Prepressforums.com

Techboy · #1 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 10:14 AM

Hi All,
Our Mac workflow here runs through PC servers and from time to time, original file names that are long but okay on Macs would get instantly renamed once copied onto our PC servers.

Does anyone here ever have problem printing from layouts that links to "improper" art file names?

Example:
2XT#01!.tif
2Y@101!.tif
3_`1!.tif
3#0B01!.tif

I know it's not proper to send files as such to press, but we are short on time. Renaming over 200+ files and re-importing them isn't exactly a few hours task. In short, I need to know if most press/RIPs can handle this naming issue?

Any response/advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

David · #2 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 10:31 AM

ooohhhh man!

them's some scary names for sure.

Without knowing how your server is set or what OS you are running (on the server), I would say try a few, and if it don't blow up and start smokin', you'll be alright.

at least you still have the extensions on them, that'll help.

good luck,
David

Earendil · #3 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 11:13 AM

So are these native layouts with links and fonts that are being uploaded to a peecee server then transfered to a MAC workstation or are you actually loading and working on them while they are still on the server?

If you are accessing the files while they are still on the server then I don't know what to tell you.

If you are just using the peecee as an upload service, like an FTP server, then I would just start telling clients to zip the folders before uploading and you can unzip the folders once you download to the MAC. Zipping a folder will protect the contents and Zip is universal to MAC and peecee.

Techboy · #4 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 11:22 AM

Nay, no one works off the server.

Over 200+ of these files were renamed during some stage. I wasn't here yet to see where the problem originated. Right now, I'm only concern about how press can handle these files names.

Renaming files is the easy part, re-importing them is a different beast that I truly like to avoid. InDesign CS3 has been good so far handling these file names. I'm hoping the printer can tell us the same. I just like some reassurance from the experts here.

Earendil · #5 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 11:29 AM

Okay, since you're just bouncing them off the server and don't have to actually open them until they are on the MAC, I would ZIP the folder containing the files before it gets uploaded to the server. This will preserve the file names.

Zipping a file is just a 'right click' away on both platforms. On a MAC, right click and 'create archive of' or use Stuffit which works better but requires 3rd party software.

born2print · #6 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 11:44 AM

Getting REALLY familiar w/ PC myself lately, just switched from Brisque to Prinergy and Prinergy is a PC server so the file name thing is a big deal...
no more 40 character-long names, special characters, etc... so when you shorten the names you have to relink which takes time and opens us up for errors. But, that's that. The gear is really cool other than that.

Earendil · #7 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 11:54 AM

I hear ya buddy. My Xitron is a PC server but all I feed her is PDF.

We just had a big thunderstorm last night and I came in to a Xitron server that said Array 1 was off line! 8O Zoiks!!!

I was fearing the worst, like one of the drives in the array was toast. I do have a Ghost backup of the system and would have just lost the jobs in progress but it would have taken a day or 2 to get a new matching drive.

Fortunately, I was able to get into DOS, redefine the array without cleaning the drives and she was back up and running in less than an hour. Great way to start a day.

Techboy · #8 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by born2print

Getting REALLY familiar w/ PC myself lately, just switched from Brisque to Prinergy and Prinergy is a PC server so the file name thing is a big deal...
no more 40 character-long names, special characters, etc... so when you shorten the names you have to relink which takes time and opens us up for errors. But, that's that. The gear is really cool other than that.

So these random symbols in file names doesn't affect your PC workflow?

Greg_OneVision · #9 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 01:41 PM

Those names should be ok. Any illegal characters or special mac characters could be problematic. For example bullets, slashes, etc.

Regards,
Greg

Techboy · #10 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 05:52 PM

Thank you.