Synapse Prepare or FastPath File Check
Which Is Right for Your Business?

Courier recommends two similar products: Synapse Prepare and FastPath File Check. Fine Print interviewed Steve Franzino, Courier Companies’ Vice President of Technology, about the relative merits of each.

FP: What do these two products offer Courier customers?

SF: Both of them are great products. Either one of them eliminates almost all the frustrating delays and costly rework associated with file problems, but each takes a different approach to the task.

FastPath File Check is a web-based service (available at www.courierfastpath.com) that performs Courier-customized file inspection and file collection, without the need to buy, install, or configure any preflight software. It also provides instructions for fixing the file problems it identifies.

Synapse Prepare is a workflow automation application from Creo that enables the user to create print-ready PDF files from QuarkXPress with just one click of the mouse. The files are created according to “directives” that are set up by the printer — preferably Courier — and that reflect the printer’s particular workflow and equipment.

FP: Should you use both products?

SF: No, either one will do.

FP: What are their differences?

SF: There are many; here are a few. The most fundamental difference is that FastPath File Check checks for errors in the files that you
create, while Synapse Prepare automatically creates error-free files. Prepare works only on the Mac OS with Adobe Acrobat installed, and requires QuarkXPress to enable full automation. File Check is cross-platform; works with PDF, Quark, or EPS files; and requires no software other than a browser. File Check is a free service from Courier; Prepare has a retail price of $325.

Another important difference is that Prepare can be used for jobs going to printers other than Courier (as long as the printers provide their directives), while File Check is exclusive to Courier.

FP: If you were a Courier customer responsible for getting books printed on schedule and on budget, how would you use these products?

SF: I would do two things.

First, I would contact my compositor, or whoever prepares the files for my books, with instructions to start using FastPath File Check immediately for all my Courier jobs. Not only will it save me time and money and make my compositor’s job easier — it’s absolutely free! It doesn’t matter whether I prepare my own files, use an in-house compositor, or hire one outside. The best way to get my books printed on schedule and on budget is to make absolutely sure that all my files pass through FastPath File Check before being submitted.

Second, I would make sure that my compositor evaluates Synapse Prepare. This product delivers clean files for all my jobs and provides my compositor with process automation. It’s worth it to me to convince my compositor to buy and use Synapse Prepare.

FP: How can customers get started?

SF: Simple. They should tell their compositor to register for File Check at www.courierfastpath.com, and to start using it for all their Courier jobs.

As for Synapse Prepare, Courier and Creo are running a promotion right now: a free 30-day “test drive” and a $100 discount on the software. Courier customers can get their compositors started by signing them up at www.rightfromthestart.com/synapse. They will receive a CD with a 30-day complete working version of the software, a copy of the new Fifth Edition of Right from the Start, and details on the discount.

FP: Thanks, Steve.

Printed Reports from FastPath Status Check
New Features Added

A recent revision of FastPath Status Check allows you to print as well as view your latest job status report anytime you want. So now it’s more convenient than ever to monitor your job status online.

FastPath Status Check is a free web-based service Courier offers all its customers through the Courier FastPath web site: www.courierfastpath.com. Status Check provides you with secure online access to your job and inventory status. Using a standard web browser, you can gain instant access to your latest data at your convenience, 24/7. You can also use the simple search and sort functionality to create a customized report.

And, with the new report printing functionality, you can create a PDF file of your report for easy printing or distribution. Now you can bring a printout of your customized job status report to your production meeting, or you can e-mail the report as a PDF file to your associates.

Register online at www.courierfastpath.com. We ’ll send you a username and password, and you’ll have access to your latest job and inventory status whenever and wherever you wish.

Paperless Estimates
Get your Price Quotes by E-mail

Too much paper in your office? Tired of hanging out by the fax machine? Simplify your life by receiving all your Courier price
quotations by e-mail. Just let your Sales Rep know that you would like “paperless” estimates, and we’ll start sending your quotes as
PDF files attached to e-mails. An enthusiastic Courier Sales Rep declared, “Read my lips. No more faxes!”

Right From the Start Tip

When using FastPath File Check, you may find it easier to check your text files in convenient groups as you prepare them. When all the files have passed inspection, be sure to run a final inspection to re-inspect all the files at once. In addition to serving as a final check, this allows you to use the “Collection” feature to create a single compressed archive of the entire text, simplifying the submission process.