Automated Workflow

[scottvaughan]

Whats going on with automated workflow out there. I am looking hard at implementing "something", just not sure what. I envision a process that allows our csr's to drop a file on a hot folder that preflights, preps, imposes and send to proof or plate. I also envision a gap being created between output and preflight, with the operators moving closer to the csr's and further away from output. I have looked at Screen's option and an option called FullSwitch but am not sold on any yet. Any input would be great.

 

[Gerhard]

Re: Automated Workflow

Hi,

There is a workflow exact as your requirements available with OneVision. It is called Speedflow Cockpit. Just got to www.onevision.com and ask for an online demo or a test installation.

Regards,
Gerhard

 

[Hopkins Printing]

Re: Automated Workflow

ApogeeX from Agfa will do exactly what you've asked. It's called a hot ticket.

Cheers,
Jon Morgan
Hopkins Printing

 

[G_Town]

Re: Automated Workflow

Assuming of course files come in 100% correct and ready to go.

Who here is in that situation?

Just curious

 

[kaiserwilhelm]

Re: Automated Workflow

I just received 300 plus PDF files. This is simple crap. Reply. Letter. Notepad.
Mostly 4/1 or 2/1
I spent 4 days of my life training our customer how to make proper PDFs. back a year ago.
They now come in, hit a hot folder (PowerSwitch) print out separations (Batch Print Pro $50)
then, I put in Screen Trueflow and lock and load.
We (2-3 people) knocked out 200 job jackets including proofs in a little over a day.
Old way would have taken 1.5 days JUST to collect the art into a single location, open
the Quark files, and preflight.
Best darn four days of my life....

 

[PeterA]

Re: Automated Workflow

Scott - using jdf - I think the big advancement will be Estimate to Plate - It is starting to work in the UK at the moment

Peter
although I think there is still a lot being held back for Drupa

 

[Colorblind]

Re: Automated Workflow

You're right if the files are .ps or PDFs. If it's the case, ApogeeX will preflight and fix what it can.

 

[alarson]

Re: Automated Workflow

What is the understood definition of "Automated workflow"?
Hotfolder preflighting, fixing, outputting proof? Maybe a plate?

Perhaps this needs a new thread, but I'd like to hear feedback on actual expectations of automated workflow. Let's name the steps and talk about manual touchpoints, job jackets, hand written notes, emailing, production meetings, StuffitExpander and all the other pieces in this. And what will be replaced by automation.

I'll start with some of the pieces that I think are essential based on what I hear users say every day:
- Web to print presence with transactional handling
- MIS Jdf in and out
- Workflow JDF in and out. Automated preflight, color management, trapping, imposition creation, proofing.
- outputting to short run variable digital print, offset and web CTP, flexo etc, or BOTH in the same job.
- finishing automation and reporting of status realtime
- ease of making jobs reprintable and accessible via Web for re-order

I don't want this to be a list of press releases for what's coming at Drupa. I'd like to hear from users that are using end to end automation today and those that see where they need to get to in order to remain profitable.

 

[scubapauluk]

Re: Automated Workflow

Would suggest as another user looking at Graduals FullSwitch or PowerSwitch, amazing application with no end of automation and good integration with PDFs etc

I am using here now to drop a folder containing the Indesign File, Images, Folders etc

The Indesign file creates a PDF, is flightchecked, proofs run out, files filtered to various locations, low res PDF made from the highres and then uploaded to a http mounted volume and the whole folder is moved to another location filtering our files and folders on definable values and the Hires PDF placed in the folder.

They have 15 trial demos and various downloadable example flows as they call them, easy to learn as well

Website http://www.gradual.com

Edited by: Paul Airs on Feb 7, 2008 7:25 AM

 

[insanedave]

Re: Automated Workflow

Well......... provided the files actually do come in *ready to print*, we are really close to having a true automation. The first thing that has to happen is domebody has to build the files correctly.
The company i work for is on the cusp of working all of this out. within the next few weeks we will have the capabilities to output jdf straight from the MIS, which runs through the impostion software to automatically create the imposition and send to Rampage. I am not sure just yet if the CSR will be able to attach a pdf file in the MIS, or if it will have to be submitted in Rampage. Once the file(s) are ripped, the sig "flat" automatically rips and can be set to go to dbl/inkjet, or straight to plate, or remote proofing. This is all supposed to happen within the next 2 weeks, with upgrades coming for MIS, Impo software and Rampage. Once I get all of the pieces here and can de-bug if necessary, I will update further. It is out there, good luck getting everybody on board with it.

 

[SWC1144]

Re: Automated Workflow

What MIS are you using? We're exploring different options to get JDF in/out capability. (Currently with PSI)

 

[mattbeals]

Re: Automated Workflow

A lot of automation exists in Apogee, no doubt. A lot of automation exists in OneVision products, no doubt. That's all fine and dandy if you get in PDF's or PostScript.

What about the rest of the work?

The SWITCH family of products is the only product that deals with the other 2/3rd's of the workflow. You know, the part before files are made into plates. No other tool offers you the level of communication internally, externally or both that SWITCH does.

I'm a reseller, integrator, trainer, partner, etc. for Apago, Axaio, Callas, Cutting Edge, Elpical, Enfocus, Gradual, Markzware, and Quite. I focus on preflighting, automation and PDF based workflows. If you have any questions feel free to call or email.

 

[kaiserwilhelm]

Re: Automated Workflow

I've said it before and I will say it again.
I DO NOT work for Gradual. I bought PowerSwitch two months
ago and have not looked back. We have it doing day to day
crap and it handles it with ease.
One example: drop in mail.dat files (9 of each job number)
Switch finds them, puts the 9 of each together, and zips them
up. Total time for 630 files to be turned into 70 zipped files?
Five minutes.
Time it took a human to do the same thing? 30 minutes.
Not to mention that Switch does not make mistakes...

 

[insanedave]

Re: Automated Workflow

We are using ePace. We switched over from PSI last year. From what management tells me, PSI was not quite ready for "automation/web to print" type stuff at the time. They did not want to wait on the upgrades.

 

[Ultimate]

Re: Automated Workflow

Scott,

I work for Ultimate Technographics and we have that question 100 times'a'day. Regardless of which components you select to built your automated workflow, what you want is the lowest possibilites of human intervention. (errors, costs, etc.)

There are a lot of affortable solutions on the market that will let you built something easy to configure, use and work with.

We have imposition solutions which are hot folder based, with dynamic templates and can be driven by many things, including XML. The end result is that you will have jobs being automatically dropped into hot folders, imposed and sent to your printing device.

Our Impostrip solutions can even drive automated finishing devices like Duplo's DC645, through our bar code feature.

If you want to see this in live action, we'll be at On Demand in Boston, Graphic Of the Americas and Drupa. We can even send you a fully functional version to test.

Hope this helps,

Ray Duval
Ultimate Technographics.

 

[Alith7]

Re: Automated Workflow

I have a questions for anyone in general, What kind of printing do you do?
More specifically, what kind/type of jobs?

We're a smallish printer that specializes in small product packaging in short run quantities. ((a biggish order is 20,000)) We've found quite a comfortable nitch, but I pride myself on keeping my prepress department as up-to-date as possible.

We get A LOT of really bad customer submitted art in any program you can think of. no kidding. anything!

this automated workflow wounds great, but how does it apply when the art -isn't- 100% press ready?

I just want to make sure I'm not ignoring this advance in the industry because i think it doesn't apply to what we do when maybe it really does....

 

[HiTech_Monkeyboy]

Re: Automated Workflow

Hey Metrix, I'm in the process of looking into at least a degree of automation, please post your results/bugs, etc when you get into it.

Thanks,
Monkey

 

[insanedave]

Re: Automated Workflow

Will do Monkey, i just got an email saying some of the upgrades will be her by end of next week.

 

[david]

Re: Automated Workflow

Under $8000! Automation is easily controlled.

Have a look at this - http://www.trapping.org

The TaskForce workflow has all of these features:

A Professional Web site with unlimited client licenses where clients can upload jobs to you with fully customizable job ticketing and email notices.

Automating of jobs into production based on job numbering and job ticket contents.

Ripping - with spool folder, network printing, local selection and unlimited queue options

Trapping - automatic in-rip trapping of the very highest quality

Soft Proofing - proofs made from the actual ripped/trapped data is automatically uploaded back to the web site and email notice - with job thumbnail - is sent to your client. Clients can view their job in the browser with support for Acrobat annotations, notes, page and job approval with email notices back to the printer.

Production Ready PDF creation - PDFx1A files with trapping applied.

Imposition - wizard or light table imposition using Acrobat plugin

Hybrid Screening - achieve the very best quality printing with minimum dot size control

Dot Proofing - prepare files for your proofing printer based on the actual screened data

Archiving - saved your final screened jobs in an easy to use PDF form for fast future retrival

All this and more for under $8000

David Lewis
Lucid Dream Software

 

[zgraph]

Re: Automated Workflow

Hi Matt,
What do think about ESKO ARTWORKS buying Gradual?
I am a Nexus user and I am hoping that they will bring roll some of Gradual's automation in to there Webway and or WebCenter product.