Gask & Hawley, which had previously been using PitStop Professional, started shopping for new repro software after running into problems with PDF 1.6 files, which require complex transparency functions and sophisticated pre-flighting.

Repro manager Peter Smith said: “We operate a busy repro department here in Liverpool and so our main task is to process customer files and get them to the platemaking department as quickly as possible.

“However, we were receiving more and more PDFs that were created in such a way that they could take as long as three hours to manually fix and re-rip before being correct for CTP output.”

Gask & Hawley turned to Odystar, which is a native PDF 1.6 workflow, on the recommendation of Artwork Systems’ subsidiary Enfocus. Installation of the software took place last month, following the completion of a three-week trial and the release of versions of the workflow and RIP that supported the Intel Mac platform.

In addition Gask & Hawley has recently installed Artwork Systems’ Neo software, which allows for last minute changes to PDF files, at both its Liverpool and Manchester sites.

Smith said: “We have only operated Neo for a short while but it has already got us out of a few difficult situations. The ability to correct a PDF at the last minute, and not keep a press waiting while a job is sent back to the customer has been so valuable that Neo probably paid for itself within its first week of operation.”

Gask & Hawley reports that it is now considering installation of the Odystar workflow and RIP at its Manchester site.