The industry-leading PDF preflighting software, PitStop Automate, now has the ability to automatically enhance images embedded within a PDF file, following a partnership between Enfocus and Dutch firm Elpical.  Elpical’s Claro Module for PitStop Automate plugs into the Enfocus automation product to enable hands-off image optimisation to become an integral part of the PDF workflow.

Elpical, which is well known in the newspaper sector, specialises in software that allows images to be automatically analysed and optimised.  It can also apply ICC profiles to allow resampling and colour converting.  This means that images within PDFs received from different sources can be optimised to look better and also have color profiles applied to suit the output process for that job.  The function can be carried out towards the end of the pre-press production cycle, giving greater freedom to the designer.  In addition, images can easily be repurposed for different uses eg newspapers, magazines, websites etc.  Elpical’s Claro Module is completely configurable from within the PitStop Automate user interface.

“As our industry becomes more automated, it needs easier tools to streamline the automation,” says Elpical’s managing director John de Jong.  “The Claro Module for PitStop Automate offers entry level functionality to enable a broad base of potential customers such as digital printers and professional copyshops to automatically increase the quality of customers’ jobs.  Increasingly, document creators have little or no graphic arts experience, so it falls to the printer to find the tools that allow quality to be maintained.  As such, Enfocus’ experience in PDF quality management and automation and Epical’s automatic enhancement technologies form a perfect match.”

Leo Vanderdonckt is international sales account manager at Enfocus.  “PitStop Professional and PitStop Automate have become industry standards for preflighting functions,” he says.  “In order to expand their attraction and use even further we have had a policy in recent years of working with other leading software suppliers to incorporate their packages where appropriate.  This had resulted in some exciting technical developments and important product launches and we believe the addition of Elpical’s new Claro Module fits perfectly with our existing technology partners.”