Markzware is the publisher of FlightCheck, the patented preflighting software. FlightCheck can check documents to prevent printing errors before document output. Markzware read an announcement on another preflight software.
Adobe Creative Suite 4 or Adobe CS4 has been officially announced, which is news for those interested in:
- Adobe Creative Suite CS3 upgrade
- Adobe Creative Suite Design Standard
- Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium
- Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Master
- Adobe CS3 Design Premium OS X
- Adobe Creative Suite premium programs
It appears to be an upgrade largely focused on web and multi-media designers, yet delves into some production stream-lining as well. In this print-production area, Adobe InDesign CS4 appears to have interesting features for layout artists and preflight operators. Read about what they are now calling ‘Live Preflighting’:
“Preflight while you design. Continuous preflighting alerts you to potential production problems in real time so you can quickly navigate to a problem, fix it directly in layout, and keep working.” Source
Adobe CS4 in-app-preflight options sound interesting and potentially very useful. However, Markzware’s FlightCheck can preflight over 50 file formats, including Adobe Creative Suite’s:
- Photoshop
- Illustrator
- InDesign
- Acrobat PDF
- and more image and page layout types
FlightCheck is a stand-alone application, making it very easy to use. Preflighting “within” the layout is different than preflighting what comes in to your shop (or goes out). One interesting feature of FlightCheck v6, for instance, is its batch preflight mode:
Adobe CS4 Live Preflighting will likely be exciting for those solely and actively working within InDesign. However, remember Markzware FlightCheck as your stand-alone preflight application for:
comprehensive in-coming preflight checks
easy to share and understand print quality assurance reports
numerous ways to go to potential printing problems (Note: Once in InDesign, Adobe CS4 preflight could potentially assist further)
collect or package jobs for archiving, emailing or uploading
For printers, copy shops, publishers or graphic designers getting file submissions, FlightCheck is a must-have. Here is a quote from a Sir Speedy printing and copy center owner:
“We see all sorts of files come over the counter here. A lot of customers think that just because they’ve created a file that looks good on the screen that it’s going to print the same way. But unless the creator knows what they’re doing, there may be missing elements or other problems like low-res images. To complicate our job, many of our clients don’t even supply a proof, so if a font defaults, for example, we may not be able to tell that it’s happened. Preflighting allows us to have three options when there’s a problem with a file. First, if its a small problem, we can just make the quick fix. Or we can call the customer and tell them what’s missing and provide them with a preflight report. They can then either fix it themselves and resubmit the corrected file, or for $70 an hour, we’ll correct it for them. The bottom line is money.“
MARY LOU BENZEL, Owner, SIR SPEEDY CLAIREMONT MESA
Live Preflighting announced for Adobe CS4, Adobe Creative Suite 4
