Tutorial - Approve and collaborate magazine advertisements online with your customer

tFLOW is a powerful digital and large format automation workflow that simplifies difficult file management tasks and processes to optimize efficiency and production throughput.

In the previous tutorial "Preflight a magazine advertisement" I created a magazine workflow. One job is waiting for customer approval. The customer is able to upload new jobs that automatic preflight the PDFs for magazine printing according to the GWG 2015 specifications. In tFLOW the customer is also able to collaborate job info with the prepress department.

Launch tFLOW

Sign in with an admin account.

1. Enter the admin e-mail address.
2. Enter the admin password.
3. Click "Sign In".

Open the Orders panel

1. Click "Orders".

Open the created order

1. Double click on order "Magazines".

The created job is waiting for approval

1. Click on the admin avatar.

Sign out of the admin account

1. Click "Sign Out".

Sign in with a customer account

1. Enter the customer e-mail address.
2. Enter the customer password.
3. Click "Sign In".

Open the Orders panel

Now you are sign in as a user with customer permissions. No access to the Settings panel and other admin functionality. These settings can be modified by the admin user. On the Dashboard panel one job is waiting for customer approval.

1. Click "Orders".

Open the created customer order

1. Click on the order "Magazines".

Open the created job waiting for customer approval

The PDF file is succesful converted to the magazine standard of GWG 2015. The job is waiting for approval.

1. Double click on the job "Magazines-1".

Analyze the Approval panel

A proof preview is created. In the Approval panel you have tools to analyze the proof. Collaboration tools such as comments are included.

1. Click "Zoom In" to check the details of the proof.
2. Click "Preflight Report".

Analyze the preflight warning messages

Three warnings are provided. Each warning has an explanation.

1. Click on the "Fixed" tab.

Analyze the fixed warning messages

In the PDF file six corrections have been executed. Each fix has an explanation.

1. Click "Download Report PDF".

Analyze the PDF report

The PDF report has annotations that shows and explains the warnings.

Add a new comment to the proof

As a customer you are able to share proof comments with the prepress department.

1. Click "Add New Comment".

Customize the comment

1. Click on the "Information" tab to add a general comment.
2. Choose the comment icon.
3. Enter the comment "The colors are fine. Thanks!".
4. In the drop down list choose the prepress operator.
5. Click "Post message".

Send the proof to a colleague

The comment is added in the "Comments" box.

1. Click "Send Proof".

Add the colleague

1. Click "Add User".

Add a description for the colleague

1. Enter a description for the colleague.
2. Enter the colleague his email adress.
3. Click "Send Proof".

Analyze the notification email to the colleague

The colleague receives a notification email with the description and the proof in the attachment. If he has a tFLOW account, he can sign in and view online.

NOTE: Notification emails has to be enabled by the administrator in the Settings panel.

Approve the job for production

After checking the proof carefully, you can approve.

1. Click "Approve".

Confirm the job state change

1. Click "Yes".

Preparing the job for production

tFLOW is creating a PDF file for production.

Analyse the approved job

The job is ready to send to production by the prepress department. The customer gave permission.

1. Click on the order "Magazines".

Add a new job to the order

1. Drag and drop the PDF file "Mercedes Add_A-Class.pdf".

Analyse the processing job

The PDF file is converted to one job. tFLOW is preflighting the PDF file to the magazine standard of GWG 2015.

Open the on hold job

1. Double click on the job "Magazines-2".

Open the preflight report

1. Click "Preflight Report".

Analyze the preflight error message

The job is on hold because of one error. The resolution of the color image larger than 16x16 pixel is less than 150 ppi inside the BleedBox. This will result in a bad print, an updated version of the PDF is needed.

1. Click "Close".

Add the revision PDF file

1. Click on the "Approve" drop down list
2. Choose "Upload New File".

Confirm the job state change

1. Click "Yes".

Upload the revision PDF file

1. Drag and drop the PDF file "Mercedes Add_A-Class_vs2.pdf".

Analyse the processing job

tFLOW is preflighting the revision PDF file to the magazine standard of GWG 2015.

Open the preflight report

1. Click "Preflight Report".

Analyze the preflight warning messages

Two warnings are provided. Each warning has an explanation.

1. Click on the "Fixed" tab.

Analyze the preflight fixed message

In the PDF file six corrections have been executed. Each fix has an explanation.

1. Click "Close".

Add a new comment to the proof

As a customer you are able to share proof comments with the prepress department.

1. Click "Add New Comment".

Customize the comment

1. Click on the "Information" tab to add a general comment.
2. Choose the annotation icon.
3. Move the annotation next to the image.
4. Enter the comment "This is the best quality image we have.".
5. In the drop down list choose the prepress operator.
6. Click "Post message".

Approve the job for production

1. Click "Approve".

Confirm the job state change

1. Click "Yes".

Preparing the job for production

tFLOW is creating a PDF file for production.

Analyze the approved job

The job is ready to send to production by the prepress department. The customer gave permission.

1. Click on the order "Magazines".

Analyze the approved jobs in the order

In the order "Magazines" you have an overview of the two approved jobs.

1. Click on the customer avatar.

Sign out of the customer account

1. Click "Sign Out".

Sign in again with the admin account

1. Enter the admin e-mail address.
2. Enter the admin password.
3. Click "Sign In".

Open the two approved jobs by the customer

1. Click "All Approved Jobs".

Open the first approved job

1. Double click on the job "Magazines-1".

Analyze the approved job by the customer

The job is approved by the customer. The prepress operator see the added comment and can response if required. Clicking on "Download" opens a drop down list to save the Production and Proof PDF file.