As a large repro house that covers a wide range of different markets including magazines and catalogues, Wyndeham Graphics has a huge range of different print specifications to check for including web offset and gravure. With constant pressure from clients for better service, lower costs and quicker deadlines they were looking for a workflow - and one which is generating more business – solution to the critical task of automating the process of ad receipt. The key demands required of the product were simplicity, flexibility and reliability.

Wyndeham Graphics technical director Barry Fitzpatrick had been looking at web-based file submission and pre-flight checking tools, but hadn't found anything that "was robust enough, that met both our needs and the developments in the market"! PrintSure with its ability to streamline the process of job booking, asset submission, internal job routing, tracking, production and even billing was the right solution.

Simplicity was one of the key requirements for Wyndeham – not just for the end user but also for the administration and maintenance of the system. "It's a very good product, it's simple to administer, has a clear interface and you haven't got to write big bits of code to make it work in your workflow," he says. "They've taken on the realities of the situation; even low-end users should look at it."

"Before a file is sent from the customer to Wyndeham, it is checked on their desktop and if it fails that pre-flight check then it can't be sent and the user gets a report pointing out the problems. If a file's not correct then it gives them a report of the failures." Fitzpatrick says. "It addresses the problem at source. Before it even enters our workflow the checks have been done."

Checks that Fitzpatrick singled out for praise are transparency and in particular checking ink weights. "Not only can it check on an individual pixel basis, it can check for maximum ink weights by area of coverage – a much more useful reckoner for ensuring files aren't over inked running the risk of increased web breaks, show through and setoff" said Barry. Setting up the profiles is the only area Fitzpatrick feels is complicated – not from the point of view of using the software, but knowing what to check for. But as he says, "that's what this business is all about."

Whilst PrintSure's ease of use was a key aspect, paradoxically another major benefit, the depth and breadth of the checks it can carry out, was the other major clincher. Fitzpatrick looked at several other packages, including Markzware, which appeared as the strongest other contender. "PrintSure goes beyond the standard checks. You can be more stringent and narrow down the checks," he says. "It's about finding more about files than other pre-flight systems."

Fitzpatrick sees several advantages in this approach, which benefit Wyndeham's costs. "It's difficult to quantify savings, but they're in booking in, administration and production," he says. "It identifies problems earlier in the process, we haven't wasted administration time on something that can be resolved locally." And despite the check happening before it leaves the customer, the software provides Graphics with an audit of the preflight check and details of how many files are checked and how many times. And there are benefits to Graphics' customers too. "It has got the people sending files to be more aware and to supply better files."