A lot of web2print applications built with DMP FLO Suite use Variable Data templates as the source of orders. These templates (using InDesign Server or PDF technology) allow end users to generate new content on the fly. And in such a case, PDF preflighting isn't typically required (as long as uploaded images are checked). But in many cases, a web2print storefront also allows end users to upload artwork. A potential source of many problems, but luckily we integrate callas pdfToolbox in our software.
Real-time PDF preflighting
The biggest advantage of using pdfToolbox as pdf preflighting software is it's speed. The checks go so fast, that they can be performed in real-time. The user uploads a PDF file, and is immediately warned when the file is not allowed.
And what that means differs from application to application. The Acrobat plug-in for pdfToolbox makes it very easy to define profiles for the checks. And the flexibility of design on the side of the DMP FLO Suite web2print setup allows you to choose the best way of configuration. You might want to use a single profile to check all incoming PDF files. Or you might want to enter different profiles for different templates or categories of orders.
Reporting problems
You also have a variety of ways to inform the end user about the encountered problems. pdfToolbox generates some standard reports which are easy to read even for less experienced users. The mask or annotation PDF files, for example, contain the original file, but have visualization added in them for the encountered problems (e.g.: font issues for certain texts, incorrect images, and so on). The html report provides a simple overview of the encountered issues. All of these can be used by the user to inform the creator of the PDF file (if it is not his own responsibility).
But on top of that, pdfToolbox also generates comprehensive XML reports. And these can be used by any DMP FLO Suite integrator to visualize any report you might want out of the data.