Dalim
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | January 1, 1986 in Frankfurt, Germany |
| Founder | Francis Lamy |
| Fate | Insolvency proceedings in 1998; assets acquired by Blanchard Systems in 1999, forming Dalim Software GmbH |
| Successor | Dalim Software GmbH (post-1999) |
| Headquarters | Kehl , Germany |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Dalim Twist, Dalim ES, Dalim Litho (historical), Dalim Tango (historical) |
| Owner | Blanchard Systems (post-1999) |
| Parent | Blanchard Systems (post-1999) |
Dalim Software GmbH, initially known as Dalim GmbH and previously branded as DALiM, is a software enterprise based in Germany that focuses on prepress, digital imaging, as well as the creation and management of digital and printed media. Established in 1986 by Francis Lamy in Frankfurt, the company quickly secured a prominent position within the premium color segment. However, financial challenges culminated in insolvency proceedings in 1998. The following year, Dalim's assets were divided, with the majority acquired by the U.S. reseller Blanchard Systems, which subsequently founded Dalim Software GmbH in Germany.
History
Francis M. Lamy founded Dalim GmbH in 1986, and by approximately 1987, the company introduced its inaugural flagship application, Dalim Litho—an all-encompassing imaging and photo retouching package aimed at prepress and reprographic facilities. This software initially operated on Tektronix Motorola 88000 workstations, incorporating technology from British CAD/CAM firm Digisolve Ltd. Rapidly, Dalim established itself as a significant contender in the 2D computer graphics arena alongside competitors such as Genigraphics and Crosfield Electronics.
When Tektronix ceased workstation production in the early 1990s, Dalim shifted its platform strategy to SGI hardware. In 1993, the company unveiled Dalim Tango, an image editing suite designed for SGI’s IRIX operating system, while concurrently porting Litho to SGI machines. These solutions offered sophisticated capabilities including trapping, pagination, color correction, and high-resolution photographic editing.
The year 1994 saw the release of Dalim Twist, a tool for file format conversion and batch processing tailored to prepress environments. Twist facilitated interoperability between formats such as Hell, Scitex, Crosfield, and Screen, while also functioning as a raster image processor for PostScript data. This allowed for optimized performance by reducing high-resolution files when placing images.
Although Litho, Tango, and Twist achieved substantial market adoption throughout the 1990s, Dalim encountered critical financial instability by 1998 following the withdrawal of a key investor. The company entered receivership amid potential acquisition talks involving Heidelberg Druckmaschinen and Goss Graphic Systems. Ultimately, in 1999, Dalim was divided; Blanchard Systems acquired most of its assets to establish Dalim Software GmbH in Germany, whereas OneVision Software AG took over remaining segments. Founder Francis Lamy exited to join GretagMacbeth.
Post-restructuring, Dalim Software has operated from its headquarters in Kehl, Germany. As of 2024, its principal offerings include Dalim Twist and Dalim ES—a workflow automation and dashboard platform geared toward print production—maintaining its dedication to enhancing digital prepress and print media workflow efficiency.