The tool, which has been developed by httprint and incorporates Markzwares FlightCheck system, will be officially released at the end of this month and the PPA is seeking feedback on its capabilities.

Publishers ranging from BBC Worldwide, Emap, IPC and NatMags to the Institute of Physics Publishing have already registered more than 250 magazine titles.

The next stage of the project will involve updates including magazine-specific mechanical data to enable the correct building of adverts. There will also be simplified advertiser registration.

The pre-flighting service has three codes for adverts pass, caution or failure.

Matt Spencer (pictured), httprints e-commerce sales director, said one of the main challenges when developing the tool was to balance publishers need for robustness against making it accessible enough so that it didnt reject all files on initial submission.

McCann-Erickson is one of the major ad agencies signed up for pre-flighting. Stephen Reilly, reprographics technical manager in the firms Manchester office, praised the services ease of use and the comprehensive range of magazines and publishers that have adopted it.

Reillys department also uses Quickcut, but he said that although it was technically sound it hadnt signed up the publishers to whom he sends most of his files.

McCann-Erickson Manchester pre-flights 20-30 adverts a week through pass4press and Reilly said that the use of one standard meant he didnt have to "mess around" with various technologies.

Story by Gordon Carson