Prepress
Enfocus to Debut Brand-New Solution Suite at Graph Expo
Wednesday 24. September 2008 - Enfocus Version 08 Solutions Bring Updated Standards Compliance, Improved Productivity to Graphic Arts Professionals
Enfocus continues to bring unprecedented simplicity and standards compliance to the desktops of designers and the print production workflow alike. PitStop Professional, PitStop Server, Switch and Instant PDF have all been updated and will be shown for the first time at a U.S. show during Graph Expo, at McCormick Place, Chicago, October 26th through 29th (Booth #5463).
“Our 08 solution suite was very well-received at drupa,” said Peter Camps, Senior Vice President, Enfocus. “Since that time, we have added Instant PDF 08 to the mix to make it even easier and even more worry-free for designers to create perfect, printable PDF files and for printers to benefit from reduced cycle time in the production process. We are excited to be showing these enhancements to the U.S. market at Graph Expo.”
The updated Enfocus 08 line includes compatibility with the latest versions of Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat and QuarkXPress. For PitStop Professional 08 users, Acrobat 9 compatibility is being made available as no-charge upgrades for all 08 users. The latest versions of PitStop Professional, PitStop Server, Instant PDF and the Switch product family, as well as fully-functional trial versions of all Enfocus products, are available for download from the Enfocus website at:
“As the global economy continues to suffer uncertainty,” added Camps, “it is critical for graphic arts businesses to introduce as much automation and efficiency as possible into their workflow in order to remain competitive and profitable. Our goal at Enfocus is to provide the latest and most innovative tools, compatibility and functionality to drive increased productivity. The Enfocus 08 suite does just that. In addition, we are planning an exciting new product announcement at the showstay tuned for more information as the date gets closer.”
Enfocus products will also be demonstrated at the Ultimate Technographics booth (#5425). Ultimate Technographics is a Crossroads Partner. Crossroads, a unique multivendor communication platform that draws together a large ecosystem of software vendors offering automation products for publishing workflows around Enfocus Switch, will also debut at Graph Expo, bringing this innovative initiative to the North American Market. For more information about Crossroads or Enfocus solutions, visit crossroads.enfocus.com.
Product Details
PitStop Professional 08: Adobe Acrobat 9 compatibility, enhanced ease-of use, productivity
PitStop Professional has long been the de facto standard for preflighting, editing and repairing of PDF files among graphic arts professionals who use a PDF workflow. PitStop Professional 08 takes this functionality to the next level with Adobe Acrobat 9 compatibility.
Other new capabilities include sign-off on preflight errors, a redesigned and significantly more compact PitStop Inspector, better page configuration handling, faster access to common functions through expanded contextual menus and conformance to the latest standards and operating systems.
In addition, PitStop Professional 08 offers a choice of multiple color engines including the industry standard Adobe CMM, PDF/X-4 compliance in PDF Profiles and Action Lists (in addition to support for earlier PDF/X levels), easy PDF Profile adaptation to create new preflight profiles from existing items, and user-configurable viewing preferences.
PitStop Server 08: improved performance, full compatibility with new standards
PitStop Server is a Hot-Folder-based application for graphic arts professionals who need unattended PDF document processing or need to process high-volumes of PDF documents. It is the indispensable tool for pre-flight checking of PDF documents, with facilities for fixing many common problems without human intervention.
New PitStop Server 08 capabilities include a totally redesigned and more intuitive user interface, server-based processing (PitStop Server now runs as a service on Windows and as a login item on Mac OS X), the ability to process two PDF documents in parallel for faster performance, more powerful Hot Folder processing, import and export of Hot Folder settings, a detailed history log, improved security and expanded e-mail notification.
Switch 08: improved productivity, more effective device management
Switch 08 is a major upgrade for all products in the Switch family of automation-enabling software (entry-level LightSwitch, mainstream FullSwitch and advanced PowerSwitch), adding significant new functionality and offering new workflow automation opportunities for ad agencies, publishers and printers alike.
With Switch 08, job processing is more predictable even with complex flows, and the implementation of real job priorities allows fast-tracking jobs through a flow. Switch 08 also optimizes the time it takes the first job to flow through a complete flow, enabling better resource management for devices such as proofers and rips.
Hot Folders, FTP and email-receive tools can be scheduled to automatically activate only in a predefined time window and now offer a “read-only” processing mode where the original jobs are left on the server and a copy is processed through the flow. Switch 08 also includes many improved and new tools, and enhances variable data support. Metadata support and scripting capabilities have been greatly expanded in PowerSwitch, offering, for example, support for compression, database access and SOAP or web service communication directly from within Javascript.
Instant PDF 08: More color management options, improved preflighting and integration with Enfocus PowerSwitch
Enfocus Instant PDF 08 makes producing press-ready PDFs easy for creative professionals. Using award-winning Enfocus Certified PDF technology, it is the simplest and most reliable way to create PDFs that comply with print or advertisement vendors specifications, including PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, PDF/X-4 and Ghent PDF Workgroup industry standards. Designers access Instant PDF 08 from within design applications, including the latest versions of QuarkXPress, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign and Adobe Acrobat. Standard PDF Queues or custom PDF Queues created by the print service provider can be quickly and easily imported into design software to ensure consistent and accurate PDF generation that meets all job specifications.
With Instant PDF 08, print providers will see a significant reduction in customer service and pre-press operator workload because Certified PDF files are always output correctly from the designers workstation. With Enfocus Certified PDF technology, the files are flagged as ready for output as soon as they arrive in the inbox. Full integration with Enfocus PowerSwitch now delivers final PDF files directly to a Submit Point in PowerSwitch, making communication between the designer and the printer even more efficient.