Gelato @ Visual 1st 2025 | How AI is transforming creativity and production

At Visual 1st in San Francisco, leaders from across the imaging and print industries gathered to explore how AI is transforming production and creativity alike. The takeaway was clear: AI isn’t replacing creativity, it’s amplifying it.

For Gelato, that message is core to who we are. Our vision has always been to empower Creators and Makers to transform the way the world produces. Through our platforms — GelatoCreate, which connects millions of e-commerce sellers to local production partners, and GelatoConnect, the AI-powered operating system that powers those facilities — that transformation is accelerating. Together, they enable smarter, faster, and more sustainable ways to design, manufacture, and deliver physical products worldwide.

Across industries, AI is reshaping not just what we create, but how we create. It’s no longer just about automation; it’s about intelligence, adaptability, and empowerment.

In print and production, this shift is tangible. For decades, production was linear, manual, and fragmented. Today, AI enables a new era of connected, data-driven production, where every step, from design to delivery, becomes faster, more consistent, and more sustainable.

Throughout Visual 1st, one idea echoed through nearly every session: the tension between AI-driven automation and human authenticity.

AI makes image generation and enhancement easier than ever, but creators now face a new challenge: using AI intentionally, not excessively. The future belongs to those who combine efficiency with emotional connection, using technology to elevate meaning rather than replace it.

At Gelato, we see this balance as essential. AI allows creativity to scale globally, while local, on-demand production ensures that it happens responsibly, with less waste, zero inventory, and shorter shipping distances.

This vision came to life at Visual 1st, where we introduced new GelatoConnect capabilities designed to make production not only faster, but more human, starting with the AI Estimator.

At Visual 1st, we showcased how GelatoConnect is redefining what’s possible in print and production. Built on over 15 years of industry insight, GelatoConnect is the AI-powered operating system for print producers, connecting every stage of production, from order intake to delivery, in one intelligent, automated workflow.

With GelatoConnect, producers can:

• Automate pre-press, procurement, and logistics to reduce manual work and errors

• Gain visibility into performance, materials, and delivery in real time

• Scale sustainably, producing closer to the end customer to cut costs and carbon footprint

It’s the backbone of a new, connected production ecosystem, one that allows printers to work smarter, faster, and greener.

Within GelatoConnect, two features stood out at Visual 1st for their real-world impact: AI Estimator and GelatoHQ.

AI Estimator is an AI-powered quoting engine that turns messy, unstructured requests such as emails, forms, specs, into precise, margin-safe quotes in seconds. An accurate estimate is generated in around 15 seconds, and a fully branded, customer-ready quote in under five minutes.

That means producers can:

• Respond first to every opportunity

• Protect margins with consistent, data-driven pricing

• Cut manual estimating work by up to 65%

The demo made the impact tangible: an email paste became a complete quote in minutes. By removing bottlenecks and enabling real-time comparisons across machines, materials, and regional benchmarks, AI Estimator delivers both speed and precision, empowering printers to operate with the agility of global networks.

GelatoHQ, meanwhile, extends the power of GelatoConnect to brands managing distributed print networks. It enables instant onboarding of new print partners, AI-powered SKU setup, and centralized control over order flow, logistics, and quality. With GelatoHQ, brands can expand capacity or enter new markets in hours, not months, all while maintaining full visibility and control.

Together, these capabilities show how GelatoConnect turns AI into real-world operational intelligence, improving speed, consistency, and sustainability across the value chain.

AI is reshaping how we design, create, and produce. With GelatoCreate and GelatoConnect, we’re enabling a world where ideas can move from imagination to finished product, instantly and locally.

Because when intelligence meets creativity, production becomes not just faster, but more human.