From version 1.8.0 on, PSB files can be uploaded in the File Manager. These file types are also supported for other areas where files can be uploaded in the Workflow. Additionally, SVG files can be uploaded into the Workflow from this version on.

Starting with version 1.8.0, Multipage PDFs contained in an Article can be split into individual files in the Article tab of the File Manager. Because it is not currently possible to impose multipage documents, this function has also been implemented in the File Manager. To split multipage documents in the File Manager, proceed as follows:

1. Open the Impose Editor.
2. Switch to the Articles tab in the File Manager.
3. Select a multipage pdf file.
4. Under the additional menu [1] select Create individual Print Items. When the process is finished, a new Print Item is created for each page. These Print Items can then be imposed in the Impose Editor.

Figure 1: Splitting multipage documents into individual Print Items in the File Manager.

In the Nesting mode, Print Items can be rotated under the Rotation – Non-uniform rotation setting. After individual Print Items have been rotated on the sheet, spacing can be defined for these rotated Print Items specifically. This spacing [2] can be defined by the user as of version 1.8.0, which adds space for additional Marks and move rotated Print Items to the edge of the sheet which helps reduce the amount of cuts that need to be made.

Figure 2: Additional spacing for rotated Print Items in Nesting mode.

Until now, a Nesting impositions were only output as single sided sheets. Version 1.8.0 offers a new feature that allows the user to create and output multipage Nesting impositions based on the number of copies to be imposed. The following two sections offer more information regarding this new feature.

Before version 1.8.0, Nesting impositions were always single sided. We have kept the single sided Nesting as the default behavior when the impose editor is opened using Nesting mode. If you select Impose Output > Single Page Output [5], the Nesting remains single sided. Using the Nesting Options [6] drop-down, the imposition can be optimized or adapted as needed:

• Strategy
  • Substrate Optimized
  • Force number of copies
  • Allow Overproduction
  • Keep exact ratio of copies
• Layout – only available when Print Items have the same dimension!
  • By Row
  • By Column
• Arrange – only available when Print Items have the same dimension!
  • Keep Print Items together
  • Consider Print Item sequence
  • Use only one Print Item per Column/Row
• Rotation
  • Non-Uniform Rotation
  • Uniform Rotation
  • 0° Rotation
  • 90° Rotation
• Horizontal & Vertical Spacing

Single sided Nestings using the existing Nesting Options in previous versions of the Workflow led to warnings and errors [3] in most situations, typically because Print Items could not be imposed completely for various reasons.

Figure 3: A Single Page Output imposition using the Nesting impose mode.

If individual Print Items can't be imposed completely or at all, the Imposition Warnings pop-up panel [3] displays information, showing errors and warnings for the Artboard [4]. The following information is available:

• Placed Print Items X/Y – Indicates the number of Print Items (X) and (Y) in the Production Job will be used in the imposition.
• Copies to be printed – Indicates the amount of times the imposition must be printed for the specified number of copies for each Print Item to be fulfilled.
• Unplaced Print Items [7] – Print Items that are not used in the imposition
• Underproduced Print Items [8] – Print Items that cannot be placed completely.

Figure 4: The Imposition Warning pop-up in the Impose Editor displaying warnings that occur on the Sheet.

In order to alleviate this constant state of warnings and errors, we have implemented a new way to impose Print Items which outputs a Multipage Nesting, that explicitly places all Print Items contained in a Production Job.

Starting with version 1.8.0, either a Single Page or Multipage Nesting can be created when the operator chooses the Impose Output setting. If the Impose Output > Multipage Output [10] option is selected in the Settings drop-down, the Nesting imposition will contain multiple pages. Under the drop-down Nesting Options, the Nesting can be optimized or adapted as needed:

• Rotation
  • Non-Uniform Rotation
  • Uniform Rotation
  • 0° Rotation
  • 90° Rotation
• Horizontal and Vertical Spacing

The Strategy used in Multipage Nesting is always Keep exact Ratio of Copies, as this ensures that all the Print Item will be imposed in the Production Job.

Figure 5: A Multipage Output imposition using Nesting.

When the Multipage Output [10] option is selected the UI of the Impose Editor will change:

• In the header of the Impose Editor, a Paging widget [9] appears.
• Print Items contained in the Production Job are now imposed on pages always respecting the number of copies per Print Item.
• The Artboard Settings [4] (Figure 3) are hidden, since only one Artboard is needed when using Multipage Output mode.
• In the footer, you can switch between information concerning All pages or the Current page [11] being viewed.
• The Trim to Height option can also be activated which will result in different sheet dimensions per page depending on the layout of the Print Items.

Figure 6: A Multipage Output imposition based on the number of copies per Print Item contained in a Production Job, including all pages from a Multipage Nesting.

Starting with version 1.8.0, a Single Page Nesting using Print Items with different dimensions can be further optimized after the first instance of the imposition has been created. The goal of Nesting Optimization is to reduce the printed area. The following conditions must be fulfilled in order to utilize Nesting Optimization:

• This option is available in the Workflow Plus and Print Workflow versions with the additional Production Optimization Toolbox option. Optimization is available in all Workflow Label versions.
• In version 1.8.0, optimization is only available for Nesting Print Items with different dimensions
• With version 1.8.0, optimizing Multipage Outputs is not yet available.

Before a Nesting can be optimized, some settings must be made system-wide so that the desired optimization can be performed. For this purpose, two system-wide settings have been implemented in the Impose Editor tab under the Administration > Settings menu:

• Max.Duration ... Seconds [12] – Entering the desired duration in seconds determines how long the optimization process may run until a newer, better imposition is created. If no additional improvements can be created within this time period, the optimization process will be automatically terminated. The default value is 30 seconds.
• Stop after ... Iterations [13] – By entering the desired number of iterations, this setting determines the amount of optimized imposition instances should be generated before terminating the process. If the number of iterations has been reached, and no additional improvements can be created, and the Max. Duration in seconds has not yet expired, then the optimization process is automatically terminated. The default value is 500 iterations.

Figure 7: Optimization Settings can be found under the System Settings > Impose Editor tab.

After you have entered your desired Nesting Optimization settings under the menu item Administration > Settings, the imposition is ready to be optimized. All you need now is to create a single sided Nesting using Print Items with different dimensions and the option Trim to height should also be activated. Proceed as follows:

Open the Impose Editor and switch to Nesting mode and choose Single Page Output [15] in the Settings drop-down.

1. Add several Print Items with different dimensions and number of copies.
2. Wait until all the Print Items are placed on the sheet.
3. In the header of the Impose Editor you can see that the imposition has not yet been optimized [14] .
4. To optimize the imposition, press the Start button in the header.

Figure 8: A Nesting before the Nesting Optimization process has proceeded.

6. After starting the optimization process, all settings for the Nesting are deactivated, so that no changes can be made in the current version of the Nesting. Each improvement found is displayed as an optimization version [17].
7. In the example in Figure 9, there are six different optimized versions of the imposition, which can be individually selected as needed.
8. Stop the optimization process manually by clicking on the Stop-Start button [16] or wait until the optimization is finished automatically.
9. Then select the desired iteration [17].
10. Save the selected imposition. Optimized impositions are marked in the Impose tab of a Production Job with an Optimized text.

Figure 9: The optimization of an Nesting imposition in progress.

If you reopen an optimized nesting in the Impose Editor, the saved, optimized imposition is displayed. At this point, no more changes can be made, otherwise the optimization would no longer be valid. For this reason, all settings are locked when opening an optimized imposition.

However, if you want to make changes, the optimization can be reset by clicking the Reset button [18]. When resetting, the optimization is reset and cannot be restored - unless you exit the Impose Editor without saving the reset version. However, changes can then be made to the imposition again. After the changes have been made, the optimization process can be started again.

Figure 10: The Impose Editor after opening an optimized Nesting.

Caption content can be freely defined as needed under the Caption settings. By entering text and pressing the Update Caption button, entered text is displayed on the sheet. By pressing the @-key a list of dynamic placeholders is displayed which can be used for Captions. We have updated this list with four new placeholders. The following new placeholders are available in the Impose Editor:

With version 1.8.0 the list of Placeholders has been updated will the following items:

• The Due Date of an Order Item [19].
• The Production Date of a Production Job [20].
• The Shipping Date of a Production Job [21].
• The render start time of a Production Job [22].

Figure 11: New placeholders which can be used as Captions in the Impose Editor.

In addition to default Captions which can only output text information, a QR or Barcode can be generated and rendered as a Caption in the imposition. This is a new type of Caption which may offer Workflow users more flexibility when leveraging Captions.

Proceed as follows to create a Barcode or QR code Caption:

1. Open the Impose Editor.
2. Choose your desired Impose mode.
3. Create your imposition.
4. Click on the Marks tab [23] on the right side of the Impose Editor.
5. Open the Caption drop-down menu and select Barcode Caption [24].

Figure 12: Adding a Barcode Caption in the Impose Editor using the Caption placeholder drop-down menu.

6. In the settings area you can define the following options for Barcodes Captions:
   • Type [25] – Select the desired Barcode or QR Code type to be generated from this drop-down menu. This list contains all standard international Barcodes and QR Codes. The option Show Text [33] can only be used for Barcodes, because QR Codes support undefined amounts of characters.
   • Width and Height [26] – Define the dimensions of the Barcode or QR Code here.
   • Origin and Position [27] – Just as for default Captions, the Origin, Position and Reference Point can be selected for Barcodes. These settings do not differ from previously known elements in the Impose Editor. You can also select whether the QR and/or Barcode should be placed on the left, center or right side of the reference point and/or whether the placement should be placed on the inside of the selected position.
   • Indent and Offset [28] – The Indent and Offset settings are also identical to default Captions. You can read more about this in the release notes for version 1.7.9 in the section Captions – Offset und Indent.
   • Rotation Options [29] – Barcodes and QR codes can be rotated with the Print Item or separately by 0° or 180°.
   • Content [30] – Content for Barcodes and QR codes can also be defined as simple text as usual. Please note that Barcodes only support certain characters and/or only a certain number of characters.
   • Font Settings [31] – The font can also be modified as needed, this is the same as normal Captions. These settings only take effect when a Barcode is created and the Show Text [33] option is activated.
   • Color Options [32] – For QR codes and Barcodes, a background color and a foreground color can be defined in CMYK or as Spot Color. In addition, the Barcode or QR code can also be set to Overprint.

Figure 13: The various settings available when adding a Barcode Caption in the Impose Editor.

From version 1.8.0, DeviceN spot colors can also be created and managed system-wide. The user can determine whether the DeviceN definition should be created or used globally - i.e. system-wide, Substrate-specific and/or Customer-specific. One DeviceN Spot Color definition with the same Spot Color name can be created in the system for each Color Configuration. No DeviceN Spot Color can be defined several times with the same Color Configuration.

Follow the steps to create a DeviceN Spot Color system-wide:

1. Switch to Color > Manage Spot Colors.
2. Click on the +New button in the footer of the System-wide, Substrate-specific or Customer-specific sub-panels.
3. Define a unique Name [34] for the Spot Color to be created.
4. Select DeviceN for the Color Mode [35].
5. As soon as DeviceN is selected as the Color Mode, a Color Policy [36] must be selected so that the Spot Color definition can be created. The Color Policy contains a Color Configuration that is mandatory for the DeviceN value. The name of the Spot Color must be unique in connection with the Color Configuration so that the Spot Color definition can be created or used.
6. Enter the desired color values [37] for the DeviceN Spot Color.
7. Click on Save to complete the process.
8. When saving the new DeviceN Spot Color definition, a fallback Spot Color definition correlating to this Spot Color is automatically created using Lab values in the Workflow. This definition or value is necessary so that a fallback value for the Spot Color can be used for rendering in problem cases. You can read more about this in the next section.

Figure 14: Creating a system-wide DeviceN spot color definition in the Workflow.

Summary

If for a specific Color Policy using a defined color combination e.g.: CMYKOVG, a DeviceN Spot Color is created, the defined Name, in this case, Pure Orange, will be output as 100% Orange as soon as the Color Configuration CMYK-OVG is used. The Spot Color Name must be contained in the Print Item or Article and the Color Configuration of the Print Item, Article or Production Job must match the Color Configuration of the Spot Color definition.

To ensure that Pure Orange can also be output as 100% Orange for the Color Configuration CMYK-OV, the same Spot Color definition must also be created separately for the selected Color Policy using a CMYK-OV color profile. The same Spot Color definition can be created per Color Configuration. Only the combination of Color Configuration and Spot Color names must be unique.

When a DeviceN Spot Color definition is created, i.e., on the Print Item level or System-wide - a Lab fallback Spot Color value is automatically generated and saved. This Lab fallback value is automatically used if the Color Configuration of the Print Item, Article and/or Production Job does not match the Color Configuration of the defined DeviceN Spot Color.

This approach may result in various scenarios, which we explain in more detail below.

• System-wide a DeviceN Spot Color Pure Orange was created using a CMYK-OVG Color Policy.
• A Lab fallback value based on the CMYK-OVG Color Policy was automatically calculated and created System-wide as an additional Spot Color with the same name.
• The user uploads a Print Item containing the Spot Color Pure Orange into the Workflow and uses a CMYK-OVG Color Policy.

Result: The Spot Color Pure Orange uses the System-wide DeviceN Spot Color definition from the Spot Color Pure Orange.

• The System-wide a DeviceN Spot Color Pure Orange was created using a CMYK-OVG Color Policy.
• A Lab fallback value based on the CMYK-OVG Color Policy was automatically calculated and created System-wide as an additional Spot Color with the same name.
• The user uploads a Print Item containing the Spot Color Pure Orange into the Workflow and uses a Color Policy that is not a CMYK-OVG Color Policy.

Result: The Spot Color Pure Orange uses the automatically generated, System-wide Lab fallback value of the Spot Color definition for Pure Orange. The output is based on the conversion of the Pure Orange Spot Color from Lab values to the target color space. Therefore, percentages from other primary colors in the color mixture for Pure Orange can be used.

• A System-wide a DeviceN Spot Color Pure Orange was created using a CMYK-OVG Color Policy.
• A Lab fallback value based on the CMYK-OVG Color Policy was automatically calculated and created System-wide as an additional Spot Color with the same name.
• The user uploads a Print Item containing the Spot Color Pure Orange into the Workflow and uses a CMYK-OVG Color Policy.

Preliminary result: The Spot Color Pure Orange uses the System-wide DeviceN Spot Color definition of the Spot Color Pure Orange.

• The user uses the uploaded Print Item in a Production Job using a different Color Policy, which is not a CMYK-OVG Color Policy.

Final result: The Spot Color Pure Orange uses the automatically generated, System-wide Lab fallback value of the Spot Color Pure Orange. The output is based on the conversion of the Pure Orange Spot Color from Lab to the target color space. Thus, percentages of other primary colors in the color mixture for Pure Orange can be used.

• A System-wide, a DeviceN Spot Color Pure Orange was created using a CMYK-OVG Color Policy.
• This automatically calculates a Lab fallback value based on the CMYK-OVG Color Policy and created an additional System-wide Spot Color with the same name.
• The user uploads a Print Item containing the Spot Color Pure Orange into the Workflow using a CMYK-OVG Color Policy.

Preliminary result: The Spot Color Pure Orange uses the System-wide DeviceN Spot Color definition of the Spot Color Pure Orange. The output is based on the selected DeviceN color values.

• Coincidentally, the user assigns a different Color Policy or Color Configuration to the Print Item.

Result: The Spot Color Pure Orange uses the automatically generated, System-wide Lab fallback value for the Spot Color definition for Pure Orange. The output is based on the conversion of the Pure Orange Spot Color from Lab to the target color space. Thus, percentages of other primary colors in the color mixture for Pure Orange can be used.

The currently used Spot Color definition is displayed in the Article or Print Item at all times. The Spot Color can be changed or removed if necessary. These changes are only saved for the current Print Item. System-wide definitions are not changed in this way. Follow these steps to view the current Spot Color definitions:

1. Open a Print Item or Article in an Order or Production Job.
2. In the Print Data tab, navigate to the Spot Colors sub-panel.
3. Open the Spot Color Definition dialog by clicking on the corresponding icon in the footer of the Spot Colors sub-panel.
4. This dialog displays the current Spot Color definitions [39] contained in the Article or Print Item.
5. Select the desired Spot Color [38]. If a System-wide DeviceN Spot Color definition is found, it should be selected.

Figure 15 shows a System-wide DeviceN Spot Color definition called Pure Orange, which is based on a CMYK-OVG Spot Color Configuration. However, a CMYK-OV Color Policy was assigned to the Print Item. For this reason, the Lab fallback value [40] is automatically used. The original DeviceN color definition [41], defined in CMYK-OVG, is also displayed in the dialog in the Unused Spot Color Definitions area.

If the Print Item would use a CMYK-OVG Color Policy, the DeviceN Spot Color definition would automatically applied. In this case, the Lab fallback value would then be displayed in the Unused Spot Color Definitions area.

Figure 15: The Spot Color Definition dialog with a Spot Color selected, which is using the Lab fallback color value.

In the system-wide settings of the Workflow, the quantity and content: Process Colors, Spot Colors and Technical Colors, can be defined from this version on. These settings can then be used for new Production Jobs and/or Hotfolder settings. Follow the steps to apply these settings system-wide:

1. Switch to the Administration > Settings menu
2. Activate the Lead In/Out tab
3. Define the desired Lead In/Out settings, which should be used by default:
   • Lead In [42] – Use this input field to specify the amount of Lead In to be printed. If you enter »0«, no Lead In is transmitted to the printer.
   • Lead Out [47] – Use this input field to specify the amount of Lead Out to be printed. If you enter »0«, no Lead Out is transmitted to the printer.
   • All Process Colors from Job [43] – Here you can determine whether all Process Colors (if activated) or no Process colors from the Production Job should be rendered or printed.
   • All Spot Colors from Job [44] – Here you can determine whether all Spot Colors (if activated) or no Spot Colors from the Production Job should be rendered or printed.
   • All Technical Colors from Job [45] – Here you can determine whether all Technical Colors (if activated) or no Technical Colors from the Production Job should be rendered or printed.
   • Spot Colors [46] – Alternatively to [44], you can select only specific Spot Colors you want to be rendered or printed. This list contains all System-wide defined Spot Colors.
   • Technical Colors [48] – As an alternative to [45], you can select only specific Technical Colors you want to be rendered or printed. This list contains all System-wide defined Technical Colors.
4. Save your settings to create or process new Production Jobs with these settings applied.

Figure 16: System-wide settings for Lead In/Out in the Workflow.

After the desired options have been made in the Workflow settings, new Production Jobs will adopt these settings when they are created and use them by default. The options that are currently activated, can be viewed in the Send to Printer dialog of the Production Job. Settings can be overwritten or changed if necessary in this dialog. The following options are available in the Send to Printer dialog:

• Lead In [49] – In this input field, the value set under the Settings [42] (Fig. 16) are used by default. This value can be overwritten or changed directly in the Production Job.
• Lead Out [52] – In this input field, the value set under the Settings [43] (Fig. 16) are used by default. This value can be overwritten or changed directly in the Production Job.
• All Process Colors from Job [50] – By activating this option, all Process Colors from the Job are also rendered and printed. By default, this option is activated if it was also activated in the Settings (Fig. 16).
• Spot Colors [51] – This area lists all Spot Colors that are contained in the Production Job (including the imposition). If the option All Spot Colors from Production Job was activated in the system-wide settings (Fig. 16), then all Spot Colors will be selected in this list as well. But if individual system-wide Spot Colors have been selected in the system-wide settings, only these Spot Colors (if available), will be selected in this list.
• Technical Colors [53] – This area lists all Technical Colors that are contained in the Production Job (including the imposition). If the option All Technical Colors from Job is activated in the system-wide settings (Fig. 16), then all Technical Colors will be selected in this list as well. However, if individual system-wide Technical Colors were selected in the system-wide settings, only these Technical Colors (if available), will be selected in this list.

Figure 17: The Lead In/Out tab of the Send to Printer dialog.

The Working Color Spaces [54] sub-panel contains internationally used standard ICC profiles for CMYK, RGB and Grayscale. In the settings area, the user can define which Working Color Space should be used for Color Management in the Workflow. In addition, the user can also upload personal ICC profiles that can be used for the Working Color Space.

In version 1.8.0, the two previous setting ranges for CMYK and RGB were merged into one sub-panel with the newly added settings for Grayscale. The user can set the desired ICC profile as default for each color space by clicking on the respective tab [55].

Figure 18: The Color Management tab with the Working Color Spaces sub-panel and the Output Color Spaces sub-panel under the menu item Administration > Settings.

Displaying/hiding a gamut Profile or maximum gamut can be accomplished using these new options:

• Display Gamut [58] – Show/hide the 3D or 2D model visualization.
• Display Gamut Projection [59] – Show/hide the maximum gamut projection for the selected color space.

Figure 20: The gamut display of a selected Color Profile.

If spheres are selected to display the gamut body, two further display options are available. These are:

• All Values [60] – Displays all extracted measurement points for the outer wireframe of the 3D display.
• Selected Values [61] – Displays the primary colors or secondary colors for the outer wireframe of the 3D display.
• Plot Color [62] – Displays individual surfaces or spheres in the corresponding True Colors or as single-colored objects. Especially when comparing two profiles, the single-color display can be very helpful.

Figure 21: Additional display options for the Gamut Viewer.

By selecting a second profile in the selection menu Profile [B] a second gamut can be displayed in comparison to the selected profile, in Profile [A]. To compare Color Spaces, proceed as follows:

1. Select the Color > Color Setup menu item.
2. Select the desired Color Setup in the Color Setup list and double-click on the entry. The Overview tab of the selected Color Setup is displayed.
3. Select Gamut Viewer [63] in the action bar.

Figure 22: The Overview tab visible when a Color Setup is opened.

4. The Gamut Viewer will open, in which the basic profile of the Color Setup is already selected under Profile [A] [64]. The Gamut Volume [65] for the profile is displayed in the Overview area.
5. Select the desired options for the Profile display in the settings area for Profile [A] [66] (blue area).

Figure 23: The Gamut Viewer with display options for Profile [A].

6. Then select the desired entry in the drop-down menu for Profile [B] [67]. Profiles from the following sub-panel areas are available in this menu:
   • Profiles from the Working Color Space CMYK under Administration > Settings > Color Management tab.
   • Profiles from the Working Color Space RGB under Administration > Settings > Color Management tab.
   • Profiles from the Output Color Spaces sub-panel under  Administration > Settings > Color Management tab.
   • A general Lab color profile
   • Individual Profiles from the selected Color Setup.
7. Selecting the second profile displays the Gamut Volume [68] for Profile [B] and adds an additional setting area Profile [B] [69]. To see the difference between both Profiles it is recommended to display one of the profiles as a wireframe and/or in one color [70].

Figure 24: The Gamut Viewer with a gamut comparison between Profile [A] and Profile [B].

The PDF printer is handled similarly to any other printer in the Workflow. There are some differences in the creation process, however. These are explained in this section. Proceed as follows:

1. Switch to Administration > Printer Setup
2. Click on the +New button in the action bar to create a printer.
3. Select the printer Type Adobe - PDF [71] in the dialog.
4. Enter an appropriate name for the PDF printer. Suitable names are the names of the following RIPs (Onyx 01 or Caldera 01) or the server (Halva, Smolle, etc.).
5. All other fields are optional. The Best Height is used as the maximum default height for roll Substrates in the Impose Editor.

Figure 25: The Add Printer dialog with entered fields when creating a PDF printer.

6. Click on the Edit icon [72] to set the destination directories for the printer.
7. Then select your desired Host [73] or the desired IP address where the PDF files are to be transferred in the Assign Destinations to a Printer dialog.
8. Then determine which Directory (Shares) of the selected Host can be used. Click the right facing arrow [74] for each Share, assigning this Share to the printer as the destination directory.
9. You determine which target directory is to be used by default by selecting the corresponding target directory in the Assigned Destinations panel and pressing the Set as Default [75] button.
10. Click on Save in the Assign Destinations to a Printer dialog.

Figure 26: The Assign Destinations to a Printer dialog.

11. As soon as the dialog for creating the printer is confirmed, the Workflow starts to create the printer in the system. This process can take a few seconds, because some processes are executed in the background.

Figure 27: The Add Printer dialog during the creation of a PDF printer.

The following elements are created in the background in different areas of the Workflow:

Configuration of the printer

• The Ink Family Adobe - PDF with their associated Inks [77] for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, White and Varnish is created in the Workflow. The standard cost per ink is entered with a »0«. If an ink cost calculation is relevant, the ink costs - e.g. for the printer operated by the external RIP, must be entered correctly.
• In the printer settings, the Color Configuration [76] is automatically created using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, White and Varnish. The previously created inks are also correctly assigned to the individual Channel Configurations.
• A Channel Configuration [78] defined in CMYK is automatically created in the printer. This results from the created Color Configuration.
• A Print Configuration [82] defined as 1200 x 1200 with the same resolution. This print configuration only needs to contain the correct desired resolution. All other fields can be left empty or unchanged.
• For each Color Configuration (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, White and Varnish) the default drop size of 10 pl is entered. If an ink cost calculation for Print Items needs to be calculated, the drop size should be adjusted correctly, based on the output device, in the Print Configuration.

Substrate Configuration

• After the printer has been created, a Substrate Category [80] called PDF, a corresponding Substrate [79] called Default Substrate (<name of the PDF printer>) - called Adobe and a corresponding Substrate Definition [82] titled 1400 x 1000 are created automatically. The Substrate is used for a Color Policy and the Substrate Definition is required for the standard imposition size. Additional Substrate Definitions can be added at any time. For each additional PDF printer, a new Substrate with a Substrate Definition is created in the printer.
• A Color Policy [83] <name of the standard working color space> - (<name of the PDF printer>) is created in the Workflow. The Color Policy is automatically based on the generated Print Configuration, Substrate, and the Working Color Space set as default. If a new Print Configuration is created in the Workflow for the PDF printer, a new Color Policy is also created in the Workflow based on the new Print Configuration. These Color Policies can then be used for production.

Figure 28: The Printer Setup dialog and the Substrate Management dialog with the new PDF printer added.

After the PDF printer has been created, the automatically generated Color Policies and the printer can be used. You can read more about this in the following sections below.

A PDF Printer can be used with the Color Policies attached to it, the Substrate for each Article, each Print Item, and each Production Job. The only necessary step is to ensure that the correct Output Configuration: Printer, Print Configuration, Substrate, Substrate Definition, Color Policy and target directory, is used. Problem free Installation can also be performed if an Output Configuration has been selected.

For the user, there are only minor differences when working with a classic printer or a PDF printer. Only limited functions in the Workflow are not supported. The following functions are not supported in the Send to Printer dialog:

• Lead In/Out – The Lead In/Out function is not supported in combination with a PDF printer, because this function is only executed when rendering a job. The PDF printer, however, only copies the output PDF to a specific destination directory. The document is then rendered by another RIP.
• Save Ink – The Save Ink feature is applied using the Workflow's Color Management. This function cannot be used in combination with the PDF printer either, because the Color Management of the print data is done in the subsequent RIP. If a Save Ink option is available, it must be activated there.
• DeviceN Color Correction – The DeviceN Color Correction function is applied using the Color Management of the Workflow. This function cannot be used in combination with the PDF printer either, since print data color correction is performed in the subsequent RIP.
• Color Correction – The Color Correction function is applied using the color management of the Workflow. This function cannot be used in combination with the PDF printer either, since the color matching of the print data is done in the subsequent RIP.
• Color Space Conversion – The Color Space Conversion function, e.g.: CMYK Working Color Space or RGB to Substrate, is applied using the color management of the Workflow. This function cannot be used in combination with the PDF printer either, because the color matching of the print data takes place in the subsequent RIP.
• Rendering Intent – The Rendering Intent function is used in the color management of the Workflow. This function cannot be used in combination with the PDF printer either, since the color matching of the print data is done in the subsequent RIP.
• Honor Source Profiles – The function to use selected Source Profiles during rendering is applied in the color management of the Workflow. This function cannot be used in combination with the PDF printer either, since the color matching of the print data is done in the subsequent RIP.
• Enable/Disable Color Management – The function to disable color management is applied in the color management of the Workflow. This function cannot be used in combination with the PDF printer either.
• Render Options – The functions Smooth, Overprint and IHVD are applied in the render process of the Workflow. Again, this feature cannot be used with the PDF printer because rendering is not applied to the PDF.
• RIP Performance – Since the RIP process is not performed by the Workflow, this feature cannot be used in combination with the PDF printer either.
• Create raster data locally – Since the RIP process is not performed by the Workflow, this feature cannot be used with the PDF printer.

If a PDF printer needs to be used for an ink cost calculation, the resolutions and drop sizes in the Print Configuration and the price for each ink must be adjusted. Proceed as follows:

Step 1: Change the resolution in the Print Configuration

1. Switch to the Administration > Printer Setup menu.
2. Select the PDF Printer in the list and open it.
3. Create a new configuration in the Print Configuration sub-panel by clicking on New [84] in the footer of the panel.
4. In the Add Print Configuration dialog, select the default Print Configuration [85].
5. Then change the X and Y resolution [87] and adapt the name in the Print Mode input field [86].
6. Save your settings.

When the settings are saved, a new Print Configuration and a matching Color Policy are created. This Color Policy can now also be used for ink cost calculation.

Figure 29: The Print Configuration sub-panel and the Add Print Configuration dialog.

Step 2: Change drop size in the Print Configuration

1. Switch to Administration > Printer Setup.
2. Select the PDF printer in the list and open it.
3. Select an existing Print Configuration in the Print Configuration sub-panel.
4. Click on Edit Mapping [85], which opens the Print Configuration dialog for entering the Drop Index and Size.
5. Use this dialog to specify the desired drop size per color [89].
6. Save your settings, and the entered drop sizes will be used when calculating the ink consumption.

Figure 30: The Print Configuration dialog for entering the Drop Index and Drop Size.

Step 3: Change ink prices for individual inks

1. Switch to Administration > All Inks.
2. Select the PDF Ink Family [90].
3. Select the Ink [91] to be edited.
4. Select Default Cost and click on Edit [93] to enter the desired cost. Click +New [92] to create a custom ink cost.
5. Save your settings.

Figure 31: The Mapping tab All Inks menu item.

In version 1.8.0 some new Fixups, which were requested by many customers in the Label and Large Format environment, were implemented.

Adds a white outline, defined as: CMYK 0/0/0/0, for selected color areas to reduce color bleeding in transitions with water-based inks. The following parameters are available:

• Select Color – You can select either CMYK or a Spot Color. If CMYK is selected, the CMYK value can be specified in the input fields below.  If Spot Color is selected, you can select the desired Spot Color in the Select Spot Color drop-down menu.
• Apply to – Select whether Vector Only, Text Only or Text and Vectors should be targeted. This allows you to apply white only the desired areas.

The location and the weight of the white outline can be determined with the following parameters:

• Line Width – Enter the Line Width in points (pt).
• Contour Alignment – Specify whether the contour should be created in the center, outside or inside the object.
• Tint Value – Determine the opacity of the Tint using a percentage.
• Reduce to outer border – By selecting this option, the contour will be created only on the outer edge of the shape. If this option is deactivated, the Dieline (letter interior) of an "O", for example, will also have a white outline.

Figure 35: The Add white outline for colored areas Fixup dialog.

Creates a multi-page PDF comprised of individual Print Items found on the page. This Fixup will only work correctly when the individual Print Items on the page are defined as a Dieline using a Spot Color.

Use this Fixup if, for example, you want to process individual Print Items that have been combined on a single page individually. The following parameters are available:

• Spot Color – Select the Spot Color that will be used as the cutting boundary for individual Print Items.
• Additional Area Left/Right/Up/Down – Use this to determine how much additional space should be added outside of the item. It is recommended that you enter these values especially if the designs are defined by rectangular cut contours. The value "0" would trim the individual designs exactly at the edge of the cut contour.
• Clip Print Item – If this checkbox is activated, the Additional area values are ignored and the Print Items are trimmed exactly on the cut contour. Select this option if the Print Items are surrounded by irregular, free-form Dielines.
• Additional Bleed for clipped items – Enter a value for the bleed, should only be used in conjunction with Clip Print Item.

Figure 36: The Extract Print Item from Page Fixup.

Adds Pole Pockets on the upper and/or lower edge of the Print Item on the front. The Print Item on the back is a mirrored version of the front. You can decide how much of the area on the backside should overlap on the front side.

The following parameters are available for creating Pole Pockets:

• Hem Top – Use this parameter to define the size of the Pole Pocket (hem) on the top edge of the Print Item. Entering a value of "0" will not add a hem on the top.
• Hem Bottom – Use this parameter to define the size of the Pole Pocket (hem) on the bottom of the Print Item. Entering the a value of  "0" will not add a hem on the bottom.
• Additional Overlap Top – Use this setting to define the dimensions of the overlap, this is the area where the Print Item on the back is mirrored on the front on the top edge. Entering the value "0" will not add an overlap to the top.
• Additional Overlap Bottom – Use this setting to define the dimensions of the overlap, this is the area where the Print Item on the back side is mirrored on the front on the bottom edge. Entering the value "0" will not add an overlap on the bottom.

Figure 37: The Add Pole Pockets Fixup.

This Fixup adds an additional Dieline at a specified distance from the existing Dieline. In addition, this Fixup can be used to rename the existing Dieline so that the usual company name for Dielines is used. The following options are available:

• Dieline – Select the existing Spot Color defined for the original Dieline.
• Rename Dieline – Select this checkbox if you want to rename the existing Dieline name.
• New Spot Color Name – Select the Technical Color to replace the existing Spot Color name. This drop-down menu is only active when the Rename Dieline option is checked.
• Add Dieline – Check this box if you want to add an additional Dieline. You can specify the following additional parameters:
  • Spot Color Name – Select the desired Spot Color name.
  • Offset – Specify the offset with which the new Dieline should be created relative to the existing Dieline.
  • Layer Name – Specify the name of the layer on which to create the new Dieline.
  • Processing Step Group/Type – Select the processing step to which the new Dieline will be added.

Figure 38: The Add a second Dieline Fixup.

For some existing Fixups, functions were added or the user interface was improved.

With the help of this Fixup, selected Spot Colors for objects defined in a Spot Color can be deleted. From this version on, previously selected Spot Colors are deactivated in the drop-down menu. Spot Colors can therefore no longer be selected multiple times.

Figure 39: The Fixup Remove Spot Color.

This Fixup changes the dimensions of the TrimBox (+ = enlarged; - = reduced). Select the unit of measurement to be used and enter the value at the top. If you want to enter different values for Top, Bottom, Left and Right, you must unlock the lock.

Starting with this version, the TrimBox can finally be made larger than the BleedBox and CropBox. In doing so, the BleedBox and CropBox are also enlarged.

Figure 40: The Resize TrimBox Fixup.

This Fixup splits a long Print Item into a multi-page document. The length of each page can be determined by entering the length or by entering the number of pages, each of which are of equal length.

From this version on, it is possible to choose whether the division should be made according to page height (this was the previous implementation) or according to the number of pages. If you select division by number of pages, you can specify the number of pages, and the desired page length is calculated and displayed automatically. Additionally, the desired unit of measurement can be defined.

Figure 41: The Split a long Print Item into several pages Fixup.

When this Fixup is executed, the existing Spot Color is removed and replaced by a traced color shape in the desired tonal value.

From this version on, it is no longer necessary to enter the name of the Spot Color. The name of the Spot Color can now be selected in the Select Source Spot Color drop-down menu.

Figure 42: The Change Tint Value for Spot Color Fixup.

Several different Fixups are available in the Workflow, which can be used to add Dielines. All of these Fixups have been designed to enable the creation of an additional Dieline and to determine which processing step the additional Dieline should be assigned to according to ISO 19593-1.

Figure 43: The Add a Dieline to Irregular Shapes Fixup.

• GET /api/v1/articles/{id}/preflightResult – The preflight results of an uploaded article can be retrieved starting with this version. With the URL parameter severity= the weighting can be defined. The possibilities are: INFO, WARNING and ERROR. These correspond to the output of the preflight results in the frontend. If the parameter is not specified, all results are output.
• GET /api/v1/articles/{id}/files/{fileTypeKey}/{downloadFormat} – The above preflight results or the log of an article can be downloaded as a PDF preflight report using this function (preflightPdfReport).

• GET /api/v1/printOrders/{id}/printOrderItems/{printOrderItemId}/motifs/{motifId}/preflightResult – The preflight results of an uploaded design in an order can be retrieved starting with this version. With the URL parameter severity= the weighting can be defined. The possibilities are: INFO, WARNING and ERROR. These correspond to the output of the preflight results in the frontend. If the parameter is not specified, all results are output.

• GET /api/v1/productionJobs/{id}/motifs/{motifId}/preflightResult – The preflight results of an uploaded motif in a production job can be uploaded from this version on. With the URL parameter severity= the weighting can be defined. The possibilities are: INFO, WARNING and ERROR. These correspond to the output of the preflight results in the frontend. If the parameter is not specified, all results are output.

• GET /api/v1/motifs/{id}/files/{fileTypeKey}/{downloadFormat} – The preflight report or log of a design can be downloaded using this function (preflightPdfReport)

• GET /api/v1/fixups – The descriptions of the data corrections are shown in the output.
• GET /api/v1/fixups/{id} – The description of data corrections is shown in the output.

Before the ProDigi can be used in the Workflow for Production Jobs, the cutting device must be created in the Workflow. To do this, please follow these four steps:

The target directory of the ProDigi must first be made available for the Workflow. A Host and a Share must be created under Administration > File Management. Details on this topic can be found in this chapter: Manage Shares and Folders.

1. Switch to Administration > Cutter Devices.
2. Open the Add Cutter dialog by clicking on + New.

Figure 42: The Add Cutter dialog with filled in values for creating the ProDigi.

3. Select the following parameters in the opened dialog:
   • Device Type – Select ProDigi.
   • Name – Enter a unique name for the cutting device. If you have two devices of the same type, you should also create the device twice with different names to find unique names and target directories in the Workflow.
   • Serial Number – Optionally enter the serial number of the device, which makes sense in case two cutters from the same manufacturer are used.
   • Host – Select the Host as defined in step 1.
   • Destination – Select the target directory as defined in step 1.
4. Finalize the process by clicking on Save.

After creating the cutting device, the standard configuration ProDigi | DIN | Sphere-Marks is made available under Parameter Sets [100]. This configuration can be used by default.

For this configuration, the following settings are available in the Parameters [101] panel:

• Cutter File Type – Determines the Cutter file type. For this cutting device only DXF is offered at the moment.
• Barcode content File Name – Determines where (by default at the beginning of the file name) the name of the cut file is written in the barcode, if available.
• Mirror Horizontally – Can be activated if the cutting paths are to be mirrored horizontally.
• Mirror Vertically – Can be activated if the cutting paths should be mirrored vertically.
• Rotate Clockwise – Optionally the cutting file can be rotated by 90° (default - 0°)

Further settings for the Parameters can be entered and saved in the Impose Editor. If necessary, user-defined configurations can also be created and used. For more information on this topic, refer to the sections Using Cutting Devices in Production Jobs and Editing and Saving Cutting Device Configurations.

Figure 43: The various panels found under Administration > Cutter Devices with a valid Lasercomb ProDigi configuration.

Before the Lasercomb ProDigi can be used for cutting, System-wide Technical Colors of the Workflow have to be assigned to the cutting tools. Proceed as follows:

1. Select the previously created ProDigi in the Device panel list.
2. In the PenTypes [102] panel, which is located below the Devices panel, all available Pen Types from the Cutting Devices can be found.

Figure 46: The PenTypes panel with the available Pen Types specifically for the Lasercomb ProDigi.

3. Select a Pen Type [103] to be used from the list.
4. Then click on Edit [104] in the footer of the panel, which opens the Edit Cutter Pen Type dialog.

Figure 45: The Edit Cutter Pen Type dialog where System-wide Technical Colors can be bound to a Pen Type.

5. In the dialog, select a Technical Colors from the drop-down menu Available Technical Colors [107] that are to be bound to the selected Pen Type [105]. If several Technical Colors are to be bound to one Pen Type, repeat the step you just performed. Technical Colors that have already been bound to a Pen Type are grayed out in the list. The previously bound Pen Types are listed under the Mapped Colors [106] area.
6. If you have bound all used Technical Colors to a Pen Type, click on Save.

To learn more about how Cutting Devices are used in the Workflow please refere to version 1.7.6 of the release notes.

If the settings of the standard configuration do not suit you, you can create and save user-defined configurations in the Impose Editor. Find out more about this topic by reading the section Changing and Saving Configurations for Cutting Devices.

Figure 48: The Registration Marks panel in the Impose Editor for the ProDigi cutting device.

Section 2.5.1 New methods for placing Marks explains the available settings and options for Registration Marks when using Cutting Devices in the Impose Editor.

With the introduction of PDF outputs, the possibility to change the resolution for a print configuration was made available.