PDF Preflight (macOS) For Creatives
Get Prepared. Get Approved.
FlightCheck is Markzware’s next-generation, stand-alone PDF preflight application. This quality control tool will inspect and analyze all colors, fonts, images, and more, within both native and PDF documents. FlightCheck has no required dependencies, which means that neither the native applications nor plug-ins are needed to run this software.
It is complete with Inventory and Packaging functionality to ensure print-ready documents. FlightCheck offers a preview, as well as a thorough analysis and inspection of your desktop publishing (DTP) file content. Preflight Reports can be fully customized with your company information and logo and then exported as HTML, JSON, RTF, TXT or XML, directly into most automated workflows.
FlightCheck provides added value for creatives, graphic designers, and print production specialists seeking an easy-to-use preflighting tool for onboarding document production jobs. This affordable prepress system will preflight a variety of formats, including Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, PDF, QuarkXPress, and several image types, to help ensure error-free document production.
Another benefit of FlightCheck is that it creates a complete, compressed package, so you can send files with all elements of the job for sharing, printing, or archiving. This is extremely convenient for a customer service representative preparing job quotes, or even complete graphic design departments looking to preflight and archive years of work, for content sustainability.
Supported File Types
One of the key capabilities of FlightCheck is its power to preflight file formats and image types of a wide variety. A partial list includes:
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
PDF (Portable
Document Format)
QuarkXPress
The Inspector Widgets provides a high-level overview of the document. At a glance, you can see which file type, which version, and when the document was last modified. Is it intended for print, mobile, or web? How many pages and spreads are included? Are there any missing or inactive used fonts? Are there missing or embedded images
Continue with the Inventory View, for a thorough analysis of the document contents. Detailed file, page, and print information is displayed. View all of the job images, both linked and embedded, alongside all of their important details (e.g., type, color mode, resolution, …). You can also see detailed color, page, and font information.
FlightCheck has Ground Controls, which flag a plethora of items in categories, such as File, PDF, Document, Print, Colors, Fonts, Images, and more!
Adobe announced that they will drop support for both PANTONE colors and PostScript Type 1 Fonts. This causes new issues, to which FlightCheck 2023 will alert users. Markzware has included the following Ground Controls:
• Fonts that are Type 1
• Used PANTONE colors not supported by Adobe
• Images that use ICC Profiles Override.
FlightCheck will highlight errors, during preflight, such as missing fonts and images. The application will also warn about potential issues, such as embedded images or inactive fonts. Prepress specialists can use FlightCheck to help avoid any of these errors, which could cause common printing problems, or worse, re-printing the entire job.
FlightCheck excels at collecting and packaging required job elements, ensuring you have everything needed for the next step in your workflow. Packaged items include:
• Original DTP file (INDD, QXP, PDF, AI, …)
• Exported PDF file
• Converted IDML file* [watch the video]
• Linked Images
• Extracted Embedded Images
• Used Fonts
• Inventory Report
(as HTML, TXT, RTF, JSON, or XML)
• Package Report
(as HTML, TXT, RTF, JSON, or XML)
Stand-Alone Application Preview and Preflight In-Depth Inventory on Package to
Optional Upgrade charges may apply Stand-Alone Application Preview and Preflight In-Depth Inventory on Package to 12 months of updates included Stand-Alone Application Preview and Preflight In-Depth Inventory on Package to Limited to 30 daysWhat is the difference between Perpetual and Subscription Licenses
[Take Me To The Products Page]
FlightCheck even offers white-label capability for print shops and publishers worldwide to become affiliates, so they can provide this added value, along with their corporate identity and logo, to their customers.
FlightCheck is designed to make complex tasks quick and easy. Preview your document, then, with a single click, create an Inventory Report or Package.
With Automation Preferences, AppleScript support,
and a Custom URL Scheme, FlightCheck will have
no problem integrating into most automated workflows.
Following are examples of how FlightCheck helps you to automate tasks!
Open And Report
Set up FlightCheck to automatically create an Inventory Report. Choose where the Report will be saved, how to handle duplicate file names, and the 3rd party application to open the Report.
Open And Package
FlightCheck can be configured to automatically Package files. Specific settings allow you to choose how the Package is created.
Build A Custom Workflow
Workflows can be configured, with a simple Automator Folder Action, to do things like watching a Hot Folder for new files, automatically creating an HTML Inventory Report, and emailing it to your document production department using Apple Mail.
Inventory Views & Reports contain the following sections
(available as HTML, TXT, RTF, JSON, and XML)
File Info Widget
Page Info Widget
Font Info Widget
Color Info Widget
Image Info Widget
Version
File Size
Creation Date
Modification Date
Page Count
Spread Count
Master Page Count
Facing/
Non-Facing
Intent
(Print, Mobile, Web)
Resolution
Separation
Spreads
Scale
Paper Size
Registration Marks
Orientation
Bleed
Page #
Printed #
Width
Height
Section
Image Count
Missing Image Count
Page Size Name
Color Swatch
Name
Model
CMYK Values
Used By
(Document, Image, Text)
Name
Manufacturer
Found/Missing
Enabled/Disabled
File Path
Version
File Size
Name
File Path
Page
Status
Size
Type
Mode
PPI
Scaling
Resolution
Effective PPI
Rearrange
Sections
Move the sections that are most important to you to the top of the view.
Collapse/Expand
Sections
Collapse sections that you might not need to see often. Quickly and easily expand any section at any time.
Filter Section
Table Views
Filter each Table by values such as “All,” “Used,” “Used Missing,” “CMYK,” “RGB,” and much more.
Resize Section
Table Views
View the tables as Small, Medium, Large, or Extra-Large sizes.
Hide/Show
Fields & Columns
You can hide any of the fields or columns to simplify the content down to what’s important to you.
Export Section
As CSV
You can export individual section data. Maybe you need a spreadsheet containing the image or font data. We get you the data; you take it from there.
Submit your review | |
I have used the earlier FlightCheck Pro for a long time. I was already excited about the new version during the beta phase. And this positive attitude has proven itself during productive use in our workflow. The only thing we wish for is a Windows-compatible version for Christmas 😉
So glad Markzware is accommodating all the changes in computers and software -- couldn't work without FlightCheck!
I have been a fan of your company and team since forever! WOW! I don't even remember not being a fan, a patron and supporter through promotion. Your tools have helped me in some tough times. I have used different tools at every single job or client since my first encounter and opportunity to use them. Thanks for helping change and make a difference in what we do, have done, and will do. Nothing happens in this world until those of us in the Graphic Communications Industry does something with it. Thank you for all your hard work in making it 'a little bit easier'. FlightCheck has saved my life back in the day!
As a company active in Prepress, using the FlightCheck program was very valuable to us. Using this application can improve the production and lean printing process. Reza Alee, Prepress Manager
Prior to upgrading to Mac OS Catalina, I'd used your software faithfully for about 17 years. It is great to see it available again! Functionality is easy to navigate, and the new look is a great update on the original!
I have used the earlier FlightCheck Pro for almost 2 decades. It helped me prevent disasters in production and frequently improved my PDF output. For some time now, the solution was outdated. The new FlightCheck 2022 puts it back on the map. Fast, simple to use and way more intuitive as the earlier version, this excellent tool will be a constant companion to my prepress work. Good work!
Markzware has done it again! FlightCheck 2022 is a game changer! Yes, I said game changer! FlightCheck 2022 preflights PDFs, InDesign, QuarkXPress files, and opens with NOT the embedded preview, BUT THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT PREVIEW from the documents assets! And ... (drumroll please) did I add that it is not necessary to actually have the specific software? I can determine if the Quark files that a contractor has sent me are complete and print ready, without having that particular software on my computer. That also means sales, and/or production persons that have FlightCheck can determine if the contents of a package are complete and print ready, and have a preview of what the files look like before handling off those files to prepress with confidence! Huge efficiency and productivity saver! No more kicking back files and losing time. When I finish working on a job, I package files for archival with confidence, knowing all the assets have been collected. FlightCheck has the ability to automate my workflow. Win, Win! If you have used FlightCheck in the past, you really need to 'test-drive' the newly revamped 8 cylinder FlightCheck! Vroom Vroom!
I'm pleased to see that this FlightCheck release works seamlessly on newest versions of Mac OS. Nice new intuitive user interface, and FlightCheck Score is a bonus. Looking forward to continuing to use this powerful tool --for print and digital environments alike.
It has been about 11 years since I used FlightCheck. I have been building cases to get it again and buy for my team. Then I discovered that it would not follow mac as they left 32 bit. my heart sunk. I loved its ease of use and the way that it worked. I cant wait to see it come back bigger and better then before.
macOS
• 13 Ventura | Hardware
• Mac Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Mini |
