Automated Proofing?????

[geminianspark]

I found a couple websites on software that digitally compares graphics/text and such.  Was wondering if anyone out there is using any of these and how well they work in a production heavy environment.

[mwc]

Acrobat (full version) has a COMPARE feature that does that very well. (a little sluggish, but works...)

My workflow (Rampage) has a compare feature to past revisions of a registered page that is the Bee's Knees as well. (we use it ALL the time)

[DigitalCrapShoveler]

I am at a loss for words. What happened to liability? It's the only thing we have left to keep us from paying for customer errors. Now we give customers another clip for the rifle?

[mwc]

I am at a loss for words. What happened to liability? It's the only thing we have left to keep us from paying for customer errors. Now we give customers another clip for the rifle?

We use it to slightly reduce OUR error rate, if it catches a customer error...then it's all gravy....if we tell'em...

[Joe]

Acrobat compare is great if you want to compare a revised file the customer sent and you want to know what the difference is from the original. Prinergy has a $5000 plugin that does the same thing.

I found a couple websites on software that digitally compares graphics/text and such.  Was wondering if anyone out there is using any of these and how well they work in a production heavy environment.

How exactly would you envision something like this being used?

[geminianspark]

We are JUST NOW phasing out the film to plate and going digital.  We have a good group of artists however with the pace we are expected to keep, we tend to get a lot of type-O's and pieces that drop out from being on a different layer or something.  Also, going from using Packedge on a daily basis to using Illustrator with deskpack is going to create a new learning curve on top of the new workflow to digital so there WILL be mistakes made which WILL enevitable cost more money if they make it to plate vs just making it to film.  So, in theory, I'd like to load the customer's original file to compare to our outgoing file EACH time it goes out for approval to the customer and then AGAIN before it goes to film. Up to this point, we have been proofreading by several people in the process but things still get missed and that is the nature of being human so i was researching some proofreading techniques and came across some software packages that could do it digitally.  One such software had a graphic module to compare color, shapes, pixels and the like and a different module to compare text that can be set to check for font accuracy or for spelling accuracy.  There was one other module but i didn't quite understand the purpose of that one very well.  This was a totally new concept to me so i was curious if anyone else out there was incorporating it into their workflow.  So thanks for the responses... i'm going to check out the acrobat stuff tomorrow and see what it's capable of.  We have the full versions of 8 i think. 

[frailer]

Reading that, I can't help but think a fully rendered proof of the job, as it will print...up against the customer's laser or hard proof...would be the main method.  I can't see automation picking up some subtleties that may be critical. But then maybe you're looking for something as well as that.
Plus, I'm not in packaging, so I may quietly back away from this....while no-one's looking.      :lipsrsealed: