User Manual

Switch Client – An Introduction

Updated on

In this article, you will learn

  • which options are available for connecting to an Enfocus Switch flow via the PDF Editor, and
  • which settings can be defined using these options.

1. Introduction

$PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR established a direct connection to Enfocus Switch via the official Switch Web API. No additional components are required for integration. A valid Switch license is required, for example through options such as Switch Client Modules or Switch Web Service.

$PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR acts as a client, enabling the transfer, processing, and return of PDF jobs within a Switch flow. Only PDF files are supported for processing via the PDF Editor.zt.

2. Connection to Enfocus Switch

The integration ensures end-to-end processing of PDF jobs within the prepress workflow and includes the following functions:

  • Transfer of PDF jobs to the selected Switch flow
  • Opening and editing of PDF jobs directly from within the Switch flow
  • Return (check-in) of edited PDF jobs back into the Switch flow
  • Full support for metadata used in Switch flows for further processing steps (read and write)
  • Display of errors, warnings, and information detected during PDF check directly in the PDF Editor.  

These functions enable the PDF Editor to be used both for manual intervention and for controlled correction steps within your prepress processes.

2.1. Entry Points into the Workflow

There are two main entry points for connecting the PDF Editor to a Swtich flow, through which data is exchanged.

Submit Points

A Submit Point in a Switch flow is used to transfer PDF files from the PDF Editor to the selected Switch flow. Two modes are supported:

  • PDF job only – only the PDF file is transferred.
  • PDF job and metadata – in addition to the PDF file, metadata is also transferred.

In both cases, the transfer is file-based. If metadata is included, it is available for further processing within Switch flows.

Checkpoints

A Checkpoint enables targeted access to PDF jobs within the workflow. PDF files can be opened, edited, and subsequently returned to Switch.

In addition, the checkpoint provides the following functions:

  • Opening and editing of PDF jobs
  • Replacement of existing files
  • Definition of multiple output variants
  • Full support for metadata
  • Locking and unlocking of jobs

When a job is opened, it can be locked to prevent concurrent access. The lock is automatically released once the job is returned to the workflow

2.2. Display of Errors, Warnings, and Information

The $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR supports the display of errors, warnings, and information, provided that a specific extension is present in the PDF job. The prerequisite for this is a JSON dataset named pdfEditorReportFull, which complies with the $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR specification.

If the corresponding extension is available, errors, warnings, and information are automatically displayed in the $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR in the dialog Preflight Results (macOS: Cmd + Shift + P | Windows: Strg + Shift + P ). This enables corrections to be processed directly in the PDF Editor step by step according to the provided feedback.

Since Preflight Reports in callas pdfToolbox are generated in XML format by default, a conversion to the required JSON format is necessary for display in the $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR. For this purpose, a predefined XSL transformation is provided, which must be used in the pdfToolbox Switch configurator in ordere to enable this visualization capability.

XSL File

The XSL file that must be used in the pdfToolbox Switch configurator is available for download here.

Use of Preflight Reports from Enfocus PitStop Server

The use of Preflight Reports from Enfocus PitStop Server can be easily implemented by integrators by writing a transformation based on the XSL described above.

To configure the display of errors, warnings, and information, the following steps are required:

  1. Processing of a PDF document in Switch using callas pdfToolbox
  2. Generation of a Preflight Report in XML format
  3. Application of the provided XSL transformation in the pdfToolbox Switch configurator
  4. Attaching the generated JSON dataset named pdfEditorReportFull to the PDF job
  5. Opening the PDF job in the PDF Editor to display the report

2.3. Storage of the XSL File

For using the provided XSL extension, the file must be stored in an appropriate location within the Switch or pdfToolbox environment. It is recommended to place it in the designated directory structure of the callas pdfToolbox installation so that the file can be selected directly in the Switch configurator using the Select from Library function.

Typically, the file is stored within the report or XSLT resources section of the pdfToolbox directory structure. Placing the file in this directory ensures that the XSL file is centrally available and can be used consistently in the Switch configurator setup.

2.4. Example of a Workflow

A typical workflow in a prepress environment includes the following steps:

  1. Transfer of a PDF job to the selected Switch flow via the $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR
  2. Processing of the PDF job within the Switch flow  for example, preflighting or applying corrections
  3. Forwarding to a checkpoint
  4. Opening the PDF job in the $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR
  5. Locking the job during editing to prevent other prepress users from accessing the file
  6. Editing the PDF by optionally reviewing detected errors and warnings
  7. Returning the PDF job to the Switch flow
  8. Continuation of processing within the Switch flow

Switch Flow for Download

An example of how a working integration between the PDF Editor and Enfocus Switch can be implemented in practice is provided in this Switch Flow.

Article Update: $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR 1.14 – 04/2026

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