ACCHSH Unveils the New Version of  PuzzleFlow Workflow System

Warsaw, 30.12.2006

The Polish-based ACCHSH has recently announced the new version of its flagship product

– the PuzzleFlow workflow system. PuzzleFlow v.3 brings many new modules and functions thereby increasing the system’s quality, speed and compatibility with third party solutions. PuzzleFlow was also integrated with ACCHSH’s PdfTools, which resulted in the programs’ name change.

New enhancements, incorporated in PuzzleFlow v.3, were partly announced at the International Partners Meeting of ACCHSH, held in Cracow (Poland) last October. In the middle of December the company unveiled the full version of PuzzleFlow v.3, almost entirely based on ACCHSH’s own solutions.

The new version of PuzzleFlow brings enhancements in almost all modules and functions of the system – Andrzej Czyz, CEO of ACCHSH says. – They cover, for example, functions related to advanced job preparation, workflow management and configuration, imposition, automatic job processing, trapping, RIP, proofing and CIP3 compatibility. PuzzleFlow v.3 offers a modern and intuitive user interface that makes it very easy to use. What’s also important is that we introduced more and more language versions of the system.

In the job preparation part, PuzzleFlow v.3 offers a new version of PdfPreflighter – PuzzleFlow Express. It’s a very professional tool for DTP and prepress studios, enabling automation of PDF creation, advanced preflighting and digital certification of PDF files. New functions of PuzzleFlow Express include native PostScript normalization, Acrobat-free PDF printer and certified job submission to the PuzzleFlow queue via JMF channel.

The most important highlight in the workflow configuration and management part is WebManager – the new PuzzleFlow management interface. It controls every PuzzleFlow queue and processed jobs from another machine via an Internet browser. WebManager functions cover: creating user accounts with customizable rights and privileges, database support (MySQL, MSSQL, PostgreSQL and others), tracing all the production history, load balancing (optimized network resources management) and easy workflow configuration thanks to hundreds of predefined module setups.

PdfOrganizer, the imposition tool, formerly being a part of PdfTools, was incorporated into the new version of the PuzzleFlow system. Now it is offered as PuzzleFlow Organizer and allows for export of imposition data as JDF/PJTF from the client station to PuzzleFlow server as well as resolving many imposition intents, e.g. compound signatures including several templates in one imposition. PuzzleFlow Organizer also brings additional types of marks, a more convenient way of marker placement and a new function of page geometry setup preview. The program offers the following functions as well: imposition-proof production with precise page geometry marking and matching control with double-sided, semi-transparent preview (Box Imposer, Two Side Preview), automated page geometry adjustment with auto-rotation, bleeds and size setup for custom production needs (Page Orienter, Page Scaler, Box Resizer), automated cutting markers detection and a real page content bounding box recognition (Auto Crop), professional billboard production system (Tiler), barcodes generation and document personalization with the possibility of database connection (Personalizer, Http Resource). PuzzleFlow Organizer was also equipped with an enhanced, convenient user interface with tabs and tool-panels.

PuzzleFlow PlaceIt, a professional imposition tool for the packaging industry, is a completely new module of PuzzleFlow v.3. It is based on the PdfPlaceIt tool and supports CAD cf2 format for cutting and creasing of die cutters. PuzzleFlow PlaceIt offers the following functions: data export to cf2, automatic job placement according to the frame line, automatic job cropping parallel to the frame line, with respect to user-defined bleed and interactive plate preview with single-job geometry control.

Two new modules appeared in the PuzzleFlow v.3 automatic job processing area. Transparency Flattener flattens the transparency and overprint effects to PDF 1.3 format, acceptable for all output devices. Image Filter applies automated graphic filters to bitmaps. Another job processing functions of PuzzleFlow v.3 include: support for device-link direct color transformation profiles and unsharp masking after color transformations (Color Manager), better optimization of fragmented images and smooth shades as well as PDF correction (Toolbox), automated font-to-curves conversion preserving text searching abilities (Font to Curves), layer handling and multi-lingual support (Layer Manager, Annot Flattener) and moving spot color objects to layers (Color Mapper).

PuzzleFlow v.3 also brings a more effective trapping engine, offering transparent object support and the function of applying overprint instead of traps or simply ignoring relatively small objects. An optional trapping tool can be built into PuzzleFlow Organizer and PuzzleFlow PlaceIt programs.

PuzzleFlow v.3 offers an enhanced rastering engine equipped with job optimization before the rasterization process. It brings a completely new function of wrapping the output data with a JDF runlist as well as a precise and convenient RIP calibration interface with respect to imagesetter dot-gain, machine deviation and custom standard.

PuzzleFlow v.3 brings improved soft proofing with runtime color separation, recombination and transformation according to specified output profile (Preview Generator module). The Eagle RIP, created by Founder Electronics and implemented into PuzzleFlow on an OEM agreement basis, enables the generation of a composite preview directly out of the rasterized data with an optional conversion to RGB.

The system also has an enhanced CIP3 module, enabling integration of prepress with the printing and postprint processes. It offers full ink coverage control with percentage surface coverage thresholds as well as generating ink coverage profiles in CIP3 and DIPS formats.

We believe the new version of PuzzleFlow workflow will attract a big interest from our present and future customers – Andrzej Czyz says. – The functionality it offers, as well as numerous new functions and modules it brings, makes it a very flexible and universal workflow for different production environments and different applications. The integration of the PuzzleFlow system and PdfTools is an additional facilitation in searching through our product offer. The initial response from our distributors, who took part in the International Partners Meeting in Cracow, is very positive and we are convinced that PuzzleFlow v.3 will repeat the success of the previous versions of our flagship product.