GTB

What GTB does

GTB Co., Ltd. (株式会社ジーティービー) is a privately held, bootstrapped Japanese independent software company headquartered in Kobe, founded in 1990, with 11–50 employees. It specializes in image-processing technology applied to pre-press proofing, print inspection, plate verification, and CTP workflow for the Japanese printing industry, where its Hallmarker series holds the claimed No.1 share in print-inspection software with 1,000+ installed licenses.

The company's product architecture is organized into four pillars: (1) the Hallmarker family (Hallmarker, HallmarkCenter, Ken2Pa!, HallmarkerElements, Hallmarker DI, Hallmarker for CAN) — software for comparing digital data against printed materials and against other digital data, driven by a proprietary EyeMine fuzzy inspection engine; (2) the CorrectEye family of hardware inspection systems (CorrectEye SIS non-contact scanner in standard, wide, quality-management-server, and compact variants; CorrectEye with CCD Scanner) that perform offline inspection of wet prints, folded materials, flexible packaging including 12-micron PET film, foils, and transparent substrates using a proprietary distortion-correction engine; (3) the Bit-Through series for 1bitTIFF editing and CTP workflow (Digital Plate Checker, PlatePlanner, ProofMaker, JobEditor, etc.); and (4) cloud/web services including emba (proofing/approval), Weebum and OriOri! (graduation-album and school-photo sales with facial-recognition AI), and the W4P e-commerce/auto-ganging platform.

Revenue is generated through a mix of perpetual software licenses with annual version-up subscription programs, hardware sales of CorrectEye systems, optional add-ons (e.g., MTHQ ¥330,000, RIP option ¥550,000, DI Option, hardware-key replacements ¥33,000 each), and the newer HallmarkerElements subscription tier. Go-to-market is sales-led and Japan-domestic only, executed through direct enterprise sales supported by online demonstrations, plus channel partners SCREEN GP Japan (primary) and Media Technology Japan (secondary), with industry trade shows and print-industry publications as supporting marketing channels. End customers span commercial offset printers, educational-textbook printers, pharmaceutical/medical packaging converters, and gravure/flexible packaging operations, with named enterprise accounts including Komatsu Printing, DI Palette, Uematsu, Dai-San Offset, Dainippon Packaging, Niyodo Printing, Iwanaga Printing, and Yotsuhashi.

Name

GTB

Legal name

株式会社ジーティビー

Website

https://jp.gtb.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GTB Co., Ltd. is a privately held Japanese software company, founded 1990 and headquartered in Kobe, that builds image-processing products for print inspection, pre-press proofing, and CTP workflow, serving Japanese printing, packaging, pharmaceutical-label, and education-publishing customers with its No.1-share Hallmarker software and CorrectEye hardware systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Print Inspection Software

NAICS

Support Activities for Printing (323120), Printing and Related Support Activities (323)

SIC

Service Industries For The Printing Trade (2790), Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555)

akta.pro primary industry

Print Quality Assurance & Compliance Services (Press Checks, ISO/G7, Accessibility/Standards) (MPAJALAJ)

Keywords

• Print inspection software
• CTP workflow solutions
• Offline print verification
• 1bitTIFF editing
• Packaging quality control

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashiya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Upgrades: Sale of proprietary inspection software including Hallmarker series, Ken2Pa!, HallmarkCenter, and Bit-Through series. Annual version-up programs provide recurring revenue. Software is sold with optional add-ons and maintenance contracts.
2. Hardware Systems (CorrectEye Family): Sale of hardware inspection systems including CorrectEye SIS (standard, wide-format, compact菊半 models), CorrectEye with CCD Scanner, and quality management servers. Hardware includes scanning equipment and integrated software.
3. HallmarkerElements Subscription: Subscription-based simplified inspection software providing key Hallmarker functions at lower cost for users who do not need full-featured systems. Subscription model provides predictable recurring revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GTB develops and sells print inspection software and hardware systems that compare digital data (RIP, PDF, 1bitTIFF) against physical printed materials to detect defects in commercial printing, packaging, and labeling operations. The company's portfolio spans the Hallmarker Series of inspection and proofreading software, the CorrectEye family of non-contact scanner and CCD-based offline inspection machines, the Bit-Through Series of 1bitTIFF editing and CTP workflow tools, and cloud services (emba, Weebum, OriOri!) for proofing and school photo management. Products are used by printing companies, packaging manufacturers, and educational publishing operations primarily in Japan.

Product overview

GTB (株式会社ジーティビー) is a Japanese independent software company founded in 1990, specializing in image processing as core technology. The product portfolio centers on two main pillars: (1) Hallmarker Series — an industry-leading print inspection and plate verification software family (Hallmarker, HallmarkCenter, Ken2Pa!, HallmarkerElements, Hallmarker DI, Hallmarker for CAN) and CorrectEye Family — hardware inspection machines (CorrectEye SIS with non-contact scanner, CorrectEye with CCD Scanner); (2) Bit-Through Series — 1bitTIFF editing and CTP workflow tools (PlatePlanner, PlateGenerator, JobEditor, StripEditor, Digital Plate Checker, ProofMaker); (3) Cloud services — emba (proof/artwork management), Weebum (album production), OriOri! (photo sales); (4) W4P web platform — e-commerce (SmartStore) and auto-ganging (SmartPlanner) solutions. Products serve printing companies, packaging manufacturers, pharmaceutical/medical device companies, and schools/photo studios.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hallmarker ホールマーカー・シリーズ: Industry No.1 print inspection and proofing software series for comparing digital data with printed materials
• CorrectEye コレクトアイ・ファミリー
• Bit-Through ビットスルー・シリーズ
• emba エンバ
• Weebum ウィバム
• OriOri オリオリ！
• W4P SmartStore
• W4P SmartPlanner
• Web工房

Products and services

• Hallmarker Series Industry-leading print inspection and plate verification software series offering comparison between digital data and printed materials across single-page, multi-page, imposition, and various substrates. Targeted at printing companies for pre-press and proofing quality assurance.
• CorrectEye SIS (CorrectEye with Non-Contact Scanner) Non-contact scanner-based offline print inspection machine that compares RIP/master data against printed samples to detect defects in offset, web, flexo, and gravure printing. Features wet print compatibility, distortion correction, and strong vacuum adsorption for folded materials. Available in standard, wide-format, quality management server, and compact models.
• CorrectEye with CCD Scanner B0-size compatible sheet-through scanner input print inspection system using Contex HD ULTRA X scanners (models 3690/4290) with up to 9600dpi resolution for efficient inspection of large-format proofs and production samples.
• Bit-Through Series 1bitTIFF editing and CTP workflow software suite including PlatePlanner (plate layout/ganging), PlateGenerator (CTP output distribution), JobEditor (batch multi-machine processing), StripEditor (on-site corrections), ProofMaker (proof image generation), Rotator, DLAdjuster/DotAdjuster, ReDimension, and CIP3Generator for ink control information.
• Digital Plate Checker Monitor-based plate verification software that eliminates the need for print output. Enables plate size measurement, register check, ink amount display, ghost alert, white plate/nisshisha detection on large 1bitTIFF images.
• ProofMaker / ProofMaker MTHQ Generates composite CMYK TIFF proof images from 1bitTIFF plate data. The MTHQ option enables multi-threaded high-quality processing with up to 5x speed improvement through a new screening analysis engine, including concentration adjustment by plate color.
• emba (エンバ) Cloud-based artwork text management, proofing, and approval system covering the full workflow from manuscript creation through approval routing, initial design check, final proof check, submission, blueprint inspection, and incoming inspection. Targets packaging and labeling proofreading accident prevention.
• Weebum (ウィーバム) Online graduation album production system enabling photo studios, schools, and printing companies to share one editing interface via cloud. Features facial recognition AI for automatic student photo identification, appearance counting, and automated layout photo placement.
• OriOri! (オリオリ！) School photo sales and graduation album payment system using AI facial recognition to compile personalized photo collections. Provides parents with a dedicated photo store, eliminates school payment/collection work, and enables photo studios to gain new customers online.
• W4P SmartStore Print e-commerce site system with 24-hour order reception, workflow RIP-linked online preflight, and CMS functionality. Handles print-specific pricing structures (size, quantity, colors, delivery time, paper type, finishing) and integrates with W4P SmartPlanner.
• W4P SmartPlanner Auto-ganging solution that calculates multiple plate layout combinations from large numbers of print jobs, computing profit margins for each and enabling direct CTP output. Considers paper type, thickness, quantity, and delivery to optimize job grouping.
• HallmarkCenter High-volume page print inspection automation software for catalogs and publications with hundreds to thousands of pages. Enables automatic inspection by simply dragging folders and includes CTM option for complex condition handling.
• Ken2Pa! (ケケンパ！) Digital print plate verification software specialized in digital data-to-data comparison inspection. Supports various imposition combinations including different directions, size differences, single vs. imposition, and RIP version differences using the proprietary EyeMine engine.
• HallmarkerElements Subscription-based simplified image comparison inspection software. Entry-level product using the proprietary fuzzy inspection engine (EyeMine) for low false-positive detection. Targets designers and brand owners for proof verification with PDF reporting.
• Hallmarker for CAN 2-piece aluminum can external appearance inspection device that detects printing surface dirt, scratches, and pinholes on cans. Features a roller structure for stable inspection and 3-step operation.
• Hallmarker DI (Data Integrity) Option Data integrity security option for Hallmarker series providing login management, audit trail (operator logs), encrypted database storage for inspection results, and IQOQ support for pharmaceutical and medical device acceptance inspection.

Quantifiable outcome

• 107.7% production efficiency improvement (Komatsu Printing)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and important.

• AVID FLEX Co., Ltd. (株)アビッド・フレックスminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026GTB and AVID FLEX co-exhibit at the Motoya Collaboration Fair 2026 in the Automation/Labor-saving/Concept exhibition zone. This represents a marketing partnership for industry event presence.
• SCREEN GP Japan Co., Ltd. (株)SCREEN GP ジャパンcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2020SCREEN GP Japan serves as a primary distribution partner for GTB products. The partnership includes joint exhibition presence at industry events such as JP2020 ICT Printing Show. SCREEN GP Japan provides sales channel and support infrastructure for GTB's inspection and plate verification products in the Japanese printing market.
• Media Technology Japan Co., Ltd. (株)メディアテクノロジージャパンimportantChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018Media Technology Japan distributes the CorrectEye SIS inspection system. Yotsuhashi Co., Ltd. discovered the CorrectEye SIS at an equipment exhibition hosted by Media Technology Japan, leading to their purchase decision.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Canon Production Printing: Canon offers production printing hardware and workflow software with built-in quality control features that overlap with GTB's inspection and prepress offerings for commercial and photo printing customers.
• Electronics For Imaging (EFI): EFI provides print workflow, MIS, and Fiery digital front-end solutions that overlap with GTB's W4P SmartPlanner/SmartStore and prepress workflow for commercial printers worldwide.
• Komori Corporation: Komori is a Japanese press manufacturer offering PQA (Print Quality Assurance) systems and CTP workflow tools that overlap with GTB's CorrectEye SIS inspection machines and prepress workflow software.
• Heidelberger Druckmaschinen: Heidelberg is a global incumbent press manufacturer offering integrated quality inspection and workflow systems (e.g., Prinect) that compete with GTB's CorrectEye offline inspection and prepress workflow at offset and packaging printers.
• HP Indigo (HP Inc.): HP Indigo's digital presses ship with integrated print quality and inspection capabilities, competing with GTB's CorrectEye SIS for inspection of digitally printed commercial and photo applications.
• Ricoh Company: Ricoh provides commercial and industrial print solutions including workflow and quality tools, making it an adjacent incumbent peer for GTB's customer base of commercial and packaging printers.
• Kodak (Eastman Kodak): Kodak offers Prinergy and INSITE workflow solutions for commercial and packaging printers, competing with GTB's prepress, proofing, and plate verification tools in global accounts.

Direct peers

• SCREEN Holdings: SCREEN Holdings is a Japanese manufacturer of printing and prepress equipment, including CTP systems and workflow software that overlap with GTB's Bit-Through and Hallmarker offerings. SCREEN GP Japan is also GTB's primary distribution partner, making it both a competitor and channel.
• Esko (Danaher): Esko provides prepress, color management, and quality control software for packaging and commercial printers globally, directly competing with GTB's Hallmarker and CorrectEye inspection workflows for packaging and label customers.

Regional players

• Wifag / manroland Goss: Wifag and manroland Goss are press manufacturers with web offset and packaging press expertise that bundle inspection and workflow capabilities, serving as comparable reference customers/peers for GTB's CorrectEye and Bit-Through product lines in European newspaper and packaging markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GTB_CO_JP

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GTB