If you would like to request any QuickWire or QuickTrac product literature or to schedule an online webex presentation, please email us.

QuickTrac network diagram

Below are two generic network diagrams illustrating how QuickTrac resides on your network. The first diagram is a standard QuickTrac system for an individual newspaper. This diagram also include a brief description of the main components in a QuickTrac installation. The second diagram displays a central QuickTrac ad database and webproofer with several individual satellite newspaper sites. Each site has their own production workflow and storage servers and external systems but the QuickTrac clients connect remotely to the central QuickTrac database. This allows for centralized print output, central data collection and the ability for the users to work on ads at a remote if required.

Ad building

QuickTrac automates ad building. It provides a front end environment for ad production people to use, eliminating repetitive tasks and saving time. QuickTrac is very flexible and can sit on top of your existing folder structure.

1) Simplified network structure. First of all the network structure is simplified because the computer doesn’t need the intricate breakdown of folders that the manual system needs. In a manual system, the network structure must make it easy for a human to find an ad. The computer couldn’t care less. Using the ad number and ad status the computer finds ads very quickly.

2) Automation. The gathering and housekeeping of ad components is done by computer. The ad builder no longer has to worry about deleting files once they are gathered or making sure the ad folder exists in only one place. The process has gone from a tedious create/drag/delete to the push of one button.

3) System integrity. Only the computer accesses the ads network structure. People are going to make mistakes dragging folders around the network. Folders can even be deleted completely if one is too careless. With the computer doing the copying of folders, there can be no possibility of having the same ad folder existing in two places. This multiple folder problem was characteristic in the manual system.

4) Structured naming scheme. The naming schemes of folders and ads are now just the ad number with a particular extension. Since the system only needs ad number to track ads, that is all that is needed to name an ad and an ad folder.

File management

QuickTrac allows you to manage your data with various tools such as Auto-Archiving of ads and the end of their booking, deleting camera ready EPS files.  Archive to CD by date, client or even by publication.

If you are using an OPI Server or Pre-Flight server,  let QuickTrac verify that lo-res images have a matching hi-res. Automatically delete OPI Files if the ad needs late revisions.

Let QuickTrac display and gather EPS or PDF files for any publication at any time.

Use QuickTrac's Finder and Database tools to verify all the ads have corresponding EPS and PDF  files and database records.  Generate reports with results before running the actual cleanup routines.

QuickTrac technical support

Customers can purchase an annual software support plan. For an annual fee users receive direct telephone & email technical support plus free upgrades to all new QuickTrac versions.

QuickTracweb online ad markup

QuickTracWeb is a product runs on a MySQL database.  QuickTrac talks directly to web database and updates information instantly.

Centralized Web Proofer

The QuickTracWeb online proofer was designed to support multiple QuickTrac ad database. Several QuickTrac ad database can simultaneously connect to one central web server hosting the QuickTracWeb Online proofer. This reduces hardware and software costs and reduces the workload on your IT support resources.

Webproofing

Accounts can be setup globally to generate web proofs or on a per account basis.  Web proofing requires NO extra work from the ad builders.  From the moment the ad is released, QuickTrac will automatically notify  the sales rep and client with an email with hyperlink to the online proof.  Internal proofing will notify only the sales rep who can then request changes online or release it directly to client for approval.

When the sales rep or client requests changes, then the ad builder is notified immediately via email and an on-screen instant messaging dialog.  Also the requested changes are kept online in the ad history log as well as appended to the in-house ad log.  This provides a complete audit trail of all transactions for every ad.

Ad Uploads

Upload ads or ad components with the Uploads page or upload graphics specific to a change request. Ad uploads are automatically linked to the proper account based on the user login. Have QuickTrac automatically notify the customer of their insertion with the correct ad number by email with a link to the Uploads page.

E-Tearheets

QuickTrac already tracks your publication data with their ads.  We repurpose this information and post the run schedule of the ad complete with the layout information.  When the publication has been printed, hi-res PDF tearsheets can be uploaded so the client can see how their ad looks on the complete page.

QuickTrac Webclients

The QuickTrac Web client provides a simple yet powerful way to access ads and publications in the database through a web browser. This meant for internal use for the sales staff and supervisors. Some of features include:

• view all ads with LIVE status
• view the detail ad log of any ad to see what has been done to ad or who worked on it
• view the JPG or PDF proof of the ad
• email the PDF ad proof to anyone with body message
• perform straight pickups
• approve ads or release ads
• view layout page assignment for ads
• view publications
• search for ads by ad number, account name, account number, run date, or publication

QuickTrac ad storage

Server

The QuickTrac application requires either an or G4 or G5 PowerMac running MacOS X 10.3.9 or an Intel Pentium server class computer with a minimum of 1Gb of RAM running Windows XP/2000 or better. The server must have high-speed access to the local area network. A color SVGA monitor and internal disk drive space to accommodate the database and 4D software, usually a minimum 4Gb HD. An external backup drive (4Gig) is required for redundancy and also for nightly backups. In case of a hardware failure on the 4D Server workstation, this hard drive can be hooked up to any station to get you back online with no downtime.

Macintosh & Windows Clients

To run the QuickTrac client software that ad builders and reporters use to browse the QuickTrac database, they must have any Power Macintosh, G4 or G5 running Macintosh OS 9 or higher. The system resources required on Mac workstations are dependent on the number of other applications to be running simultaneously. QuickTrac should run with a minimum 16mb of Ram assigned to it. MacOS X clients are currently in testing and development. PC clients require Windows 98 or higher on a Pentium III or higher box.

Ad Storage and Ad Archive Volumes

QuickTrac will work with many kinds of network volume configurations. The most optimal setup is to use large drive arrays that appear to the Mac as one volume. One of these arrays would be created for production while a second one would be created for storing expired ads. The storage of ads can be on a variety of server platforms including NT, Novell and Unix with Macintosh/PC share points. The amount of disk space required depends on the size of the publications and the number of ads. Your existing Ad Server should work be able to continue as a storage volume. To make use of QuickTrac online archive routines, you need another Share volume on another server. The storage disk space is dependent on how much Archived ads you wish to keep online. QuickTrac will continue to track these ads in the database. To reduce network traffic, QuickTrac will automatically mount and dismount this server when the ad builders pick-up expired ads.

CD/DVD Archiving

You will need a CD/DVD burner attached to any one of the Any client stations with a CD/DVD burner will be able to archive ads to CD/DVD. All ads archived to CD/DVD will be tracked by the QuickTrac database for future pickup and retrieval. Archiving is extremely flexible. You can archive by date, publication and status. Archive your specialty pubs which only run once a year , or archive all your Spec ads if you need to free up space on your ad storage server. The choice is up to you. All offline archived ads are easily retrievable.

QuickTrac Job Processor

Automated Tasks with the QuickTrac Job Processor

This is a dedicated client station which handles many of the repetitive tasks to smooth the pagination process. Such tasks include automatic EPS and PDF Generation, pickup of Advertising files, generation publication info from various layout systems

• Automatic EPS and PDF generation
• Automatic email PDF proofs to your sales reps and clients
• Processing Advertising information files for account info, run date schedule, etc.
• Generating Publication Lists for Pagination by importing various layout system files like QuickLayout, Layout 8000 and ALS.
• Auto Archiving and Auto Purging
• Process camera-ready scans to Pre-Press ready status
• Maintenance tasks like checking for Duplicates
• Automatically update the QuickTracWeb web-proofer and notify sales reps and clients handle all Instant Messaging notifications

The QuickTrac Job Processor is fully redundant and provide a visual heartbeat at all times to let you know its working for you.

QuickTrac Product Info

If you would like to request any QuickWire or QuickTrac product literature or to schedule an online webex presentation, please email us: