitions among players such as Goss International and Manroland. Its customer base among major publishers and print service providers reshaped procurement strategies at companies like RR Donnelley and Quad/Graphics.

Notable Projects and Clients

Scitex supplied turnkey systems for newspaper groups, magazine publishers, and advertising agencies, delivering installations for organizations including The New York Times Company, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, News Corporation, and international printers servicing brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble. Large-format printing contracts included signage for events produced by companies such as Viacom and trade show displays for Siemens and General Electric. Collaborations with research labs at institutions like MIT and Stanford University supported prototyping for imaging sensors and printhead technologies that later appeared in commercial products.

Legal Issues and Controversies

During its corporate lifecycle Scitex encountered litigation over intellectual property, licensing disputes, and antitrust inquiries associated with consolidation in the prepress market. Lawsuits involved patent portfolios and claims asserted against and by firms such as Eastman Kodak, Creo, and Agfa-Gevaert concerning screening algorithms, thermal imaging patents, and RIP software interoperability. Regulatory reviews by authorities in the European Commission and the United States Department of Justice examined aspects of mergers and technology transfers. Employment disputes and restructuring-related layoffs prompted scrutiny from Israeli labor bodies and investor groups including The Israel Securities Authority.

Legacy and Influence on Digital Imaging

Scitex left a substantial legacy in the digitization of image production and industrial printing workflows, influencing standards adopted by Adobe Systems, ISO committees on color and image stability, and manufacturers such as HP and Canon. Many of its technological contributions—color management practices, direct-to-plate workflows, and large-format inkjet system design—were absorbed into successor companies and shaped product roadmaps at firms like Kodak Alaris and Esko. Its alumni network seeded startups and research initiatives across Israel’s technology ecosystem, contributing expertise to companies such as Waze-founder ventures, semiconductor firms, and imaging startups financed by venture capital from investors like Sequoia Capital and Benchmark Capital.

Category:Companies of Israel