Best Quark Preflight Software?

[Criminy]

Aside from Markzware's FlightCheck, that is...

My boss is asking for comparable (read: cheaper) software. We've got 5 seats. Ideas anyone? Recommendations?

 

[Tech]

I don't think anyone else makes more efficient and effective preflight app for Quark or Indesign than FlightCheck at the price they are asking for 5-seat.

 

[mattbeals]

Sorry, FlightCheck is the only player in native application preflighting. And it's a great product too.

 

[Criminy]

I would tend to agree. (I only wish there was some miraculous method of collecting embedded fonts and links for export!) However, I've been charged with finding viable alternatives. Thank you for confirming my suspicions, though.

I've tried (repeatedly and unsuccessfully) to download "FreeFlight," that totally-free preflighting software, but keep getting a dead link, which expired only days ago... Bummer.

 

[mattbeals]

FreeFlight appears to be a cheap knock off. Every time I have asked for information I can't get any. when I tried downloading it I couldn't. 'Ve been banned from his website.

 

[Criminy]

Yeah, I'm not exactly overflowing with confidence there, either.

Of course, I'M one of the annoying "just joined the site to get the link to the free software" noobs, anyway.

 

[mattbeals]

For all practical purposes it appears to be a side business. So I'm not sure how well maintained it is. Getting references is impossible. At least with Markzware it is actively maintained and supported. Extensis used to have a preflight tool, but that is long since dead. And rightfully so if I may add. Horrible product, horrible... But, I'd advise your boss to stop waisting time and go with FlightCheck. You are not going to find anything nearly as functional or in depth with native files.

 

[Criminy]

Thanks for the recommendation, Matt. I'll be sharing my findings with the boss today.

 

[Fernando Bergamaschi]

Quark Job Jackes if used correctly can be very powerfull and easier to use than preflight programs.

 

[semi-tech]

If they still make it, Markzware has FlightCheck Designer. That should work well, and is less expensive than the Full-blown FlightCheck.

 

[Hopkins Printing]

Quark Job Jackes if used correctly can be very powerfull and easier to use than preflight programs.

I've tried to make some sense of Quark Job Jackets but haven't been successful. Are Quark JJ's like InDesign's live preflight feature? If so, are there any good instructions for setting them up? I tried following the user guide but after a while, I couldn't make heads or tails of it.

I'd love to give my Quark customers something for live preflighting their files as they construct them.

Thanks,
Jon

 

[Criminy]

I'd advise your boss to stop waisting time and go with FlightCheck. You are not going to find anything nearly as functional or in depth with native files.

I finally got FlightCheck and I'm very happy with it. I love the customization features. Sometimes, you just gotta dig deep and do what you've got to in order to keep up with the demands of the industry. Price of doing business.

 

[mattbeals]

That's great! FC Pro is an invaluable tool for production. You're right, it is a cost of doing business. But! You can use FC Pro (and other preflight tools) to lower the "cost of doing business" by using these tools to get better information more quickly. If you need any help please feel free to contact me.

 

[Criminy]

Thanks, Matt. I like to run InDesign files through FlightCheck as well, because it's a bit more robust than InDesign's built in preflight tool. I like the scale and output resolution information FC affords.

 

[mattbeals]

You know, as often as I tell people about FlightCheck it kills me they tell me "FlightCheck? Is that still around?" Or "there's no need for it anymore". Then someone like you realizes the benefits of FlightCheck, like other preflight tools. It smart money to use FC on native files for the reasons you said. The built in preflight tools in InDesign are functional, but not highly functional. Not to mention that they appear to be a poor knock-off of Markzware's FlightCheck Studio.