PrintSmith Vision

I’ve been a client for 26 years and the service is absolutely horrific. There isn’t anyone answering the phones. The only way to get support is entering a case on their portal, and then they will call back when they feel like it. No matter who I complain to it falls on deaf ears. I used to love this software, but there are so many bugs in it, that we’re struggling just to make it work.

Printsmith Vision has gone through a major transformation for the better. Previous to the full implementation of “Vision” (v. 5.0) it was slow and clunky, and the workflow was dated at best. I was seriously planning on getting rid of it entirely and we had been with the company 18 years. With Vision (v5.0+) they have made massive improvements to workflow and the user interface and the program is finally usable. Not only that, it works so much better! Its so much easier to use.

I wish I saw these reviews before we upgraded to Vision. We used classic for over 25 years and upgraded to vision about a year ago and it has been a nightmare. The software is very slow, clunky, unstable, hard to learn, has no current written documentation, terrible customer service. Their upgrades made it so all of our previous data is useless. My whole shop hates it and renamed it a name I can’t repeat on a public board. I think EFI went out of their way to make it unnecessarily slow and complicated. Now Vision is coming to an end and it’s time to switch to Fast Track. Guess what it’s even worse. All I can say is if you are considering PrintSmith, do yourself a favor and do your homework. There are better options.

My shop has used Printsmith for several years. With the latest release of Vision 4.6.1, they have made vast improvements from previous installations. The software is much easier to use and much more intuitive to run. There are still improvements to be made, but I am much happier today than I was even a few months ago.

Vision is suppose to make everything easier to run a print shop, but the learning curve is very steep, and any changes you want are difficult if not impossible to implement. Quick estimates are almost impossible. Accounting features must have been designed with torture in mind. And being able to create management reports and sort through the data is the worst I have ever seen.

I find it much slower than Classic with very few ‘new’ things that are any improvement

We have been with PrintSmith for many years and used Classic - all along. At the very least it was an easier program then the new Vision which sucks. We have been in the printing business for 42 years and don’t need to do this much re educating for a Point of Sale Program. Our support that we pay for is lousy and expensive! Need I go on! Of course there is independent support out there! It’s the only way you get anywhere! We are considering going to a new program.

Went to a conference in Chicago this weekend to learn more about PrintSmith Vision and learned A LOT! Once everything is switched from the Legacy or Flash version to the HTML version I think overall it will be a better program then Classic BUT the developers need to quit thinking that everyone is a millennial that uses it! MOST millennials aren’t even working in the printing industry or not at least using this software! You need to keep your current customers happier than new ones because the new ones don’t know what they are missing and your current ones are going to find different software to use!

It’s all in the knowledge of the software and what it can do – it is one of the best on the market – Tech support is lacking and overall support is not that good, but hire an independent Consultant who knows the program AND the printing industry and you will be set and happy for life!

We’ve been using Classic for many years and it worked OK. Recently we migrated or are migrating to Vision and I have to say again, this program was pieced together like the first. You have to toggle back and forth between what’s called legacy and html because they claim to be moving to html. And I dislike it! Cumbersome to see the least, features are missing that classic had and there are very few improvements so far we found that is worth investing in a software program. If I were to do it again I would stay away from this one.

its TRASH, by far the worst investment we have made in our 60 years of printing. Overpriced, and under supported. “give me back my old pricing book”

Why do you keep messing with the program? Used to be easy and work fine, now…?

It was supposed to be a better version of Classic, very similar look and same functions. We use it for all of our estimating, work flow management and billing.

The software is cutting-edge, well respected in the industry, and is a one-stop shop.

Purchased the update late 2018. these are the remarks of my staff. Slow, clunky, stupid, if you keep this I will have to quit, lot of problems, are you kidding me. Oh and customer service has an attitude, What a waste of money.

Flash is a horrendous method for Business Management Software

Seems to work fine, we’ve been using it for years. It seems to do what we need it to do from quoting and invoicing. The solution won’t be supported after the middle of this year so we are now looking elsewhere.

Response from Developer: Please note that PrintSmith Vision is not “end of life”. PrintSmith Classic is approaching end of life and the end of this year. PrintSmith Vision has 4 releases scheduled to 2018, one of which happened in April. -Thomas Hahn, Sales Development Manager at EFI

The software has many issues, including navigation on laptops - which is almost impossible. When we upgraded the software, support told us the best way to navigate is to buy all of our staff new 19" + monitors. All csr’s use 2 monitors to help navigate the windows inside the software. We are currently looking for options to replace PrintSmith. Would never recommend this software.

PrintSmith Vision is a relatively comprehensive management information system software designed for the graphic arts/printing industry. It is designed to handle estimating, invoicing, accounts receivable, and production scheduling/production management activities.

The “Vision” version of the software was a re-write of and older product that has been re-named “PrintSmith Classic”.

PrintSmith Vision was designed as a browser based system operating within a Flash enabled functionality. Similar to PrintSmith Classic though, it still requires the use of a Master/Server, and individual workstations throughout a typical printing company environment.

We’ve used PrintSmith for 17 years. It used to be great. It went down hill when EFI bought it. We use it extensively. We’ve purchased all of the upgrades and support over the years. We’ve attended the annual EFI conference (Connect) several times. Year after year, promises were made about release dates for Vision and year after year the promises were broken. When Vision was finally released, it was full of problems. EFI continues to send fixes for the problems but they have a long way to go. The software is clunky, quirky, slow and crashes often. EFI claims that the PC version was more successful than the Mac version, so they are rebuilding the Mac version with a release date of…who knows. We’re a Mac-based business because we’re in the graphic arts industry. It’s time to stop complaining, spend the money and buy a new management information system.