What do we need to successfully put our own system together? Complete information from our clients, a set of rules to follow for accepting jobs, a job with all files and fonts zipped in a package, a method of notifying both parties when required and a way to receive and move files to their proper destination.
You can put a system together right now with these two products on the market: FlightCheck Online from Markzware and PowerSWITCH from Gradual Software.
FlightCheck Online from Markzware is a system that adds a new dimension to sending files via FTP. If you are a customer submitting jobs to a service provider, you can download and set up the FlightCheck Online client for Mac or Windows. Then drag and drop files on the icon and follow the instructions in the web browser. Fill in the blanks to provide the data your service provider needs and check off the check boxes to determine the types of service and notification you want.
For example, you are sending a Letter sized, 4 colour, 2 sided flyer and you would like to make any changes required yourself. You would also like to be notified by email when your job is proofed so you can rush over and pick it up (or view onscreen).
Now FlightCheck Online checks digital files against customized preflight rules sets defined by the service provider. You are automatically notified of required corrections before the job is transmitted and instantly receive confirmation when it is accepted.
When preflight is completed, FlightCheck Online will automatically collect all available necessary files including elements such as fonts and images. The collected job is then compressed and can be uploaded to the printer’s FTP server or can be saved onto your local machine to burn to DVD.
From here PowerSWITCH from Gradual Software picks up the file from the service providers FTP site and decompresses it. FlightCheck Professional is used to preflight all incoming files a second time. The first preflight done by FlightCheck Online before submitting the files was a basic preflight. This second preflight goes more in depth and checks if a file should go to the prepress department first or not.
The preflight results are saved as a file and are only emailed if the customer chose this option in FlightCheck Online. The script in PowerSWITCH is set so that files are only allowed to trigger an email if the FlightCheck Online job ticket says so.
If a file fails on preflight, it is only sent to the prepress department if the customer chose the option on the FlightCheck Online form to allow corrections. Otherwise it can be sent back to the customer automatically by PowerSWITCH. It uses its XML Pickup tool to retrieve email information to send a notification to the customer to make changes.
That job ticket created through the FlightCheck Online client is also used by PowerSWITCH to route files to a particular workflow after passing. PowerSWITCH can pick up any information in the ticket and pass it along in the form of an email to production personnel. Files with a green light can also be distilled to PDF or dropped in the correct output folder: Black and white, Tabloid CMYK, Legal CMYK, Letter CMYK. Other formats are sent to the Prepress department. An email notifies the customer that the print is launched, but again only when this was requested when submitting the job.
For the service provider, the FlightCheck Online Kit provides flightchecking rules, customizable web templates, a customer login database, editable preflight messaging and transaction log. The software can be purchased and set up on an in-house Web Server or it can be purchased as a hosted package for $400 US per month. Annual contracts can also be set up as a “by the transaction” scheme. You can get more information on FlightCheck Online at www.markzware.com.
PowerSWITCH supplies automation to service providers by creating easy to use workflows that handle XML, JDF and XMP data that is available in the products being used right now. Get more information on PowerSWITCH at www.gradual.com and visit www.tribay.ca to view the latest prepress newsletter on PowerSWITCH.
Andrea Mahoney
TriBay Enterprise T: 416.72939687
E: andrea@autoflowforprepress.ca
www.tribay.ca