PDF workflow upgrade

[RickS]

Hello all. We looking at upgrading our EskoArtwork Raster workflow to their PDF workflow. I know, we should have done this a while ago. Questions for anybody that has done this. Are you happy with your choice of EskoArtwork as opposed to a different company? Did it do for you what you were told it would? Was the install and training very painful? Anything else that stands out that I should know?

Thanks in advance for any advice you may have.
Rick

 

[t.hack]

We switched from a Brisque shop to a Nexus shop about a year and a half ago we looked hard at Prinergy, Rampage and Nexus.

We purchased Nexus with the Raster workflow and the PDF workflow. We never used the Raster workflow once for a live job, the PDF workflow has been extremely reliable and productive. Once you get your workflows setup and are working properly it is extremely robust. Install and training went well... far better than any experience I have ever had with Kodak, same goes with support. You will definitely want Neo which is absolutely the most powerful PDF editor available.

Only complaint is it seems Esko is making more of the decisions than Artwork Systems since the merger. I would talk to your sales rep and try to get some information on the future of Nexus and the integration with their soon to be released Suite 10 which is the merging of Odystar, Nexus and BackStage. Esko side of the company seems to be anti Mac and is love with windows... most of their products require you to run their software in Parallels if your on a Mac???

Tim

 

[disbellj]

Well, even if they love WIndows, if they will allow you to run virtualization on a Mac and support it, then what's the problem? I run Windows on my Mac and really wouldn't want it any other way. When not using, I can suspend it if going to shut down my Mac, or pause it if I just want to minimize it and keep it open but yet give most resources back to my Mac. Nice really. Nothing nicer really, for a Mac user. Edit: I'm jeaolus you got PDF trapping and Neo and I don't yet. Still stuck with raster workflow, which still is able to work with my PDF/X-1a's at least. (Thank God!)

Regards,

Don

We switched from a Brisque shop to a Nexus shop about a year and a half ago we looked hard at Prinergy, Rampage and Nexus.

We purchased Nexus with the Raster workflow and the PDF workflow. We never used the Raster workflow once for a live job, the PDF workflow has been extremely reliable and productive. Once you get your workflows setup and are working properly it is extremely robust. Install and training went well... far better than any experience I have ever had with Kodak, same goes with support. You will definitely want Neo which is absolutely the most powerful PDF editor available.

Only complaint is it seems Esko is making more of the decisions than Artwork Systems since the merger. I would talk to your sales rep and try to get some information on the future of Nexus and the integration with their soon to be released Suite 10 which is the merging of Odystar, Nexus and BackStage. Esko side of the company seems to be anti Mac and is love with windows... most of their products require you to run their software in Parallels if your on a Mac???

Tim

 

[t.hack]

I too am running Windows on my Mac and appreciate that I can. My problem is that when I am paying thousands of dollars for professional software, I prefer running it natively on my operating system of choice rather than in virtualization for obvious reasons.

Just my opinion.

 

[disbellj]

Obvious reasons?

Is it slower in virtualization? Not for me. Maybe it's cause I have a Mac Pro 8-core. I like the portability of it myself (run the system, including virtualization off of an external drive if you'd like). As long as I have the dongle, I don't need the physical Windows machine. If you understand and use virtualization and not emulation, you'll understand that virtualization is basically native speed. Windows is actually using the hardware. Mac is not "emulating" the Windows processor, for they both use Intel now.

I too am running Windows on my Mac and appreciate that I can. My problem is that when I am paying thousands of dollars for professional software, I prefer running it natively on my operating system of choice rather than in virtualization for obvious reasons.

Just my opinion.

 

[t.hack]

The point was to offer my view for Rick on the philosophy's of two different company's that recently merged and their approach to their software strategies.

As far as virtulization...

Comparison of VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[RickS]

Thanks Tim. Your input was great. It is of course the least expensive option. We have loved the Artwork Nexus raster workflow up till now. But see the many advantages of a PDF workflow, soft proofing being high on the list. I believe we will upgrade to this and I am wondering if I am missing anything before we commit.

 

[t.hack]

Rick

If you loved the Raster workflow you will definitely love the PDF workflow and will never look back. It is a workhorse...the Trapper is excellent and you can do amazing things automatically with Pitstop Profiles and Action Lists within the Pitstop Module.

If you are using Preps I believe you need at least version 5.2.3 for the JDF to PDF module to function properly. I would definitely confirm that with EskoArtwork.

As far of the future roadmap of Nexus I am a little unclear how that is going be handled, perhaps more information will be available soon since EskoWorld was this week.

Here is a link for their future workflow, I would definitely inquire how that transition will be handled.

EskoArtwork News Overview

 

[PDL]

. . . . Esko side of the company seems to be anti Mac and is love with windows... most of their products require you to run their software in Parallels if your on a Mac???

Tim

While it's true that the Automation 10 server components (once know as BackStage) and Flexrips (which once configured require very little interaction) run in Windows, I can only think of 3 Esko applications a prepress operator may use on a daily basis that are only WinTel based, and I have never seen a prepress environment that required all 3. But they do run quite well in Windows on a Mac. A majority of the productivity and workfow tools can run on Mac, and many Mac or PC, your choice.

Esko is so "anti-Mac" that the hundreds laptops issued to it's own employees for company use, running Esko applications, doing demo's, and testing, are Intel-Macs. I think if you look a bit closer there are solutions for you no matter what your platform of choice is.

 

[FKarlone]

On and On

On and On

We have been using the Nexus PDF Workflow for a while now. It works great!

I agree you have to have Neo, Acrobat will do some basic edits. Neo will work with the PDFs as a vector file similar to opening in Illustrator except without all the artifacts.

As far as all that Windows garbage, buy a PC.

 

[t.hack]

While it's true that the Automation 10 server components (once know as BackStage) and Flexrips (which once configured require very little interaction) run in Windows, I can only think of 3 Esko applications a prepress operator may use on a daily basis that are only WinTel based, and I have never seen a prepress environment that required all 3. But they do run quite well in Windows on a Mac. A majority of the productivity and workfow tools can run on Mac, and many Mac or PC, your choice.

Esko is so "anti-Mac" that the hundreds laptops issued to it's own employees for company use, running Esko applications, doing demo's, and testing, are Intel-Macs. I think if you look a bit closer there are solutions for you no matter what your platform of choice is.

I actually formed that opinion based on a 2 day training session where an ESKO employee (who was attending the session for training) relentlessly bashed macs with empty rhetoric any chance he could get and that was quite frequent I might add... I think he spoke more than the instructor.

The basis for my comments were to simply to give my opinion on two different companies that have merged and actual facts that most of Esko software is written for WinTel and most of ArtWork systems software is written for Mac and Windows. Something that is very evident by viewing the system requirements for all of Esko's products compared to Artwork Systems on your Website. The majority of the Esko software states; Limited support for Intel Mac.

I personally own 3 PC's and 2 Macs but whenever possible I run a program natively.

Naturally a Macbook is the best option for demo's since it does allow you to show both Mac and Windows software on the same Laptop.

I said nothing but positive remarks about Nexus and their PDF workflow (which this Thread was originally concerning). I was simply stating that it is unclear what the future roadmap for Nexus is since the merger and I feel it is a legitimate concern he should query.

 

[PrepressDan]

Just thought I would chime in. I was told at Eskoworld last month that Automation Engine 10 will run native on a Mac. But not until after the PC version is released. Im not worried, While Esko's editors where PC native and AWS where mac Native, they will continue to work in the new AE10.

Also, the Pilot client is Mac and PC native. They demo'ed this at Eskoworld. Looks nice.

Editing for Mac: Artpro / Neo
Editing for PC: Packedge
S&R Mac: Powerlayout
S&R PC: Plato

 

[t.hack]

Just thought I would chime in. I was told at Eskoworld last month that Automation Engine 10 will run native on a Mac. But not until after the PC version is released. Im not worried, While Esko's editors where PC native and AWS where mac Native, they will continue to work in the new AE10.

Also, the Pilot client is Mac and PC native. They demo'ed this at Eskoworld. Looks nice.

Editing for Mac: Artpro / Neo
Editing for PC: Packedge
S&R Mac: Powerlayout
S&R PC: Plato

Great news if that is true, I have been unable to get much information concerning the future of Nexus/AE10. I was hoping more information would be available after Eskoworld.

Any other new developments?

Thanks for sharing...

Tim

 

[Jose Gonzales]

Great news if that is true, I have been unable to get much information concerning the future of Nexus/AE10. I was hoping more information would be available after Eskoworld.

Any other new developments?

Tim

http://www.esko.com/Web/site.aspx?p=4485

Talk to your Sales rep for a explanation on the future roadmap. EskoArtwork is sharing this information with customers. And you'll get all the info from the proper source...

 

[BlairT]

Nexus PDF Trapper faults

Nexus PDF Trapper faults

The Nexus PDF Trapper is good for most CMYK with a second hit of black, but try adding 2nd PMS colours that need cutbacks and you're going back to the Raster Trapper to get it done.

 

[PrepressDan]

Hey BlairT. What you say is true. But esko has released a new PDF trapper call the "Power Trapper" that is by far the best and fastest trapper I have seen. Currently it is stand alone in Illustrator and in Automation Engine 10 but it will be ported down to Nexus as well. Good news for us all.

Also guys, I did confirm that Automation Engine 10 will be both Mac & PC native. The PC version is out now and they are going to start working on the Mac version soon.

 

[t.hack]

The Nexus PDF Trapper is good for most CMYK with a second hit of black, but try adding 2nd PMS colours that need cutbacks and you're going back to the Raster Trapper to get it done.

The PDF Trapper will give the necessary cutbacks, you just need to adjust the Keep Away Ink Darkness percentage to a value lower than your bump plate. eg. If your second hit is 40% change the percentage to 39% or even just go to 0% and that will definitely get everything.