The Art of Comic Proofing at Glénat Group

How a leading European publisher modernized comic, manga, and book proofing with DALIM SOFTWARE

Founded in 1969, the Glénat Group employs more than 200 people across three locations: Grenoble (headquarters), Boulogne, and Paris (Hugo Publishing). The Grenoble site hosts administrative activities and book editorial services, while Boulogne is dedicated to comics, manga, youth titles, and licensed publications, alongside sales and marketing.

As a founding member of the group, Glénat Éditions specializes in comics, manga, coffee-table books, hiking guides, and licensed titles. The group generates more than €200 million in revenue, driven largely by manga growth and the acquisition of Hugo Publishing in 2022, resulting in a 200% increase in printed volumes since 2020.

Glénat Production: Managing Editorial Complexity at Scale

Within the editorial organization sits Glénat Production, which includes an integrated photogravure printing facility, purchasing teams negotiating printer contracts, and a prepress department responsible for producing print-ready files.

Julien Baléria leads the production department, coordinating a team of prepress operators, designers, scanners, and digital printing specialists. His role includes scheduling production, managing delivery timelines, and distributing files to 15–20 printers across France and Europe - handling 600 new titles and up to 1,500 reprints each year.

The Challenge: Replacing an Obsolete Proofing System

Glénat’s previous online proofing and validation system relied on Flash, which became obsolete at the end of 2020. Following a formal requirements phase and evaluation of multiple vendors, DALIM SOFTWARE emerged as the preferred solution.

“After creating specifications and studying several offers, the DALIM SOFTWARE solution came out on top.”

Why DALIM SOFTWARE? Key Selection Criteria

The editorial and production teams were looking for a platform that could:

• Handle HD PDFs directly in a web browser

• Provide an integrated digital asset management (DAM) library

• Allow marketing and communications teams to self-serve assets

• Reduce the workload on Glénat Production

Before implementation, the team handled over 1,500 PDF requests per year.

“We wanted marketing teams to access assets directly, reducing the workload for production.”

Controlled Access to the Digital Library

Dedicated user accounts were created to prevent interference between editorial teams and production tracking. Access rights were defined by department and centrally managed by Glénat Production.

“All employees who need access to the digital library can now use the service without complications.”

Account configuration and permissions are managed internally, with clear governance over who can view, annotate, or approve content.

A Ready-to-Use Platform - With Deep Customization

One of DALIM SOFTWARE’s strengths was its balance between out-of-the-box usability and deep configurability. While the system was operational quickly, Glénat Production also requested tailored integrations - particularly with existing ERP systems and workflows.

“We could work almost identically to before, while benefiting from a much more user-friendly interface.”

Modularity and ease of use were included in the original specifications, alongside the ability to manage PDFs, DAM assets, and ePubs within a single platform.

From Pandemic Delays to Full Autonomy

Initial discussions with DALIM SOFTWARE began in December 2019, but full production started in February 2021. The pandemic delayed implementation by nearly a year, making remote collaboration more challenging.

“Developing and fine-tuning together remotely was more difficult than using the tool itself.”

Today, the team is fully autonomous.

“If we faced another lockdown now, it wouldn’t be an issue, we are completely self-sufficient.”

Measurable Results: Fewer Requests, Faster Access

Since implementation, Glénat has migrated nearly its entire catalogue into the DAM - 12,500 titles, with more added based on reprint demand.

The impact has been immediate:

“Our PDF requests dropped from 1,500 to 350.”

Requesters now access files instantly and independently, saving time and accelerating editorial and marketing workflows - especially for older titles that previously took days to retrieve.

Beyond PDFs: ePub Automation and Advanced Proofing

All new releases are now produced in ePub format, with automated workflows generating and delivering Hachette-specific ePubs directly.

Additional platform strengths include:

• HD PDF viewing in a standard browser

• Acrobat-like measurement tools (including ink coverage)

• Full-book viewing instead of separate cover and interior sections

• Advanced annotations supporting editorial and production feedback

“We can now view the entire book as a complete unit.”

Looking Ahead: Scaling Manga and Digital Publishing

Glénat Production faces growing demand for manga titles while navigating material sourcing challenges. At the same time, digital consumption continues to rise - especially for previewing chapters.

An ambitious next step includes integrating the full One Piece collection into structured ePub chapters for digital distribution via the Glénat Manga Max platform.