Online Preflighting Service/Server

[imagesetting]

Hi, I am looking for a simple preflighting solution to weed out problem client files before they reach us - well at least just the basics, bleed, marks, CMYK, image res. linked images, fonts as outlines - for example, if it fails - a message can be given to the submitter and advise on what the error was, - I appreciate an operator would need to be involved for more complex issues.

Simply want to stop the game of ping pong on files, no mater how many times you tell people they just repeat the same errors - wastes a lot of our time.

I have tried getting them to install our .joboptions file, so they can submit PDF/x-1a files, but that that doesn't always prove successful, and often resort to getting them to submit application files so we have control of making the PDF - BUT it makes our life complicated if they dont even submit these correctly setup in the first place.

We are a large format printer.

I note Enfocus or Callas probably do a solution (whether server or hosted), but the licence fee is quite expensive.
Can't seem to find Flight Check's online offering any where (does that SW still have the squawking bird on the progress bar LOL).

Is it possible to simply script acrobat's preflight to work from a hot folder (ie an FTP folder behind a firewall) and do what I suggest, or pay for an online service.

Searching for this type of facility brings up lots of dated information about services/applications that were offered, but today they all seem to have vanished - I thought there would be more demand for this - not less ??

Thanks.

 

[Tim-Ellis]

Hello,

I think you might be able to script something in java with acrobat but i think you just need to save the preflight as a droplet.app.

If you use a Mac you can easily use automator to create a folder action (hot folder) and drop your files there.

You can make custom preflights with acrobat.

And all that costs nothing

Good luck

 

[PDL]

With Esko’s Automation Engine, and the license that includes access to the features of Enfocus Pitstop, I’ve setup hot folders linked to either FTP or using WebCenter to automate the process of preflighting and based on pass/fail then notifying the uploader the result. Of course many corrections (CMYK conversions, bleed, font outline, etc) can be auto-corrected using Pitstop Actions saving time. Multiple "if this, then that" scenarios can be setup within a GUI window, no scripting involved.

Great solution with many other benefits, but alas not free.

 

[prepressdork]

Hello,

I think you might be able to script something in java with acrobat but i think you just need to save the preflight as a droplet.app.

If you use a Mac you can easily use automator to create a folder action (hot folder) and drop your files there.

You can make custom preflights with acrobat.

And all that costs nothing

Good luck

Hi Tim,

Would the droplet app work on computers without a full version of Acrobat?

Thanks,
pd

 

[Tim-Ellis]

Hi Tim,

Would the droplet app work on computers without a full version of Acrobat?

Thanks,
pd

Hi Pd,

Sadly no. The app merely triggers the installed application to do something. You can try to host the hot folder on a shared folder so that anyone can drop a file and pick up the result but that can be difficult to set up and you might need to dedicate a mac to the process. If your budget won't stretch to Enfocus Switch, it's worth investigating.

 

[mattbeals]

Hi, I am looking for a simple preflighting solution to weed out problem client files before they reach us - well at least just the basics, bleed, marks, CMYK, image res. linked images, fonts as outlines - for example, if it fails - a message can be given to the submitter and advise on what the error was, - I appreciate an operator would need to be involved for more complex issues.

Simply want to stop the game of ping pong on files, no mater how many times you tell people they just repeat the same errors - wastes a lot of our time.

I have tried getting them to install our .joboptions file, so they can submit PDF/x-1a files, but that that doesn't always prove successful, and often resort to getting them to submit application files so we have control of making the PDF - BUT it makes our life complicated if they dont even submit these correctly setup in the first place.

We are a large format printer.

I note Enfocus or Callas probably do a solution (whether server or hosted), but the licence fee is quite expensive.
Can't seem to find Flight Check's online offering any where (does that SW still have the squawking bird on the progress bar LOL).

Is it possible to simply script acrobat's preflight to work from a hot folder (ie an FTP folder behind a firewall) and do what I suggest, or pay for an online service.

Searching for this type of facility brings up lots of dated information about services/applications that were offered, but today they all seem to have vanished - I thought there would be more demand for this - not less ??

Thanks.

Many people invested in the technology and brought it in house rather than farming it out to an online service.

 

[Tom Hallinan]

>> I note Enfocus or Callas probably do a solution (whether server or hosted), but the licence fee is quite expensive.

Also keep HELIOS Software in mind. HELIOS licenses and incorporates the Callas PDF preflight capability into a web portal/workflow automation system. So users can upload PDFs and immediately get an online preflight report. If the PDF preflight detects problems, then an automated procedure can be performed, if the PDF passes, a different automated procedure can be executed. Multiple hot folders can be configured for different customers or requirements. Cost could be more or less than Enfocus or Callas, depending upon the configuration.

Tom Hallinan
HELIOS Software GmbH
www.helios.de

 

[prepressdork]

Hi Tom,

Do you know what sort of price tag the Helios solution has?

Thanks,
pd

 

[Tom Hallinan]

Hi Tom,

Do you know what sort of price tag the Helios solution has?

Thanks,
pd

Existing HELIOS server sites can add the PDF HandShake option for 3700 €. This includes server-based PDF preflighting, and Create PDF server. New customers would also need HELIOS Universal File Server (2950 €), which provides cross-platform file sharing, file synchronization, and Spotlight search for Mac, Windows, web, iOS, and Android users, and serves as the foundation for the prepress products. Most customers opt for the Universal Server Solutions Suite at 11900 €, which includes Universal File Server and all three HELIOS prepress products:
ImageServer
– High quality image format and ICC conversion
– Workflow automation system
PrintPreview
– Remote soft proofing
– Remote annotation system
PDF Handshake
– Automatic PDF preflighting
– Create PDF server

Tom Hallinan
HELIOS Software GmbH
www.helios.de