Prepress automation beta | ReadySetPDF

[DarrenM]

Hey everyone,

I know how many hours we lose in prepress just setting up complex step-and-repeats.

I got tired of the workarounds and piecing together different tools, so I built a standalone desktop automation tool called ReadySetPDF. I designed it specifically for small to medium-sized print shops to bypass the cloud entirely. It runs 100% on your local hardware, which means zero upload time and zero lag. We are currently in beta and would love feedback via the integrated feedback form.

We are currently in active Beta, pushing daily updates and rapid bug fixes based entirely on what our testers actually need in their daily workflows. I'm looking for a few shops to really put the software through its paces and see what breaks. As we all know, so many compression and workflow variables it is almost impossible to test without releasing into the wild.

The Beta Tester Reward: If your team tests the software and provides feedback through the built-in bug reporter, you will receive a free Lifetime Pro License when the software officially launches.

Here is what it currently handles:

• Automated Hot Folders (Game Changer): Set it and forget it. Designate watch folders on your local network. ReadySetPDF automatically monitors them, applying your pre-configured templates, impositions, and prepress checks so jobs are ready to print by morning.
• Variable Data Handling (Core Tool): Process massive Variable Data Printing streams rapidly using your own hardware. With no browser limitations or lag, you can seamlessly link CSV data sets to PDF templates for personalized direct mailers and healthcare compliance letters.
• Step & Repeat Imposition: Maximize your sheet yield instantly. Input custom row/column counts, define exact gutter spacing, and let the engine step-and-repeat single records into production-ready multi-up press sheets in seconds. Ideal for business cards and tags.
• Automated Booklet Maker: Stop wrestling with reader-to-printer spreads. ReadySetPDF automatically paginates multipage documents into perfect 2-up saddle stitch layouts, applying precise spine creep based on your specific paper caliper for flush face trims.
• Prepress Preflight Reports: Catch costly errors before they ever reach the plate. Generate detailed preflight reports that analyze files for missing fonts, low-resolution imagery, RGB vs. CMYK color space issues, and improper trim/bleed box definitions.
• PDF Unlock & Decryption: Bypass frustrating file restrictions. Instantly remove owner passwords and print-lock restrictions from client-supplied PDFs so you can preflight, impose, and send files to the RIP without workflow interruptions.
• Advanced Batch Processing: Process entire folders of PDFs simultaneously. Consolidate chaos into a single print run by seamlessly merging dozens of files into one optimized master document, or apply crop marks and scaling to hundreds of files in a single click.
• Crop & Bleed Mark Generator: Generating printer marks shouldn't be a guessing game. Apply professional perimeter crop marks, center marks, and define trim boxes globally across any document. Ensure your bindery department has exactly the edge-to-edge indicators they need.
• Page Extraction & Splitting: Break down massive batch files into manageable chunks for different presses. Extract specific page ranges, split a 10,000-page file into 1,000-page segments, or pull single records out of a corrupted print stream instantly.
• Automated Blank Page Insertion: Fix duplexing errors before they hit the press. Automatically insert blank pages to force right-hand reading, pad documents to divisible page counts for booklet making, or ensure chapter starts always land on the front of a sheet.
• Document Resizing & Scaling: Standardize customer files instantly. Force non-standard client PDFs into standard print dimensions (Letter, Tabloid, Custom) while intelligently maintaining aspect ratios, centering content, and automatically adjusting the trim box definitions.

You can grab the portable download here (no complex installation required, just unzip and run): ReadySetPDF - Prepress Automation for Print Shops

Best,
ReadySetPDF team

 

[smalloffsetpressexperts]

And to think Ry@bi/Pres$tek destroyed AB Dick to plant a digital seed to grow the new Digital monster of Print

 

[Green Printer]

Hey everyone,

I know how many hours we lose in prepress just setting up complex step-and-repeats.

I got tired of the workarounds and piecing together different tools, so I built a standalone desktop automation tool called ReadySetPDF. I designed it specifically for small to medium-sized print shops to bypass the cloud entirely. It runs 100% on your local hardware, which means zero upload time and zero lag. We are currently in beta and would love feedback via the integrated feedback form.

We are currently in active Beta, pushing daily updates and rapid bug fixes based entirely on what our testers actually need in their daily workflows. I'm looking for a few shops to really put the software through its paces and see what breaks. As we all know, so many compression and workflow variables it is almost impossible to test without releasing into the wild.

The Beta Tester Reward: If your team tests the software and provides feedback through the built-in bug reporter, you will receive a free Lifetime Pro License when the software officially launches.

Here is what it currently handles:

• Automated Hot Folders (Game Changer): Set it and forget it. Designate watch folders on your local network. ReadySetPDF automatically monitors them, applying your pre-configured templates, impositions, and prepress checks so jobs are ready to print by morning.
• Variable Data Handling (Core Tool): Process massive Variable Data Printing streams rapidly using your own hardware. With no browser limitations or lag, you can seamlessly link CSV data sets to PDF templates for personalized direct mailers and healthcare compliance letters.
• Step & Repeat Imposition: Maximize your sheet yield instantly. Input custom row/column counts, define exact gutter spacing, and let the engine step-and-repeat single records into production-ready multi-up press sheets in seconds. Ideal for business cards and tags.
• Automated Booklet Maker: Stop wrestling with reader-to-printer spreads. ReadySetPDF automatically paginates multipage documents into perfect 2-up saddle stitch layouts, applying precise spine creep based on your specific paper caliper for flush face trims.
• Prepress Preflight Reports: Catch costly errors before they ever reach the plate. Generate detailed preflight reports that analyze files for missing fonts, low-resolution imagery, RGB vs. CMYK color space issues, and improper trim/bleed box definitions.
• PDF Unlock & Decryption: Bypass frustrating file restrictions. Instantly remove owner passwords and print-lock restrictions from client-supplied PDFs so you can preflight, impose, and send files to the RIP without workflow interruptions.
• Advanced Batch Processing: Process entire folders of PDFs simultaneously. Consolidate chaos into a single print run by seamlessly merging dozens of files into one optimized master document, or apply crop marks and scaling to hundreds of files in a single click.
• Crop & Bleed Mark Generator: Generating printer marks shouldn't be a guessing game. Apply professional perimeter crop marks, center marks, and define trim boxes globally across any document. Ensure your bindery department has exactly the edge-to-edge indicators they need.
• Page Extraction & Splitting: Break down massive batch files into manageable chunks for different presses. Extract specific page ranges, split a 10,000-page file into 1,000-page segments, or pull single records out of a corrupted print stream instantly.
• Automated Blank Page Insertion: Fix duplexing errors before they hit the press. Automatically insert blank pages to force right-hand reading, pad documents to divisible page counts for booklet making, or ensure chapter starts always land on the front of a sheet.
• Document Resizing & Scaling: Standardize customer files instantly. Force non-standard client PDFs into standard print dimensions (Letter, Tabloid, Custom) while intelligently maintaining aspect ratios, centering content, and automatically adjusting the trim box definitions.

You can grab the portable download here (no complex installation required, just unzip and run): ReadySetPDF - Prepress Automation for Print Shops

View attachment 294978

Best,
ReadySetPDF team

when will you have a mac version?

 

[DarrenM]

when will you have a mac version?

That is a wonderful question. Since I'm building in Python, and on a PC, there is a significant hurdle to cross to make compatible with MAC. I will continue researching, but for now 2.20 is now released.

Changelog​

[2.20] - 2026-07-06 Major Features & Core Upgrades

True Vector Color Space Conversion: Completely overhauled the color conversion engine. Exporting documents to Grayscale, Black & White, or CMYK no longer rasterizes or flattens the file. Ghostscript Engine Integration: The industry-standard Ghostscript engine is now baked directly into the ReadySetPDF executable. Users no longer need to install external dependencies to get professional-grade color remapping. Preserved Editability: Because color conversions are now handled mathematically at the vector level, all text remains fully highlightable and editable in Acrobat after export. Crisp Graphics & Smaller Files: Fixed an issue where converting color spaces would cause graphics to pixelate or become blurry. Vector lines remain infinitely scalable, and file sizes remain lean. Performance Improvements Dual-Render Pipeline: The app now intelligently uses two different rendering methods. It continues to use high-speed rasterization for the Live Preview window to prevent UI lag while adjusting settings, but switches to the deep vector Ghostscript engine for the final production export.

Thank you for the request.

 

[namelessentity]

That is a wonderful question. Since I'm building in Python, and on a PC, there is a significant hurdle to cross to make compatible with MAC. I will continue researching, but for now 2.20 is now released.

Changelog​

[2.20] - 2026-07-06 Major Features & Core Upgrades

True Vector Color Space Conversion: Completely overhauled the color conversion engine. Exporting documents to Grayscale, Black & White, or CMYK no longer rasterizes or flattens the file. Ghostscript Engine Integration: The industry-standard Ghostscript engine is now baked directly into the ReadySetPDF executable. Users no longer need to install external dependencies to get professional-grade color remapping. Preserved Editability: Because color conversions are now handled mathematically at the vector level, all text remains fully highlightable and editable in Acrobat after export. Crisp Graphics & Smaller Files: Fixed an issue where converting color spaces would cause graphics to pixelate or become blurry. Vector lines remain infinitely scalable, and file sizes remain lean. Performance Improvements Dual-Render Pipeline: The app now intelligently uses two different rendering methods. It continues to use high-speed rasterization for the Live Preview window to prevent UI lag while adjusting settings, but switches to the deep vector Ghostscript engine for the final production export.

Thank you for the request.

You might want to consider developing the other way around. I've never seen a prepress room not filled with Macs.