Description
PitStop2Switch brings robust quality control and automation features to your PDF production process by monitoring multiple file submission points including FTP/SFTP servers, email addresses and network hot folders to intelligently route your files to PitStop Server for PDF Preflight and Correction. PitStop2Switch can also fully automate delivery and archiving of production files, with notifications sent to all relevant parties that your jobs are ready to go.
Create the smartest automated production workflow in existence! Enfocus Switch 2019 is the newest version of the modular, affordable automation solution that works the way you do. Enfocus Switch eliminates errors, streamlines repetitive functions and drives your productivity to levels previously unattainable.
Organize and manage workflows in a smarter way
With Switch 2019, you can receive, sort, route, notify, convert and optimize all possible file types, split & merge PDF files and easily control and drive third-party applications to deliver to any output medium. Enfocus Switch is a modular and open software solution that gives companies of all sizes and budgets a streamlined way to manage their files and associated business processes. Switch can easily be integrated with your existing systems and processes to maximize the productivity of your entire organization.
Seamless Integration
Switch seamlessly ties together multiple applications into a customized and automated end-to-end workflow. No matter where a file originates from, what format it is in, or what the output will be, the workflow connected by Switch ensures the file is processed in less time, with less effort and at a lower cost.
Switch can control and automate applications that execute tasks such as:
- Converting between file formats
- Formatting and optimizing images
- Preflighting and optimizing PDFs
- Assembling complex documents and multi-part jobs
- Imposing files
- Proofing
Switch also integrates with the following critical back office and enterprise solutions for more intelligent job processing and company-wide data capture:
- Management Information Systems
- Digital Asset Management Systems
- E-commerce and web-to-print
Scalable to meet your needs
Whenever you need to expand the system’s versatility or increase throughput, Switch will help you grow with your business by providing an economical alternative that lets you implement only the functionality that you require.
Maximize your investments
Since Switch enables you to scale freely, and to take full advantage of your existing software investments and your employees’ skills in using them, it will deliver a rapid return on investment, with most sites recouping the costs in a matter of several months.
Switch can be tailored to create a customized workflow that’s right for your business
Switch offers a simple interface to guide you through building your workflow. The result is a custom, dynamically linked workflow that connects all necessary applications. Perfect for businesses who cope with the following challenges:
- We lose time sorting out and distributing files to the right people in our organization.
- We put a lot of manual effort in processing files and images.
- We have many files to traffic, deliver and archive.
Switch will help you tackle these pains, step by step!
Discover the difference Switch can make
Communication is vital to the success of every organization, no matter what kind of business you are in. The largest portion of that critical communication consists of the files your business creates, receives and shares with customers, partners and employees.
Take control of your organization’s processes
With manual processes, you constantly need to check the quality of files being produced and the way they are shared and received. Switch eliminates that worry, giving users a secure way to automate the entire process with a guarantee of high quality.
Be consistent in all you do
Each company needs to be sure that the procedures it uses for processing files are consistent and error-free. Switch gives you a way to create workflows that automatically ensure this level of consistency and accuracy, while being flexible enough to adapt to new business needs as they develop within your organization.
Use only what you need — grow when you’re ready
Switch is offered as a modular and open software solution. You can start by automating key processes and add modules with additional functionality as your business grows or specific requirements need to be fulfilled. This modular approach assures that you only pay for the functionality you need.
Like all Enfocus products, Switch is built with an open architecture that allows seamless integration and use of data and functionalities from other solutions. This provides companies the greatest flexibility for the least investment.
Benefit from Enfocus’ history of success
Enfocus has a history of providing affordable automation solutions that have enabled thousands of businesses across many industries worldwide to improve communication, productivity and quality. This experience makes Enfocus uniquely qualified to help businesses bring the same level of success to their file management processes.
Make your flows crystal clear to everyone
To help you build concise and user-friendly flows, Enfocus have created a powerful tool set to make sure your flows are clearly understandable and recognizable by everyone:
- NEW! Colored elements and connections
- NEW! Invisible grid to easily align flow elements
- Description fields for elements, which show as a tooltip when the flow is activated
- A flow documentation feature, which exports your flow to an HTML page. Each element and connection is clickable and is linked to a clear description.
Take advantage of proven technologies from industry leaders
Switch is integrated with numerous third-party applications that are in widespread use in the printing, publishing and graphics industries.
Whether you want to automate the setup and functionality of a software application or upload/download files and information from DAM and MIS/ERP systems, Switch provides you with an easy-to-use and configurable interface.
Enfocus Switch: Modular Approach
Switch Core Engine
As its name implies, the Switch Core Engine is the starting point for enabling automation of the file management tasks you perform every day, including: receiving, sorting, routing, renaming, processing and tracking files. Switch enables you to use job and file information — whether it’s the file name or file type — to plan your workflow and automate routing and processing. Automating these tasks results in standardized procedures, reducing the number of errors, the time spent managing files and the costs involved in file management.
Switch Modules
When you are ready to start automating more complex business operations, Switch offers a wide range of Modules to help meet your specific needs. These Modules permit you to connect to databases and websites, add power to your processing capability and enhance communications.
Configurator Module
The Configurator Module allows you to integrate, control and automate third-party applications.
Metadata Module
Enhance your workflow’s intelligence (processing and routing) by giving access to other types of metadata originating from other applications or stored in other formats.
Database Module
This module provides a direct ODBC communication between any SQL datasource and Switch without the need for additional scripting.
Scripting Module
The Scripting Module gives you the freedom to completely customize your workflow.
Performance Module
This module enables large companies working with many complex workflows to leverage more powerful hardware and increases the number of concurrent tasks that can be executed.
SwitchClient Module
The SwitchClient Module is a separate desktop application allowing users to access the Switch Server remotely.
Web Services Module
The Switch Web Services Module allows you to integrate Switch with web portals or any SOAP-compliant application to streamline file submission and tracking by customers.
Common Fallacies About Automation
Implementing automation is time-consuming…
Enfocus Switch is built around the concept of gradual, stepped implementation that starts with one or two production “pain points” that can be implemented quickly.
Once these issues have been successfully addressed, you can tackle more complex workflow automation challenges. Gradual implementation is the key to success.
Automation is complicated…
Automation does not have to be complicated! And, while Switch is incredibly sophisticated, setting up flows is easy for novice and advanced users.
However, as your automation projects grow in complexity, it is important to be able to bring in experts. That’s why Enfocus works with Certified Partners — experts who implement automation projects on a regular basis and know how to tailor Switch to work best in your unique production environment.
Automation will make me lose my job…
Every company has to deal with repetitive tasks that add no value, but take time and increase the likelihood of introducing errors. Switch is perfectly suited to these jobs, freeing up staff to provide revenue generated services that deliver real value to customers.
Automation is not flexible…
On the contrary! Modular automation is like a box of building blocks, quickly and easily allowing you to build precisely what your company needs.
Using Switch, you can build any number of flows that support entirely different departments. One flow can integrate your web-to-print system with the internal estimating and scheduling system, while another automates prepress file preparation, and a third sets up files for delivery to a digital press. It can even help streamline bindery, assembly and fulfillment tasks! Additionally, because the system is open, it can easily be linked to your existing tools and databases.
Automation is expensive…
Most production automation solutions are complex and pricey. Fortunately, Switch provides an economical alternative that lets you implement only the modules you need, minimizing the investment requirements.
In addition, Switch enables you to take full advantage of your existing software investments as well as your employees’ skills in using them!
Automation locks me in…
Automation is not just for large organizations — in fact, automation is recommended for companies of all sizes. Switch enables organizations to increase total throughput without increasing head count or overtime, so your company can compete with much larger competitors. Any sized company can benefit greatly by automating the most simple & basic repetitive tasks and frequently they are not the ones you are initially considering when implementing automation!
“Automation is not the enemy. Having collaborated with many graphic designers over the years, I always find it shocking how many don’t even avail themselves of style sheets or the batch processing tools in Adobe Bridge, and waste hours upon hours manually reformatting images and text. Likewise, it’s just as shocking to realize the extent to which resistance to automation results in many lost hours of more productive — and more satisfying — work. We ignore all these conveniences at our, and our businesses’, peril.” — Richard Romano, Senior Analyst, WhatTheyThink
Add Switch to your day-to-day processes and:
- Automate repetitive tasks
- Standardize processes and improve quality of work
- Reduce errors and rework
- Save time and money
- Increase total throughput of jobs
- Free up employees’ time so they can deliver value-added services
Switch Within the Enfocus Family
In addition to seamlessly connecting with third-party applications, Switch offers powerful synergies with other Enfocus Solutions.
Connect2Switch
Connect2Switch is the perfect external client for Enfocus Switch. Easily configured Connectors function as external clients to Switch. This allows remote job submission directly into Switch flows, optionally using job tickets (metadata) hosted by Switch. Our Connectors can be used by both local and remote users throughout the world.
PitStop Server
Give everyone on your network access to the industry-standard preflight, correction and conversion engine using shared hot folders with PitStop Server! Automate inspection and correction of PDF files and take the guess-work out of PDF file output.
PitStop Server includes customer-driven features that expand the preflight possibilities. This new version offers the Geomapper Preflight option, which allows you to ignore un-needed objects.
PDF Geomapper Technology
Using PitStop, this unique technology takes a closer look at underlying and overlapping objects.
Color and Transparency Improvements
Transparency and masks, transparency groups and nested transparency groups, more DeviceLink Profiles, and Color Improvements, including changes to Ink Coverage checks.
Enfocus PitStop Server is a stand-alone and hotfolder-based application that allows you to easily set up and manage PDF based workflows. A PitStop Server hot folder is actually a collection of dedicated folders for batch PDF processing.
You create such folders on the hard disk of your computer or on a network drive. Enfocus PitStop Server automatically processes PDF documents that arrive in a given input folder of this hotfolder and places the processed files based on the result accordingly in the specified output folder.
The original PDF document and the preflight results can be saved in the same (or a different) folder, depending on whether processing was successful or not. PitStop Server can process in the background, even after closing the PitStop Server application
Enfocus PitStop offers next-generation preflight and automated bleed creation! The enhanced preflighting engine in PitStop has been built to ensure submission of high-quality, error-free PDFs.
Targeted, Relevant Checks and Corrections
The new Preflight Restrictions allows the checks and fixes included in a preflight profile to be limited to certain or specific aspects of a PDF file. Users can opt to check just a PDF page box, a certain page (or pages), a specific area or certain elements of a PDF. Users can also opt for layers to be checked in different ways allowing them to check based on their output intent.
The options for customizing Preflight in PitStop means users can take advantage of ‘targeted’ Preflight checks cutting down on warning errors where they don’t need to be concerned with them. Users also have the ability to perform complex quality control, comprehensively checking files in one processing pass.
Get up and running fast!
The PitStop Preflight editor interface was changed only minimally so that users who have been reaping the benefits from PitStop can implement the new functionality without re-learning the program.
Automatic Bleed Creation
The new Add Bleed Action allows bleed to be generated (even if none exists in the original PDF file). Previous versions of PitStop displayed bleed if it was available and could automatically extend rectangular shapes to create bleed if none existed. Users could also manually manipulate a PDF to extend bleed if the file design allowed it.
The Add Bleed Action works by mirroring the individual objects that are close to (or cross a PDF box) to create bleed. These mirrored objects are also completely editable so the resulting bleed can also be adjusted manually if necessary. Bleed can be generated for single or multiple objects, as well as complete pages or documents, allowing users to streamline workflow.
Customizable Preflight Messages
Users can now customize the error/warning messages that appear in Preflight reports. Those messages can reflect non-technical language that can include suggestions for corrections and the preflight messages can be translated into languages that are not currently supported by the PitStop application as well.
PitStop Server CLI now has the ability to convert PDF files to images and outputs PNG and JPEG files, making it a cinch to repurpose PDF files (or for thumbnail images of PDF files).
Create and edit Action Lists directly in PitStop Server
Previously, Action Lists needed to be exported to PitStop Pro for editing and then re-imported into PitStop Server. This offers a huge time-savings!
PDF2Image
This new PitStop configurator is automatically installed with PitStop Server, giving PitStop Server users with Enfocus Switch the ability to create JPEG and PNG images from PDF files. Image output also works with the new restrictions concept so only certain selected elements of the PDF can be converted to an image if required.
Enfocus PitStop Server allows you to successfully operate and manage workflow procedures on PDF documents and includes the Adobe Normalizer transparency flattener to give you consistent, high-quality output, whether for print, the web or for viewing on iPad.
Other powerful Actions:
Match, Fill and Stroke Colors – Lets users change the stroke to match the fill (or fill to match the stroke) based on selected objects.
Add Color Bar – Gives users the ability to automatically generate a color bar utilizing the document colors of each individual page. Users still have control over tint values, patch size and position.
Flatten Annotations – Expands the existing ‘Flatten form fields’ Action adding configurable options, and addressing reported issues with annotations. Users can now flatten annotations so they become normal objects within the PDF.
Layer Functionality – Offers improved functionality for users working with layers in PDF files. Users can now select layers in a variety of ways, giving them the ability to select, remove, check, and change layers and layer properties. Some of the options when working with layers include the ability to: select layer by name, rename layers, add or remove objects to layers, check for and/or remove empty layers, and check and/or change layer properties.
Proportional Resizing – This highly requested feature provides users a ‘lock’ in the Inspector that can be used for proportionally resizing objects or page boxes.
Adjust and Edit Images
Adjust images using Photoshop-like curves. Change contrast or remove a color cast (per channel or overall). Adjust brightness and contrast, or apply unsharp mask to enhance the edges of objects in the image. PitStop’s Action Lists include options to add blur or sharpen an image. If an object has a problematic gradient fill, you can edit the gradient’s colors, color mode, start & end points, rotation or even replace it with a new one.
Adjust the colors of PDF files for a particular output device. Or, add stamps, watermarks or background templates.
PitStop Server is built on the industry-standard Enfocus preflight engine to check all aspects of your PDF files. Detect missing or corrupt fonts, incorrect colors, objects without bleed and much more!
PitStop Server supports standards such as PDF/X, the Ghent PDF Workgroup specifications and the profiles created by your user association, publisher or printer.
Easily generate a full preflight report that lists all problems found in your files. PitStop Server supports the same user-friendly preflight reports than PitStop Pro but also allows generating comprehensive XML reports.
Command-Line Interface
When you need more integration, the CLI (command-line interface) included with PitStop Server makes it a breeze. An easy mode allows instant integration of the preflight and auto-correction capabilities with standard settings, while the advanced mode allows full customization using an XML-driven integration.
PitStop Server in bigger automated workflows
PitStop Server fits seamlessly into Enfocus Switch to provide preflighting and auto-correction of PDF files in a bigger automated workflow.
- Automatically download PDF files from FTP servers or receive them through e-mail.
- Preflight them and notify your customers automatically of problem files.
- Combine PitStop Server’s capabilities with other key publishing tools to create PDF files, do color management and ink optimization, image optimization, proofing, impositioning and more.
PitStop Pro
PitStop Pro is the all-purpose (and all-powerful!) tool for preflighting and editing PDF files without ever leaving Acrobat! Edit (text, images, objects, colors, page dimensions), repurpose, convert, optimize, certify and more.
PitStop Pro includes customer-driven features that expand the preflight possibilities. This new version offers the Geomapper Preflight option, which allows you to ignore un-needed objects. PitStop Pro 2017 also offers new Preflight Report Options and Preflight Profile checks & fixes.
PDF Geomapper Technology
Using PitStop, this unique technology takes a closer look at underlying and overlapping objects.
Color and Transparency Improvements
Transparency and masks, transparency groups and nested transparency groups, more DeviceLink Profiles, and Color Improvements, including changes to Ink Coverage checks.
If you’re working with PDF files on a frequent basis, you probably have an extended wish list of features for Acrobat that would make you more productive and make it easier to edit objects inside a PDF.
Depending on your specific production needs, PitStop can be:
- An editor for objects on PDF pages, similar to a page layout application.
- A PDF preflighting tool to automatically find and fix any conceivable problem.
- A PDF-repurposer, to convert a press-ready PDF to an iPad-ready PDF, a Web-ready PDF, or a small PDF for client approval.
- A PDF Certifier, to ensure compliance with international standards.
- Part of a completely automated PDF workflow, when used with Enfocus’ other products.
“As a PDF-editing tool, PitStop has no equal. You can almost think of it as an InDesign or QuarkXPress for PDF files, with a little bit of Illustrator and Photoshop thrown in for good measure,” states author Jay Nelson.
You can change the attributes of any object, such as its position, size, rotation, skewing, flipping, color, transparency, blend mode, and so forth.
With Bezier line art, you can adjust its fill, stroke, stroke style, and even adjust individual anchor points and handles. Or, using PitStop’s shape and pen tools, you can create a new Bezier object.
Work with text
In PitStop, you can recombine broken lines of text into complete paragraphs, which makes editing MUCH easier. Go ahead — change the typeface, style, size, and even find and replace strings of text across multiple PDF pages. Then, convert any text to outlines. PitStop makes it effortless!
Tracking down missing fonts is a time-consuming (and annoyingly frustrating) job, so PitStop Pro offers the new Purchase Missing Fonts feature. Enfocus has teamed up with Monotype to automatically supply fonts that PitStop Pro identifies as missing.
Edit Objects
If you’re editing one object of a certain kind it’s likely you’ll need to edit others in the same PDF. No problem! PitStop has a “select similar” feature that will find all the objects similar to the current one and then take you right to them for changes. (There’s also a helpful eyedropper tool for copying and pasting attributes from one object onto another.)
Adjust images using Photoshop like curves
Change contrast or remove a color cast (changing per channel or overall). Adjust brightness and contrast, or apply unsharp mask to enhance the edges of objects in the image. PitStop’s Action Lists include options to sharpen or add blur to an image. You can edit a problematic gradient fill in an object including the gradient’s colors, color mode, start & end points, rotation or even replace it with a new one.
When editing images or blends in PitStop Pro, you are doing the editing DIRECTLY in the PDF file (and changes are made in real time — both visually and dynamically). Edit all image formats and color spaces supported by the PDF format—even those image types which can’t be easily edited in any other way such as:
- Spot color
- Duotone
- Tritone
- And other Device-N color spaces
You can also:
- Add and remove objects
- Add page numbers and other variable text such as date and time, or author information
- Change the stacking order of objects and get rid of crop, trim, and registration marks
Don’t want to remove an object, but instead just hide it temporarily? Use PitStop’s Layers tools to isolate layers that are visible or invisible. You can select objects by layer, make them invisible, delete layers, or move them to new layers.
Easily Change Page Dimensions
PitStop Pro also gives you the ability to easily change the overall page dimensions (for example, to adapt a US Letter-sized page to an A4-sized page). Simply select where you want your original page layout to appear on the new page size, and choose how to scale it.
PitStop’s “Design Layout” feature overlays colors onto the “safe” areas of your PDF page (based on your specific binding selections). This makes it a breeze to see and adjust any objects or text that are in danger of being affected after you print.
Check for any possible problem — quickly and easily!
Using a combination of Profiles, Action Lists, and Variable Sets, you can set up a PDF checking system for any conceivable output scenario. This is what makes PitStop Pro such an invaluable tool to add to your PDF toolset.
It gives you the ability to find AND automatically fix attributes of objects that might otherwise cause trouble on output. If instead, you want to manually fix the problems found, PitStop can take you to each problem area, or even generate a report.
The intuitive Navigator Panel provides you with details — and even suggestions — on how to fix the error.
The power of Action Lists
Action Lists are one of the most powerful features in PitStop Pro. Search for a specific font or color and replace it with another, remove trim marks, resize pages, convert color spaces, apply page numbers, and much more.
An Action List can also just report on any attribute you like such as font properties, image properties, or empty pages. Don’t want to build an Action List by hand? Let PitStop Pro define one by having it record your actions as you perform them. Doesn’t get any easier!
Need to repurpose that PDF?
PDFs optimized for printing are way different from ones optimized for viewing on an iPad or a website. PitStop Pro handily includes a collection of Action Lists that can make your PDFs display & function optimally on an iPad or when viewed in a Web browser.
Powerful actions also include:
Match, Fill and Stroke Colors – Lets users change the stroke to match the fill (or fill to match the stroke) based on selected objects.
Add Color Bar – Gives users the ability to automatically generate a color bar utilizing the document colors of each individual page. Users still have control over tint values, patch size and position.
Flatten Annotations – Expands the existing ‘Flatten form fields’ Action adding configurable options, and addressing reported issues with annotations. Users can now flatten annotations so they become normal objects within the PDF.
Layer Functionality – Offers improved functionality for users working with layers in PDF files. Users can now select layers in a variety of ways, giving them the ability to select, remove, check, and change layers and layer properties. Some of the options when working with layers include the ability to: select layer by name, rename layers, add or remove objects to layers, check for and/or remove empty layers, and check and/or change layer properties.
Proportional Resizing – This highly requested feature provides users a ‘lock’ in the Inspector that can be used for proportionally resizing objects or page boxes.
Also, PitStop provides color mapping from Gray to CMYK, and the ability to rasterize PDF content using Action Lists. The Action to ‘Rasterize page content keeping text’ has also been improved, and both the rasterize Actions have been aligned in their functionality so this Action also gains an overprint option and a target colorspace option.
“If you deal with a high volume of PDF files, PitStop Pro should be an essential part of your software toolkit. The time it saves, and the problems it avoids, can quickly repay its cost,” CreativePro.com
There are videos available to walk you through the new features. These feature overviews will have you up and running in no time!
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.