callas pdfToolbox vs Enfocus PitStop: Which Does Your Print Workflow Need?

"Should we use callas pdfToolbox or Enfocus PitStop?" is one of the questions we are asked most often. Both are mature, well-supported PDF tools used by printers worldwide, both check files against PDF/X and GWG specifications, and both can fix problems automatically. So the honest answer is that it depends on how you work, who will be using it, and what else is in your workflow.

A note on transparency: autoM8.print is a callas software channel partner. We also work with Enfocus tools every day, and we build workflows around PitStop as readily as pdfToolbox. This comparison is based on what we see working in real production, and where PitStop is the better fit, we say so.

What both tools do well

Before looking at the differences, it is worth being clear how much they have in common. Both will:

• Preflight PDFs against PDF/X and Ghent Workgroup (GWG) specifications, with profiles you can customise for your own presses and products.
• Fix common problems automatically, such as converting colour, embedding fonts and correcting page boxes.
• Run interactively for an operator, or unattended on a server for automated workflows.
• Plug into Enfocus Switch so preflight becomes one step in a wider automated workflow.

If all you need is solid preflight on incoming files, either will do the job. The differences show up in how they are used day to day and in how far you want to take automation.

Enfocus PitStop: built around the operator

PitStop comes in two main forms. PitStop Pro is a plug-in for Adobe Acrobat that lets operators inspect and edit PDFs interactively: select an object, change it, move it, recolour it, and see the result immediately. PitStop Server runs preflight profiles and Action Lists automatically on files arriving in hot folders or through Switch.

PitStop's strengths are:

• Hands-on editing in Acrobat. For prepress operators who need to fix individual files by eye, PitStop Pro is hard to beat. Many studios already know it.
• Action Lists. Repeatable sequences of fixes that operators can build without scripting, then run on demand or on the server.
• Tight Enfocus integration. PitStop Server and Switch come from the same company and are designed to work together.

PitStop tends to suit operations where skilled operators still handle a significant share of files manually, and where the automation needed is mainly preflight and standard corrections.

callas pdfToolbox: built around automation

pdfToolbox is available as a desktop application, as a server and command-line product for automated processing, and as an SDK for developers building it into their own software. It is the PDF engine inside a great deal of other print software, which says something about its depth.

Its strengths are:

• Process Plans. Multi-step sequences that combine checks, fixes and decisions, so a single plan can handle a file differently depending on what it finds.
• Variables and scripting. Profiles can be driven by job data, for example trim size, stock or product type passed in from a web-to-print order or MIS, so one setup serves many products. JavaScript is available for logic that goes beyond the built-in options.
• Transformation as well as checking. Beyond preflight, it can impose, add marks and barcodes, split and merge documents, convert colour with DeviceLinks and prepare files for specific output devices.
• Flexible deployment. Desktop, server, command line and SDK use the same engine, which suits integrations with storefronts, MIS and custom tools.

pdfToolbox tends to suit operations aiming for high levels of unattended processing, where files should flow from order to press with as few touches as possible. It is also worth knowing that callas has moved pdfToolbox to Wallet and Cartridge licensing, which changes how licences are deployed and checked.

Side by side

• Interactive editing in Acrobat: PitStop Pro is the stronger choice. pdfToolbox Desktop can inspect and fix files, but it is not designed as a hand-editing tool in the same way.
• Standard preflight and fixing: both are excellent.
• Data-driven, multi-step automation: pdfToolbox has the edge, particularly with variables and Process Plans.
• Imposition, marks and file preparation: pdfToolbox covers more of this natively.
• Building into other software: both have SDK options; pdfToolbox is very widely embedded across the industry.
• Switch integration: both integrate well.

When it makes sense to use both

Many of the most effective setups we see use both tools for what they do best: pdfToolbox running unattended on the server to process the bulk of incoming files, and PitStop Pro on operators' desks for the minority of files that genuinely need a human. The automated route handles volume; the interactive tool handles exceptions quickly.

Questions to ask before you choose

1. What share of your files do you want to process with no human involvement?
2. Do your operators need to edit files by hand, and are they already trained on one tool?
3. Do your preflight settings need to change by product, size or customer? If so, how will that job data reach the tool?
4. Do you already run Enfocus Switch, and what else does the workflow need to connect to?
5. Do you need imposition, marks or device-specific preparation as part of the same step?

Whichever tool you choose, the results depend far more on how it is configured than on the logo. The standard profiles are a starting point, not a finished setup, as we explain in our guide to PDF preflight automation.

If you are weighing up the two, book a free discovery call. We will look at your files and your workflow and give you a straight recommendation, including if that means sticking with what you already have.