Automated Preflight

[Tommyjt]

Is anyone using any form of automated preflight, such as drag and drop a PDF, InDesign or Illustrator file into a hot folder and get a detailed preflight report (fonts missing, color mode and resolution of images, etc)?

If so, what is it and how well does it work (what percentage of files go through without a hitch)?

What are the drawbacks if any?

Thanks

 

[abc]

Well there are a few solutions for PDF that I can think of.

Here's my personal favorite for reasons that I hope are obvious

High-volume PDF preflighting and auto-correction software - Enfocus PitStop Server

I will let others comment on the effectiveness and return on investment.

If you need any more details you can drop me a mail, there is a free 30 day trial version available on the website

 

[Tommyjt]

Thanks Andrew.
PitStop Server is great for PDFs, no doubt!
I am looking for a more comprehensive solution that would also be able to handle InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.

 

[kaiserwilhelm]

Because our customers are not educated in bleed, plate gap, etc, we still receive 90 plus percent of our files as INDD files with art and fonts.
They come in packaged with each having a fonts, links, etc folder.
Our folder structure requires all links to go into one folder. This gets tedious because sometimes logo.eps is in fifteen different folders. We have to look at modification dates.

I built a preflight routine in PowerSwitch (Enfocus) that unzips all of my folders, puts them into the collective folders, and then looks at modification dates. If they are the same, it keeps one. If they are named the same, but modification date changed, it puts the name of the enclosing folder in front of the name. IE, Letter_Logo.eps and Reply_Logo.eps
All drag and drop. PowerSwitch is an amazing product.

I just read what you wrote on your second comment. I would tell you that the automation of PowerSwitch can then make a PDF and send it to Preflight software or Pitstop Server

 

[prepressdork]

I am not a Switch user so my suggestion may or may not work.

Could a Switch workflow be built containing the FlightCheck Configurator (if there is one?) to handle the preflighting of non-PDF documents?

 

[Tommyjt]

How steep is the learning curve for PowerSwitch?

 

[michaelejahn]

Prefligting application files - at the printer - is a losers game - why not educate your customer on how to build PDF/X files and submit them ?

What happens when the text reflows, or some RGB image is encountered - are you going to actually risk making that change and going to press, only to learn the customer did not like what you printed ? If you are a packaging service provider of course, you probably need to edit / modify things like images and / or illustrator files before conversion - but these are 'add value' type services. Even when you 'charge' to fix file, it slows the process down with all the back forth

 

[Tommyjt]

Thanks Michael.
It is my experience that most of our clients don't have the expertise to fix the files that they create. After all, if they knew how to create proper print files they would be doing it already. We are the prepress experts and know how to edit files so they print properly. Our preflighting has always been done manually which is a bottle neck for our workflow. Our desire is to automate this process as much as possible.
A few years ago that I tried to get our clients to use Instant PDF from Enfocus at no charge to them, they were not interested. They just want to create, send the files to us and get on to the next project.
If I were to send files to a printer I would absolutely send PDF/X files ready to print, so I understand your point. They don't appear capable or willing.

 

[zevrix]

Thanks Andrew.
PitStop Server is great for PDFs, no doubt!
I am looking for a more comprehensive solution that would also be able to handle InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.

As far as I know, the only program that handles all those formats is FlightCheck.

I don't know if they have any hot folder facility (Markzware once had something called MarkzScout, I think).

It's possible that you can automate it, at least partially, with OS X Automator hot folders, or Switch and some scripting.

We have some tools that can preflight InDesign, PDF and images - but not Illustrator.


Leo Revzin
--
Zevrix Solutions
Solutions for Graphics, Print & File Delivery
Solutions for Adobe InDesign, Graphics, Print & File Delivery | Zevrix Solutions

 

[michaelejahn]

Most professional design applications enable the user to create a PDF/X right from the application. It will even tell them if it can't. Before I worked for Agfa and later for Enfocus, I worked for a printer - our customer asked for help in compressing the turn around time between the start and in home delivery of newspaper inserts. This required they learn how to make reliable digital files that were ready to print. Another approach is to build storefront templates than they can use and insure that the files are 'correct' when injected.

Hope that helps - for everything else, there is Markzware

FlightCheck Demo - Free 30 Day Trial of Markzware Preflight

 

[allsystems]

Hi Tommy,
Full Disclosure - We are a Switch Reseller / Integrator - read on at your own risk.

We have a lot of experience with Switch. We have created Flows that check InDesign, Illustrator and PhotoShop files. There are some things that Switch can do "out of the box", there are some more subtle things that require customization. A lot depends on the type of work you're doing and the things you need to check.

I second the kudos to Markzware and their FlightCheck Product. But Switch is the tool for automating preflight. I would love to see a FlightCheck configurator for Switch (anyone from Markzware reading this thread?).

I appreciate what Michael says about educating the customer, and for those customers that are willing to learn, it's well worth the effort. Teaching customers and Preflighting are not mutually exclusive - do both.

One bit of advice is to set reasonable expectations on what your Preflight will yield. Don't expect that an automated solution will displace your prepress staff. Expect that it will make them more efficient.

My $0.02

 

[rich apollo]

Prefligting application files - at the printer - is a losers game - why not educate your customer on how to build PDF/X files and submit them ?

It's been my experience that print customers do not want to educated, at least not by inky printer types. Bring up "education" and you've just told them that their baby is ugly. To listen would cause them to find out just how ugly.

I think that would change if printers would charge the bejeezus out of clients for correcting foolish things.

 

[michaelejahn]

@Rich Apollo - When I worked for Standard Gravure, our customers asked "how can we reduce the time to create an insert" - they asked us what we could do, and we shared what they might change in their process. Digital Photography moved much of the color correction cycle from a back and forth model to in house at their location, and teaching them to create ready to print files meant a reduction from "ugly baby' 8 week schedule to "much cuter baby" 4 week schedule.

Had little to do with charging the customer more.

 

[prepressdork]

In my view, Rich and Michael both have valid points but unfortunately it boils down to knowing your customer. In my experience, some customers want to know how to make better files and others don't. If you're lucky like Michael, you'll have customers that want to know or if you're like me (or perhaps Rich):

1. Many customers don't want to know.
2. Your customers (especially larger ones) have lots of outside designers making it more difficult to spread the knowledge to.
3. You have sales reps that don't want to potentially upset their customers by telling them they have ugly babies.

Of course, there are gentle ways to gauge your customers if they would be interested in learning how to save money on their print jobs........