Equios Online

[pabney]

Any one out there have comments, experience with this? It seems we have a potential customer that is used to using Kodak Insight and they are asking if we have something similar and since we currently use Equious Pre4m I was hoping that I could get some feedback.

Thanks
Paul

 

[kantblue]

Hi Paul,
We use Equios Online here for our proofing, but are using it with Trueflow 7 - haven't had the time to switch over to Equios - mainly due to us having a huge range of flatworker impositions and a nice structured imposition folder - which as far as I can tell Equios doesn't support. So some of my comments might not apply to you.

It's generally working OK, but as its a JAVA based program we have had a number of customers who can't use it - admittedly due to their inability to run/install java but it's sometimes hard to explain that.
In its current state though it can be a little bit 'flaky' at times and we do have some customers who really don't like it at all because of this. I think that Insite is more likely to be more full-featured - there are no colour management options (in the version we have) whereas I think Insite does support colour calibrated monitors.

kantblue

 

[pabney]

kantblue,
Thanks for that. I figured it was Java based, but I believe Insite is also. I really would like to stay away from Java if possible if only for support for tablets. I am not interested in color support, and I am sure I am not interested in the cost of Insite.

Since I don't have any experience in this, so not sure what I am looking for, here are the parameters that I was given.

Customer not interested in receiving pdfs.
Customer wants ability to login and ok post ripped files for content.
Files will be instruction manuals, data sheets. Color ok not necessary but separations would be good
Must be through HTTP or HTTPS.
No client software to install.
Flip book proofing a plus.

I suspect that they are currently viewing a pdf through Insite and just don't know it. This is a guess as I have never used it. I also figure that Equios Online would be the same. I can output pdfs from Equious as well as Jpgs and Tiffs, so I could spool them to a web server with software to view them. Now I am rambling. Anyone have a compass handy to point me in some kind of direction?

Paul

 

[kantblue]

Paul, we had considered the DIY route ourselves, but the advantages of using Equios seemed to outweigh this, mainly in the following areas (for us of course - might be different for you). I'm sure it's possible to setup/write your own code to do all of the following but its definitely not a trivial task!

1. The ability to show separations - especially where spot colour is concerned - I'm not sure you could get viewing software off the peg that would do this.
2. The ability to preview the artwork with and without the bleeds showing.
3. The ability to automate the whole process of ripping, trapping and sending an automatic notification to a client.
4. The ability for the customer to approve a job which then automatically goes on to the next stage.
5. The ability of a customer who has correction pages to show both original and correction pages in a window side by side with the differences between the two pages highlighted.
6. The ability to let a customer login and Create/Upload their own files and have a ripped proof send directly back to them.
7. Some of our customers act as administrators for their own proofs - they can allocate who in their department gets proofs, approval rights etc.

When we first started with online proofing we didn't let customers create/proof their own jobs, but we now have a number of clients who really like this idea - it's a good way of connecting with and keeping some customers. The downside (and I guess its a good thing) is that we sometimes come to work with a number of unexpected jobs waiting to go to plate having been uploaded, proofed and corrected without us being involved. All we have to do is get the thing printed at the usual breakneck speeds expected nowadays

PS if for some reason you can't get a demo from Screen PM me and I will send you a link to an online proof on our system for you to look at.


PPS. There is an app available (its really a web browser) for Equios Online on the Ipad, and I believe that some of the proofing options such as Page flip don't require java as they are html5 based - indeed I seem to recollect during discussions with Screen that the Equios Online proofing was going down this route - I have heard that Equios 2 is due shortly so I wonder if the proofing is also due for an update.