User Manual

6.5 Tiling Mode

Updated on

In this article we'll learn:

  • How to create a Tiling imposition
  • Which settings and parameters are available in Tiling mode

1. Overview

Tiling mode allows you to split oversized print documents that exceed the width and height of a standard substrate into smaller pieces (Tiles) which includes additional areas for gluing each tile together.

2. Create a Tiling Imposition

Splitting a large Print Item into smaller pieces is called Tiling.  If you want to create a new Tiling imposition, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor and select Tiling mode.

To start the Impose Editor, you can go to the menu item Automation > Impose Editor and select Tiling mode or you can open an existing Production Job and select the Impose [1] tab. In the Impose tab, select Tiling [2], which will open the Impose Editor in Tiling mode.

Figure 1: The Impose tab offers four distinct impose modes, one if which is Tiling mode.

PMS WebGui :: Print Data
  1. Select your desired Print Item.
    If you have started the Impose Editor via the menu item Automation > Impose Editor, you need to add a Print Item to the empty Production Job. The fastest way to do this is to use the File Manager. If the Impose Editor was started via the Impose tab in a Production Job, then the Print Item will be automatically selected.
  2. Select your desired settings under the Artboard Settings [3] tab for Tiling. The following parameters are available: Tiling Options, Overlap Parameters, Margin and Bleed.

Tiling Options

  • Mode [4] – The Mode settings allows you to choose between four options: you can create the Tiling with a fixed number of columns and rows, by specifying a specific size, or by creating Tiles that are all one specific size or by defining a custom size for each Tile.
  • Columns/Rows [5] – Here you can define the number of columns and rows.
  • Scale – The Scale can be used to define the final size of the Tiling. You can Scale [6] the Print Item to the desired width [9] and height. Determine whether the absolute dimensions [8] should be used or a Scaling Factor [7] which is saved when saving an Impose Template.

Overlap Parameters

  • Mounting Direction – Select the desired Mounting Direction [10] either horizontal or vertical, and specify whether it should be Reverse or Zigzag.
  • Overlap [11] – This option determines the amount of horizontal and/or vertical Overlap (used for gluing the tiles). Please note that this determines the total size of the overlap (including the Printed Overlap).
  • Printed Overlap [12] – This option determines how much of the overlap should be printed. You can set the value for the printed overlap separately for all sides of a Tile. If you want to set different Printed Overlaps per Tile, you can accomplish this by clicking on the grid symbol [15].

Figure 2: The Artboard Settings tab when using Tiling mode.

PMS WebGui :: Print Data

Margin [13] – We recommend always leaving Auto Margin selected when Tiling, as this will set the correct Margins for applied Marks.

Bleed [14] – This option determines how much of the existing Bleed from the Print Item will be printed on the outer edges of the Tiles which are located on the edge. If the Print Item itself has no Bleed, entering a Bleed will result in an unprinted border around the entire Tiling when assembled.

  1. Under the Marks tab [16], you can select: Marks, Lines, Grommets and Captions as needed.

Marks [17] – If individual Tiles need to be cut manually in the finishing process, you can set the Marks to specific postions based on: ImageBox, ImageBox + Bleed per Tile etc. This can be set for each individual Mark.

Captions [18] – In order to ensure that the Tiles are assembled correctly, a Caption should be added which illustrates the current and the adjacent Tiles by number. We have created a Caption that applies the correct page numbering [19] by default.

Lines [20] – If single Tiles need to be cut manually, in many cases a thin printing line should be printed on the edges. If you require such lines, select Line in the Lines sub-panel.

Grommets [21] – Grommets can be added using this option in the Grommets sub-panel.

For more information on the four options listed above please read the article Marks, Captions, Lines and Grommets.

Figure 3: The Marks tab where the user has a variety of options commonly needed when creating Tiles.

PMS WebGui :: Print Data
  1. Under the Finishing tab [22] you can create an optional Dieline [23]. When this option is activated, Dielines are applied to each individual Tiles based on the IMageBox by default. The following options are available:
    • Position [24] – Select ImageBox + Bleed for a Tile if the Dielines should be applied to the Bleed. ImageBox for a Tile is selected by default.
    • Corner Type [25] – Depending on your Cutting Device, you can select whether the corners should be beveled or rounded. Only use a value of 0 mm when a corner needs to be cut and you have the beveled option selected.
    • Weight and Offset – Here you can define the Weight (line thickness) and the desired Offset.
    • Technical Color [26] – Here you can select a System-wide Spot Color. If the desired Spot Color is not displayed, it must be created under the menu item Color > Manage Spot Colors.
    • Overprint [27] – Normally Technical Colors should always be overprinted, this checkbox should only be deactivated in certain exceptions.

Figure 4: The Finishing tab with the Create Dieline option activated.

PMS WebGui :: Print Data
  1. If you are satisfied with your settings and want to use these settings for other jobs, we recommended that you save your settings using an Impose Template.
  2. You can now save the Tiling imposition.
    • If you have opened the Impose Editor using the Impose tab in a Production Job, you can save the Tiling by clicking on Save. In this case you will not see the Save Imposition dialog, because all parameters for the Production Job have been saved previously.
    • However, if you have opened the Impose Editor via the menu item Automation > Impose Editor, you can save the Tiling by selecting Save or Save as in the action bar. By saving the Tiling you will create a new Production Job.  
  3. By saving the Tiling, the Save Imposition dialog will open. The following additional options are offered in this dialog:
    • Job Name [28] – Enter a number or name for the Production Job. Additional information about the Production Job can be saved in the Comment input field.
    • Create separate Articles for each Tile [29] – By activating this option, a separate Article will be created for each Tile in the Workflow, which can be used later to save space by nesting the items. If this option is not activated, a multi-page PDF (which contains a single page per tile) is created. This procedure is particularly recommended when the individual Tiles cannot be nested (to save material in some cases), because they already use the substrate width, for example. A multi-page PDF can then be sent to the printer when ripping, and is therefore ripped faster as parallel ripping is then possible.
    • Output Configuration [30] – If you have opened the Impose Editor via the menu item Automation > Impose Editor and have not assigned an Output Configuration, you can now select your desired Output Configuration when saving.
  4. Click on Save to complete the Tiling imposition process.

Figure 5: The Save Imposition dialog with various options.

PMS WebGui :: Print Data

3. Tiling Methods

Tiling mode offers four different methods when implementing the Tiling. These four methods are explained below.

3.1. By Number

By specifying a defined number of columns and rows, the Print Item is divided into Tiles of equal size (visible area).

Figure 6: The Overall View when Tiling By Number is selected.

Impose Editor

Because of the defined printed and unprinted overlap, this will result in print files of different sizes. A Caption [31] can be applied to illustrate the assembly sequence of the Tiles.

Figure 7: The Tile Mode view with dimmed overlap areas and applied Caption.

Impose Editor

3.2. By Size

By entering a specific size (which can be defined separately for width and height) as many Tiles of the same size as possible are created. The size of the last Tile in the row or column is adjusted accordingly.

Figure 8: The Overall View of a Tiling using the By Size option.

Impose Editor

Because of the defined printed and unprinted overlap as well as the remaining size of the Tile per column and line, print files of different sizes may result.

Figure 9: The Tile Mode view when By Size is selected.

Impose Editor

3.3. One Size Fits All

By specifying a defined number of columns and rows, the Print Item is divided into Tiles of equal size (visible area). The difference between the By Number mode is that with One Size Fits All, the Tile size always has the same dimension, which means that they can then be efficiently processed with an X/Y cutter (e.g.: Fotoba).

Figure 10: The Overall View with Tiles that have uniform sizes.

Impose Editor

Although a printed overlap can be defined, the unprinted overlap cannot be defined. As all print files are the same size.

Figure 11: Tile Mode view for a Tiling with One Size Fits All selected.

Impose Editor

3.4. Custom

With a Custom Tiling the user can enter specific widths and/or heights for both columns and rows. Custom tiling allows you avoid cutting through specific parts of an image or text by creating individual Tile sizes when needed.

Add additional columns or rows by clicking on the + or - symbol [35]. The width [33] or height [34] of columns and/or rows can be adjusted by entering a value or by simply moving the Tiling Lines using the Tiling Lines Tool [32].

Add additional columns or rows by clicking on the + symbol [35]. The width [33] or height [34] of the column or row can be set either by entering the value or by simply moving the auxiliary line with the auxiliary line tool [32].

Figure 12: The Overall View when a Custom Tiling is created.

Impose Editor

Due to the individual Tile sizes and the addition of printed and unprinted overlaps, the print files have different dimensions.

Figure 13: The Tile Mode view for a Custom Tiling.

Impose Editor
Previous Article 6.4 Nesting Mode
Next Article 7.1 Production Job Overview
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