Pass4press version 2 was unveiled yesterday (Thursday 29 November) at the PPAs 2002 Digital Production Conference by pass4press committee co-chair and Emap UK pre-press and print buyer Andy Franks.

Feedback about the original specification has led to the development of pass4press profiles for pre-flighting applications and a free-to-use online pre-flighting system.

"If there was a criticism of pass4press it was that it was reliant on advertisers providing correct files by agreement, not by us providing them with the tools," said Debbie Read, pass4press committee co-chair and IPC Media pre-press development manager.

"The aim of pass4press 2 is to give advertisers a solution. They can use any pre-flighting product with the right profile or go via the website."

The online pre-flighting service will go live at www.pass4press.com in January.

Based on Markzwares MarkzNet, it will be hosted by httprint as a six-month trial, which is being paid for by a consortium of publishers.

Pass4press profiles for other pre-flight and PDF creation software will be available from manufacturers including CreoScitex, Enfocus and Extensis.

Version 2 is based on PDF 1.3, created using Acrobat 5. This became possible following "a considerable investment by printers" to upgrade RIPs to PostScript level 3.

To ensure consistent handling of pass4press 2 files in RIP, the committee has been working closely with RIP vendors, including Agfa, CreoScitex and DuPont, to provide guidelines on setting up RIPs for proofing and final output to process files consistently. The recommendations will be published in the new year.

The specification still calls for contract proofs, based on DuPonts Eurostandard. DuPont has recently made the colour spaces used available to other proofing vendors to use in their systems (PrintWeek, 9 November).

A best-practice guide for pass4press has also been published. It was distributed on the day to delegates and will be available on the website.

Version 2 doesnt support ripped files such as PDF RS or PDF IT or jobs that include special colours, but the guide includes details of how to handle their use.

A version of PDF-X that meets pass4press 2 is also under development.

Story by Barney Cox