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.

 

[WiseGuy]

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.

Hi Pauly,

Thanks for your insights! I appreciate your input and want to add a few thoughts—not to oppose your thoughts, but to explore some possibilities that could open up if more vendors embraced low-code platforms.

You're absolutely right; the idea of repeatedly uploading and downloading files seems inefficient. Imagine if more print-centric cloud services integrated with automation platforms like Zapier. This could allow files to remain in the cloud until they're ready for final printing on the ground. BTW, I’m using Zapier as an example here, simply because it's widely recognized. As you know there are other solutions.

Consider this: our system, Good2Go, incorporates Pitstop for PDF preflight. Its possible that we could allow users full access to custom preflight profiles and action lists. Similarly, every file processed through Good2Go generates a dataset containing customer information, document details, and preflight results. This rich metadata, much like that in Switch, can trigger, route, and sort files based on various conditions.

With access to action lists in Good2Go, if a file needed bleed added, this adjustment could be managed directly within the cloud through a workflow or manually by an operator. The file remains securely in the cloud application, reducing unnecessary movement. Whether it’s user-initiated or automatically triggered by Switch or even Zapier, the process stays streamlined. Once the bleed is made, the workflow along with Good2Go could route the file back to prepress as an electronic proof for approval or rejection—again, without any physical file transfer.

Now, imagine if Ultimate Impostrip had a cloud service for imposition supported both Switch and Zapier. The file could be imposed directly from a checkpoint in Switch or a custom trigger in Good2Go, moving seamlessly in the background between services.

The bottom line is, whether it's Switch, Zapier, Make.com, or n8n, data drives the automation, and files can be passed between cloud systems securely and easily, not bogging down networks with multiple copies, corrections, or production versions.

Plus, by integrating more cloud-based pre-production and print production applications with platforms like Zapier, files could feasibly remain in the cloud for the majority of their processing journey until final print.

What we really need to push the industry forward is broader support for a few key integration and automation platforms like Zapier, Make.com, or n8n. This will drive our industry into the future.

Looking forward to more discussions on this topic and exploring how we can collectively move towards these innovations!

All the best,
Michael

 

[Magnus]

We have three printing facilities in Sweden and we are using several tools for integration and automation.

Redhat FUSE (Not low code, but we use it as our central integration platform to connect serveral E-com platforms to our ERP PrintVis/Business Central)
Enfocus Switch (Commercial print file handling and much more..)
Automation Engine (Packeging print file handling)
Power Automate (For easy two way integration with our Microsoft products like Business Central, Sharepoint and Teams)

I have tried Zapier but have not seen any use case yet that we cannot solve with our other products.

Low code automation tools together with AI chat bots and a clever mind is incredible powerful. I've been working with tools like this since IFTTT around 2011 and it's been a great ride so far.

 

[WiseGuy]

RE: Low code automation tools together with AI chat bots and a clever mind is incredible powerful. I've been working with tools like this since IFTTT around 2011 and it's been a great ride so far.

AI is making a big impact in a couple ways. One on the set-up side, Zapier now allows you to use natural language instructions for data manipulation tasks. So even if you don't know RegX or scripting, Zapier can help you get there. The tricky part is, you have to know what to ask for.

Also, I've mocked-up different solutions to experiment with what AI can do for my product Good2Go. Here's one example I called the Postcard Detective. If you upload a postcard job to this link with your email it will evaluate and summarize your art, technical issues, and marketing messages all in one shot.

It's not perfect by any means, and I'm not sure how it would react to a Swedish promotion, but if you (or anyone) wants to try it, just click on the following link and upload a postcard job.

Good2Go Review

www.review.good2gosoftware.com

Note...this is not a tested product, but a proof of concept, so it's not perfect. But it is a nice demo if you upload a real postcard job. All done with Good2Go, Zapier and Chat GBT.