File delivery to network devices
The problem
Print shops have a variety of output devices. Internal proofs, contract proofs, wide-format production, and the list goes on. Each team member has to manage the print queues from their own or a centralized workstation. This can require mounting several network shares and hot folders. It may also lead to managing users at each network share to avoid unexpected disconnections or other issues caused by a routine hardware restart.
Switch can solve this complexity by centralizing the distribution of files from multiple users to multiple devices. Each user only needs to mount one Switch network share. Switch routes files to the desired output. This also means that only Switch needs to be designated with credentials to access each device hot folder or queue.
The Switch solution
With this solution, Switch routes file based on file name. PitStop Server is used to apply standard preparation such as converting images to CMYK and outlining fonts:
- A network folder, mounted by any users that send jobs, is the entry point into the flow. The files are sorted by a suffix that users add to the file name.
- Switch routes PDF files to a PitStop Server configurator that, based on output destination, converts images to CMYK, outlines fonts, and/or names the opaque layer as the destination RIP expects.
- Files are then sent to the respective RIP input folder.
Benefits
- One output connection for production users to maintain
- Simplified connectivity to many output devices
- Recovery from device restarts is much quicker
- Apply standard file preparation using PitStop Server
Flow elements and modules used for this case
