PrintSmith Vision

An innovative and modern software system for any print company.

Commenti: Print Smith is what I started off with when I started my job. Print Smith Vision is the evolution of this order management system that continues to innovate and surprise its users. I would recommend this program to anyone running a printing or marketing management business.

Aspetti positivi:

What I liked most about this software was all the new features in it. The amount of details and flexibility for each line item and job helps us push for more customers.

Aspetti negativi:

My only complaint about this software is it does occasionally get weird glitches. These glitches take away paper stock we have and we have to wait on an IT tech to work on it.

Commercial Printer Approved; Easy Interface and New Feature Rollouts Often

Commenti: I have looked into other similar applications that are competitive to PrintSmith, but nothing has been able to compare to the depth of detail and usability that PrintSmith has. Despite the bugs (which are inevitable in any software), this is a great system that makes our day to day very streamlined.

Aspetti positivi:

The interface is relatively straightforward to use, making it train someone on. The ability to make templates and copy from the account history is helpful in keeping consistency across jobs as well. In the last few years, the developers have really taken on a lot of feature requests from users and are making significant updates that we have been asking for to make our workflow easier.

Aspetti negativi:

It's a fairly buggy system to the point where we will have to make workarounds or a different process other than what is recommended to get the results we are needing. Support is helpful and fairly quick to respond, but sometimes the problems are hard to diagnose since there are so many ways to use the program (bug vs. user error distinction).

Alternative considerate: DocketManager

Perché passare a PrintSmith Vision: This was a nice software but it relied heavily on integrating more systems that we currently use to make it worth the while for us. PrintSmith has the ability to add additional software integrations but functions just fine without them.

Good, but not great

Commenti: Mixed. It gets the job done but the product could be more user friendly.

Aspetti positivi:

I appreciate the GUI. I am also appreciative of ePS working and cooperating with PlanProphet.

Aspetti negativi:

It is not a simple MIS for wide-format, signage companies to use. It works, but it could be made more intuitive and user friendly for wide-format, signage companies that also do more traditional commercial print jobs. ePS/PrintSmith's insistence on locking their clients into long term agreements in an old-school model and out of date. Create a great product and you won't need to lash clients to long term agreements. In other words, dig deep wells and your won't need fences to keep us corralled.

PSV is the only software we would use for our size business

Commenti: PSV has been a solid piece of business software that is cost effective and is up for us 99.9% of the time.

Aspetti positivi:

Great software - excellent support - have using PS for 20 + years - glad it is self hosting. Have the cloud option but will never use it.

Aspetti negativi:

Does not have a report writer built in. I am able to use the i-net report writer as well as write sql statements to retrieve the data I need; however, a more intuitive simplified report writer would be nice.

Decent POS Software for Print Shops

Commenti: Over all I use this program 4-5 hours a day and it has made our shop more profitable and able to work with a smaller staff. I am the main user in our shop and while the learning curve from a very old 2006 desktop version to PSV was steep I mostly like the program and can quickly get done what I need. The old program I had to open multiple windows and drag & drop for bringing forward older jobs (more than one) into new jobs. Now we can import old jobs from any account using the add job window. I do wish there was more flexibility on packing lists for when we have split jobs. as it is I save as a PDF and edit the PDF to show what is actually delivering.

Aspetti positivi:

Having used PS for about 13 years I can say it has improved greatly over the years. I find it very functional and intuitive. I can take deposits, track orders and see our profitability. It is easy to do job builds and save presets. Looking up older orders and pulling them forward is very easy as well. I can take a job build and easily transfer to a different account for similar jobs. We have connected our PSV to SalesForce for sending out invoices, statements and following up on estimates. This has simply added to the functionality. We also have ShipExpress which allows us to ship right from an invoice and pull all the pricing into PSV as well as tracking numbers.

Aspetti negativi:

I am no a big fan of some updates made in version 7.0.0.6166. Most especially the number search bar at the top. This used to hold the number so if you typed in a number for an invoice but it was on the estimate selection you could just change the selection to invoice and hit search. Now if you click anywhere on the screen the number disappears and you have to retype it. Sounds like a small thing - and had it not worked beautifully before that maybe it wouldn't be so aggravating. Also when processing a credit card we would leave the invoice # in that bar so once processed we could click search and go right to the invoice to both verify and print a receipt (PSV won't connect to my printer for some reason for receipts). This version also has slowed down load time. We have 30 years of customer info in this program, since this upgrade it lags when loading account searches. Very annoying. Also issues connecting to Ship Express and losing printer specifications. Sometimes my notes disappear while saving. very annoying and time consuming when this happens. Sometimes it also happens when converting from an estimate to a job - but only on clients that have notes saved to pop into all tickets.

Easy for Beginners

Commenti: From start to finish, working with PrintSmith is easy to learn and pick-up on. As someone who was new to the printing industry, I had a lot to learn but PrintSmith made it a lot easier and brought the learning curve down.

Aspetti positivi:

The software is very easy to learn for someone with no industry experience.

Aspetti negativi:

Some things don't quite work all the time or as intended.

PRINTSMITH CLIENT SINCE 1997

Commenti: Overall I am pleased and grateful to have found Printsmith all those years ago. It has been an invaluable tool in bringing our Company from the age of hand written estimates, job tickets and invoices into the modern age of computers.

Aspetti positivi:

We have used Printsmith since 1997. Although there have been many updates and changes to the program, I have always found it invaluable in running our business. The ease at which you can create an estimate (utilizing comparable past jobs and estimates from any client account), seamless conversion to Job Ticket, Invoice and ultimately post to billing saves hours of work each week. Printsmith stores all of our Client Account History, allowing us to predict what our client base is likely to be ordering in any given month, and allowing us to them in advance to confirm upcoming orders. The built in accounting in Printsmith allows us to easily track profit and jobs won or lost, allowing us to print out comprehensive weekly and monthly close-outs that make the work for our Accounting Firm go off without a hitch.

Aspetti negativi:

I have no complaints about the system in general. When the purchased Program PRINTSMITH converted to on-line PRINTSMITH VISION, it was a learning curve that we managed to overcome and move forward with the help of the PrintSmith online support staff.

PrintSmith is a Workhorse

Commenti: It's been good. And it's a workhorse. Just needs to be more intuitive and software management could be simplified.

Aspetti positivi:

We have been using PrintSmith since the early 1990's and while it has had some bugs, the tram is responsive and it consistently gets the jpb done.

Aspetti negativi:

1. Updates require an entire manual reinstall instead for thr self-hosted server instead of the more familiar single click authorization, then the software handles the updates seemlessly. 2. Forms require a third party app and specialized skill. while enterprise sized business may have the resources to "program" and make changes to fors, small family owned companies do not. Everything has moved to simple Codeless programming with drag and drop capabilites and the forms should as well, without the third party software.

PrintSmith Vision 7.1

Commenti: Generally, the software allows our company to operate smoothly. The materials are stored in easily located categories and can be simply updated using an on mass percentage figure or by simply clicking through each product individually.

Aspetti positivi:

All the estimates and invoices located in one place makes PrintSmith very practical. Along with a Till function this is a very capable piece of software. The imposition tool allows any member of our staff to see how many items should be printed on any lay to achieve the required productivity.

Aspetti negativi:

When quoting large format work it would be great if the system could handle different sizes and orientations on a single printed board. As the system cannot handle this we have to guess at our production which is not always correct.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Commenti: DECENT BUT ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. A MORE DEDICATED SUPPORT GROUP.

Aspetti positivi:

FAST PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH IN CREATING JOBS.

Aspetti negativi:

THE ABILITY TO DRAG AND DROP PRIOR ITEMS OR HAVE MULTIPLE WINDOWS, THE ABILITY OF THE SOFTWARE TO FIGURE WHERE IT IS BEST TO RUN THE JOB WHEN YOU HAVE MULTIPLE MACHINES

One of the best MIS on the market in my opinion!

Commenti: We started with one of the older versions about 25 years ago. we did at one time try a competitor before our upgrade to Vision. we dumped the new software 6 months into implementation as it was going to take another 18 months to implement it and would take a dedicated person for that time. Instead we took a week and upgraded to Vision and have never looked back...well other then to make the payments on the software we scraped...

Aspetti positivi:

I like the ease of use and set up. how it makes my company run more efficiently and helps gain and track profitability.

Aspetti negativi:

i cannot say there are too many cons with the software. If we come by a problem or glitch, we let the support know and they work their best to correct it or show us where we were looking at it wrong.

Long time User

Commenti: My experience level with this software is quite high, along with knowledge of the system, so with that said it is an improving product. Fast track is an improvement on the Vision platform but EFI is only seeing the tip of the iceberg of what it can do.

Aspetti positivi:

The best feature is the new ShipExpress integration. The ease of use over the years has gotten better for the experience Print industry professional.

Aspetti negativi:

Relying on Report Writer to create some of the basic operations that should be included in the working platform in the form of a dashboard. Report Utilities is an example of an improvement but as the information does not link to the next level of information that should be available, especially as you are trying to manage your AR.

Alternative considerate: Aleyant PrintJobManager e DocketManager

Perché passare a PrintSmith Vision: Improving product and ease of use. While the others had more features, they were not all easily used.

Great but could use some improvements

Commenti: I have used it for over 20 years now and I have been able to master the program over those years. I find it does the job and the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Aspetti positivi:

I like the updates to the software after they've taken in suggestions and requests for changes. They actually listen to customer input and make changes based on the number of requests received.

Aspetti negativi:

The functionality is sometimes clunky and they way the paper is calculated is backwards. I don't like the up's/on's formula they use for calculating the number of pages on a stapled or glue bound books.

Alternative considerate: ePS Pace e wp2print

Perché passare a PrintSmith Vision: Familiarity and ease of use plus integration with PrintSpeak.

Your title is misleading "How has your experience with EFI PrintStream Vision been?" PRINTSMITH

Commenti: I'm not looking Back to the Legacy version of PrintSMITH Vision. Use it very rarely. I'm Enjoying the New Fast Track

Aspetti positivi:

It is improving as it goes along. It is getting to be very USER FRIENDLY . The legacy was not much user friendly. Getting around is pleasant and quick. Cutting down on wasted time.

Aspetti negativi:

Other than Mousing around, I'd rather have a little more Keyboard use. Nothing to complain about EFI is improving PrintSMITH VISION fast Track. Taking time, but it's improving.

Disappointing Support from EFI PrintSmith

Commenti: It has been helpful for creating estimates, but falls very short. In order to create good estimates one needs to understand the labor to complete the tasks of a job. The Time Tracker in PrintSmith does not allow one to state when a job has been completed. The report does not break down the time by job task. I have been trying to no avail to get help in creating an appropriate report from PrintSmith support team and am getting nowhere. No one answers phones. PrintSmith Support does not respond to emails.

Aspetti positivi:

It was a promise to really help us, but falls short and there is a lack of customer support. This product falls very short. In order to create good estimates one needs to understand the labor to complete the tasks of a job. The Time Tracker in PrintSmith does not allow one to state when a job has been completed. The report does not break down the time by job task. I have been trying to no avail to get help in creating an appropriate report from PrintSmith support team and am getting nowhere. No one answers phones. PrintSmith Support does not respond to emails.

Aspetti negativi:

Really bad support alls very short. I have been trying to no avail to get help in creating an appropriate report from PrintSmith support team and am getting nowhere. No one answers phones. PrintSmith Support does not respond to emails.

A tour-de-force of inconsistencies and limitations.

Commenti: Frustration and annoyance. You can make PrintSmith work, but it's far harder than it should be. We're locked in (both by corporate requirement and by a PrintSmith job history going back to 1994) but we would absolutely use something else if we realistically could.

Aspetti positivi:

It's faster than PrintSmith Vision Legacy (the Flash-based one, not Classic).

Aspetti negativi:

Operational security is terrible. Vision requires a connected browser with Flash and Javascript active. In 2020! Also, since all print output is generated as PDFs loaded in the browser window they can be reopened across sessions from history. Not good! Search is weirdly inconsistent. Sometimes you have to use special characters like % to search for partial matches, sometimes not, etc. Controls are inconsistent. Some dialogs are worded that clicking "Yes" is destructive, while in others "No" is. Columns in lists jump around when you change views and cannot be accurately resized. Why are some buttons round, some oval, and some rounded squares? Why are some controls buttons, others fly-out menus, and still others completely hidden unless you mouse over them? There doesn't seem to be a consistent reasoning behind these decisions. Many, many features that existed in PrintSmith Classic are non-existent or severely limited; likely all due to making this a web app instead of standalone client software. For instance: still no key-command equivalents for much of anything. Still no "Open previous document" command. Still cannot copy jobs from one pending document to another pending document in any way. It's extremely difficult to edit the templates for invoices, estimates, statements, etc. and requires different software (and training!) to do. It wasn't real easy to do in Classic, but it was better than this. I never thought I'd pine for the days of PrintSmith 6 on MacOS 9...

Can't wait to use all it's features

Commenti: EFI is always awesome and on their game. If you need support from a group of people, you have the best with EFI. Even over other products, other companies, EFI is at the top with support. They know their job, too. Rarely do you spend hours or days on the phone with them. They fix you up right away.

Aspetti positivi:

We didn't lose our history, we are still supported by EFI, it still has the same functions just located somewhere else. I really Like that EFI for the first time in 20 years put a space between Fast and Track. And spelled both words correctly. It's about time. And easier to find when doing an internet search.

Aspetti negativi:

I don't mind the buttons, but definitely don't like: Looking all over God's country to find what had been easier to locate with drop down windows. DISLIKE the confirm my change to bindery addition (everyone of them, every time), then confirm it again on returning to job window on the second tab, confirm the change or no change to account information on the first tab, then going to third tab to save it. Were there real printers who are busy folks, test trial this version? DISLIKE the whole account history; don't like having to go to account history to add temporary contact in a new job ticket. When it was right there before. FT is a 4-wheel road to finding functions while driving a Euro car. I do take responsibility that I haven't used it long at all. As a rule, I don't ever have problems to figuring and finding what I need in any new software. I'll take the ease of adaptability of the Classic version any day over scouting what I need, and having far too many buttons/tabs to select to do a simple ticket. Loses all the ease. The stock selection is just a whole different deal. I personally have lots of work waiting on me. don't mean to beat it down, but the Classic only needed some mods, not a whole revamp. Color is nice FT.

Its getting Better

Commenti: we've had some bumpy rides starting up. The longer you work with the product and the upgrades are made the more comfortable you become. For a system at its price point the value is there. I think that most would pay just a bit more to have a bit more ease of use.

Aspetti positivi:

I appreciate that this product while it can stand alone and support a print shop. The most important thing about this software is that it integrates with MDSF which is our virtual print shop "front door".

Aspetti negativi:

My teams least favorite thing about the software is the limitations we have as it relates to making modifications for ease of use for an in Plant Operation.

20 year user

Commenti: We have had a great experience with EFI. The technical support team is very knowledgeable and helpful. They are a partner to your company and only a phone call away.

Aspetti positivi:

We love the account history feature. It is nice to be able to use the previous order to create the current one. It saves a lot of time!

Aspetti negativi:

We have had challenges with the updates. The software is on our server and it is more difficult to do than when we were using the Classic version.

Great not perfect

Commenti: Overall, I believe PrintSmith Vision is a great product. I have used it since 2006 and have seen the improvements and care the tech team has, they are great!

Aspetti positivi:

The software is usually pretty simple to use. Most things are where you expect them, and as an admin I love the ability to customize and alter how the program estimates and processes some data.

Aspetti negativi:

Some functions are limited and or not there. When you click "notify the customer" all it does is pull up the contact card of customer. The function should include a email notification option, the software already does the same with estimates and invoices, shouldn't be to difficult to add. Also add multiple email account options, so invoices can come from "[email protected]" and estimates from [email protected]", notifications from.... so on...you get my point.

Printsmith has faults

Commenti: Going from last version of Legacy to Fast-Track was way, way difficult. But finally figured it out. Just have some issues on things I would prefer to have to make things easier.

Aspetti positivi:

Easy log-in, creating a new estimate and converting is great.

Aspetti negativi:

Sessions expire in a short period of time. Common Adjustment seems to show up now and can't get rid of it (no one ever uses this feature). Can't open 2 different jobs at the same time and copy charges from one job charge onto the other job ticket. Won't let me into Estimate History. Opening last invoice after closing, does not exist anymore. Printing a job invoice, should look more like a printer symbol (it's deceiving). Time Stamp in notes, should be at beginning of all notes (not at end only). In LOCATION section, should have Deliver, Outside Services & Hold.

PrintSmith Vision - Able Printing - [email protected]

Commenti: Overall this is a very good software for small to medium size shops to be able to quickly estimate, and put in a order for you company.

Aspetti positivi:

This software is fairly easy to set up and use for someone with a good estimating / printing background. Also very good to show other workers how to use.

Aspetti negativi:

Problems I have found that are an annoyance are the job description box is to small to put in an full accurate description. The box allows for multiple lines but you can only see two lines on screen which is fine for descriptions that are one run on on sentience but if you stack the items of the description they get lost above the 2nd line. Also I have not found an easy way to update the stock price when an old price goes up. This used to be in the old Legacy Version.

HTML

Commenti: Being a long time customer I feel like I am on my own to figure out these changes from Flash to HTML with little support from EFI. Quite frankly want to look for another product from a different vendor but too busy trying to figure this software out and trying to keep my business afloat. As if 2020 with the challenges of the election and COVID weren't enough these Printsmith changes are the icing on the cake. I understand why this needed to be done but the roll out has been painful.

Aspetti positivi:

Work in progress report, being able to change job location in pending document screen, being able to print delivery tickets and other functions from pending document screen.

Aspetti negativi:

record locks, multiple clicks to confirm and save to make changes, not being able to find delivery ticket history, too many to list

Tech Support outsourced

Commenti: Overall our experience has been good, but they are only as good as our last issue and this issue was/is a biggie.

Aspetti positivi:

If you have worked on Classic you will find Vision more intuitive. Due to Covid I was only in the office a few hours a week when this was implement and no one really had the time to teach me how to use it. With in a few minutes I was able to figure out and do my job as needed. Report option much easier to use and updated functions are great.

Aspetti negativi:

There are things that have not yet been fixed in Vision, so I have to go into Classic and apply things. Tech support has been outsourced and it is horrible! You can call the EFI help number and they want you to leave a message and they will enter a ticket for you. I have not been able to talk to a real person by calling a number. They have to call you. We are having an issue with Closing out (which we do nightly) and the support we received for the first 5 days was almost non existent. They told us to fix a problem and we would be able to close out, but that was not the case..was no the problem and they did not response when we report this. I had to call sales and tell them what was going on to level up our issue, needless to say we have gone 14 days without a close out and they can not fix our register tape. They say they can fix the report, but my confidence is not high.

Terrible Flash termination planning

Commenti: Very poor. The software transition to HTML has been terrible. The fact that FastTrack is not fully functional in 4.7 and that there will not be a 4.8 to address many of the existing issues before the rollout of 5.0 is inexcusable. Delviery slips, and many other functions, do not exist in 4.7 and so once 5.0 is loaded there is no going back. This was terrible planning and execution for a deadline that Adobe set years ago.

Aspetti positivi:

Low cost and Sir Speedy (former franchise) compliance.

Aspetti negativi:

Wide Format pricing, the need to straddle both the flash and the HTML versions, length of time for support, lack of additional features and functions. Evey update for the last few years has been fixes for the HTML version only.