Workflow Recommendations

Started by EyeTech, November 13, 2019, 07:52:24 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

EyeTech

Yo pre-pressers! Yep still trapped in the hamster wheel!

Here's some queries you might be kind enough to give guidance on...

The company is currently considering moving away from Kodak's workflow as the CEO thinks that it's overkill now that we have outed our litho facility (although keeping our NexPress digital press)

Q: In Kodak Workshop is there any method to retrieve all archived artwork rather than the max amount of 5 files per Retrieve?

Q: What recommendations would you have for a Adobe Print Engine RIP with imposition and maybe softproofing similar to Insite?

Also, it must be a non-subscription pricing structure and cheaper than Kodaks offering.

Thank you kind sirs, ladies and other non-specified genders.
'I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out'" Bill Hicks

Self-indulgent Flickr page

Joe

Using Prinergy CONNECT here...where are you seeing a max amount of 5 files per retrieve? When we retrieve an archived job it has the whole job with every file that was in there when we archived it. Also if you have archived your jobs with the Prinergy Archive feature it backs up everything into a plain old Windows archive file that can be retrieved using Windows Backup. You don't have to have Prinergy to retrieve it. Unless you are using Prinergy Cloud and in that case I have no idea how it archives jobs.

Can't help with the other questions as we have been on Prinergy for 10 years now and haven't looked at any other options in a while now so I can't say what other workflows have at this time.
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

EyeTech

Hi Joe

Windoze ...argh! OK I was under the impression that Kodak compressed the files using some proprietary encryption (that's the way I would have done it to tie users in). Of course retrieval does bring all working files that were stored for that one job but I was thinking more in terms of extracting all files to a secondary drive.

Don't get me wrong, I think the Workshop/Preps/Insite workflow is cool...but the powers that be are looking to cut costs again. I know that may come as a surprise given the buoyant state of the print industry (that was irony by the way), but there you go, c'est la vie.

Thanks for your input.
'I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out'" Bill Hicks

Self-indulgent Flickr page

Joe

Yeah I understand about the cost of Prinergy. I'm actually surprised they haven't considered a cheaper option here. I know the last time I checked Prinergy, Apogee, Dalim and Prinect were in the same ballpark price wise.

The exception is Fuji XMF, quite a lot cheaper than those big 4, which we actually tried about 5 years ago but their online proofing was new at the time and needed some work and we, or their trainers, couldn't duplicate some of our complex Preps templates but it is a very good workflow at a decent price and I'd bet their online proofing has improved since that time. Several people here love it and I am sure they will chime in here. I still think Prinergy is more user friendly but if it were my money I would not pay the extra cost for it. But I have no issues spending other peoples money. ;D
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

Tracy

Using Fuji XMF here, but we are not high end at all.
I would ask questions for what you need, it is a lot cheaper and works great for us
We are sheet fed, not sure if they have made any improvements for Web.

I'm sure they would be happy to come in and answer questions and try to sell it to you!  :laugh:
There are a few others here that may be able to answer the pdf question coming out of XMF

Slappy

Also on XMF, I've found it to be pretty user friendly too. Like Tracy, we're strictly sheetfed also. Largest press is a 29" right now, but XMF scales up without any additional costs which is nice.

We don't have the online proofing module so I can't speak to it, we do ours through the MIS package we moved to recently, although it's pretty much just pushing PDFs out which clients Approve/Reject through their Portal. I'd like to revisit Fuji's solution or maybe the Enfocus Review module since we're getting Switch up & running too.

Like Tracy said, reach out to a Fuji rep and take a look. I didn't see the "PDF coming out of XMF question" part though.
A little diddie 'bout black 'n cyan...two reflective colors doin' the best they can.

Diddler

Finally managed/forced to get off the hamster wheel a few months ago. Doctors orders. So doing landscape photography (mainly for myself) and social media images for a few clients.

I may get back into the crazy game in a year or two when everything has healed. (Coward/sucker punched last year and broke my neck and back.

Until then I had been using XMF for best part of 10+years.

XMF is APPE and brilliant, can do just about anything. Another component off XMF is "XMF Remote" it is an online submission and approval system. Very powerful if you want it to be or you can use it just as a dropbox.
Brilliant for magazine/book work especially. Auto page flow/mapping with Remote so take a lot of the usual repetitive steps out of the workflow, and put the pressure/onus on the client. Advertising companies I dealt with loved it.

If colour is critical have a look at "colour path organiser" also.

PDF export can be done as rendered single pages or the flat sheet what ever impo you need.
Also great for producing mockups from rendered data PDFs to digital. JDF compliant/ barcodes etc etc.

Shoot me some more specific Q's if needed. Keep in mind I'm in Aust. so instant reply probably won't happen.

And not to hijack this thread (never happens here right  :rolleyes:) you can all follow along the photos on Insta.  @brad_aulsebrook
You can't polish a Turd, but you can roll it in glitter!

EyeTech

Thanks for the feedback guys! I'll mull it over for a while and as soon as the head honcho makes a decision you'll be the first to know. ;-)
'I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out'" Bill Hicks

Self-indulgent Flickr page

Joe

 :offtopic: but I highly recommend Diddler's insta page (and sorry about the medical issues) and EyeTech's Flickr page. Great photos on both. And Frailer's photos are pretty great too. And not forget Syphon: http://jfphoto65.smugmug.com
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

EyeTech

Amazing pics on Diddler's insta page!
'I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out'" Bill Hicks

Self-indulgent Flickr page

born2print

How will I laugh tomorrow...
when I can't even smile today?

Tracy

Beautiful pics diddler! sorry about the sucker punch >:(
Hope the guy is in jail!!

AaronH

Diddler, that sucks! I hope you heal up fast!

EyeTech, now that you're away from litho are you digital or flexo? for Flexo, I would recommend Esko's Automation Engine. We were looking at that one when I was working at my previous shop (Had Esko's Nexus).

For anything sheet fed, I love XMF, though we're pretty much using it like it's rampage and not using any of it's cool features.
Mac & Windows | XMF | Fiery | Oris