When a customer uploads artwork, the PDF runs through an automated preflight for resolution, bleed, color mode, fonts and page size. Files that pass go to the job folder, and files that fail trigger an email listing each problem with a fix guide.
Typical results
≈6 hrs/wk
Prepress time back from checking and chasing files
Minutes
From upload to a fix list for a failed file
5 checks
Resolution, bleed, color mode, fonts and page size
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
About a third of customer artwork arrives with problems such as low-resolution images, missing bleed, RGB colors or fonts that are not embedded. Prepress staff find them by opening each file, then write to the customer and wait. Jobs sit for a day or more, and some problems still slip through to the press.
Before and after
Prepress hours per week on file problems
−50%Jobs delayed a day or more by artwork issues
−60%Jobs reaching the press with file faults per month
−75%The automation
When a customer uploads artwork with an order, the PDF runs through an automated preflight that checks resolution, bleed, color mode, embedded fonts and page size against the product ordered. Files that pass are moved to the job folder for prepress with a pass report. Files that fail trigger an email to the customer listing each problem in plain words, a short fix guide for each one and a re-upload link tied to the same order.
How it works
- 01
Artwork uploaded with order
The customer uploads a PDF with the order, and the file is linked to the product, size and quantity ordered.
- 02
Five-point preflight
The file is checked for image resolution, bleed, color mode, embedded fonts and page size against the product spec.
- 03
Passed files to prepress
Files that pass move to the job folder with a pass report, ready for imposition.
- 04
Failed files get a fix list
The customer gets an email listing each problem in plain words, with a short fix guide for each one.
- 05
Re-upload to the same order
A re-upload link tied to the order sends the new file through the same preflight automatically.
Starts from
- Uploaded artwork PDF
- Order and product specs
Delivers
- Job folder for prepress
- Fix list to the customer
- Re-upload link
The impact
Prepress rework falls by about half, from roughly 12 hours a week to 6. Customers hear about a file problem within minutes of uploading instead of the next day, and far fewer jobs reach the press with low-resolution images or missing bleed.
Questions about this automation
Can the shop set its own preflight rules?
Yes. Each product has its own rule set, such as 3 mm bleed for flyers, 300 dpi minimum for photos and CMYK only for offset jobs, while large-format products can use lower resolution limits. The shop edits the rules in one table without changing the automation itself.
Does this replace prepress staff?
No. It takes over the first check and the back-and-forth with customers, so prepress staff spend their time on imposition, color work and the files that need a person's judgment. Staff can also override a failed result when they know a file will print well.
What does the shop need to start?
An order or upload system that stores files per order, a preflight engine or profile set for PDFs, a job folder structure and an email account for customer notices. Simple automations like this are usually live within days once the rules for each product are written down.