The following new features are available in version 1.8.1.0 of the Plug-in:

Plug-In version 1.8.1.0: If you are working with version 1.8.1 of the Workflow, version 1.8.1 of the Plug-in must be installed to ensure consistent operation. Between Workflow versions 1.8.0 & 1.8.1 no new features were implemented in the Plug-in. Two bugs have been fixed, and the version number was changed to match the Workflow version.

The following new features are available in version 1.8.1 of the Workflow:

File Manager: In version 1.8.1 two new extensions are available in the File Manager of the Impose Editor:

• Define the number of copies – When adding Articles or Print Items, a dialog for specifying the number of copies opens starting from this version on. If the ALT key is pressed, this dialog will be skipped. The current number of copies defined for that Print Item is then used.
• Synchronized Display – The display of Orders, Order Items and their respective Print Items has been synchronized in this version of the File Manager and in the Order list. The Order and Print Item sequence is now determined by the how the Job list is ordered.

Impose Editor: The following new features and changes have been developed and added to the Impose Editor in this version:

• Displaying »Unplaced Print Items« – Both unplaced and under produced Print Items are displayed below the artboard from this version on. The number of underproduced or unplaced Print Items is also displayed. This makes it easier to see which, if any Print Items or Articles could not be placed.
• Warnings and Errors in the Save Imposition dialog – When saving the imposition, all warnings and errors contained in the imposition are listed again. This warning message must be confirmed by the user in order to save the imposition successfully. This function helps detect errors within the imposition more quickly.
• Saving Impositions – When saving an imposition after initially saving it the first time, the Save Imposition dialog is not displayed again. The Production Job will be automatically overwritten. Alternatively, the Save As dialog can be opened to create a new Production Job.

Nesting: With version 1.8.1 we've extended »Nesting« mode. Existing algorithms were improved and new functions have been implemented.

• Double-sided Output – A new Double-sided Output mode is available in addition to the Single Page Output and Multipage Output options available under the Settings > Impose Output drop-down. With this selection, a Nesting can be created on both sides according to the selected settings and output for double-sided printing.
• Extended »Rotation« Settings – In Nesting mode, Print Items can now also be rotated by 180° and 270°. These settings have been added as an extension to the existing Rotation settings 0° and 90°.
• Multipage Output – Except for the Keep Exact Ratio of Copies option, all other options in the Strategy drop-down menu have been disabled, as they do not make sense for this mode.
• Sorting Methods – Previously, Nesting impositions were sorted either by the order of the Print Items or Articles in the Production Job or by their order in the Print Items tab. Starting with this version, the user can define how the Print Items are sorted. More than 15 sorting criteria (Print Item Name, Order Name, User-defined Fields, etc.) can be used and combined. User-defined sorting can also be used to your advantage in Step & Repeat mode to sort various Print Items per column.
• Extended Optimization Settings – On the one hand, all available Nesting settings can now be used during optimization and on the other hand, from this version on, Multipage Outputs can now also be optimized.

Captions: In version 1.8.1 a new placeholder for Captions is available and from this version on Captions can be configured with respect to the displayed values.

• Truncating Captions - With 1.8.1, there are two ways to truncate the content of a placeholder used in a Caption or to use only parts of the Caption content. To use these options, the placeholder must first be inserted and then extended with the appropriate syntax.
• Extended Functionality – Also in this version an additional placeholder which displays the color configuration, was added, which can be selected in the Impose Editor and applied to Print Items. Furthermore, with version 1.8.1 Barcodes and QR codes with transparent background can be generated and rendered.

Simulation Profiles: Starting with version 1.8.1, Production Jobs can simulate reference printing systems when being sent to the printer. Which printing system to be referenced and simulated can be specified by selecting an Output Color Space or a Working Color Space Profile or by selecting a Color Policy from an existing profile. For instance, the color output from a previously used RIP can be reproduced or you can use it to simulate several different printing systems regarding color output.

Split Multipage PDFs: In the course of the development of version 1.8.1 the ability to split multipage documents when uploading files into the Workflow was implemented. In the Workflow settings the user can activate this option globally if needed. If this option is activated, multipage documents are split into individual Print Items/Articles automatically during upload. The global system-wide setting can be overwritten or changed again during specific uploads (Force Print, uploading an Article, etc.). Note: This option is currently not available for Hotfolders.

Hotfolder automation using ZIP files: From this version on, ZIP files can be processed in a Workflow Hotfolder. All files (granted they are the file types supported by the Workflow) in the ZIP are combined into one Production Job. This Production Job can then be imposed and sent to the printer automatically via the Multipage Output option. One Production Job containing the respective Print Items with the same name is created and processed per ZIP.

Cutting Devices: In this version, additional functions for cutting devices have been implemented. We've extended the Rotation parameters of the cut files and now offer support for additional cutting devices as well.

• Rotate Cut File Data – Starting with this version, cutting data can also be transferred to the device using either 180° and 270° rotation. These settings can be configured under the menu item Cutter Devices.
• Support for ABG Digicon Digilase 4.0 – Cutting devices that belong to the Digicon Digilase 4.0 series from ABG can now be controlled with this version. The cutting device selected determines the default settings for Marks & QR Codes and the corresponding SVG cutting file including the XML job ticket, which are transferred to the Digilase software.

Support for X-Rite Measurement Devices: With version 1.8.1 the following new Measurement Devices are supported in the following combinations:

• X-Rite i1Pro3
• X-Rite i1Pro3 Plus
• X-Rite i1iO3 with i1Pro3
• X-Rite i1iO3 with i1Pro3 Plus

Profiling Templates: With this release a new rendering method for Profile Templates has been added. Starting with release 1.8.1 the option Minimum White Compression can be used and applied for Color Setups.

Rest API: Two new controllers: Production Job Controller and Output Template Controller, have been developed to completely define a Production Job with simpler calls. The Article Controller as well as the Substrate Controller were revised and extended.

The following improvements to existing functions have been made in version 1.8.1 of the Workflow:

Force Print: Production Jobs that have been created via Force Print use the name of the Print Item by default from this version on, if separate Production Jobs are created per Print Item.

Automatic Status Updates: The status of a Print Item/Article updates automatically now with version 1.8.1, after an Approval Report has been created to »Waiting for Approval«.

Saved Imposition Statistics: In the Production Job > Impose tab, the statistical data from the created imposition now shows even more detail. Optimized and non-optimized versions can be compared.

Fixups: In this version, numerous general functions for Fixups have been implemented and/or improved. Existing Fixups have been improved in handling and the range of functions extended. We've also added some additional Fixups.

• General – With version 1.8.1, the system-wide defined unit of measurement (in this case length) is now automatically used in all Fixup dialogs. The user no longer has to select the unit of measurement. In addition, Custom Fixups, which have been uploaded by the user, can now be used in Fixup Chains.
• New Fixups – The following new Fixups have been added:
  • Add Pole Pockets – Adds a Pole Pocket (hemstitch) to the top or bottom edge of the Print Item (front side). The Print Item on the back side is a mirrored version of the Print Item on the front side. The user can define an overlap up to the maximum dimensions of the hem.
  • Create Colored Bleed – Creates a colored Bleed which can be used to extend an existing background area.
• Improvements to existing Fixups: The following Fixups have been improved in this release:
  • Fill a Shape with »White« or »Varnish« – This Fixup can now be added and applied in a Fixup Chain.
  • Extract Print Items from Page – The dialog for this Fixup has been updated.

Calibration Charts: In this version, additional Calibration Charts are available in the Workflow for profiling. All necessary charts for the new X-Rite Measurement Devices have been added and some additional charts have had their design adapted. Furthermore, a Transition Profiling Chart for the CMYK-k Color Configuration has also been added.

Minor Improvements: Additional minor improvements have been implemented.

Adobe Illustrator Plug-In: A list of fixed bugs and/or minor improvements in the Adobe Illustrator Plug-In.

Workflow: A list of fixed bugs and/or minor improvements in the main application.

Impose Editor: A list of fixed bugs and/or minor improvements in the Impose Editor.

If you are working with version 1.8.1 of the Workflow, version 1.8.1.0 of the Plug-In must be installed to ensure consistent operation. If you are using an older version of the Plug-In, you will be notified in the Plug-In when you log in.

The following versions of Adobe Illustrator are supported:

In this version, a new function has been implemented in the File Manager to define the number of Print Items or Articles placed when creating the imposition. In addition, the Order view in the File Manager has been revised. You can read more about this in the next two sections.

In version 1.8.1, additional general functions have been implemented in the Impose Editor. From this version on, unplaced or underproduced Print items are highlighted more clearly in order to avoid production errors. In addition, the Save Imposition dialog has also been revised.

In version 1.8.1, we've added a new impose mode for Nesting, which supports a Double-sided Outputs. Additional changes concerning Nesting settings, Multipage Nesting and Nesting Optimization have had their respective functions extended and updated. In addition, there is a new function to sort Print Items when Nesting, using user-defined ordering as well.

With version 1.8.1 a new placeholder for Captions is available and the content of a Caption can be modified in more detail.

Another new feature allows user to simulate a referenced printing system on their current printer setup. The reference printing system that should be simulated can be specified by selecting an Output Color Space or a Working Color Space Profile or by selecting an existing Color Policy from an existing profile. On one hand, this can be used to reproduce the color output of a previously used RIP or, it can be used to unify several different printing systems in terms of color output.

Follow the steps to create or apply a Simulation Profile:

1. Open an existing Production Job.
2. Switch to the Output Settings tab. Make sure that your desired Output Configuration with the appropriate Color Policy is selected.
3. Open the Simulation drop-down [34]. When this drop-down is opened for the first time, you will only see the Create Simulation Profile option [35]. If Simulation Profiles have previously been created for that particular Color Policy, they will also be listed here [36]. Any Simulation Profiles that are listed can be used immediately for a Production Job without having to create them again.

Figure 17: The Output Settings dialog with the Simulation drop-down active.

4. If you want to create a new Simulation Profile, select the Create Simulation Profile option [35]. This will open the Create Simulation Profile dialog.

Figure 18: The Create Simulation Profile dialog with the Workflow Color Policies option selected.

5. Select either Working and Output Space ICC Profiles [38] or one of the Workflow Color Policies [39] in the dialog. The following options are available:
   • Name [37] – Define a Name for the Simulation Profile. This name should be used appropriately for the type of Simulation, e.g., Avery Top White Simulation RSC 1. A which will greatly facilitate the reusability of Simulations.
   • Comment – Describe the Simulation in this input field. The comment will appear in the list of available Simulations in the drop-down menu.
   • Working Space and Output Space ICC Profiles [38] – Select this option if you want to simulate a Working Space or Output Space available in the system. You can use this option to simulate Output Color Spaces from other RIP manufacturers. To do this, upload an ICC Substrate Profile from the previously used RIP manufacturer to the Output Color Spaces section of the Administration > Settings > Color Management menu item. Alternatively, you can upload a multi-channel ICC profile (e.g. CMYK-OV), but this must have been generated by the Durst Workflow to work correctly.
   • For further information on how to upload profiles from other RIP manufacturers, please refer to the 1.8.0 Release Notes in section 2.7. Settings - Color Management.
   • Workflow Color Policies [39] – Select an existing Color Policy from the current system as an alternative to Working and Output Color Spaces. You can select any Color Policy that is available and simulate other printing systems which are controlled by the current system.
6. Save the Simulation by clicking on Save. Creating a Simulation Profile [40] may take a minute or two, as a new Color Policy is calculated in the background.
7. Then select the new Simulation Profile in the Simulation drop-down [34] (Figure 16) and send the Production Job to the printer.

Figure 19: The Create Simulation Profile dialog when in the process of calculating the Simulation Profile.

We've also added the ability to split multipage pdfs during upload into the Workflow. For this purpose, there is an option available under Administration > Settings > Preflight & Fixup to activate this option globally. If this option is activated, multipage pdfs are split when uploaded by default. In addition, the saved version can be overwritten or modified again during specific uploads (Force Print, create Article, etc.).

As of this version, ZIP files can be processed using Hotfolders. All files (all compatible Hotfolder file types), in the ZIP are merged in a single Production Job. This Production Job can be processed automatically by means of Multipage or Double-sided Output to the printer. For each ZIP file, a Production Job with the same name is created and processed including the respective Print Items.

The following areas are available in the user interface of a ZIP Hotfolder:

• Header - left side: Below the Name [51] of the Hotfolder is the status overview [52] for the Hotfolder. The status overview shows how many Print Items are currently being processed, i.e., Processing, how many have been successfully processed, i.e., Success, or aborted, i.e., Errors. In addition, it also shows how many Warnings, i.e., could not be processed completely.
• Header - right side: In some cases, it may be that not all documents can be processed completely and/or correctly (e.g.: The Print Item is too large for the imposition; the Print Item cannot be uploaded for technical reasons, etc.). If such a scenario occurs, the Production Job is "paused" because of files that cannot be processed. After this file cannot be processed any further, the user is able to complete the process manually using the Create imposition [57] button. Afterwards, the user must manually check the file that could not be processed and make corrections if necessary and then process it again. After this production Job is created, it may still be partially incomplete, the Production Job can then be processed manually in the Workflow.
• Check-in [54]: In this information panel, all ZIP files, which also share the same name of the Production Jobs, are initially displayed. As soon as the ZIP files have been unzipped, the documents they contain are listed and uploaded to the Workflow. If a file is aborted with an error during the upload, it will appear in the Error list [58].
• Queue [53]: This information panel lists all ZIP files and their respective Print Items that have already been completely uploaded into the Workflow and are ready to be imposed. Only when all Print Items have been successfully imposed and the Job is sent to the printer, does the Production Job end up in the list of Done jobs [55]. If a Print Item cannot be imposed for certain reasons (too large for the impose area, for example), the Job will remains in this list. Clicking on the Create Imposition button [57] will continue with the processing.
• Done [55]: The Done list shows all Print Items that are associated with successfully completed Production Jobs. By double-clicking on an entry in the list, you can jump to the corresponding Production Job.
• Warnings [56]: The Warning list shows all files that were successfully created, uploaded or generated, but could not be processed completely. Examples could be the following:
  • One or more files could not be imposed. An error occurs in the imposition process.
  • A cutter is used, but there are no Technical Colors in the Production Job.
• Errors [58]: The Errors list shows all Print Items that could not be processed or uploaded into the Workflow in general. If necessary, the files can still be saved locally from the Workflow by clicking on the download icon.

In version 1.8.1 further features in the area of cutting devices have been implemented. From this version on, cutting data can also be rotated by 90° and 180° degrees. Furthermore, we've now added support for cutting devices from ABG, specifically the Digicon Digilase 4.0 series.

Take a look at section 2.5.1 New placement method for Marks, where settings and options for Registration Marks for Cutters in the Impose Editor are explained in more detail.

In the course of version 1.8.1, additional measurement devices from the manufacturer X-Rite were added to the Workflow. We've also added Calibration Charts for these new measurement devices and have been made available in the Workflow. The following measurement devices can be controlled starting with this version of the Workflow:

• X-Rite i1Pro3
• X-Rite i1Pro3 Plus
• X-Rite i1iO3 with i1Pro3
• X-Rite i1iO3 with i1Pro3 Plus

A new Minimum White Compression rendering technique is available for Profile Templates. Minimum White Compression can be considered more of an absolute colorimetric rendering intent without compressing the black point. Since Minimum White Compression compresses only the white point and not the black point, a very high match between the source and target color space can be achieved. This is advantageous for achieving the same color representation across media or for printing on slightly different substrates.

To create a Profile Template with Minimum White Compression, proceed as follows:

1. Switch to Color > Profiling Template.
2. Create a new Profile Template, under the General > Type select Device Link from the drop-down.
3. Then switch to the Rendering Method [66] tab.
4. Click on Rendering Method 1 or 2 [67] drop-down menu and select the Minimum White Compression.
5. Save your settings and select this Profile Template when creating or calculating a new Color Policy under Color > Color Setup in the profiling step Profiling > Create Substrate Profile.

Figure 32: The Profile Template dialog with the new Rendering Method Minimum White Compression.

In this version, areas of the Rest API have been updated and extended. All new features and changes are listed below.

If new a Production Job is created using Automation > Force Print, the file name [69] are now consistently used for the Job Name [70], concerning Production Jobs if a separate Production Job [68] is created per Print Item. If a single Production Job for all files is created, a user-defined name can be defined for the Production Job.

Figure 35: Uploading multiple files and creating multiple Production Jobs via Force Print.

As of version 1.8.1, the status Waiting for Approval is automatically set by the system when:

• An Approval Report is created for an Article.
• An Approval Report is created for a Print Item.
• An Approval Report is created and the Print Item has any of the status available previous to Waiting for Approval.

Alternatively, the status can still be set manually. With this system, it is possible to quickly recognize which Articles or Print Items are waiting to be approved by the customer.

The Impose tab of a Production Job provides you with some key data and a summary of the imposition that was created. Starting from this version, information from the standard imposition and the optimized version of the imposition are compared side by side. For optimized impositions you can check which parameters differ and where an optimization could be carried out. To view this comparison, proceed as follows:

1. Open the Impose Editor and switch to Nesting Mode. Nesting optimizations are especially useful when using the Impose Output Multipage Output for Production Jobs.
2. Add your desired Print Items.
3. After placing your desired Print Items, start the optimization by clicking the ▶ Start Impose Optimization icon.
4. After the optimization is complete, select the optimization that suits you and save the imposition.
5. Then switch to the Impose tab of the Production Job.
6. Compare the values in the Standard [72] & Optimized [71] columns.

Figure 36: A side by side comparison of the results from a standard imposition and an optimized imposition under the Impose tab of a Production Job.

In the course of development, new Fixups have been added, and existing Fixups were extended in functionality or improved in terms of usability

In this version, more Calibration Charts have been added to the Workflow. The following is a list of new charts:

• TRANS-Chart_CMYK_297_i1Pro3Plus
• TRANS-Chart_CMYK-lK_210_i1pro_2-6mm
• LIN-Chart_CMYK_297_i1Pro3Plus_G7
• LIMIT-Chart_CMYK_297_i1Pro3Plus
• PROF-Chart_CMYK_297_i1Pro3Plus
• REPROF-Chart_CMYK_297_i1Pro3Plus

The following minor improvements have also been implemented in this version.

Checking out a Print Item: An error occurred if the user double clicked on a Print Item in the list before checking it out. This bug has been fixed. (PXT-966)

Rest API - Create Substrate Request: When creating a new Substrate via the Rest API, the ID of a Color Policy was provided by default. This ID did not have any function in the system. Among other things, this led to potential problems. For this reason, the »defaultReferencedColorPolicyApi« was removed from the requests when creating Substrates. (DW-4587)

Importing Color Setups: When importing a Color Setup, an error occurred if the Color Setup being imported contained an ICC profile that already existed in the Workflow. In addition, the link between Color Policy and Color Setup was missing after importing older Color Setups. In this case, the Color Policy was not displayed in the Color Setup list. These errors have been fixed. (DW-4582, DW-4459)

Sending Grid Charts: An error occurred when sending a Grid Chart to the printer using a PDF printer. This has been fixed. (DW-4569)

Deleting imported Substrates: If an imported Substrate was deleted and then imported again, the Substrate would be named incorrectly, this bug has been fixed. (DW-4555)

Production Job Destination Change: After editing a Production Job (e.g.: changing the Job name) the target directory would also change. This bug has been fixed. (DW-4549)

Filtering the Article list: Double-clicking on the »Set filter« button in the Article list caused the page to stop responding. The page needed to be refreshed to continue. This bug has been fixed. (DW-4547)

Order list Filtering: In some cases, certain filters in the Order list could not be applied correctly. This behavior has been revised in this version. (DW-4544)

Creating a Printer: Starting with this version, a new Printer cannot be created without first choosing a destination directory. (DW-4582)

External Printing Systems: In some cases, the Color Configuration was passed in the wrong order. Also, the dither bit count in the print configuration was not passed correctly. These errors have been corrected. (DW-4525, DW-4488)

Lead In/Out: If the user entered a Lead In/Out when creating a new Production Job, when the Send to Printer dialog was opened, the values reverted back to the default settings. (DW-4481)

Profile Templates: The entry Save Ink appeared in the Type drop-down of Profile Templates. The entry has been removed.  

Print Item Check-In: In some cases, »underscores« were removed from the file name when uploading pdfs into the Workflow. Underscores will now be kept in the file name. (DW-4450)

Image Resolution: For documents with a scale factor set, image resolutions were not displayed correctly in the Workflow. (DW-4400)

Full-text search in the list view: Text entered using full-text searches was no longer displayed after refreshing the page. (DW-4271)

Create a Production Job from Articles: Production Job names are now treated the same when the Create Separate Production Jobs option is enabled or disabled. (DW-4270)

Nesting Optimization: In some cases, Print Items were removed from the sheet when optimizing a Nesting. This error has been fixed. (DW-4584)

Impose Warnings and Errors: Unplaced Print Items are no longer listed as »Underproduced Print Items«. (IMPOSE-2196)

Using a negative offset in Nesting: If a negative offset was used in Nesting, errors occurred. This bug has been fixed. (IMPOSE-2176)

Multipage Nesting: Marks, Lines and Captions could not be set to the Origin artboard in multipage outputs. This is now possible. (IMPOSE-2161)