Prepress may not be glamorous, but it’s absolutely critical. Your print job can have award-winning design and run on the best press in the world — but if the incoming PDF has issues, none of that matters. Bleeds vanish. Fonts go missing. Image resolution falls below print quality. And let’s not forget the unexpected guest stars — spot colors that shouldn’t be there… or the ones that mysteriously went missing.
Manual checking used to be the only line of defense. Stress, late nights, and lots of coffee were the norm.
But here’s the good news: with the right tools connected in the right way, you can automate the entire prepress workflow — turning chaos into calm and panic into predictability.
That’s exactly what happens when you combine Instaprint MIS, Enfocus Switch, and PitStop Server.
A smarter way to fix files
Instaprint keeps track of every job — its specs, customer, deadlines, and production route. When a new PDF lands, Switch instantly moves it into a preflight flow using PitStop Server. No human intervention required.
PitStop automatically checks and fixes common issues: trim size mismatches, image resolution too low for quality output, spot color errors, transparency issues, and much more. You define the rules, and it enforces them.
The best part? Every job gets a preflight report. And those reports can be shared with the sales team or even sent directly to the client, if desired. Instead of vague updates, customers get real feedback: “We corrected your file for print accuracy. Next time, just double-check your spot color setup!”
Communication — without the triangle drama
You know the one: Sales promises a delivery date to the client, prepress hasn’t seen the file yet, and suddenly everyone’s inbox is on fire.
By integrating communication into the automated flow, you replace reactive firefighting with proactive transparency.
For example, Switch can automatically:
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Notify the sales team when a file is preflighted and ready.
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Alert the prepress team only when manual review is needed.
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Email clients with clear, professional updates — including preflight results or requests for corrected files.
This breaks the endless loop of “Did they send the final file?”, “Is prepress done yet?”, or “Why didn’t anyone tell me the spot color was missing?”
When everyone sees the same source of truth, trust builds. Deadlines are realistic. And clients feel informed instead of ignored.
Prepress that doesn’t sleep (or complain)
Once the automation is in place, it runs around the clock. Every file is handled consistently, quickly, and with zero fatigue.
PitStop doesn’t forget steps. It doesn’t get distracted. And it never needs to ask where the latest preflight checklist is.
Whether your job is a business card or a billboard, PitStop applies the same high standards — backed by your defined preflight profiles and action lists.
Smarter routing, fewer bottlenecks
Enfocus Switch doesn’t just move files. It makes decisions.
If preflight passes, the job moves forward. If it fails, the system routes it for manual review — and optionally notifies the client with a helpful message and link to upload a corrected version. Metadata from Instaprint drives this logic, allowing for detailed, product-specific rules.
This means you’re not just automating tasks — you’re automating thinking. And that’s where the real time savings come in.
Color management? Also handled.
PitStop Server can apply ICC profiles automatically, convert color spaces when needed, and check ink limits. All of this is essential for predictable print results — especially across different substrates or machines.
Instead of relying on operator memory or manual conversions, it just happens. Quietly. Perfectly.
In summary…
Instaprint + Switch + PitStop is the kind of trio that makes prepress teams breathe easier. It reduces errors, improves turnaround, and gives you real-time visibility into every file’s status — from arrival to print-ready.
But more than that, it solves one of the print industry’s biggest problems: messy communication.
With automatic updates, transparent reporting, and rule-based routing, your team doesn’t just work faster — it works smarter. And your clients? They stay informed, reassured, and happy.
No chasing. No confusion. No more email ping-pong.
Just prepress that works — every time.
