Makeready Software in 2026 (TF Prep, PrismaPrepare, AccurioPro etc)

[bcr]

Hi all,

Contracts are up for renewal this year and Totalflow Prep is being discontinued, hence looking for a new makeready/workflow solution.

Back in 2020 we looked at PrismaPrepare, AccurioPro Flux and RSA ReadyPrint.

Is there anyone on here with up to date experience of these or other platforms and has any feedback?

I'm also thinking about ditching entirely this type of application and instead doing everything through Acrobat and CWS with Jobflow automating certain processes (using Jobmaster and Impose/Compose).

Our main workflows are:

- Producing large binders of legal docs with custom tab dividers (compiling the PDF's, defining the tabs, visually checking the document)
- Booklets
- Thermal bound books
- Greetings cards (gang up imposition)
- Labels

TF Prep seemed the best of the bunch for our Tab workflows in 2020, but since we got into it the shortcomings became increasingly apparent and were never improved. Curious where the other platforms are at now.

Feedback appreciated!

 

[EdwardB]

We use PrismaPrepare with both Canon Devices and Xerox (using JDF). Xerox was a paid for integration.

Hands down, you can't replicate the PrismaPrepare Page programming and Print setup using Acrobat and CWS.

Tab creation is super easy with PrismaPrepare. My preferred method is a flat text file and importing, you can also use PDF bookmarks, or even manually. If your printer supports 2-sided tabs, it will automagically create the back sides for you. Booklets, in many different types, are easy to create just by defining the document type. The types include a standard saddle stitch, as well as multiple/split booklets (i.e. one document could be broken up into multiple saddle stitch documents and printed as sets).

anything specific you want to know about the application?

 

[bcr]

We use PrismaPrepare with both Canon Devices and Xerox (using JDF). Xerox was a paid for integration.

Hands down, you can't replicate the PrismaPrepare Page programming and Print setup using Acrobat and CWS.

Tab creation is super easy with PrismaPrepare. My preferred method is a flat text file and importing, you can also use PDF bookmarks, or even manually. If your printer supports 2-sided tabs, it will automagically create the back sides for you. Booklets, in many different types, are easy to create just by defining the document type. The types include a standard saddle stitch, as well as multiple/split booklets (i.e. one document could be broken up into multiple saddle stitch documents and printed as sets).

anything specific you want to know about the application?

Thanks for this. are you using PrismaPrepare into Fiery's then, or Prisma controllers?

When I last looked at Prisma the main downside to the tab automation side was that it was very slow to process larger documents (a few thousand pages). I seem to recall it being run on a laptop though at Canon HQ and that might have explained why it was so slow.

When i've got a binder of exhibits my workflow usually is:

i. combine files into one single PDF in Acrobat
ii. do some tricks on the bookmarks for labelling
iii. preflight - scale combined PDF to A4, then save
iv. Load saved doc into TF Prep
v. Auto insert tabs at bookmarks
vi. Auto add bookmark text to tabs
vii. Review tabs, make any needed edits, then print.

What I would like is at step iv. to throw the compiled PDF into a hotfolder and then have it auto convert the bookmarks to tabs, apply various media and scaling settings, and then I just review the document before sending to print.

 

[EdwardB]

Fiery supports JDF, so Prepare just sends the appropriate JDF data for Fiery to assign media/etc. The biggest hiccup between the two is (either Prepare or Fiery, never sure which) is expecting certain paper catalog values to match explicitly. Basically if it doesn't match just right, the paper assignment is still there just no catalog entry assigned to it... you only need to select the paper catalog entry from within the Fiery and you are good to go.

We don't use Prepare for preflighting.... otherwise, Prepare could do all of those steps. Now, as for hot-foldering, we haven't tried using Prisma Hot Folders to set up documents like that, but I believe you can (except for combining PDFs). Prisma macros can be a little finicky, often when creating macros it tends to be very explicit when it comes to selecting pages, like when selecting pages to set to cover stock. It uses static page number(s) instead of logically "first two"/"last two" pages of a book.

 

[EdwardB]

these are the select options that aren't page 3 explicit. when recording a macro you can combine the "home" or "end" key and "pages on the same sheet" to select both from and back (if applicable), then assign a paper media. Otherwise, if you were to say "click" on the page, it will record that page #, if that page number doesn't exist on the next file the macro will fail. If the page # is in the middle of the book, that is where the cover media will be assigned.

 

[bcr]

Fiery supports JDF, so Prepare just sends the appropriate JDF data for Fiery to assign media/etc. The biggest hiccup between the two is (either Prepare or Fiery, never sure which) is expecting certain paper catalog values to match explicitly. Basically if it doesn't match just right, the paper assignment is still there just no catalog entry assigned to it... you only need to select the paper catalog entry from within the Fiery and you are good to go.

We don't use Prepare for preflighting.... otherwise, Prepare could do all of those steps. Now, as for hot-foldering, we haven't tried using Prisma Hot Folders to set up documents like that, but I believe you can (except for combining PDFs). Prisma macros can be a little finicky, often when creating macros it tends to be very explicit when it comes to selecting pages, like when selecting pages to set to cover stock. It uses static page number(s) instead of logically "first two"/"last two" pages of a book.

thanks for this, very helpful! the combining part i would be doing in Acrobat regardless.

What you describe about paper catalogue issues and JDF sounds quite similar to the experience I'm having atm with TF Prep into CWS to be honest.

 

[jwheeler]

Our shop has KM's AccurioPro Flux, which is very easy to learn, and WYSIWYG. We also make lots of 3-ring binder training manuals where we have to combine multiple PDF's from the client, and make 20+ tab dividers (though, like you, we combine the PDF's in Acrobat cuz it's just how we've always done it before we had Flux). It also has some great scanned document cleanup features like erasing edges and holes, replacing a logo on every page, blanking out page numbers, etc. Flux allows you to do impositions, numbering, and even allows for dutch cuts. We also use Flux's hot folders for our business cards.

I have used RSA ReadyPrint quite a bit in the past, and it's nearly identical to AccurioPro Flux.

Since you have Fiery's, you might also consider Fiery's Impose/JobMaster suite. As the name implies, Impose does the imposition. JobMaster (their advanced version of Fiery Compose) does everything else you need (combining documents together, making tabs, numbering, etc). All of the software I mentioned recognizes the bookmarks from Acrobat/PDF's to automatically make tabs if you want.

I have heard very positive things about Canon's PrismaPrepare too...a large school district inplant near recently switched all of their printers to Canon specifically because they loved PrismaPrepare so much. I haven't used is myself.

 

[bcr]

Our shop has KM's AccurioPro Flux, which is very easy to learn, and WYSIWYG. We also make lots of 3-ring binder training manuals where we have to combine multiple PDF's from the client, and make 20+ tab dividers (though, like you, we combine the PDF's in Acrobat cuz it's just how we've always done it before we had Flux). It also has some great scanned document cleanup features like erasing edges and holes, replacing a logo on every page, blanking out page numbers, etc. Flux allows you to do impositions, numbering, and even allows for dutch cuts. We also use Flux's hot folders for our business cards.

I have used RSA ReadyPrint quite a bit in the past, and it's nearly identical to AccurioPro Flux.

Since you have Fiery's, you might also consider Fiery's Impose/JobMaster suite. As the name implies, Impose does the imposition. JobMaster (their advanced version of Fiery Compose) does everything else you need (combining documents together, making tabs, numbering, etc). All of the software I mentioned recognizes the bookmarks from Acrobat/PDF's to automatically make tabs if you want.

I have heard very positive things about Canon's PrismaPrepare too...a large school district inplant near recently switched all of their printers to Canon specifically because they loved PrismaPrepare so much. I haven't used is myself.

thanks we have Jobmaster but not Impose/Compose. I will be trying that out with Jobflow to see if we can get more of a streamlined automated solution.

Will look again at Flux, I was quite impressed with it when I looked at it five years ago.