The Workflow allows you to create or transfer different Substrates (materials) according to your preferences and application. These Substrates can be used for Articles, Orders, or Production Jobs. In this chapter, you will learn
- How Substrates are defined in the Workflow
- How Substrates are managed
- How to import Substrates from the Printer
- How Substrates can be created in the Workflow
The first two points are described in this article, the other two points are described in subsequent articles.
1. What are Substrates?
A Substrate is an image carrier (paper, cardboard, textile, glass, film, etc.) that can be printed on during a printing process. To use the various print production substrates in the Workflow, first create the substrates you are using or import them from existing substrate lists.
Substrates differ to such a degree in terms of surface structure and other properties that as a rule almost every Substrate needs to be profiled depending on the used resolution and printing mode. In order to use a selected Substrate in the Workflow for an Article, Order or Production Job, the substrate must first be linked to a Color Setup. Finally use the Substrates after linking them with a Color Setup. Depending on how you work, this can be done in different ways.
The profiling of a Substrate is more or less completed in five steps:
- Importing or creating a new Substrate
- Creating or duplicating a Color Setup associated with the categorised Substrate
- Carrying out a new Color Setup or using the Profiles of a duplicated Color Setup
- Linking the default Profile that was used for the Substrate
- Linking the Substrate ID that was is used for the Substrate in the printing system
2. How Substrates are organised
In the Workflow, Substrates are stored hierarchically using a specific structure - (a) Substrate Categories, (b) Substrates, and (c) Substrate Definitions. You can locate these options under the menu Administration > Substrate [2]. You can use these Substrate categories and Substrate definitions when creating Articles, Orders, Production Jobs and when creating Color Setups.
- Substrate Categories [1] – The term Substrate Categories refers to categories of particular types of Substrates, (e.g. cardboard, foil, film, textiles, paper, etc.) Substrate Categories have no essential function in the Workflow, other than being used for grouping and organising as well as being pre-filtered in some dialogs.
- Substrates [3] – Substrates are the available materials of different qualities, surface textures, and manufacturers.
For Substrates, you must select a standard Substrate [7], which is automatically applied or used as a fallback when using certain Substrates categories, and a standard Color Policy [8] which is automatically applied when selecting a Substrate.
- Substrate Definitions [4] – Substrate Definitions are essentially a summary of specific Substrate characteristics. For a Substrate you can define its Name, External ID, Substrate Type (Sheet Substrate or Roll Media), Width, Height, Roll Length, Weight, Thickness, Printable Sides enter a Comment and define the Distortion for the Substrate. Either the Substrate number from your ERP system or the dimension of the given Substrate can be used for the Substrate Definition.
For Substrate Definitions you also have to set a standard Definition [6]. This definition is applied when a substrate is used or is drawn on as a fallback for automation. In addition, when a Substrate is used for different printing systems, the Substrate Definition can also be assigned to the printing system [5]. Assign the substrate ID that is used for the medium on the printing system. This substrate ID is then written into the job ticket for the print job, eliminating the need to select the Substrate on the printer.
Figure 1: Substrate Overview with the Configure tab selected
Article update: Version 1.16.1 - 01/2024