Chili publish (graas): the templating technology for print and digital
Chili publish: the “Smart Templates” engine
Chili publish (now positioning itself under the brand name Graas, but the technology remains known as Chili publish) is a technology company specializing in **graphic rendering and the creation of intelligent templates (“Smart Templates”)**, primarily for print applications (packaging, POS, brochures) but increasingly also for digital channels. Unlike a complete Creative Automation platform, Chili publish primarily provides the **underlying technological engine** that enables other platforms (or internal developments) to offer advanced editing and personalization capabilities for documents and visuals based on templates.
Key features of Chili publish technology
The core offering is its templating technology:
- Complex Template Creation: Allows designers (often via a plugin for Adobe Illustrator or InDesign) to create highly sophisticated templates with complex rules, dynamic elements, layout constraints, and precisely defined editing zones.
- Controlled Online Editing (via the engine): Once the template is created, the Chili publish engine allows users (via a web interface integrated into another application) to customize the variable zones of the template (text, images…) while respecting the constraints defined by the designer. Editing is often done in a WYSIWYG interface.
- Variable Data Management: Ability to connect templates to data sources to automatically populate variable fields (useful for catalogs, business cards…).
- High-Fidelity Rendering: Generation of final files (print-ready PDF, high-resolution images…) with high fidelity to the initial template.
- API for Integration: The engine is designed to be integrated via API into other platforms (DAM, PIM, Web-to-Print, marketing platforms…).
Chili publish is therefore particularly strong for the **controlled personalization of complex documents**, especially in the Print and Packaging fields.
Limitations of Chili publish as a standalone Creative Automation solution
Chili publish is a powerful templating and rendering engine, but it is not an end-to-end Creative Automation platform:
- Requires Integration: The Chili engine must be integrated into another application or platform to be used. It does not natively offer a complete user interface for project management, workflows, asset management, or distribution.
- Focus on Document/Visual: Primarily focused on document-like formats (print, PDF) or images. Less natively designed for video or highly dynamic web formats (complex HTML5).
- No Native Project/Workflow Management: Orchestration of validation processes, team collaboration, task tracking are not part of the Chili engine itself.
- No Native DAM/PIM: Connection to data sources and assets depends on the platform integrating the engine.
Brandeploy: a complete platform (potentially) integrating engines like Chili
Brandeploy is a complete Creative Automation platform that provides **the entire solution**: the intelligent templating engine (developed in-house for maximum flexibility on web and video), editors, workflows, project management, DAM/PIM integrations, etc.
Brandeploy’s approach is to provide an integrated end-to-end solution. However, our open architecture (via API) could potentially interface with specialized engines like Chili publish if a client had extremely complex print templating needs already managed via this technology. Brandeploy would then act as the **orchestration layer** (workflows, project management, DAM/PIM connection) around the Chili engine for those specific formats, while natively managing all other digital formats (video, banners…). We offer the flexibility of a complete B2B/Enterprise solution.
Conclusion: Chili publish (Graas) provides powerful “Smart Document” templating technology, often used as an integrated component. Brandeploy offers a complete, integrated Creative Automation platform covering the entire lifecycle and all formats, including through its own advanced templating engine. For most digital and video marketing automation needs, Brandeploy provides the end-to-end solution.
Need a complete platform or a templating engine?
Are you looking for a templating engine to integrate or a complete Creative Automation platform that handles everything from A to Z? Discover Brandeploy’s integrated approach for all your formats. Request a demo.
