PDF Proof workflow

[FTuser1]

Okay so we have been struggling to get quality PDF's to our customers for a couple of years. Finally we have decided to find a solution. Here is the workflow we would like to have:

1. Save finished label as .eps or .ai
2. Throw the .eps into a Distiller watched folder
3. Collect the PDF and email to the Customer (subsequently the file size should be email friendly)

This is working for 80% of our files but some of the non-flattened files are causing issues in Distiller (white box problem etc). Of course our Customers don't all have Acrobat Pro so they can't see an accurate PDF unless we save each file from AI as a PDF which is very time consuming when we are dealing with 300-400 files a shift.

We have messed with PDF settings in Distiller to no avail. What are you guys doing to provide quick PDF proofs?

Thanks a ton,

Ryan
Prepress

[akalaray]

What part of the industry do you service? Design, prepress, printing?
We are on the printing side. All of the files are supplied to us. We then prep them and send them through the rip, the rip sends out rasterized PDFs, showing how the job will print. We send out pdfs to "Prove" the files are correct.

[FTuser1]

We don't use a RIP for PDF creation. Is there a hotfolder type program similar to Distiller than can create a Raster PDF from an .eps? I haven't found one of yet.

[mazengh]

Usually a rip DESCREENS ripped separations and creates a pdf proof from those to provide a VALID proof for customers. An example of that would be the pdf raster plugin for harlequin based rips... check the link below.

PDF Raster Output Plugin for Harlequin RIP, PDF Electronic Proofing Halftone Screened

[FTuser1]

Our workflow is flexo and HP-Indigo Digital not offset so we don't use a RIP for any PDF proofing. The only thing that goes through our Xante or the HP DFE are press ready "approved" files. Prior to that we just use a soft proof PDF from Distiller.

[mazengh]

i never used xante, but looking at the link below, xante seems to have a pdf preview tool or option that should be used for what you need.

Xante: Symphony Workflow

[leonardr]

Okay so we have been struggling to get quality PDF's to our customers for a couple of years. Finally we have decided to find a solution. Here is the workflow we would like to have:

1. Save finished label as .eps or .ai
2. Throw the .eps into a Distiller watched folder
3. Collect the PDF and email to the Customer (subsequently the file size should be email friendly)

.EPS (and Postscript in general) is VERY OLD SCHOOL! The correct way to produce a PDF in this century is to do direct export from the authoring application. That enables higher fidelity conversions. You may also want to choose one of the PDF/X standards (X-1a or X-4, depending) as well.

Of course our Customers don't all have Acrobat Pro so they can't see an accurate PDF unless we save each file from AI as a PDF which is very time consuming when we are dealing with 300-400 files a shift.

Another reason to use PDF/X is that Adobe Reader 9 and later will do all the correct things with respect to prepress features (eg. overprint, etc.) when it knows the PDF is a PDF/X.

[Stephen Marsh]

unless we save each file from AI as a PDF which is very time consuming when we are dealing with 300-400 files a shift.

EDIT: Perhaps those with more experience with PitStop or PDF Toolbox can comment on batch solution?

Ryan, If you have that many PDF files to process, then I think that I may have a very quick HACK (forum, please don't shoot me!), which relies on a few things to work...

* Do your operators religiously save .AI files with the "create PDF compatible file" option checked?

* Are you Mac OS based?

* Alternatively/Additionally - Do you use Acrobat Pro 9, or do you have Acrobat Pro X with the improved batch features?


Best,

Stephen Marsh

[Glenn McDowall]

Get your customers who don't have Acrobat Pro to turn on Overprint Preview in Acrobat Reader's preferences. This should them allow then to see the file correctly.

[eskopdl]

Wow, if you are doing 300-400 files a shift, going though the manual making of PDF, manually sending an email with an attachment, and of coarse then having to manually receive back an email and mark the file for approval, that is a lot of manual time and effort. One would think your ROI for a web-based and more automatic system that would allow you to upload your original .AI file would be short. Here's one - Welcome to WebCenter: Web-based project management and pre-production approval