FlightCheck User Interview – PDF, Designers & Bicycles
Printers and publishers are increasingly reverting from demanding print-ready PDF jobs only. PDF and the various standards out there like PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, PDF and the great work by the GWG (Ghent PDF Workgroup) are excellent initiatives, but not the cure-all. The reasons for this have to do with preflighting and last minute file corrections. Editing a PDF is not a trivial task. Yes, a prepress expert well trained with tools may often get away with some, but not all changes.
FlightCheck, the patented preflighting software from Markzware, can preflight PDF print jobs and more. FlightCheck scans documents during prepress for potential printing problems before the output process.
Here is an interesting FlightCheck user interview, with freelance book designer Mr. Paul de Boer, that goes into further detail on how to preflight PDF. Paul is a freelance graphic designer from The Netherlands whom specializes in laying-out books for artists and historical societies amongst other more standard design products:
De Boer on why he bought FlightCheck on a sunny Friday afternoon: “I want this weekend to have the time to correct them [100 pages of a book] properly. Now InDesign, the program (Adobe) InDesign, you can have a sort of ‘FlightCheck’ as well, but I am searching for perfection and FlightCheck from Markzware is giving more detail.” Source
Hear about the run-in with his printer over delivering PDFs, how to open InDesign files and why he uses FlightCheck, even on the weekend in this interview on MarkzwareTV:
It was a pleasure servicing Paul’s order, especially since he personally picked it up on his bicycle with payment in cash! Not all of you can come into Markzware in southern California or our European office in the Netherlands, but still feel free to send in your videos about how and why you use your Markzware product – all entries win a t-shirt just for entering! See contest rules and regulations here:
Testimonial from Paul de Boer:
I used FlightCheck when I was working with Quark. Then Adobe came with InDesign, and I thought:
Well, now I can check it within that programme. What a mistake!
OK, InDesign checks some basic elements, but I am a pro, and I deal with many print companies, each with their own (unique) demands. And some of those demands are not seen by InDesign…I design in InDesign. So if I make adjustments or corrections, I want to make them in the original files in an easy and fast way, and FlightCheck professional gives me that opportunity…Last week I was finishing a 100 page book, and there was no time left for errors and delays. (yeah, yeah, the famous deadlines!) and InDesign could not guarantee me a perfect job. So I put up the phone and called Markzware in Rijswijk (the Netherlands) and asked theme if they could help me instantly (it was Friday, and I only had the weekend left for corrections). Normally the software has to be bought by resellers, but due to the time limit I could come to the firm. I jumped on my bicycle and went for a 30 minute ride (I live in The Hague, Holland) to meet David Dilling of Markzware at his office, and I can only say that I was indeed helped instantly with great service!
It’s really refreshing that a company gives so much service…And also important: I indeed could fix a (minor) mistake, because of FlightCheck (was not seen by InDesign), and still had time left that weekend to go to the beach. So David, I make you a promise: I will promote your company and software programmes wherever I can, because like I said: You people are really great (as well as your software programmes)!
All the best,
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Paul de Boer
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