Online PDF / Proofing Solution

[NPGuy]

I work for a printing firm and we are looking for an online ordering system for variable printing such as business cards. To see the type of system we are needing, you can check out iWay . However, most of those type of systems are slightly more robust (read: much more expensive) than we need. If there are no other options, we will be forced to spend the money.

I am familiar with Filemaker and have successfully completed many online ordering systems for our customers using CDML, but on screen proofing has eluded me. We need a solution that creates both a PDF for downloading and an image file (.gif or .jpg) to embed on the screen at the time of submission, with exact fonts, font colors, spacing, justification, etc. Thus lasso came into the picture. However, we have been disappointed in what we have discovered about lasso's PDF tag implementation. From what we have gathered, PDF creation is inconsistent, painstakingly time consuming, and even unstable where fonts are concerned. Often tags will not work, such as both font file and font colors in PDF_tables. And the only third party solution i found for Lasso does not support font files, only basic/standard web fonts.

So my question is not directly filemaker related. We would like to use filemaker as the back-end database because we are familiar with it, but an on screen proofing is much more important. Any suggestions, filemaker solutions or otherwise, would be so greatly appreciated.

J

[Garry Claridge]

What software is being used to create the Lay-ups? Can this output PDFs? Can this PDF be linked to the Client details in the database?

CDML can be used to record Client feedback about the proofs.

PHP can be used to create gifs etc. PHP can also talk to FM.

All the best.

Garry

[Jeff Spall]

Hi, I'd suggest that you might look at Markzwares "Markzsout" and use that for workflow control.

There's a major learning curve if you need to get down to scripting level, but it's capable of some serious workflow automation and by scripting it you can get it to talk directly to FileMaker and vice versa.

We use it in combination with FileMaker to;

- pick up native advert files from the incoming servers (any professional Graphic format is OK)

- do a comprehensive check on the job

- write a report to a text file and into FileMaker

- deliver the job to the right folder, renaming if necessary

- The FileMaker db displays on the Intranet and 'cos it knows the filename and path, it can then be used to control MarkzScout to move or print the job.

For PDFs we use acrobat distiller with watched folders to make the repro pdfs combined with Pitstop server to check the pdf files and to create a web version.

If you're doing all of the artwork creation in-house then the checking part of our system becomes redundant and you could build a much simpler system.

Here's how I'd go:

You could use a FileMaker web front end to capture your info and the graphics and then drive Quark Xpress directly from that using Applescript to run the whole process. Split your workflow into two databases: a web one to display and a control one to run the workflow, or you'll descend into FileMaker script hell!

Now that Quark understands XML, direct links between FMP and Xpress are possible. Populate your template from the FMP database and then just print to a postscript file which would drop into an Acrobat watched folder to make your repro pdf (composite CMYK, 2400 dpi) . Pass the PS file to another watched folder to make the web pdf (RGB, 72 dpi). Then use MarkzScout to collect the pdfs, call Photoshop to make the .gif, .jpg file, deliver them to the right directories and write the result back to FileMaker.

Sorry if this sounds like a lotta setting up, but real automated solutions get complicated, especially as the have to be very robust.

Once you add up these bits of software and you development time, it's not cheap, but it will work.

regards, jeff