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:

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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

Read Scott’s blog post here.