They grow up so fast, don’t they? It seems like only yesterday that we introduced PitStop to the world – back when MMMBop and My Heart Will Go On were in the charts, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the hot new show on TV – and now, it’s 25 years old!
As you (probably) aren’t reading this on a huge CRT monitor that weighs as much as a fridge, you’ll know that technology has moved on a lot since our flagship PDF editing tool was first released back in 1997. Software doesn’t last this long unless it has something special. A quarter of a century on, there’s no better time to look back at what makes PitStop a household name in the printing world – and to look forward to the future with our 2022 update.
PitStop Pro, the comprehensive prepress tool
Put simply, PitStop makes the prepress process easy. It’s the gold standard for validation, letting designers automate huge parts of the preflight workflow and outputting print-ready files with surgical precision. Its automatic error-fixing technology helps ensure the end result is pin-sharp and color-accurate without the need for a time-consuming validation process. However, you can take control of any element of a PDF from within Adobe Acrobat if need be, tweaking everything from paths to layers until it perfectly matches your vision.
The secret to PitStop’s success is that it can be exactly what you want it to be. For years, it’s been making printers’ lives easier by giving them full control when they need it and sit-back-and-relax automation when they don’t. It comes with a library of action lists that let you make one-click fixes straight after installation, dramatically increasing total throughput.
Of course, PitStop hasn’t stayed the same for 25 years. If you’re not moving forwards, you’re going backwards in the tech world. We regularly update our software to add and improve features (and to squash the occasional bug – nobody’s perfect!) in what is an ever-evolving toolset. And, seeing as we’re in a giving mood, we have a few new updates to share with all our customers!
So what’s new?
We think life begins at 25. PitStop is only getting better thanks to our huge 2022 platform update. As a 25th birthday present, we’ve given PitStop over 40 new actions, streamlined and improved a host of features, added PDF2.0 support, and improved PDF/x-6 support.
Talk about being spoiled!
· PDF 2.0 support
o Our industry-leading software stays ahead of the pack when it comes to PDF editing with future-proof PDF 2.0 support. PDF 2.0 is more of an evolution than a revolution, but it still adds key features that artists will love. It supports 256-bit AES encryption, rich media annotations, and geospatial features amongst a bunch of other additions and improvements. In short, it’s quicker, easier, and less costly to implement your spec.
· Page level output intent
o You can now easily change your output intent at the document or page level. Get PDF/x-6 compliant output with just a single click!
· Improved color management
o Get more reliable results from your preflight process with improved color management, including new halftone origin settings and per-object black point compensation thanks to PDF 2.0.
· Improved bleed
o PitStop 2022 further improves upon bleed creation. Adding bleed to vector-based objects has been improved to include image masks. This means that where continuous tone artwork is used and image data is available but clipped by a mask, the mask will be opened to create bleed.
· PDF 2.0 and PDF/x-6 preflight profiles
o Comply with new standards and make sure your design keeps up with the Joneses using our new preflight profiles. Make your document compliant to the latest standards with just a few clicks, saving hours of design time.
Meet the rest of the PitStop family
The 2022 update of the PitStop Pro software means it’s a complete, cutting-edge solution for the preflight process. However, to ensure seamless integration with your existing prepress systems and unleash the full power of its automation, you can complement it with the rest of the PitStop family. By leveraging the whole PitStop brand, you can dramatically increase throughput and add value to your offer. What’s a birthday celebration without family, anyway?
Integration made easy thanks to PitStop Library SDK
PitStop Library SDK is the engine that all PitStop products are built around. No matter how your system works, this SDK (Software Development Kit) ensures simple integration. It’s a collection of libraries, header files, documentation, and samples that can slot into any prepress workflow without causing any IT headaches.
PitStop Server
Combine user-friendly automation with elite quality control by using PitStop Server. PitStop Pro’s little brother, Server monitors multiple file submission points, making it ideal for businesses using FTP servers or networked hot folders. It automates preflight and repair, eliminating the risk of those pesky human errors creeping into the process. It even takes care of that most tedious of tasks – zipping and unzipping job folders. By taking care of these menial, time-consuming tasks for you, it frees up staff to add value in other areas of the business.
What does that entail? Well, that’s up to you. The possibilities are quite literally endless. For 25 years and counting, PitStop has been unlocking the full potential of print businesses. Now there’s something worth celebrating.
