Worldwide availability of latest PitStop preflighting and correction solution delivers even more advanced editing, ease of use and quality control 

Ghent, Belgium - Enfocus today releases PitStop 12 update 2. Included in the new release of the world's most popular PDF QA application is an expanded range of tools to quickly check, edit and fix troublesome PDF files. PitStop 12 update 2, in both stand-alone Pro and Server versions, is a free upgrade for all existing PitStop 12 users. 

"PitStop 12 was a groundbreaking release for Enfocus," says Andrew Bailes-Collins, Enfocus Senior Product Manager. "Its development was based directly on customer needs and their extensive feedback, secured through surveys, interviews and social media forums. We kept the conversation going after PitStop 12, listening to users telling us what they liked and what additional functionality they needed to tackle common PDF problems in their daily production."

Bailes-Collins says that PitStop Pro 12 update 2, and PitStop Server 12 update 2, are the result of these ongoing dialogs, as well as the excellent work of Enfocus' development team. The releases, he explains, build on the success of PitStop 12, and provide users with additional abilities to even more easily and efficiently check, correct and edit every element within a PDF file, ultimately increasing productivity.

New features praised by users

The features in PitStop 12 update 2 give users the ability to gain efficiencies, improve editing and better handle issues when they arise. These capabilities have been rigorously tested at customer beta sites, who have subsequently provided extensive feedback on the new release.

Axel Robert, Prepress & Graphic Chain Quality Manager at Ubisoft, Montreuil-sous-Bois, France, is one of the PitStop 12 update 2 beta testers. He commented on the overall release by saying, "PitStop is the ultimate killer PDF knife tool in my every day work. I find it unthinkable to work without it, and this new update is no exception to the rule."

The main new features in PitStop 12 update 2 include:

• Improved selection editing: with PitStop Pro 12 update 2, users can carry out functions such as rotating, scaling or skewing of objects by simply moving the mouse to the control points of the object they want to change. Previously, users had to select different tool buttons, which was not user friendly and required extra mouse clicks. Ubisoft's Axel Robert says of this new feature, "I especially really like the new way you can select and edit an object. It's so simple and yet so effective!"
• Customizable keyboard shortcuts: now users can edit and customize keyboard shortcuts for the majority of PitStop Pro 12 menu items. Multiple sets of shortcuts can be created on the same computer, which means that different operators can apply the shortcuts that best work for them. This will help users to be more productive and efficient. As Amy Menendez, Prepress Specialist, BlueOcean Worldwide, LLC in New York, USA, notes: "Efficiency and accuracy equal productivity, so the new customizable shortcuts are a real advantage. Now all my favorite tools and actions are just a keyboard click away - when the work is 'flowing', so am I!"
• Add separation names: this new action allows the names of color separations to be generated and positioned within a PDF file. The separation names are individually created for each page and will show all separations including any spot colors. PitStop Pro 12 update 2 also provides several options that show how the separations will appear, giving the user strong control over positioning, font and font size. This functionality is important for any workflow that is processing a large number of PDF files. For example, Jon Morgan, IT Manager at Hopkins Printing in Ohio, USA, reports: "With the number of PDF files that we soft proof, a good quality control element is to show which colors are on a page. With PitStop 12's new 'Add Separation Names' feature, it's now easy to know exactly which colors - process and spot - are on a page. Thank you, Enfocus!"

Continuing the Dialogue

Customer feedback also drove a host of additional changes to PitStop 12 update 2, and PitStop Server update 2. These include, among others:

• Apply color curves: users were very positive about the image curve editing functionality that was added to PitStop Pro 12. In update 2, Enfocus builds on that functionality and now allows adjustment curves to be applied on all content within a PDF file; not just on images. PitStop 12 update 2 also allows curves to be applied to a whole page for calibration, or dot gain adjustment.
• Curves are available for all color spaces and can also be based on separations including individual spot colors. For example, if a user wants a particular calibration adjustment curve for a spot color separation, they can easily add specific spot colors by using the '+' button and choosing one of the options. They can then define a curve for the named color, which will be used if the color is in the processed PDF file.
• Use of regular expressions: Action Lists can now be created using regular expressions, which opens up a whole host of new opportunities for more powerful checking and automatic correction.
• Improved Image Conversion: the rasterizing functionality in PitStop Pro and PitStop Server now supports anti-aliasing, which increases the quality of the created image. This quality improvement is particularly important for the repurposing of tablet preflight profiles.

For a full overview of all new features and functionality in both PitStop Pro 12 update 2, and PitStop Server 12 update 2, please visit the Enfocus product pages:www.enfocus.com/en/pitstoppro and www.enfocus.com/en/pitstopserver.

Availability

Version 12 update 2 is a free upgrade for all existing users of PitStop Pro 12 and PitStop Server 12, and is available immediately for download from the Enfocus website.For more information, users can contact their local reseller, email [email protected]or visit www.enfocus.com/en/pitstop.