Zapier for print? (or Make)

[WiseGuy]

Anyone using Zapier (or Make) yet for any print related workflows? I'd love to hear what others are doing with Zapier and any thoughts on what they'd like to see it do or, if you think its not for print, let me know that too. I'd love to hear all perspectives and thoughts.

Thanks in advance!
Michael

 

[Tom Peire]

As an integrator we, and some of our customers/fellow integrators, have used tools like Zapier, mainly to connect W2P systems to accounting and other more generic tools in their IT stack (Google WorkSpace, Salesforce, cloud-based accounting tools,.. ). We have seen the use of other low-code/integration platforms such n8n or Airtable. The fact that these tools are data/event, rather than file driven makes them interesting. Also, and depending on the tool the concept of “microflows” rather than these large “all encompassing” automations has advantages. The biggest challenge is that platfeoms do not “natively” connect to any of the industry specific tools and platforms such as MIS systems, print specific ordering platforms, and in premise automation. With Four Pees, we showed Atomyx Manage at Drupa, which has the ambition to become the “Zapier for Print”, to overcome these issues. We’re currently prioritising our “plug-in” development and actively looking for pilot customers. Pm me if there is an interest.

 

[WiseGuy]

Thanks for the input Tom. The cloud changes everything. Now that most MIS's are cloud based and most are coming up to snuff on their API's, it seems to make sense for them to support one or two of the widely used low-code platforms like Zapier. The key advantage is the integration part which is a PIA for most vendors to do one-off integrations. It requires too much coordination and on-going support so vendors have to pick their partners carefully. This slows down progress in the printing industry.

I believe print businesses want choices. This is one of the huge advantages of Zapier and other platforms like them. They have compatibility with thousands of general business tools already. Marketing solutions, database solutions, email, text messaging, storage, project management solutions, etc.... and not just one of two, they have the support of just about every major solution out there.

So, if more Web2Print, Print MIS, and other production based tools would support one or two of the largely used low-code platforms we'd have not only choices, printers of any size could enjoy access to automation. It's already happening outside of the printing industry.

So, the printers reading this thread, what are you doing already with these platforms like Zapier? Or, if your not already using one of these low-code platforms, what would you like to automate?

 

[pauly92]

Would you use Zapier for print? no.
Apps like Zapier & n8n are more data driven. They're mostly used to integrate 1 app with another, or automate tasks that would take hours into seconds.

Can you use it as an IT tool in a print shop? yes!
We use n8n a lot. It's makes connecting apps together a lot easier. I could connect my W2P website to a CRM or accounting, download all orders to a database. Convert a CSV into XML.
These are substitutes of direct API integration.
Sometimes direct integration works better but sometimes apps like n8n an zapier will do just fine.

 

[michaelejahn]

Humm - everytime we integrate with a new third party storefront developer, most can export XML, cXML or JSON that represents an order. We might need to process their injected file using an XSLT Stylesheet, but more often or not, that storefront injects directly to our "create order" API.

I have not seen a use case where we needed some middleware that sat between the storefront export and our API endpoint URL, so, over the past 10 years or so, have not found a need to shove things like Zapier in between.

 

[WiseGuy]

Would you use Zapier for print? no.
Apps like Zapier & n8n are more data driven. They're mostly used to integrate 1 app with another, or automate tasks that would take hours into seconds.

Can you use it as an IT tool in a print shop? yes!
We use n8n a lot. It's makes connecting apps together a lot easier. I could connect my W2P website to a CRM or accounting, download all orders to a database. Convert a CSV into XML.
These are substitutes of direct API integration.
Sometimes direct integration works better but sometimes apps like n8n an zapier will do just fine.

Paul, good input. The way I look at n8n is that its a great platform for developers and integrators. It has some really great tools such as the HTTP app making custom API calls easy. Zapier is more geared towards integrators and more technically inclined end users by the way it has the vendors package their triggers and actions. However, I have been enjoying their addition of AI as it's pretty much eliminating the need to know regx and even simple scripting. But I recently use their AI integration to create a java script for manipulating some data. All I needed to know is what to ask for. But... I will say its not perfect yet by any means.

What I'd like to see is more print related vendors that have cloud services support these types of platforms. Zapier and Make.com are great examples of easy automation tools that if there was more support by print related vendors it would allow more printers access to automations that make sense for any business. As you point out, the low-code platforms make the integration part very easy, and provide some great tools to build anything from simple task based workflows to more complex conditional workflows.

The only part I think we differ in our thinking is the statement you make about Zapier and n8n being data driven. From what I've seen working on platforms like Switch, automation is a data driven process. Data is what drives the workflow, even if that data is coming from a file. Again, all we're missing is a good breath of tools that manipulate the files.

Again... good input!

 

[pauly92]

Paul, good input. The way I look at n8n is that its a great platform for developers and integrators. It has some really great tools such as the HTTP app making custom API calls easy. Zapier is more geared towards integrators and more technically inclined end users by the way it has the vendors package their triggers and actions. However, I have been enjoying their addition of AI as it's pretty much eliminating the need to know regx and even simple scripting. But I recently use their AI integration to create a java script for manipulating some data. All I needed to know is what to ask for. But... I will say its not perfect yet by any means.

What I'd like to see is more print related vendors that have cloud services support these types of platforms. Zapier and Make.com are great examples of easy automation tools that if there was more support by print related vendors it would allow more printers access to automations that make sense for any business. As you point out, the low-code platforms make the integration part very easy, and provide some great tools to build anything from simple task based workflows to more complex conditional workflows.

The only part I think we differ in our thinking is the statement you make about Zapier and n8n being data driven. From what I've seen working on platforms like Switch, automation is a data driven process. Data is what drives the workflow, even if that data is coming from a file. Again, all we're missing is a good breath of tools that manipulate the files.

Again... good input!

As you mentioned, Enfocus does this with PDFs.
When i say data driven, n8n, Zapier they all process data. Enfocus actually moves a PDF through folders with data.

I personally wouldn't use a cloud base system that does what enfocus does.
Why? because now if i have files on my PC, i need to upload & download them. sure, i could connect website to a cloudbase version, prepress, then send to my pc, etc.
and i believe most RIPs could do the same level of prepress that you could do on a cloud version if there was a such thing.

For example, we have enfocus doing a lot of stuff. Generating cut files, Print ready files. Data for other apps. so we have files pushed to different machines, RIPs and other apps internally.

The Zapier vs N8N, i've used both. Zapier is more for the end user as they make things more simple. n8n is more for the individual with a larger skill set as you can do way more with it an do more complex routes.

n8n is also opensource, you can self host it on your own server. that gives you more options such as picking up files from a local PC, rather than uploading them to drobox or google drive.

Although you could use an app called NodeRed, which again is self hosted and can process PDFs though folders. But you need to script all prepress actions and i dont think it can carry metadata. Been a while since i've used it.