EAN and ISBN Barcodes can now be created in the required sizes on demand. In previous versions, it was possible to create a Barcode of any size and then completely change it afterwards. According to ISO/IEC 15420, the sizes of EAN and ISBN Barcodes are officially standardized in the form of SC sizes. In the packaging and label industry, these specifications are often requested by customers.

Table 1: SC Barcode sizes according to the ISO/IEC 15420 standard.

SC 2 represents the standard size. These dimensions measure: 25.93 mm [1] in height by 37.29 mm [2] in width. According to the standard, these values may be reduced proportionally to a minimum of 80% or increased to 200%. The so-called SC values reflect the standard value in different sizes.

Figure 1: A size specification of the SC 2 standard using an EAN 13 Barcode as an example.

After selecting an EAN or ISBN Barcode in the Adobe Illustrator Plug-in, the Use SC Size option is available. By activating this checkbox, the SC size can be selected in the a drop-down menu. If this option is not activated, a Barcode can be created in any size.

Creating a Barcode with a standardized SC size works as follows:

1. In Adobe Illustrator checked out a Print Item from the Workflow.
2. Use the Rectangle tool to draw a rectangle to generate a Barcode.
3. Select the rectangle you created using the Selection tool.
4. Activate the Barcode Tool [3] in the Variable Data or Static Barcode Panel.
5. Under Type [4], select an EAN or ISBN Barcode.
6. Enter all necessary parameters to create a valid Barcode.
7. Enable the Use SC Size option [5]. After activating this option, the selected rectangle is reduced or enlarged according to the selected SC size. Once this option is active, manual changes in size can no longer be made. When using SC sizes, the Apply SC Height [6] option is also activated by default so that the height of the Barcode cannot be changed. This option can also be disabled if the height of the Barcode needs to be adjusted.

Figure 2: The VDP panel of the Adobe Illustrator Plug-in where SC sizes can be selected.

The Barcode text size - if Show Text [7] is activated - will also adapt to the SC size. The predefined text size can also be adjusted manually if necessary. The following text sizes result from the selected SC size:

• Barcode size SC 0 > 8pt Font size
• Barcode size SC 1 > 8pt Font size
• Barcode size SC 2 > 9pt Font size
• Barcode size SC 3 > 9pt Font size
• Barcode size SC 4 > 11pt Font size
• Barcode size SC 5 > 11pt Font size
• Barcode size SC 6 > 14pt Font size
• Barcode size SC 7 > 14pt Font size
• Barcode size SC 8 > 16pt Font size
• Barcode size SC 9 > 16pt Font size

The Bearers section has been available for a while now, but under the Additional Parameters section of the Barcode panel, the user can enter and set limitations for the Barcode. Until now, Bearer Bars could only be set above, below and on both sides. With this version Bearer Bars can also be created, displayed and rendered on all four sides - as a frame.

In most cases only ITF-14 Barcode Bearer Bars are needed. If Bearer Bars have to be generated on all four sides, it may be necessary to create space on the left and right side of the Barcode. You can create this space by specifying the desired size under the Quiet Zone settings. If no Quite Zone is set, the frame around the Barcode cannot be generated.

Below we describe how to create a frame around an ITF-14 Barcode in the Bearers area, and also what to be aware of:

1. Open Adobe Illustrator and check out a Print Item from the Workflow.
2. Draw a rectangle with the Rectangle tool.
3. Select the rectangle you've created.
4. Activate the Barcode Tool [8] under the Variable Data or Static Barcode Panel.
5. Under Type [9], select an ITF-14 Barcode.
6. Enter all necessary parameters to create a valid Barcode.
7. Under the Additional Parameters area [10], open the Bearers fly-out options [13].
8. Select Frame under the Position drop-down menu [14].
9. Enter a Width [15] of 1mm. If no Quiet Zone has been defined, the Barcode will no longer be displayed. An error message: Barcode Error: If 'Rectangle' used for Bearers, please define Quiet Zone left and right is displayed under the Preview panel.
10. Under the Additional Parameters area [10], open Quiet Zone [11].
11. Define a 12 X Quiet Zone left and right [12]. As soon as the Quiet Zone is large enough, the Barcode can be generated. For a Bearer width of one millimeter, 12 X Quiet Zones left and right are required. The larger the Bearer width, the smaller the Barcode is, more Quiet Zone left and right is required.

Figure 3: A section of the VDP panel in the Adobe Illustrator plug-in, where a frame is set under Bearers to create a frame around the Barcode.

Up to version 1.7.3, the preview of the Barcode generated in the VDP panel was placed as an image in Illustrator. As a result, when printing a Print Item from Adobe Illustrator, the line thickness of the Barcode was not printed accurately enough (slightly blurred by antialiasing). The Barcode readability failed in most cases.

This situation did not appear in the same way when generating Barcodes in the Static Barcode panel, since a vector graphic was always generated here when generating a Barcode. In the course of this release, the procedure for generating Barcodes was standardized. In both cases, Barcodes are now always generated as a vector. The print quality and legibility of Barcodes created in Illustrator are now consistent.

We have internally changed the way translations are handled in the Workflow and the Plug-in. Version 1.7.3 contains a general revision of terms, labels and error messages. The following changes have been made:

• The Plug-in can now be opened via Window > PPD with the panels inside.
• The names of the individual panels have been adapted and translated into their respective languages.
• The terms and designations for individual fields have been revised in the English version.
• A fully translated German version of the Plug-in is now available.
• A completely translated French version of the Plug-in is now available.
• A fully translated Japanese version of the Plug-in is now available.

The Spanish and Italian language versions will be available with the next release.

User-defined Fields can only be created by a system administrator. The system administrator must decide which fields or which field types should be added to which areas. Currently, User-defined Fields can only be created via the Master Data. The creation of User-defined Fields via the user interface will be added in a future release.

Figure 4: Master Data with the Custom Field database selected.

To create a User-defined Field, proceed as follows:

1. Login to the Workflow as an Administrator.
2. Select the menu item Administration > Settings > General
3. Activate the Extended View checkbox to gain access to the Master Data.
4. Click on Save. If you click away from the General Settings tab without saving you will be asked to confirm if you want to save your settings.
5. Switch to the Administration > Master Data [17] menu item.
6. Select the Custom Field table from the list of tables [16].
   
   This table will be empty by default as long as no User-defined Fields have been created in the Workflow.
   
7. Select the Add Record button [18] to create a new Custom Field.
8. Fill in all necessary input fields in the Custom Field dialog [19] and click on Save.
9. After all User-defined Fields have been created, the PMS service must be restarted.

Figure 5: The Create New Custom Field dialog in the Master Data.

Individual Parameters of a User-defined Field

• key [20]: The key of a User-defined Field must be unique, i.e. it may only occur once in the system. Furthermore, it must be written in capital letters and must not contain any spaces or special characters, i.e. only ASCII characters including underscore "_". This key is not displayed in the system - it is only used to identify the field internally.
• entity_table_name [21]: Here you should define to which table the User-defined Field should to be added or where it should be displayed in the Workflow. There are currently four different options:
  • article – Adds the User-defined Field to the Article table and is displayed in an Article
  • motif – Adds the User-defined Field to the Motif table (Motifs in Orders & Production Jobs)
  • print_order – Adds the User-defined Field to the Order table
  • production_job – Adds the User-defined Field to the Production Job table
• label [22]: This input field is used for labeling within the user interface. Use a name that is content appropriate.
• comment [23]: Add an optional comment which can be saved for each User-defined Field. Please note, this comment is only displayed in the Master Data.
• field_order [24]: This input determines the order in which all User-defined Fields are displayed in the Workflow. Note that the sequence number is assigned per "entity_table_name".
• value_type_key [25]: This list offers three different field types which can be selected:
  • (BOOLEAN) – Is displayed as a checkbox in the user interface.
  • (STRING) – Is displayed in the user interface as a text input field. Any number of characters can be entered.
  • Number incl. fractions (NUMERIC) – Is displayed in the user interface as a number input.
• default_value [26]: For each field a value can be defined, which is already preselected by default.
• mandatory field [27]: Displayed in the user interface as mandatory field* - with Asterix.
• status [28]: Is used by the system, must not be filled.
• error_message [29]: Used by the system, must not be filled.
• options [30]: Here you can define whether the field should be displayed as a selection list. Each value to be selected must be defined in this area. The structure of a selection list should be structured as follows:

• UI Config for custom field [31]: Here you can define how the User-defined Field should be formatted. At the moment, you can only specify whether it is to be formatted as a single-line text input field or as a multiline text input field. If no entry is made, a single-line text input field is displayed. If you want a multiline text input field in the user interface, the entry must look like this:

• created [32]: Used by the system, must not be filled.
• created_by [33]: Used by the system, must not be filled.
• last_modified [34]: Used by the system, must not be filled.
• last_modified_by [35]: Used by the system, must not be filled.

After User-defined Fields are defined in the Master Data and the Workflow Workstation PMS Service is restarted, the User-defined Fields will then be displayed in their respective areas and can be used. Depending on the tables to which they have been added, they are displayed under different menu items. There they can be viewed and edited.

In each area - Article, Print Item, Orders and Production Jobs – User-defined Fields can be adapted or edited in the aforementioned areas. Follow the steps described below:

Articles

To edit User-defined Fields for Articles, proceed as follows:

1. Select Article > Article List from the menu
2. Open an Article
3. Locate Document, Production Information and User-defined Fields [44]
4. Activate the Edit Custom Fields button [43]

Figure 10: The Document, Production Information and User-defined Fields area of an Article.

5. The Edit User-defined Fields dialog [45] opens, which displays all User-defined Fields. Here fields can be edited and saved. Fields marked as mandatory in the Master Data must then be filled in. All other fields can optionally be filled with content.

Figure 11: The Edit User-defined Fields dialog in Article view

Print Item

The User-defined Fields for a Print Item contained in an Order or Production Job can also be edited under the Document, Production Information and User-defined Fields view. Proceed as follows to edit a User-defined Field:

1. Select an Order from Order > Order List or Production Job from the menu bar.
2. Open the Order or Production Job.
3. Select the Print Item tab or the Order Information tab.
4. Navigate to the Document, Production Information and User-defined Fields view. In this area, the same Edit User-defined Fields button opens the Edit User-defined Fields dialog (Figure 11), where you can edit the fields.

Order

User-defined Fields for an Order can also be edited by clicking on the Order Information tab under the User-defined Fields tab. To edit these User-defined Fields proceed as follows:

1. Select Order > Order List from the menu bar.
2. Select an Order.
3. Switch to the Order Information tab.
4. Select the User-defined Fields tab.
5. Activate the Edit User-defined Fields button. The familiar Edit User-defined Fields dialog (Figure 11) for editing User-defined Fields opens again.

Production Job

The User-defined Fields of a Production Job can also be edited under the Edit User-defined Fields tab. Proceed as follows to edit the User-defined Fields:

1. Select Production Job from the menu
2. Open a Production Job
3. Select the User-defined Fields tab in the Production Job.
4. Click on the Edit User-defined Fields button. The familiar dialog (Figure 11) for editing User-defined Fields opens again.

As soon as User-defined Fields have been created in the Workflow, they are immediately available in lists as additional fields. To display User-defined Fields in the list and to search for specific content in User-defined Fields of an Article, proceed as follows:

1. Select Article > Article List from the menu bar.
2. In the burger menu of the list header, all new User-defined Fields are available for selection. By selecting a field, it can be displayed anywhere in the list.
3. To search for the content of a User-defined Field, activate the User-defined Field [47] that you want to search for in the filter bar in the dropdown menu of the search field [46].

Figure 12: The Article List with an open drop-down menu displaying fields to be searched.

User-defined Fields are available for various applications within the Workflow, but can also be leveraged when creating Approval and Ink Cost Reports. By default, User-defined Fields are not used in Reports. If User-defined Fields are needed in a Report, a Custom Report needs to be created first. Please refer to Release Notes 1.2, section 6 for a guide on creating Custom Reports.

If a Custom Report already exists, User-defined Fields can also be inserted in the Report. Follow these steps:

To insert a User-defined Field in a custom Report, you must first open the InDesign file, extract your desired User-defined Fields from the PrintItemReport_Library, and place them in the desired location within the layout. Proceed as follows:

1. Connect to the Workflow Workstation (SMB).
2. In the file directory, navigate to the \\D\PMS_DATA\reports folder where all Report Templates are stored.
3. Open the current Report Template (without a version number) in Adobe InDesign CC (version CC 2018 and newer). The template is shown in Figure 13.
4. Open the file PrintItemReprt_Library, which is located next to the Report Template [48]. The InDesign library contains all available fields or variables that can be placed in a Report and finally displayed. This version also includes two differently formatted placeholders for User-defined Fields [49].
5. Place your User-defined Field placeholders as needed [50] in your Custom Report.

Figure 13: The InDesign template with User-defined Fields added.

In order to display the desired content of a user-defined field in the report, the corresponding keys must be entered in the script labels for the respective field. To do this, proceed as follows:

1. In InDesign, select Window > Utilities > Scripts > Script Label [52].
2. Select your desired text field [55] of a User-defined Field.
3. Write the key [53] of the User-defined Field in lower case letters in the input field of the Script Label panel. The key refers to the value that you used for the User-defined Field when creating the field - see Figure 5.
4. Add cf_ at the beginning of the key.
5. Give the label a name for the User-defined Field (left text field) [54] - matching the key.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 until all desired User-defined Fields have been created.
7. Then run the export2pdfChip_ppd.jsx script, which can be found in the InDesign Scripts Panel [51], to export the Report.
8. Load the custom Report back into the Workflow (see Release Notes 1.2 under item 6.3 - step 3).

Figure 13: Editing User-defined Fields in the InDesign Report Template

Until the release of 1.7.3 the user couldn't add a Margin when using Manual Impose Mode. We've added the ability to add Margins to all sides of a Print Item or for individual sides. This is essentially the same function that is used for Rule-based modes such as Nesting and Step & Repeat.

To add a Margin take the following steps:

1. Select the Production Job menu item
2. Open a Production Job
3. Activate the Impose tab
4. Select Manual Mode.
5. Before adding Print Items to the Artboard, define a Margin [63] under the Manual Settings tab [61].
6. Add your Print Items to the Artboard.
   Print Items are placed at the top left corner of the Margin [62] by default, rather than the top left corner of the Artboard. As long as Print Items are not manually moved outside of the Margins than Print Items will be placed inside the Margin by default unless there isn't enough space for the Item.

Figure 16: With Manual Mode selected we can now apply Margins to our Artboard as needed.

In this version, adding Print items in Manual Mode has also been revised and improved. There are two main differences:

• Improved filling available spaces when adding Print Items: If in the previous version the position of the last Print Item added was saved and any additional Print Items that were added, were placed exactly after the previously placed Item, the current version tries to find free space on the entire Sheet in order to place additional Print Items. In other words, as soon as enough free space is found between placed Print Items, free space is filled with new Print Items.
• The number of copies is automatically added: If you have only added the number of copies that fit on the available space on the sheet, version 1.7.3 will add the specified number of copies, even if this means that Print Items must be placed outside the Sheet [66]. In other words, clicking the [+] symbol [65] automatically places as many Print Items on the page as are entered under Copies [64].

To delete Print Items that have been placed completely outside the Sheet, use the Select Print Items outside sheet size [63] function. Clicking this icon selects only Print Items that lie outside of the Sheet, which you can then delete by pressing the Backspace key.

Figure 17: The Select Print Items outside sheet size function is now available with 1.7.3

The Rotation function has also received and update with the release of 1.7.3.

• You can either select and rotate Print Items as a group
• You can select and rotate Print Items as a individual items

Figure 18: Below we see the original position of the Print Items before being rotated.

To rotate selected Print Items 90° clockwise around a center axis point, proceed as follows:

1. Open a Production Job with multiple Print Items
2. Select the Impose tab
3. Choose Manual Impose Mode.
4. Place multiple Print Items on the Artboard, arrange the Print Items as needed, similar to Figure 17
5. Select all Print Items [CTRL] + [A] or by selecting them by using [CTRL] + [Left Mouse Click].
6. Define the Pivot Point [68] under the Transform panel [67].
7. Click on the Rotate Clockwise button [69]. You can see the result in Figure 18.

Figure 19: The individual Print Items after being rotated on their individual axis.

In previous versions there were various problems that occurred when changing the Bleed of an Item. After carrying out certain functions - such as rotating and scaling, input fields for the Bleed were deactivated. When this happend, it was no longer possible to change the Bleed. We have now standardized the way Bleed is handled in the Impose Editor and made the behavior when adding Bleed in connection with other functions more consistent. The following issues have been updated:

In previous versions the input fields for Bleed were locked after changing the Scale of the Print Item. In version 1.7.3 (see Figure 20) the Bleed behaves as follows:

• The Bleed is Scaled together with the Print Item (visually)
• In the input fields of the Bleed, the values do not change after Scaling.
• Bleed can be changed again after Scaling.
• Since the Scaling factor is displayed anyway, it is also logical that it applies to the Bleed.

Figure 21: Schematic representation of how the Bleed changes during scaling

With Rule-based Impose Modes, Bleed is not rotated with the Print Item. In Manual Mode, Bleed is rotated with the Print Item. In previous versions, Bleed input fields were locked after Rotating a Print Item and the Bleed could not be edited afterwards. In version 1.7.3 the Bleed behavior has been changed:

• The Bleed and the Print Item are rotated together.
• In the Bleed input fields, the values are not changed or »rotated«.
• The Bleed can be edited after being Rotated.
• Since the Rotation value is displayed the user can assume that it also applies to the Bleed.

Figure 22: Schematic representation of how the Bleed is displayed after rotation.

With Rule-based Impose Modes, Bleed is not rotated with the Print Item. In Manual Mode, Bleed is rotated with the Print Item. (see Figure 22). If in previous versions you switched from Rule-based Mode to Manual Mode, the Bleed input fields were locked. The Bleed could not be edited afterwards. In version 1.7.3 the Bleed has the following behavior when switching Impose Modes:

• The Bleed of the Print Item is not rotated after switching to Manual Mode.
• In the Bleed input fields, the values are changed or "rotated" so that they match the displayed Print Item.
• The Bleed can be changed any time.

Figure 23: Schematic representation of how the Bleed is rotated in Step & Repeat mode and how the Bleed is displayed after switching to Manual mode.

With 1.7.2, we implemented the ability to Crop Print Items in Manual Mode, the existing Bleed was simply ignored during when Cropping an Item. With version 1.7.3 this behavior has been updated, so that the Bleed is now preserved when Cropping.

You can Crop a Print Item with a Bleed as follows:

1. Open a Production Job with a Print Item that has a Bleed.
2. Click on the Impose tab.
3. Choose Manual Mode, and the Impose Editor will activate Manual Impose Mode.
4. Place your Print Items on the Artboard. The values for the Bleed are displayed under the Bleed panel.
5. Use the Selection tool [74] to select your Print Item.
6. Activate the Crop tool [75] in the toolbar. A Cropping mask [76] is placed over the TrimBox. The Cropping mask offers eight points which can be moved freely with the mouse. In addition to the Cropping mask, the defined Bleed is also displayed as a red semi-transparent shape [77].
7. Drag the Cropping mask to your desired dimensions. By dragging a point, the cropped areas of the Print Item are dimmed. The visible area of the Print Item represents your crop result. The entered value for your Bleed in the Bleed panel of the Print Item moves with the Cropping mask. As soon as the Print Item has been cropped, the TrimBox including the Bleed value is visible in the Bleed panel.

Figure 24: Below we can see the Cropping tool in combination with the TrimBox and Bleed being updated live as we crop a Print Item.

In version 1.7.2, realtime previews of measurement data during the measurement was implemented. This preview shows the reference values and the values currently measured. In version 1.7.3, the reference values are now displayed in addition to the measured values even after the profiling calibration chart has been calibrated.

1. Create a new Color Setup
2. Carry out all Profiling steps up to the point where you measure the Profile Calibration charts
3. Completely measure the Profile calibration charts
4. Open the Analyze Profile dialog [80]. With the new Analyze Profile dialog, the reference values (above) and the current values measured (below) are displayed. Due to the difference between Inks from different printing systems and Substrates, distinct differences between reference values and measured values can be perceived. Future releases will try to adjust the reference values so that they better represent filled Inks and the Substrate used.

Figure 26: The Analyze Profile dialog as seen when all Profile charts have been successfully measured.

As with the previous version 1.7.2, the Workflow offers the possibility to add a White background or foreground to calibration charts. Due to variances in current printing systems, the selection of these two options was limited:

• If the selected Printer is capable of adding a White process color, the Add White Background function is available.
• If the selected Printer has a White Over (s2) color added, the Add White Foreground function is available.
• If the selected Printer has both options White & White Over (s2), both functions are available.
• If neither of the two colors exist, both functions are deactivated.

These two functions can be selected for all Calibration Chart print dialogs, as long as the necessary colors are available.

Some Printers and/or Print Configurations support Backlit features - others do not. Despite this compatibility issue, all available Backlit options were able to be selected, regardless if the selected Printer supported this function or not. With version 1.7.3, Backlit options are now enabled or disabled when creating a Print Configuration, based on the selected Printer Type:

• If the Backlit feature is not supported by the selected Printing system, all Backlit options will be deactivated.
• If the selected Printing system supports Backlit features, at a minimum Backlit Process Colors will be available.
  • If a White Process Color is available, Backlit White Underprint can be selected.
  • If an additional White Over Process Color is available, then Backlit White Overprint can be selected.
  • If neither of the two process colors are available, both Backlit functions are deactivated.

Version 1.7.3 also has enabled a feature where the Render Engine and possibly a Dither Mode are pre-selected by default so that users no longer have to re-select them each time a new Print Configuration is made. All pre-selected settings can be subsequently adjusted by the user as needed:

• Label Printers use the Standard Render Engine without a Dither Mode selected by default.
• LFP and CPD Printing systems use the Harlequin Host Renderer with AIS Dither Mode by default.

Some Printers and/or Print Configurations support finishing options (matt/gloss) - others do not. Previous to this release, all finishing options could be selected, regardless of whether the Printer supported this feature or not. Version 1.7.3 now unlocks or completely disables finishing options when creating a Print Configuration, depending on the Printer Type selected.

The following Permissions have been added:

• Administrate Measurement Devices – Access under Administration > Measurement Devices
• Downloading Color Books – Click the download button in the List of Color Books
• Print Color Books – Can be accessed in the Send to Printer dialog, in the action bar Color > Color Book & Grid Charts under the Color Books tab
• Permission to create Grid Charts – Access using New in action bar under Color > Color Book & Grid Charts under the Grid Charts tab
• Permission to delete Grid Charts – Access using Delete in action bar under Color > Color Book & Grid Charts under the Grid Charts tab
• Downloading Grid Charts – Click the download button in the Grid Charts List
• Print Grid Charts – Can be accessed in the Send to Printer dialog, in the action bar Color > Color Book & Grid Charts under the Grid Charts tab
• Permission to create Color Setups – Access using New in action bar under Color > Color Setup
• Permission to delete Color Setups – Access using Delete in action bar under Color > Color Setup
• Permission to duplicate Color Setups – Access using Duplicate in action bar under Color > Color Setup
• Permission to edit Color Setups – Access using Edit in action bar under Color > Color Setup
• Download Print Item & Technical Colors – Access using Download Item > Print Item & Technical Colors
• Split Article reference – Access under Production Job > Split Article Reference in the action bar

The following permission have been deleted:

• Edit Color Books – Color Books have to be created individually. Editing Color Book was never possible.

This Fixup can be used to Redye Text and Vector Objects. When applying this correction, the original CMYK Source Colors [82] must be entered first. You can then specify the Target CMYK [83] to be used. This correction can be applied to the following CMYK objects [82]:

• Text
• Vectors
• Text & Vectors

Figure 26: Applying the Fixup Redye CMYK-Objects

Some printing systems cannot print motifs that are longer than a defined height. For this reason, a Fixup has been made that splits the design into multiple pages of a specific height [84].

The working method could be as follows:

• The operator uploads a 4.5 m in length Print Item to the Workflow.
• The Fixup divides the Print Item into X pages, whereby no page may be longer than e.g. 100 cm.
• The result is a multi-page motif with 9 pages (each page is 50 cm long).

This Fixup can also be located under the Data Preparation tab.

Figure 28: The Split single page print item into pages with given height Fixup

This Fixup existed in previous releases. In previous versions, when applying this Fixup, only the TrimBox could be reset based on specified colors. This correction has now been extended by adding additional options. With Release 1.7.3, you can select which Pagebox frame is to be reset when applying the correction. The following page geometries can be reset:

• TrimBox
• BleedBox
• CropBox
• MediaBox