In this version, the tools for creating variable elements have been extended again in the VDP Editor. Thereby constructs, which can be created with Illustrator, are also offered in the browser. Therefore, the following tools have been added in this version:

Figure 1: New VDP tools in the VDP Editor

• VDP Bezier Curve Tool [2] - create the starting point [7] of the Bezier curve by clicking on the Print Item and create a further path point [5] with each subsequent click. When moving the cursor further [6], the curvature of the drawn Bezier curve is shown in real time. Complete the drawing process either by clicking on the start point - this closes the path and creates a closed area - or by pressing the esc button - this creates an open path. The position of the individual path points, the path settings, the contour color as well as the color settings can be determined in the control panels provided.

Figure 2: View when creating a path with the VDP Bezier Curve Tool

• VDP Text Bezier Curve Tool [4] - The drawing method is equal to the VDP Bezier Curve Tool. The difference with this tool is merely that the default "Sample Content" text is created as a placeholder text for a variable text on the drawn path. The position of the individual path points, the Text Settings, the Font Settings, the Stroke Color Settings and the Color Settings for the variable text element can be determined in the provided control panels.
• VDP Ellipse Tool [1] - This allows you to create an ellipse by clicking and dragging on the Print Item. Complete the drawing process by releasing the mouse button. The position of the ellipse, the Ellipse Settings, the Stroke Color Settings, and the Color Settings can be determined in the provided control fields.

Figure 3: View when creating an ellipse from the center using the VDP Ellipse Tool

• VDP Text Ellipse Tool [3] - The drawing method is equal to the VDP Ellipse Tool. The difference in this tool is merely that the default "Sample Content" text is created as a placeholder text for a variable text on the drawn ellipse. The position of the ellipse, the Text Settings, the Font Settings, the Stroke Color Settings and the Color Settings for the variable text element can be determined in the provided control panels.

• Scissor Tool - This can be used to cut paths that have already been created using the VDP Text Ellipse, VDP Text Path, VDP Text Bezier Curve, VDP Path and VDP Bezier Curve Tools. You can cut anywhere along a path or curve so that the objects are separated. Separate elements are created, which can be further processed or modified.

The function to display the longest entry of a CSV file has been taken over from the Adobe Illustrator VDP plug-in in this version. Therefore, the plug-in is now also available in the VDP Editor within the Workflow.

Proceed as follows:

1. Open the VDP Editor for an Article or Print Item.
2. Load a CSV file into the VDP Editor.
3. Create a variable text object.
4. In the Content tab [8], select either Column index or Column title of the CSV file as the data source.
5. Activate the option Show longest entry [9] to preview the longest entry of the CSV column - this can help you to find the needed length of the VDP element or the needed text size to display all entries as expected.

Figure 4: The content tab of the VDP Editor with its new option Show longest entry

In version 1.12.0, the first version for Shape Nesting in the Nesting Imposition mode for imposing or nesting Print Items with irregular shapes has been implemented . With Shape Nesting it is possible to generate an optimized version of the Nesting by nesting irregular shapes into each other. In version 1.12.1 and 1.12.2 the new function was further optimized and completed step by step.

In this version, only minor changes or improvements were conducted in Shape Nesting. These include:

• Display as well as translation of messages during the execution of Shape Nesting.
• Hiding of unavailable options - such as double-sided output, strategy, layout and arrangement
• Indication by an icon that Print Items are already prepared for Shape Nesting in the file manager and the Print Item list
• Display of the height and the width of the Imposition before and after Shape Nesting

As of this version, a new Barcode / QR Code tab is available in the PDF Editor. In this tab, barcodes or QR codes that are already in the document can be read and the content displayed. Thereby, certain information is read and made available for analysis.

Proceed as follows:

1. Open a Print Item or an Article.
2. Make sure that the document contains one or more barcodes or QR codes. The barcodes or QR codes can also be located on different pages.
3. Open the PDF Editor.
4. Activate the Barcode / QR Code tab.
5. Press the Extract barcode info button [10].
6. Wait until the process is finished. The process may take different amounts of time depending on the number of pages and the amount of barcodes / QR codes.

Figure 5: Extract with results from the Barcodes and QR Codes settings area of the Barcodes / QR Codes tab in the PDF Editor.

The following information can be read or displayed:

• Number of barcodes resp. QR codes [11] - with pagination, it is possible to display the details of the barcodes resp. QR codes. The current barcode is highlighted on the Artboard [16]. Make sure that barcodes or QR codes on other pages of the document are also found, although only the first page of the document is displayed on the Artboard.
• Barcode type and content resp. value [13] - You will be shown which barcode type it is and which value it represents.
• Barcode specific settings [14] - Barcode settings such as the Module Width, Bar Width Reduction, and the width and height of the code are read and displayed.
• Page [15] - The information on which page of the document the barcode or QR code is located is also displayed. Codes that are not located on the first page of the document currently aren't marked on the Artboard.

If a simulation print is created based on a selected Working Color Space or a selected Color Policy of a Color Setup, the pace of the selected material for the printer used is transferred to the Color Space of the selected simulation profile. A simulation is of course only possible when the Color Space of the material for the selected printer is larger in all axes than the Color Space of the selected simulation profile.

Up to version 1.12.2, only the Gamut was mapped Relative Colorimetric to the Simulation Profile. The brightness axis was not changed, which led to the circumstance that a to be simulated L value of 9  - e.g. target value of deep black in ISO Coated v2 - was not adjusted in the case of water-based inks - there the L value can also amount only to 4. With version 1.13.0, the brightness axis is now also adjusted to the to be simulated Color Space by default.

Furthermore, the simulation print uses the during the profile calculation newly generated Color Policy (without correction of optical brighteners) , which ensures an improved simulation of the color tones, especially in the light tones.

To perform a simulation print, proceed as follows:

1. Select the menu item Production Job  and open an existing Production Job from the list.
2. Open the Output Configuration tab in the Production Job.
3. Select a desired Output Configurationfor the Production Job by selecting the following parameters:
   • Printer e.g.: P5 210 DC Rigid
   • Print configuration e.g.: OPAL_700x1200-1b (1)
   • Substrate e.g.: Cardboard
   • Substrate e.g.: 1500 x 1500 mm
   • Color Policy e.g.: Standard [LFP] (1)
4. Open the simulation options [18] by pressing the down arrow.
5. In Simulation Type select from the following options [17]:
   • No simulation - no simulation/proof will be generated during output.
   • Color Policies of the Workflow (relative colorimetric - simulation) by activating this option you will be prompted to select a Color Policy in the drop-down menu below. By selecting the Printer, the Print Configuration and the Substrate, you can narrow down the selection. There you will be provided with all Color Policies which are available in the Workflow. During configuration, a summary is created in the header, so that the settings are immediately visible even in collapsed mode.
   • Working Space resp. Output Color Space (relative colorimetric - simulation) by activating this option, you will be prompted to select one of the available Working Spaces or Output Color Space profiles of the Administration > Settings > Color Management menu item in the selection menu below. During configuration, a summary is created in the header so that the selected settings are immediately visible even in collapsed mode.
6. Complete the Output Configuration, save the made settings in a template and continue with production.

The target directory of the Cutter Devic must first be made available for the Workflow. To do this, the Host and Share must be created in the Administration > File Management menu. For details on this topic, read Manage Shares and Folders.  

1. Switch to the Administration > Cutter Device menu.
2. By clicking + New open the Add Cutter dialog.

Figure 7: The Add Cutter dialog with filled out values for the creation of the Cutter Device GM LC350 Laser

3. Select the following parameters in the opened dialog:

• Device type - select GM LC350 Laser.
• Name - enter a unique name for the Cutter. If you have two devices of the same type, you should create the device twice with different names. Thus, to have unique names and destination directories in the Workflow.
• Serial number - optionally enter the serial number of the device, which makes sense in case two Cutters of the same manufacturer are used.
• Host - select the host defined in step
• Destination directory - select the destination directory defined in step 1

4. Finally, create the GM LC350 Laser by clicking Save.

After creating the Cutter Device, the standard configuration LC350 - GM Control is made available to you in the Parameter Sets area. This configuration can be used by default.

The following settings are available for these configurations in the Parameters settings area:

• Barcode Content - defines the content of the barcode or QR code. This can be defined freely. For the available options see section 3.1. Cutfile Name and Barcode Content of the Release Notes 1.10.0.
• File Type - defines the file type of the cut file. This Cutter uses a special SVG file to process the cut data.
• Write Barcode Content File Name - defines whether the content of the barcode or QR code should be added at the beginning (START) or at the end (END) of the cut file.
• Mirror CutData Horizontally - by activating this option, the cut data can be transferred to the Cutter mirrored horizontally.
• Mirror CutData Vertically - by activating this option, the cut data can be transferred to the Cutter mirrored vertically.
• Rotate CutData - by activating this option, the cut data can be transferred to the Cutter rotated by 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°.

Further settings for the configurations can be made and saved in the Impose Editor. If necessary, user-defined configurations can also be created and used. For more information, see the User Manual entries Using a Cutter in a Production Job and Cutter Device configuration settings and saving.

Figure 8: The menu item Administration > Cutter Devices with a valid configuration of the GM LC350 Laser

Before the GM LC350 Laser can be used for cutting, the system-wide technical colors of the Workflow must be assigned to the cutting tools. Proceed as follows:

1. Select the previously created GM LC350 Laser in the list of the Devices settings area.
2. In the Pen Types settings area - located below the Devices, Parameter Sets and Parameters settings areas - list of all available Pen Types is provided - these are colors that can be used in the SVG cut file. These colors can subsequently be assigned to the tools of the device in the device software - GM Control.

Figure 9: The settings area Pen Types with the available Pen Types for the GM LC350 Laser

3. Choose a to be used Pen Type resp. the color of the Pen from the list.
4. Click on Edit in the footer of the settings area, whereby the Edit Pen Types opens.

Figure 10: The Edit Pen Types dialog for the Pen Type Green. Therein, system-wide technical colors can be assigned to a Pen Type

5. In the dialog, select the technical colors from the Available Technical Colors [19] drop-down menu that are to be assigned to the selected Cutter Device. If several technical colors are to be bound to a Cutter Device, repeat the just performed step. Technical colors that have already been assigned to a tool are only displayed grayed out in the list. The tools that have already been assigned are listed in the Mapped Colors [20] area.
6. Once you have assigned all the technical colors to a Pen Type, click Save to save the setting for use with the GM LC350 Laser.

Read about Using a Cutter in a Production Job in the Release Notes for 1.7.6.

If the settings of the standard configuration don't measure up to your expectation, you can create and save user-defined configurations in the Impose Editor. Find instructions by following this link Cutter Device configuration settings and saving.

Figure 11: The settings area Registration Marks and Barcodes in the Impose Editor for the Cutter Device GM LC350 Laser

The target directory of the "Cutter Device" must first be made available for the Workflow. To do this, the Host and Share must be created in the Administration > File Managements menu. For details on this topic, read Manage Shares and Folders.

1. Change to the menu Administration > Cutter Devices.
2. By clicking on + New open the Add Cutter dialog.

Figure 12: The Add Cutter dialog with filled out values for the creation of the OptiScout Prepare software

3. Select the following parameters in the opened dialog:
   • Device type - select OptiScout Prepare.
   • Name - enter a unique name for the Cutter Device. If you have two devices of the same type, you should also create the device twice with different names in order 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 of the same manufacturer are used.
   • Host - select the Host defined in step 1.
   • Destinations - select the destination directory defined in step 1.
4. Finally, create Optiscout Prepare by clicking Save.

After creating the Cutter Device, the OptiScout Prepare 8 standard configuration is made available in the Parameter Sets settings area. This Parameter Set is used by default.

In addition to the standard settings the following Optiscout-specific settings are available for this Parameter Set in the Parameters settings area

• Compensation Method - By default, "2" (Fit to Job) is used. Other options: 0 = Best fit, 1 = Best fit (Read all marks), 3 = Fit to Job (Read all marks), 4 = Best fit (SmartComp) and 5 = Fit to Job (SmartComp). For more information, please contact your OptiScout representative.
• Flute Direction (Cardboard) - By default "0" (Vertical) is used. Other options: 1 = Horizontal. For more information, please contact your OptiScout representative.
• Regmark Recoginition Type - By default "0" (Circle) is used. Other options: 1 = Corners, 2 = Crop marks (Angle), 3 = Symmetrical objects, 4 = Crop marks (Lines), 6 = Edge and 42 = Custom. For more information, please contact your OptiScout representative.

Further settings for the configurations can be made and saved in the Impose Editor. If necessary, custom configurations can also be created and used. Read more in the sections Using a Cutter in a Production Job and Cutter Device configuration settings and saving.

Figure 13: The menu item Administration > Cutter Devices with a valid configuration for OptiScout Prepare

Before OptiScout Prepare is available for Production Jobs, the system-wide Technical Colors of the Workflow must be assigned to the Pen Types. Proceed as follows:

1. Select the previously created OptiScout Prepare in the list of the Devices settings area.
2. In the Pen Types settings area - located below the Devices, Parameter Sets and Parameters settings areas - all the available Pen Types tools of the Cutter Device are listed.

Figure 14: The settings area Pen Types with the available Pen Types of the OptiScout Prepare 8 software

3. Select a Pen Type or the color of the Pen Type from the list.
4. Click Edit in the footer of the Settings Panel, which opens the Edit Cutter dialog.

Figure 15: The Edit Pen Type dialog in which system-wide Technical Colors can be assigned to the Pen Type »Thru-Cut«

5. In the dialog, select the Technical Colors from the Available Technical Colors [21] drop-down menu that are to be assigned to the selected Pen Type. If several Technical Colors are to be assigned to a Pen Type, repeat the step just performed. Technical Colors that have already been assigned to a Pen are only displayed grayed out in the list. The Pens that have already been assigned are listed in the Mapped Colors [22] area.
6. When you have assigned all used Technical Colors to a Pen, click on Save to save the setting for the use of the OptiScout Prepare.

Read about Using a Cutter in a Production Job in the Release Notes for 1.7.6.

If the settings of the standard configuration don't measure up to your expectations, you can create and save user-defined configurations in the Impose Editor. Read more in the section Cutter Device configuration settings and saving.

Figure 16: The settings area Registration Marks and Barcodes in the Impose Editor for OptiScout Prepare

Starting from this version, it is possible to use either a "static value" (previous behavior) or a "variable" for certain input fields for Data Preparation. Variable input fields refer to matching metadata fields (user-defined fields, substrate information, customer information, etc.) of the respective Article or Print Item.

Input fields in Data Preparation which can refer to metadata information (variable content) are provided with an additional symbol [24] in the dialogs. By pressing the Static Content [24] icon, the icon changes to Variable Content [23], which gives the user the possibility to refer to meta information about the Print Item or to the content of a user-defined field.

Figure 17: The Create Bleed by Upscaling dialog with reference to the content of the custom-defined field Custom Bleed

Depending on what content is expected for the input field in the Fixup, two options are available for linking the input field to a source.

With version 1.13.0 the first Data Preparations with the new possibility to use variable content have been implemented. The following Data Preparation can thus be linked with variable content with immediate effect. The following Fixups are now available for the use of dynamic content:

With version 1.13.0 only one more new Fixup was added.

Especially for the function of using variable content, some Fixups were restructured or changed. The following Fixups were subject to improvements as well as partly to rebuilding in version 1.13.0.

As of version 1.13.0, a warning is displayed in the Workflow system status after the update when

• a check-in profile not delivered by the system is defined as default in the Workflow system settings.
• a check-in profile not supplied by the system is used for one or more Hotolders.

Figure 27: New warnings in the System Status dialog when incompatible check-in profiles are used.

If possible, switch to the new version of the check-in profile by defining the "V2" of the Default Preflight and Fixup as default under Administration > Settings > Preflight / Fixup and use or configure your own resp. user-defined check-in templates. You can read more about this in the Release Notes of version 1.12.2 under section 2.6 Custom check-in templates.

With the introduction of the possibility to create user-defined check-in templates in version 1.12.2, the first customer requests regarding the extension of the check-in profile's check options have immediately reached the development team. The following checks have been added:

With the introduction of the possibility to create user-defined check-in templates in version 1.12.2, the first customer requests regarding the extension of the Fixup options in the check-in profile immediately reached the development team. The following Fixups have been added:

The functionality of one Fixup was extended in the Check-in profile.

Before version 1.13.0, it was possible to select or change the render engine when creating or editing Print Configurations and also in the System Settings of the Workflow in Administration > Settings > General > RIP Settings.

In this version, the selection has been removed, since only the HHR render engine is used or supported anymore. In the Workflow Debug Mode, the selection menu can still be displayed in order to change the render engine for test purposes, if necessary.

While using the measuring tool in the VDP, Impose or PDF editor, it is possible to zoom in and out as desired or to switch to the Hand tool dynamically. The following keyboard shortcuts are available:

• +  after the measuring tool is selected zoom in by pressing ++ key.
• – after the measuring tool is selected, zoom out by pressing the –  key.
• g by pressing and holding the g key, dynamically switch to the Hand tool, which allows to manually move the displayed section.

If the ImageBox is set to BleedBox in the Workflow, a selected expected Bleed was lost until now. The behavior has been changed with version 1.13.0 so that the expected Bleed is preserved no matter which PDF Page Geometry Box is set for the ImageBox.

In version 1.12.2, the Workflow Activity display was revised from scratch and provided with new functions. In this version, numerous translations in the Workflow Activity display were added and adapted. In addition, the icon to Cancel [54] a process has been replaced, as the icon from version 1.12.2 led to misunderstandings.

Figure 39: The Activities dialog with its new symbol to Cancel running processes resp. processes in the Queue

Up to version 1.12.2, a comment had to be entered when rejecting an Approval Report. When approving an Approval Report, it was optionally possible to comment. This comment is saved and displayed with the respective Approval Report.

As of version 1.13.0, it is no longer possible to enter a comment when the Approval Report is approved. This was implemented to avoid scenarios like »Release if this or that is  changed«.

In previous Workflow versions, negative values could be defined for the Margins of the Artboard in the Impose Editor. This behavior was prohibited when implementing validation of input fields. As of this version, this possibility has been implemented again, since it has become apparent that this function could make sense for one or the other version of an Imposition. As of version 1.13.0, negative values can again be assigned for the margins [55] of the Artboard.

Figure 40: The settings area Settings in the Impose mode Nesting with negative values for Margins

As of this version, the number of currently logged on users and the maximum number of licensed users [56] are also displayed in the License tab of the System Status dialog in the License Information Workflow.

Figure 41: The system status dialog with information about the currently logged on and licensed users in the Workflow

For the correct calculation of a Print Simulation as well as a Proof, a substrate profile with corresponding correction of the optical brighteners is created when calculating the Color Policies. Furthermore, also a substrate profile without correction of the optical brighteners is available from now on. The latter is used for Print Simulation as well as for Proofing.

Load this special substrate profile in the Available ICC Profiles dialog. You can view this dialog when opening the menu item Color > Color Setups,  opening the desired Color Setup in the list of Color Setups and then clicking on an existing Color Policy in the overview page.

Figure 42: The system status dialog with information regarding the currently logged on and licensed users in the Workflow