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User Manual  /  Preflight  /  1. Print Data Normalization

1.1 Dealing with Check-in Templates

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1. Introduction

The purpose of a standardized Preflight and Fixup application during Check-in is to check the Print Data for production-related problems. Possible errors are to be corrected automatically so that a normalized print file is ready for preparation in production.

Up to version 1.12.2, two different Check-in profiles were available to the user. The Workflow Default Preflight performs a very extensive Preflight and Data Preparation. The Workflow Minimal Preflight only performs a makeshift check, but without applying any Fixups. Which Checks and Fixups are performed, or whether they are displayed as warnings or errors, was specified by PDF specialists during development. Changing the behavior was only possible with a great deal of effort in external tools.

Most users fall back on the default set. Users who only upload Print Data, which has already been normalized outside the Workflow, use the Minimal Set to upload to the Workflow. Using the Minimal Set also saves valuable production time.

Since in practice the Workflow is used to check, prepare and output Print Data for a wide variety of applications, it is logical that not every print file should be subjected to the same check. For example, the resolution of images plays a much greater role for Print Data in packaging or labels than for Print Data that has to be produced in the large format environment - posters, flags, banners and the like. Other examples are checks concerning font sizes, color spaces, missing fonts, corrupt data structures, notes, and the like.

The request to enable product-specific Preflight and Fixups already at Check-in comes mainly from the automation environment. There, leading systems, e.g. Lift ERP, transfer products into the Workflow and want to be informed only about the most necessary indications of production-relevant problems. The possibility to create and save product-specific Check-in Templates was created for the first time for version 1.12.2. This is in line with the orientation of our development to offer user all needed functions for production in a browser-based application. Check-in Templates can then be dynamically applied during Check-in via the Rest API.

When creating Check-in Templates, the user currently (version 1.14.2) has access to 43 Checks and 29 Fixups, which can be combined as desired. A defined set can then be saved as a stand-alone Check-in Template and set as the default for the Workflow. The Check-in Template set as the default is consequently used as the Check and Fixup when checking in print data.

Check-in Templates are no substitute for Fixup Chains

The Check-in prepares the Print Data to create a normalized state for the Print Data. A downstream Fixup Chain on the other hand, can prepare the print file for production by adding Edge Reinforcements, Dielines, White Separations, Grommets, and the like. The extension of the possibilities of the Check-in Profile in the future will therefore always follow this principle. Not every Fixup will be available in the Check-in profile.

2. Managing Check-in Templates

Check-in Templates can be created, edited, deleted, and marked as the default Check-in Template for the Workflow at a central location. Check-in Templates can then be selected at various points in the Workflow and via the API, allowing product-specific verification and correction to normalize the print data.

Creating, editing, and deleting Check-in Templates, as well as selecting which Check-in Template to use as the default, can be done by the user as follows.

  1. Navigate to the Administration > Settings menu.
  2. Switch to the Preflight / Fixup tab [1].
  3. Manage the available Check-in Templates in the Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates area [2]. After installing the Workflow, at least the Check-in Templates Workflow Default Preflight [4] and Workflow Minimal Preflight [4] are available.
  • Add [7] - Pressing this button opens the dialog for creating and configuring new Check-in Templates.
  • Edit [8] - Check-in Templates that have already been created can be edited using this function. "Locked" Check-in Templates, which are provided in the system by default, cannot be modified. However, you can use these Check-in Templates as a basis for your own Check-in Templates.
  • Delete [6] - Activating this button will delete selected Check-in Templates. Check-in Templates supplied by the system cannot be deleted. Before deleting a Check-in Template, make sure that it is not already stored in other settings- e.g: Hotfolder or API requests.
  • Set as default [5] - Hidden in this menu you can find the Set as Default function. Therefore, select the desired Check-in Template to be used by default in the Workflow and call the function. You can see which Check-in Template is used by default by the green Standard [3] label.

Figure 1: The Preflight / Fixup tab in the menu Administration > Settings

Which Check-in Template should be used by default?

After installing the Workflow, the Workflow Default Preflight Check-in Template is marked as the default Check-in Template. Use this Check-in Template for daily use, as it checks the most important errors and warnings for digital printing.

Use the Workflow Minimal Preflight Check-in Template in conjunction with Hotfolder and Force Print if the Print Data has already been normalized by an upstream system.

3. Create Check-in Template

Since version 1.12.2, the user has the option of configuring the Check-in profile via the user interface in the Workflow and saving it as a template. This controls which warnings and errors are generated during Check-in.

3.1. User interface of the configuration dialog

The interface for configuration of a template is represented as follows.

Figure 2: Configure Preflight and Fixup Template with selected Workflow Default Preflight template

The Configure Preflight and Fixup Template dialog for editing the selected template consists of three areas.

Search and filter area

The search and filter area offers the following options:

  • Full-text search - Using the full-text search, you can search for specific keywords to find desired Preflight Checks or Fixups more quickly. The full-text search is available in the left [9] and in the right area [17].
  • Type - The list of Preflight Checks and Fixups can also be filtered by type - Checks and Fixups [12], by Checks [13], or Fixups [14]. The icons for Types are available for filtering in the left as well as in the right area.
  • Tags - Preflight Checks and Fixups are assigned to certain groups. This allows users to narrow down the list of available Preflight Checks and Fixups more quickly. Tags are available in the left [10] and in the right [18] area. The following tags - one entry can have several tags - are available:
    • Document - filters for Checks and Fixups that address common document-specific problems such as Document is encrypted, Document is corrupted, Document contains Complex Content Stream in PDF, Discard hidden layer content and flatten to visible layers, Is a multipage document, etc.
    • Object - filters for Checks and Fixups that address object-specific issues such as Object is set to Knockout, Object is set to Overprint, Object is referenced, Object uses transparency, Image has an resolution lower than, Verification of a Barcode/QR Code, etc.
    • Page - filters for Checks and Fixups that address page-related issues such as Page is empty, Pace scaling factor used, Page size and/or orientation not equal, Apply Rotation Factor, Apply page scaling factor, etc.
    • Font - filters for Checks and Fixups that address font-related issues such as Embed missing fonts, Font is syntactically incorrect, Convert font names to UTF-8, Font is not embedded, Fix glyph width information, etc.
    • Color - filters for Checks and Fixups that address color-related issues such as Image uses Lab, Image uses device-dependent RGB (DeviceRGB), Contains ICC based CMYK text and/or vector objects, Prohibited Spot Color Names in use, Transparency blend color space is not DeviceCMYK, Rename Spot Colors, etc.
    • Image - filters for Checks and Fixups that address image-related problems such as Resolution of bitmap images lower than defined, Discard OPI information, Image uses device-dependent RGB (DeviceRGB), Image is syntactically not correctly encoded etc.
    • Text - filters for Checks and Fixups that address text-related problems such as Text is smaller than, Effective Text x-height is below, White stroked text is not set to knockout, Text- or Vector object uses device-dependent RGB (DeviceRGB), etc.
    • Page Box - filters for Checks and Fixups that address issues related to Page Boxes such as Auto-correct nesting of page geometry boxes, Objects Outside MediaBox, etc.
    • Page Content - filters for Checks and Fixups that address issues related to Page Content such as Comment inside the print area, Set initial view (if missing), Remove page scaling factor, Discard all JavaScripts, Discard embedded PostScript, etc.
    • Layers - filters for Checks and Fixups that address issues related to Layers such as Remove Empty Layers, Discard hidden layer content and flatten to visible layers, Remove Hidden Layers, etc.
    • PDF/X-1a - filters for Checks and Fixups that address PDF/X1a issues such as Contains ICC based CMYK text and/or vector objects, Contains ICC based Gray text and/or vector objects, Image uses ICC-tagged CMYK, Image uses Lab, etc.
    • PDF/X-3 - filters for Checks and Fixups that address PDF/X3 issues such as Transparency used,  Document is damaged, Discard embedded PostScript, Image is syntactically not correctly encoded, etc.
    • PDF/X-4 - filters for Checks and Fixups that address PDF/X4 issues such as References Form XObjects found, Set Title to filename (if missing), Make document XMP Metadata compliant with PDF/X-4 and PDF/X-6 , Fix glyph width information, etc.
    • PDF/X-6 - filters for Checks and Fixups that address PDF/X6 issues such as Fix glyph width information, Make document XMP Metadata compliant with PDF/X-4 and PDF/X-6, Discard embedded PostScript, etc.
    • Lift-ERP - filters for Checks and Fixups that address Lift-ERP related issues such as Lift ERP - Checks and Fixups, Is a multipage document.
  • Check-in Template [16] - all user-defined Check-in Templates are available in this drop-down menu. By default, two templates - Workflow Default Preflight and Workflow Minimal Preflight - are provided after installation. All other templates can be created, saved, and used user-defined. By selecting a Check-in Template, the list of all active Checks and Fixups is displayed updated. An asterisk * at the end of the name indicates that the current list of active checks has been edited.

List of available Preflight Checks and Fixups

In the list of available Preflight Checks and Fixups [11], all Checks and Fixups are available which can be used for a Check-in Template. Each entry in the list represents an available Check or Fixup. The symbol in front of it indicates whether it is a check (magnifier icon) or Fixup (screwdriver icon). The icons below describe the assigned tags, which can be used for filtering.

By pressing the Add button [15], the Check or Fixup is moved to the list of active Checks and Fixups. Already moved Checks and Fixups are displayed dimmed and are marked with the √ sign.

List of active Preflight Checks and Fixups

The list of active Checks and Fixups [22] contains all Checks and Fixups that are active for the selected Check-in Template and are used for the Check or Fixup during Check-in. Each entry in the list represents an active Check or Fixup. All checks can be declared as info, warning, or error [19], which will be reported after Check-in.

By opening a Check or Fixup [21], details can be displayed or further settings can be made. By pressing Delete [20] an active Check or Fixup can be deactivated again.

3.2. Create custom Check-in Template

To configure a custom Check-in Template, follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to the Administration > Settings menu.
  2. Activate the Preflight / Fixup tab.
  3. In the Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates area, select the Workflow Default Preflight Check-in Template.
  4. Select Add in the footer, which opens the Configure Preflight and Fixup Template dialog.
  5. In the list of all available Checks and Fixups, select the one you want to use for check-in. In each case, click the Add button.
  6. Newly added Checks and Fixups are displayed with a green background to make them easier to recognize.
  7. Configure all entries in the list of active Checks and Fixups.
  8. Once all the settings are made, save the template by clicking the Save Template button - checkmark next to the Check-in Template drop-down list.
  9. In the Save Configuration as Template dialog, define a Name and optionally a Description for the Check-in Template and close the dialog by clicking Save.
  10. You can then select the newly created Check-in Template in the Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates settings area and mark it as the default template.

Figure 3: The Save Configuration as Template dialog for saving a Check-in Template

Recommended approach

If you want to create a standalone Check-in Template from scratch, you should first select the Workflow Minimal Preflight template and add the desired Checks and Fixups.

If you want to modify the Workflow Default Preflight Check-in Template - you want to change the severity of a check or add or delete a Check or Fixup - it is recommended to start from this one and save the modified variant.

Not available in all Workflow versions

Keep in mind that the ability to handle Check-in Templates is dependent on your Workflow license. Ask your sales contact what options are available to take advantage of this capability.

3.3. Special Tasks

In the handling of Check-in Templates, the user is confronted with special tasks. The individual tasks are described in more detail below.

Select severity of a Check

Three different severity levels - Info, Warning and Error - can be used for each Check. As soon as a hit is found for the respective Check when checking a print file, this hit is displayed in the check results with the selected severity level. To select a severity level, proceed as follows:

  1. Navigate to the Administration > Settings menu.
  2. Activate the Preflight / Fixup tab.
  3. Select the desired Check-in Template in the Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates section.
  4. Activate the Edit button in the footer.
  5. Add a new Check to the list of all active Checks and Fixups or navigate to the Checks thereby activating the filter to show only Checks.
  6. Click on the set severity level [23] - info = Blue; warning = Yellow; error = Red.
  7. Select the desired severity level from the list.
  8. Save your settings by creating a new template or overwriting an existing one.

Figure 4: The Configure Preflight and Fixup Template dialog with openend list of severity levels

Select values for Checks and Fixup

For certain Checks and Fixups, the user can enter values or designations in order to parameterize a check. Proceed as follows:

  1. Navigate to the Administration > Settings menu.
  2. Activate the Preflight / Fixup tab.
  3. Select the desired Check-in Template in the Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates area.
  4. Activate the Edit button in the footer.
  5. Add the check Text is smaller than to the list of all active Checks and Fixups.
  6. Open the settings area for this check by clicking on the arrow [24].
  7. Enter the desired value [25] in the input field.

Figure 5: The Configure Check-in Template dialog with opened settings area for the Check Text is smaller than

  1. Add the Rename Spot Colors Fixup to the list of all active Checks and Fixups.
  2. Open the settings area for this check by clicking the arrow [26].
  3. Enter the Spot Color name which is to be renamed in Rename Spot Colors - Source [27] and enter the replacement name in Target Spot Color Name [28].
  4. Click Add [29] to rename another Spot Color with the same Fixup. You can repeat this process as many times as you want. This allows you to use one Fixup to map the normalization of Spot Color names for Technical Colors, for white as well as for varnish and other subjects.
  5. Save your settings by creating a new template or overwriting an existing one.

Figure 6: The Configure Preflight and Fixup Template dialog with openend settings area for the Fixup Rename Spot Colors

Define Check-in Template as Default

If you want to use a created Check-in Template system-wide by default, you have to proceed as follows.

  1. Navigate to the Administration > Settings menu.
  2. Activate the Preflight / Fixup tab.
  3. In the Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates area, select the desired Check-in Template [30].
  4. Then select the Set as Default menu command [34] in the footer.
  5. After executing the command, the Default [31] flag will be set on the selected Check-in Template. From now on, every new check-in will be checked and corrected based on this Check-in Template.

Figure 7: The tab Preflight / Fixup of the menu item Administration > Settings

Delete Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template

After Check-in Templates have been created in the Workflow, they can also be deleted from the Workflow again. Proceed as follows:

  1. Navigate to the Administration > Settings menu.
  2. Activate the Preflight / Fixup tab.
  3. Select the desired Check-in Template [30] in the Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates area.
  4. Then select Delete [32] in the footer of the settings area.
  5. Confirm the operation in the Delete Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template dialog.

Figure 8: The Delete Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template dialog

Configure Check-in Template

After check-in templates have been created in the workflow, they can also be edited again. Proceed as follows:

  1. Navigate to the Administration > Settings menu.
  2. Activate the Preflight / Fixup tab.
  3. In the Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates area, select the desired Check-in Template [30].
  4. Then click Edit icon [33] in the footer of the settings area.
  5. This will open the Configure Preflight and Fixup Template dialog (see Figure 2), where it is possible to implement the changes.
  6. If changes have been made to the selected Check-in Template, the name of the Check-in Template will be marked with an asterisk (*).
  7. Save the changes by overwriting the check-in template when saving [35].  

Default Check-in Templates cannot be edited

Check-in Templates that are delivered by Workflow as Default - Workflow Default Preflight and Workflow Minimal Preflight - cannot be deleted or edited.  

Article update: Workflow version 1.14.2 01/2023

Next Article 1.2 Fixups for Print Data Normalization

Preflight

1. Print Data Normalization 3

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