Most printers are familiar with FlightCheck, a standalone preflight application; however, with less-experienced users doing more work in-house, the need for proper preflight – a checklist of inspection points that must meet certain criteria – increases every day. Designers and production artists have always used checklists to make sure something important wasn’t overlooked, but FlightCheck was the first software to automate the process.

FlightCheck Professional 6.8 has a large array of customizable settings, and supports many native applications, including QuarkXPress 9, InDesign CS5.5, Illustrator CS5.5, Photoshop CS5.5, and PDF files (up to Acrobat X). Plus, if you have the software installed (not always a requirement), FlightCheck can run you through the native files to fix the problem(s), and then it collects the job with all linked graphics and fonts – even fonts activated with most font managers. Settings (Ground Controls) for native files and PDFs can be customized and shared with other users and you could probably ask the printer for a copy of the settings (password-protected to prevent unwanted modifications). The list of available options for inspection is too extensive to cover here, but a 30-day demo and documentation is available online.

Although Photoshop InDesign CS4 (and later) has a decent built-in preflight, it doesn’t include such features as advanced inspection of linked graphics; separate settings for small text and rules as black-only or color; and there’s no in-between flag – InDesign check items are either OK or Error. Acrobat Pro has built-in preflight to fix minor issues with PDFs, but most printers have to deal with native files once in a while. And Acrobat only catches problems late in the production cycle. Granted, the combination of InDesign and Acrobat can catch most problems, if set up properly. If you’re using QuarkXPress, Illustrator, or Photoshop, you have fewer options for preflight, although QuarkXPress has Job Jackets. lllustrator doesn’t have built-in font and linked-graphic collection, and Photoshop can’t collect fonts, although Illustrator and Photoshop can Save As a PDF to embed the fonts/graphics.

One major problem I have with FlightCheck Professional 6.8 is that it’s Mac only. When FlightCheck first appeared, Macintosh computers dominated the print industry, but many corporations today are doing in-house marketing and advertising, and I’d guess it’s a 50/50 split between Mac and Windows. The older FlightCheck Windows version is nowhere to be found on Markzware’s website – although they did say that updating the Windows version was being looked into this year.

The only other problem I found with FlightCheck Professional 6.8 is that the floating windows are not enlargeable. They can be hard to read on a high-resolution monitor.

Why do you need to spend $400 to check your files after you just spent a grand for design software? Well, as stated above, InDesign’s preflight isn’t comprehensive, QuarkXPress – Job Jackets are hard to set up, and other programs don’t have built-in preflight or collection. Perhaps the real questions should be: How much time is lost fixing problems found at the printer?; or, How much money (and time) is wasted from jobs being reprinted?

Printers dealing strictly with PDF files could stay with Acrobat to preflight files but customers would have to fix the errors, causing delays in schedules or they could just run the jobs as GIGO (garbage-in-garbage-out); neither of which makes for repeat business. FlightCheck Professional 6.8, used early and often during the production cycle, could pay for itself by catching one major problem in a reasonably sized print job.

Note: I should disclose that I’m an authorized trainer for Markzware FlightCheck but that just means I think it’s a good product!

Company: Markzware
Price: $399 (Upgrade: $99)
Web: www.markzware.com
Rating: 4
Hot: Checks PDF and native files
Not: No comparable Windows version

Nikon has entered the mirrorless camera market with a strong start by introducing their new Nikon 1 system, which includes the J1 and V1 cameras. They did not, however, take the same route as other manufacturers with a 4/3 system but came up with their own sensor size, which they call CX format (slightly smaller than the 4/3 and APS-C format cameras). The CX-format CMOS sensor has a 2.7x magnification/crop factor, providing users with a range of 27-297mm with four lenses to choose from: Their 10mm, 2.8 is an ultra-compact, fast lens; the 10-30mm and 30-110mm provide a full range of focal lengths in just two lenses; and the 10-100mm provides the same range in a single lens (albeit a bit heavy and bulky) with Nikon’s well-respected glass.

The specs of the J1 (which I tested) read very much like many sophisticated DSLR bodies, yet the J1 is very easy to operate and uncluttered. The key settings are available at the push of a button on the exterior of the camera and many more adjustments can be accessed from the menu.

Some key features that set the Nikon 1 system apart from others include Nikon’s new hybrid AF system that combines phase detection/contrast-detect AF with a 73-point focus array, which continually works to keep your subject in sharp focus. Add an auto advance of 5 fps (frames per second) in full-res mode (up to 60 fps in electronic Hi mode) and you won’t miss a single shot.

Want to make a movie? The J1 offers 1080p video-capture, with single-frame capture while filming at the touch of the shutter – without interrupting the video. Don’t want video, but want to capture a mini sequence? The new one-touch Motion Snapshot captures short bursts (approximately 1 second), ensuring you capture that special moment at precisely the right time. Additionally, the J1 is equipped with ultra-slow-motion video for creative special effects that are only available in much higher-end cameras at a much greater cost.

The J1 is geared toward the hobbyist, so I decided to test it without reading the manual, to see just how intuitive it was. I was pleased to find that I could make many adjustments without referring to the instructions. (I later read the instruction book to make sure I was optimizing the camera and getting the most out of the features it offers.)

To keep the camera compact, one sacrifice was made: the lack of a viewfinder. And this proved problematic in bright light when I couldn’t see the rear LCD to compose my shot. At 10 megapixels, however, the J1 doesn’t sacrifice quality for size and I was pleasantly surprised at how low the noise was at higher ISO settings.

And if that’s not enough, Nikon has announced that they’ll offer the FT-1 Mount Adapter to accommodate F-mount single lens reflex (SLR) lenses in the near future. While adding an SLR lens to the camera will totally overpower the body, it does offer the opportunity to increase the magnification range to an extreme at 2.7x the effective focal length of the lens attached.

With all the features and accessories that the Nikon 1 system offers, it fills a niche for photographers, from the snapshot shooter who wants more than a point-and-shoot offers to the serious shooter who’s looking for a compact, full-featured camera with RAW capabilities.

The highlights for my shooting with the J1 include: the broad range of focal lengths offered in a compact camera, the high speed that ensures peak-of-action capture, and the RAW format. Of course, HD video is also a plus. The downside to the J1 is the lack of a viewfinder, making it difficult to see the rear LCD in bright light. But, if that’s a deal breaker, there’s always the V1! (The V1 also includes Nikon’s new multi-accessory port for attaching options such as the new SB-N5 Speedlight.)

Company: Nikon Inc.
Price: Starts at $649.95
Web: www.nikonusa.com
Rating: 3.5
Hot: Compact camera with broad zoom range
Not: Rear LCD is hard to see; no viewfinder

Beauty in a box? Believe it or not, here’s an interesting program that really allows you to do complete makeovers on your images with the click of a button and Intensity sliders. Perfect365 allows you to see results quickly with standard tricks such as face reshaping, teeth whitening, and blemish removal. But it’s really more, so let’s take a look.

Some cool features in Perfect365 make this a fun and creative tool. Options allow you to apply colored contacts and one-click styles let you select from templates that include Natural, Red Lips, and Cat Eyes, to name a few. The Enhancements panel is where you can choose from categories such as: Skin, to remove blemishes, circles, whiten skin, apply foundation, etc.; Face, to slim the face, lift cheeks, or enhance the nose; Eyes, to apply eyeliners, colored contacts, color, and brighten; and Mouth to deepen smiles, add lipstick, and whiten teeth. With the tools and parameters, there’s no limit what you can do to your images! You may use this more for photos of women at first but when you get used to it, you’ll find plenty of uses for photos of men, as well.

This isn’t going to replace your favorite editing program for your professional work but I think this is one of the best programs for quick results, and the control and capabilities provide a wide range of options for your images. The ability to export at full resolution is also a huge plus for those who need to keep the budget in check while being able to print at full resolution.

Company: ArcSoft Inc.
Price: Free download
Web: www.arcsoft.com
Rating: 5
Hot: Ease of use; quick results; one-click makeover
Not:

The Nikon Coolpix AW100 represents the company’s initial offering in the rugged compact camera market. As youd expect from a camera in this category, it’s waterproof to 33′, shockproof to 5′, freezeproof to 14 F, and it has built-in GPS, making it great for all of your adventures.

The AW100 is a solid camera. The buttons on the back are a bit small and close together, but that sacrifice was made to fit the fantastic 3″ LCDa trade-off Id take any day. There’s a large Action Control button on the left side that allows you to change settings easily, even while wearing gloves.

Inside the tough exterior, the AW100 features a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, a 5x zoom NIKKOR lens (28140mm equivalent), lens-shift vibration reduction, and 1080p video capture. All of this makes for a tempting camera, but there’s a catch. During testing, a lot of photos were soft and exposure was off, especially in contrasty photos. Changing the scene mode helped in most cases. This is where the real problem lies. There’s no manual setting, so you have to select from one of 20 scene modes, or use the Easy Auto mode. The best scene mode isn’t necessarily what you think it should be. For example, while attending an indoor party, I set the camera to Indoor Party mode, thinking it would be perfect. Most shots came out blurry (the flash was on). I switched to Nighttime Portrait and that improved the results exponentially. The point is that to achieve good, consistent results, you must first master the scene modes, understanding that you’ll have to experiment and find what works for you, not what the camera says will work. Then, you must be diligent and change your settings as the scene changes. In many cases, auto simply won’t cut it.

The Coolpix AW100 is a good camera, but there’s definitely room for improvement.

Company: Nikon Inc.
Price: $379.95
Web: www.nikonusa.com
Rating: 3.5
Hot: Solid build; great LCD screen
Not: No manual setting; no RAW; must master scene modes

RadLab is a Photoshop action set. With its own palette, you can start RadLab and decide whether you want it to work with your image on the same or a new layer, or as a smart object.

RadLab’s interface overtakes the Photoshop interface: On the left is the image; a middle column shows all the available effects (Stylets in RadLab speak); and at right are the controls. Users get a histogram, a Save/Cancel button, and for each group of effects a couple of simple slider controls. There are also sliders that control brightness, contrast, and warmth.

Totally Rad! claims their interface is the first one to make photo effects simple—a bold statement. I found RadLab’s interface not dramatically easier to use than Nik’s Color Efex Pro, which allows for more fine-tuning of each filter.

RadLab has a number of interesting effects you won’t find anywhere else and, as with Color Efex, users can create recipes by combining effects. But RadLab has its flaws. For example, if you tune an individual effect or Stylet, the change is immediately applied to all Stylets. One Stylet—the POS Lens—showed strange artifacts when I set the Strength and Vignette options to 179%. My images started showing pure red and yellow discoloration at the edges.

The way changing recipes rippled through the entire Stylets library was confusing. I could only get back to default values by resetting the recipe after saving it, or by restarting RadLab.

Company: Totally Rad! Inc.
Price: $149
Web: www.gettotallyrad.com
Rating: 2.5
Hot: Contains a number of nice effects or Stylets
Not: Not as simple as it claims to be

The RODE VideoMic Pro is a directional microphone for DSLR and video cameras. It has a range of 40–20,000 Hz, a –10 to 20 dB loudness switch, a signal-to-noise ratio of 74 dB, and a dynamic range of 114 dB.

The VideoMic Pro is mounted onto a suspension system with four soft rubber bands holding the microphone in place. They’re meant to keep noise at a minimum when walking with the VideoMic Pro mounted on a camera. The VideoMic Pro requires a 9-Volt battery and the bands make installing the battery a pain. The RODE’s suspension system is so good that even if you shake the microphone, there will barely be any noise.

I tested all of the microphone’s settings at various distances and with a lot of ambient noise (shopping street). I also ran a block with the microphone to see if the suspension system would dampen bumps enough so you can’t hear them.

With loudness set at 0 dB and speaking at a distance of 2 meters, the signal was a bit weak in my opinion, but at +10 dB, the RODE was loud enough to carry my voice over 4 meters away–and still be relatively noise-free. The high-pass filter proved to work extremely well, with almost all noises, such as those from passing cars, filtered out.

In general, the RODE VideoMic Pro proved to be a nice video microphone, with good bass and sufficient highs. Options are limited to a DeadCat sock and a boompole.

Company: RODE Microphones LLC
Price: $229
Web: www.rodemic.com
Rating: 4.5
Hot: Sound quality; suspension system
Not: Battery compartment hard to reach

It’s finally here! When I heard that the new version of Vue xStream was ready, I was very curious to see what the folks at e-on software had come up with to make the computer graphics crowd take notice and buy this latest version. I was skeptical—to say the least—as new releases are coming out far more frequently for our favorite programs, some of which are definitely not worth the upgrade costs vs. the new feature benefits, for sure. I do have to state here that e-on software does not fall into that category and I’m not disappointed with the latest release of Vue 10 xStream, which has quite a few new features that make it an upgrade worthy of investing in.

e-on software has packed in many new features in this version, so let’s get right to it! Vue has been tagged by many as landscaping software, but it really is much more robust than that. Vue can render landscapes, vegetation, architectural visualization, photorealistic animations, and anything that can take advantage of the software’s photorealistic lighting and rendering. And on top of that, Vue 10 xStream gives professional computer graphic artists the capability of creating and rendering stunning environments in Maya, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Lightwave, and Softimage! The possibilities are endless. We’ve seen the results in movies such as Avatar and Pirates of the Caribbean, to name just a few.

Now for the cool new features that have me (as well as many others) very excited. One of them is the new Roads tools, which is based on the new Spline technology. It offers a built-in road construction tool that allows you to draw a road path directly onto your terrains, and then automatically applies an asphalt texture to it. And, all the while, it adjusts the terrain surface to your path. How cool is that? Very!

Next is the brand-new Physical Water feature, which introduces an accurate water-shading engine that adds absorption and scattering parameters to the mix. The realism that this brings to the table raises the bar for all other programs out there and allows you to create results easier than ever before.

Another notable tool is the library of Dynamic Rock templates that can be used to create single rocks or groups of rocks, generating a new and unique variation each time.

Next up are some of the back-end improvements that have me just as excited as the cool new tools, the most important of which have to be in the rendering department. Because of major changes to the structure of the internal scene processing, render times have seen an increase of up to 30%—this is huge! Also offered is a powerful new Render Stack with Comparison tools that allows you to easily stack your renders and test various postprocesses on the same image without losing valuable information.

There are many more new features in Vue 10 xStream but I’m running out of space on this page to cover them all; however, I do think that e-on software has really stepped it up with the release of Vue xStream 10. We computer graphic artists have been hoping for a more robust environmental tool that would allow for more flexibility and creativity, without leaving our favorite programs. And after seeing this new version, I think we’ve found it.

Company: e-on software, inc.
Price: $1,495 (Upgrade: $395)
Web: www.e-onsoftware.com
Rating: 5
Hot: Roads tools; Render Stack; increased render speeds
Not:

Some of you may already know about Filter Forge because it’s one of the most popular plug-ins in the industry today. For those who don’t, it’s a pretty robust plug-in for Photoshop that’s aimed at everyone from novice to expert, so there’s something for everyone here. Filter Forge provides graphic artists, 3D modelers, Web designers, and photographers with the ability to create a wide variety of photo effects, as well as abstract and realistic textures that you can use for pretty much whatever your creativity can come up with. The long-awaited Filter Forge 3 has finally launched and it’s packed full of features that really take the possibilities up a notch, so let’s take a look at what they are.

We’ll start with a peek at just how much is here out of the box (so to speak)! You won’t feel shorted on extras because Filter Forge 3 offers more than 3,800 graphic effects and 4,300+ backgrounds and textures—a total of 8,593 filters! You can also use the visual filter editor to create your own filters by assembling them from various components—blurs, gradients, color adjustments, noises, distortions, or blends.

Next up is probably one of the most requested features (and also the biggest drawback in prior Filter Forge versions): Support for multiple source images, which has now become a reality. Up until now, you could only use a single source image (or PSD layer), thus limiting the capabilities and creative ways you could use the product. Well, that’s no longer an issue, because now you can load multiple images to work with to create richer, more dynamic compositions.

Another great feature in version 3 is the ability to create B©zier curves with a powerful new curves editor that lets you create tone curves in your work.

The revamped user interface in Filter Forge 3 is also much improved. It’s more intuitive and allows the user to finally stretch out over dual monitors. Yes! That has always been an issue for me (with any program), as I need the real estate.

Other new features include the Edge Detector, which finds the edge in a single click; progressive previews that allow you a low-res preview of the rendered image; and a host of others.

Now for the good news: You can try out Filter Forge 3 for free for 30 days before you purchase it. This lets you give it a good test run and, coupled with the great tutorials they have, you’ll be well on your way to creating great images in no time!

I think that this release of Filter Forge 3 has really stepped up its game and added more of the features that will keep the experts happy. I’ve been using this plug-in for years and encourage everyone to at least take a look at the free copy to see the creative possibilities that Filter Forge 3 offers.

The only issue I have with the product is the pricing structure. For only a slight feature upgrade from Basic to Standard, they could have just had two levels and kept the price a bit more reasonable.

Company: Filter Forge, Inc.
Price: Basic: $149; Standard: $249; Professional: $399
Web: www.filterforge.com
Rating: 4.5
Hot: Multiple source images; revamped interface; number of filters
Not: Pricing structure

Many of you know the PhotoTools plug-in from onOne Software, but did you know it has been rebranded as Perfect Effects 3? The result is you get most of the same effects with a ton of new capabilities. Perfect Effects 3 packs a complete library of photographic effects that you can stack for unlimited creative possibilities in Photoshop, Elements, Lightroom, and Aperture, or you can even use it as a standalone application.

So let’s take a look at some cool new features in Perfect Effects 3. My favorite has to be the most straightforward of them all—Live Preview. This allows you to preview each effect on an image and when you get the exact effect you want, simply apply it. No trial and error, just preview then select! Next are the Vintage Effects. These allow you to get a range of vintage looks that used to take hours to create. I also like that the controls give you the capability to dictate every aspect of the effect on your image. This includes strength, tone, color, and even texture. There’s no limit to what you can do with the creativity on your images.

This is one of the best plug-ins available for applying effects to your images. The control and capabilities give you a wide range of options for your images. The fact that you can preview each effect before you apply it is fantastic and makes the process much less painful. This is a great addition to your plug-in arsenal. Perfect Effects 3 is available for $99.95 or as part of the onOne Perfect Photo Suite 6, which includes a total of seven applications for $299.95.

Company: onOne Software
Price: $99.95 (Upgrade: $69.95)
Web: www.ononesoftware.com
Rating: 5
Hot: Ease of use; fantastic borders and effects
Not:

Perfect Layers 2 from onOne Software is a Lightroom and Aperture plug-in, as well as a standalone Mac OS X and Windows application, for layer-based image editing outside of Photoshop. Its familiar interface makes easy work of editing images with layers without requiring the overhead that comes along with Photoshop—and with a much lower price tag.

New features, such as retouch brushes and a file browser, are part of version 2, and features from version 1, such as blending modes, adjustment layers, color fill layers, and masking brushes are still there.

Perfect Layers 2 is great for mixing multiple exposures into a single HDR-style image, or for creating effects by mixing pieces from similar images. I was able to make edits quickly without it ever feeling tedious.

The interface has a familiar feel that’s easy to figure out since it’s similar enough to image-editing tools we already use: tools are grouped in panels; layers can be toggled on and off; and the masking settings include easy-to-use slider controls.

Perfect Layers also supports Wacom tablets, so you can control brush settings simply by applying more or less pressure with your stylus.

Edited images are saved as PSD files, so you can continue working with them in Lightroom or Aperture. Or, if you want to make additional edits in Photoshop, the file layers are fully editable there, too.

The tools and interface are well thought out, and they should be because Photoshop User Editor-in-Chief Scott Kelby helped design the app. Perfect Layers 2 just adds the layer tools Lightroom and Aperture users need to quickly make their images look even more professional, without too much pain in the pocketbook.

Company: onOne Software
Price: $69.95
Web: www.ononesoftware.com
Rating: 5
Hot: Adds great layer editing to Lightroom and Aperture
Not: