Advice on Automating PDF Workflows

[elija6266]

Hello there,

As I'm currently exploring ways to streamline our PDF workflows, and I could really use some guidance from those with experience in this area.

Our team deals with a high volume of PDF documents on a daily basis, and we're looking for solutions to automate repetitive tasks, such as preflighting, color management, and impositioning. We want to ensure consistency, accuracy, and efficiency in our processes while saving time for our team members.

I've been researching Enfocus solutions, particularly Switch and PitStop, but I'd love to hear from users who have implemented these tools or other similar ones.

What challenges did you face during implementation?

How have these tools improved your workflows?

Are there any best practices or tips you'd be willing to share?

Any suggestion or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[rhd_ole]

Hello there,

As I'm currently exploring ways to streamline our PDF workflows, and I could really use some guidance from those with experience in this area.

Our team deals with a high volume of PDF documents on a daily basis, and we're looking for solutions to automate repetitive tasks, such as preflighting, color management, and impositioning. We want to ensure consistency, accuracy, and efficiency in our processes while saving time for our team members.

I've been researching Enfocus solutions, particularly Switch and PitStop, but I'd love to hear from users who have implemented these tools or other similar ones.

What challenges did you face during implementation?

How have these tools improved your workflows?

Are there any best practices or tips you'd be willing to share?

Any suggestion or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

We would not be able to function or do 1/100 of what we do without Switch and Pitstop Sever and a few other applications. We also heavily rely on Esko Phoenix (Formally Tilia Phoenix) for our imposition, it about 90% automated for our Digital sheetfed, digital roll, offset and Wide Format, their imposition AI is best in class I feel, but it's expensive. Switch also allows us to connect our MIS to switch which allow us to pull/push data to it for comparing sizes to of files to the job, as well as pulling who to proof and what type of jobs it is, and then also the other way, we push info to create estimates and convert to jobs using API, xml, json ect. It's kind of endless.

If you are new to Switch there are several companies out there that are implementers that have their own PDF workflow. Years ago we started out with the help of a company called All System Integration who at the time had a program call Virtual PrePress. They since created a completely new workflow called autoFlow, we have not moved to it yet since we have since made most of our own outside of the proofing portion, but might be worth reaching to them or others in the industry.

Hope this helps -O

[JimmyHartington]

Our use of Switch and Pitstop Server has been more organic.
That is because we started way back when it was called CaslonFlow (I think). The first task was to move postscript-files from Preps to our RIP.
So have never had a big implementation strategy. But the use has grown steadily.

If you partner with an implementer, I will suggest you to follow along closely, so you learn by yourself to create flows.
This way you can trouble shoot more quickly and make new flows for maybe smaller task.

Another way is to start small and try to automate a particular pain point and then evolve from there.