Automation in prepress

[betsyjoy]

What software/workflow do YOU use for automation in prepress/checking pdf files from advertisers/clients?

 

[Stickman42]

Switch

 

[betsyjoy]

Thank you for your response Stickman42!

Switch is what I am considering using since I have been using Pitstop for years. But I was wondering if there are anyothers out there that I should look at before just going with what I already know.

 

[cementary]

Kodak RBA. With it and some programming skills one can literally automate the whole prepress production step.

 

[betsyjoy]

Hi cemetery, are you talking about Kodak Prinergy? Is it complicated? I don't really have many programming skills. I used Kodak Prinergy some 10+ years ago when I worked at a printing plant. However, I wasn't the one that set it up initially.

 

[cementary]

Kodak Prinergy, yep
for start up and running one do not need any programming skills. It's like Scratch for kids compared to real programming
but if you want you can always dive deeper, 'cause with RBA it's supa easy — natively it supports visual basic and also you can create your own libraries with any other clr-compatible language and just use them with standard prinergy events the way you want. Also good stuff with direct sql queries to connect to probably any mis/erp systems from within the prinergy itself, plus embedded xml parsing support for everything else

 

[abc]

Just a suggestion. Write down what you want this solution to do.
Then it gives you a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve.

How does it need to get files?
What file formats does it need to work with?
Should it work with Native file formats?
Who does it need to keep in the loop?
What should it integrate with?
How does the system give feedback, how do you see what's going on.
What happens if you need to step in manually, how does that work.
etc. etc. etc.

You'll have 'must haves' and 'nice to haves'

Think about not only now, but also the future.

It should work how you want, not the other way around.

Be open to new ideas and suggestions though.

Also be aware that your workflow will evolve and change. Once you get to grips with what's possible and confidence grows, you'll constantly find new things you can do and improvements you can make. Automation is a living thing.

Disclaimer: I work for Enfocus who make PitStop and Switch.

 

[OffsetStorefront]

We don't use any but have quoted Switch and RBA. RBA was almost 2x as expensive compared to Switch for the same feature set we were looking at.

 

[zoran]

We are using Enfocus Switch with Pitstop Server and Quite Hot Imposing server. All excellent tools.

 

[ederoos]

We use Dalim Twist (tied to several other systems for DAM, softproofing and impo) and can tell you it's extremely versatile. So much so that it now automates complex workflow needs across multiple facilities.
The one thing I would stress with any automation ramp up is the need for a motivated internal champion. Without one, automation won't get very far. With one, the opportunities are virtually endless.

 

[Puch]

We use Switch too, tied to Callas pdfToolbox. The real question whether you want to outsource most of the tasks (meaning: you want the customers to upload files and read / handle reports) or you want to do that in-house. In the first case you need a monkey-safe and pretty front-end, which isn't available in Switch, yet.

One other company popped in my mind called ACCHSH, they've developed a system called PuzzleFlow. It has a pretty user portal and AFAIK they have an ad-checking solution out-of-the-box.

 

[scotts]

We use Dalim Twist (tied to several other systems for DAM, softproofing and impo) and can tell you it's extremely versatile. So much so that it now automates complex workflow needs across multiple facilities.
The one thing I would stress with any automation ramp up is the need for a motivated internal champion. Without one, automation won't get very far. With one, the opportunities are virtually endless.

I would totally agree, and would add, that the powers that be need to give that person the time to develop the automation too. And not throw so much at them, they can't focus on the automation. Otherwise they will get the low hanging fruit done, but then they will stop, because they just don't have the time to focus on the higher fruit.