Release Date: 08/30/2023
In this article you will learn which
- new features are available,
- improvements for users have been implemented and
- which bugs have been fixed in version 1.15.2 of the Workflow.
This article can also be downloaded as a PDF version. The release notes for the previously released versions can be downloaded from the archive.
1. Overview
With version 1.15.2 users can take advantage of several innovations in the environment of Impositions, Verifications, and Color Setups. Furthermore, more advanced translations were carried out.
Please find an overview of all changes below. A detailed description follows in the sections New Features, Improvements as well as Bug Fixes.
Installation of an update
Workflow version 1.15.2 can only be installed if you have a current maintenance contract and have installed at least Workflow version 1.14.0 (752) - or higher. Note that an update to version 1.15.2 should only be done if a corresponding bug fix is given. The next major update is 1.16.0, which will be available next month.
The following SDK versions are used in DW 1.15.2:
- Callas Software pdfToolbox 14.3.616-1
- Callas Software pdfChip 2.5.083
- Color Logic CrossXColor 1.20.4
- Global Graphics HHR 13.2.2
1.1. New Features
The following New Features are available in version 1.15.2 of the Workflow:
Impose Editor: Existing functions in the Impose Editor have been extended and improved with version 1.15.2. A new method has been developed to include Markers - Labels and Barcodes - for calculating the distance between the Print Items.
Golden Laser LC350 Cutter: In the course of developing this version, the "Golden Laser LC350" cutter was integrated into the Workflow.
Substrate distortion per Printer: As of this version, deviating distortions for a Substrate can be defined per Printer in the Workflow.
PSD Evaluation in Verification: In version 1.14.0, the "Verifications" area was created in the Workflow, where users can verify a Color Policy against FOGRA or G7 standards. In addition, the production run or printing between printing systems can also be verified in terms of stability and comparability. In this version, the PSD Evaluation 2022 | Media Relative has been added and minor improvements in the user interface have been implemented.
Color Setup and Profiling Templates: Up to this version, different Color Policies were calculated by default when a new Color Setup was created. As of this version, only the "Best match" profile is generally generated by default. All other profiles - Standard, Economy, etc. - can be added user-defined.
Improved Render speed for Third-party Printers: During the development of this release, the rendering speed of Production Jobs for Third-party printing systems was revised. Render times have been drastically reduced as a result.
SDK versions: Updates from various OEM partners, among others, also provide for further innovations and improvements. Version 1.15.2 includes the Callas Software pdfToolBox SDK version 14.3.616-1.
1.2. Improvements
Measurement of Optical Brighteners: Until now, the measurement of the optical brighteners (OBA) was performed automatically when a linearization was measured with the "Reflection" measuring mode of the Barbieri LFP qb Measurement Device. Starting from this version, a separate parameter - "Activate optical brightener measurement" - to control the process is available. When this parameter is activated, the OBA measurement is performed.
Presets for Grid Charts: Starting from this version, the color field size of Grid Charts can be preselected in a system setting.
Filter Dimensions: The filter "Dimensions" was revised for the Article or Print Item list and enhanced in its functionality.
Create Color Setup without Linearization: Starting from this version, when creating a new Color Setup, the options "Create Linearization" and "Create Ink Limit" can no longer be deactivated when Light colors are used.
Small Improvements: Other small improvements were implemented.
1.3. Fixed Bugs
Workflow: List of fixed bugs or minor improvements in the main application.
Impose Editor: List of fixed bugs and minor improvements in the Impose Editor.
VDP Editor: List of fixed bugs or minor improvements in the VDP Editor.
2. New Features
In this section, you will learn which New Features have been implemented in the Impose Editor and in the Workflow. In part, already existing functions have been extended.
2.1. Impose Editor
Existing functions in the Impose Editor have been extended and improved with version 1.15.2. A new method has been developed to include Markers - Labels and Barcodes - for calculating the distance between the Print Items.
2.1.1. Consider Markers
As of version 1.15.2, in the Impose Editor, the new option Consider Markers is available for the Step & Repeat and the Nesting mode. This function allows Markers to be included as part of the Print Item when placing Print Items. Enabling the option adds additional Labels and Barcodes to the placement frame for the Print Items, preventing these marks from overlapping an adjacent Print Item. Proceed as follows if you want to activate the option:
- Open the Impose Editor in Nesting or Step & Repeat mode.
- Add Print Items and set the spacing between the Print Items to 0 mm.
- Switch to the Markers tab and add a Marker for each Print Item - e.g. a Barcode. Thereby, the Imposition could be changed as shown below in Figure 1. The Barcodes of the Print Items overlap adjacent Print Items.
Figure 1: Markers which are NOT considered when placing Print Items (behavior until now)
- Switch to the Artboard Settings tab.
- Open the Settings panel.
- Activate the option Consider Markers [1]. This ensures that the Markers of a Print Item do not overlap other Print Items.
Figure 2: Nesting with activated option Consider Markers
2.2. Golden Laser LC350 Cutter Device
With 1.15.2, the integration of the LC350 series Golden Laser Cutter with the required parameters has been implemented. Before the Label Laser Die Cutter LC350 can be used in the Workflow for Production Jobs, the Cutter must be created in the Workflow. To do this, the following four steps must be carried out.
2.2.1. Step 1: Create Shares for the Golden Laser LC350 in the Workflow
The target directory of the Cutter Device must first be made available for the Workflow. To do this, the Host and the Share must be created in the Administration > File Management menu. For details on this topic, see the article Set up and manage Shares.
2.2.2. Step 2: Set up the Cutter Device in the Workflow
- Change to the menu Administration > Cutter Devices.
- Open the Add Cutter Device dialog by clicking + New.
Figure 3: The Add Cutter Device dialog with filled out values for the creation of the Golden Laser LC350 Cutter Device
- Select the following parameters in the opened dialog:
- Device type – select the Golden Laser Die Cutter.
- Name – enter a distinct Name for the Cutter Device. In case there are two devices of the same type you should create the device twice with different names to ensure a clear distinction in the Destination of the Workflow.
- Serial number – optionally enter the Serial Number of the device which makes sense when two Cutter Devices of the same manufacturer are used.
- Host – select the Host which was defined in Step 1.
- Destination – select the Destination which was defined in Step 1.
- Click Save to create the Golden Laser LC350 Laser in the Workflow
2.2.3. Step 3: Check the Parameter Set of the Cutter Device
After creating the Cutter Device, the standard Parameter Set Label Laser Die Cutting LC350 is made available in the Parameter Set settings area. This configuration can be used by default.
Figure 4: The menu item Administration > Cutter Devices with a valid Parameter Set for the GM LC350 Laser
For this Parameter Set, the following settings are available in the Parameters settings area.
- Write Barcode Content into DXF - determines if the content of the barcode should be written as text into the DXF cut file.
- Write Marks into Cutfile - this parameter determines if the marks of a cutter device have to be contained in the DXF cut file.
- Barcode Content - defines the content of the barcode or QR code. The code can be freely defined. Read more about the available possibilities in the section Cutfile Name and Barcode Content of the 1.10.0 Release Notes.
- Cutfile Name - defines the name of the eventually generated cut file. The same placeholders as in Barcode Content can be used.
- File Type - defines the file type of the cut file. This cutter device uses a specific DXF file for processing the cut data.
- Write Barcode Content into Filename - defines if the content of the barcode or QR code should be added at the beginning (START) or end (END) of the cut file.
- Unit in DXF-Cutfile - defines the measurement unit in the cut file.
- Mirror CutData Horizontally - by activating this option the cut data can be mirrored horizontally and is subsequently sent to the Printer.
- Mirror Registration Marks - by activating this option the registration marks can be mirrored according to the cut data.
- Mirror CutData Vertically - by activating this option the cut data can be mirrored vertically and is subsequently sent to the Printer.
- Rotate CutData - with this option, the cut data can be rotated by 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° and is subsequently sent to the Printer.
Further settings for the Parameter Set can be carried out in the Impose Editor and subsequently be saved. If needed it is also possible to create and use a custom Parameter Set. Read more about that in the section Set up Cutter Device and Create Parameter Set.
2.2.4. Step 4: Assign Technical Colors to Pen Types
Before the Golden Laser LC350 can be used for cutting the system-wide defined technical colors of the Workflow must be assigned to Pen Types. Proceed as follows:
- Select the previously created Golden Laser LC350 in the list of the Devices settings area.
- In the settings area Pen Types - located beneath the setting areas Devices, Parameter Set and Parameter - all available Pen Types are listed. In this case these are the colors which are used in the DXF Cutfile. These colors can be assigned subsequently to the Pens of the Cutter Device in the device's software.
Figure 5: The settings area Pen Types with the available Pen Types of the Golden Laser LC350
- Select a Pen Type which is to be used or the color (number) [2] of the Pen Type in the list.
- Then click Edit [3] in the footer of the Settings Panel, which opens the Edit Pen Type dialog.
Figure 6: The Edit Pen Type dialog for the Pen Cut [4], with which is is possible to assign system-wide technical colors to a Pen Type
- In the dialog, select the Technical Colors that should be assigned to the Pen Type from the Available Technical Colors [5] drop-down menu, and repeat the step. Technical colors that have already been assigned to a Pen Type are grayed out in the list. The tools that have already been assigned are listed in the Assigned colors [6] area.
- Once you have bound all the technical colors used to a tool, click Save [7] to save the setting for use with the Golden Laser LC350.
2.2.5. Use Golden Laser LC350 for Production Jobs
You can read about how Cutter Devices are used for Production Jobs in the Release Notes for 1.7.6 or in the article Set up Cutter Device and Create Parameter Sets.
2.2.6. Available Parameter
If the settings in the standard Parameter Set don't cover your expectations, it is possible to create and save user-defined Parameter Sets in the Impose Editor. Read more about that in the article Set up Cutter Device and Create Parameter Sets.
Figure 7: The setting area Registration Marks and Barcodes of the Impose Editor for the Cutter Device Golden Laser LC350
2.3. Deviating Substrate distortion per Printer
Up to version 1.15.2, only one distortion factor could be determined for the Substrate specification, regardless of the Printer on which the Substrate was output. With version 1.15.2, a different distortion can be created for the Substrate specification per Printer.
To do this, proceed as follows:
- Navigate to Administration > Substrate.
- In the Workflow Substrates tab, select the relevant Substrate Category, the Substrate, and the Substrate Definition. For the Substrate Definition, you can enter the deviating distortions depending on the Printer.
- Click Edit in the footer of the Substrate Definitions settings area.
- Then select the Distortion [8] tab in the Edit Substrate Definition dialog.
- Enter the distortion which should be used for all printers in Distortion [9].
- In Deviating distortion per Printer add another entry for a specific distortion via the + symbol [12].
- Select the desired Printer [10].
- Enter the corresponding distortion for the Substrate Definition for the X-axis [11] and Y-axis [13].
- Click Save
Figure 8: The tab Distortion of the dialog Edit Substrate Definition
2.4. PSD Evaluation in Verifications
In version 1.14.0, the "Verifications" area was created in the Workflow, where users can verify a Color Policy against FOGRA or G7 standards. In addition, the production run or printing between printing systems can be checked in terms of stability and comparability.
Fogra Verification - including Fogra PSD Evaluation 2022 | Side by Side - has already been available since version 1.14.1. With version 1.15.2, PSD Evaluation was extended to include the method PSD Evaluation 2022 | Media Relative. This method is based on the PSD Evaluation 2022 | Side by Side method, but the measured color values are evaluated relative to the paper white.
Figure 9: The dialog Check Compliance with selected Verification Method PSD Evaluation | Media Relative
2.5. Color Setup and Profiling Templates
Up to version 1.15.2, two Color Policies for Large Format and three Color Policies for Labels were automatically suggested for calculation in the Calculate Substrate Profiles dialog. As of version 1.15.2, only one Color Policy - Best match - is suggested for calculation by default.
If you still want to create another profile, you can prepare an additional Color Policy for calculation by pressing + New [14] and start the calculation of the ICC and DeviceLink profiles by pressing Calculate all [15].
Figure 10: The Calculate Substrate Profiles dialog with Profile 1 which is created by default and the Profiling Template Best match
2.6. Improved render speed for Third-party Printers
During the development of this version, the render speed for Third-party printing systems has been significantly improved. To access the improved rendering speed, the RIP Performance [16] option in the RIP Settings section of the General tab in Administration > Settings must be set to Render a single Job faster.
Figure 11: The settings area RIP Settings with selected entry for parallel rendering of color separations
Keep current performance
If you are satisfied with the current rendering speed and would rather render many jobs parallelly, select Render multiple Production in parallel in the RIP Performance option.
Increased Performance
If you want to get the print data to the printer faster, you must activate additional Render Instances.
Please note that it is necessary to purchase several render instances to increase the render speed, and the appropriate hardware with available processor cores must be available.
2.7. SDK versions
With version 1.15.2 a new SDK version of the manufacturer callas has been implemented, wherein some improvements have been made and errors on the part of the manufacturers have been fixed. The following SDK versions are available in this release:
- Callas Software pdfToolbox 14.3.616-1
- Callas Software pdfChip 2.5.083
- Color Logic CrossXColor 1.20.4
- Global Graphics HHR 13.2.2
3. Improvements
The following improvements have also been implemented in version 1.15.2.
3.1. Measurement of Optical Brighteneers
Up to version 1.15.2, the measurement of the optical brighteners (OBA) was performed automatically if a linearization was measured with the "Reflection" measuring mode of the Barbieri LFP qb measuring instrument. This procedure could lead to extended measurement times. With version 1.15.2, the measurement of optical brighteners can optionally be deactivated.
To deactivate the automatic measurement of optical brighteners, proceed as follows:
- Navigate to Settings > Measurement Devices.
- Create the Barbieri Spectro LFP qb Measurement Device using the + New button or select an existing Barbieri Spectro LFP qp.
- In the Parameter Set area, select the desired Parameter Set or create a new one, making sure that the "Reflection" measurement mode is used.
- In the Parameter area, you can now activate or deactivate the Enable OBA Measurement [17] parameter by editing it.
Figure 12: The settings area of the menu item Administration > Measurement Devices with selected Measurement Device Barbieri Spectro LFP qb
3.2. Presets for Grid Charts
Up to version 1.15.2, the color field size had to be selected manually each time a Grid Chart was created. Since version 1.15.2 it is possible to define the default color field size for Grid Charts in the system settings of the Workflow.
To do this, proceed as follows:
- Navigate to Administration > Settings > Color Books & Grid Charts.
- In the General tab, select the desired Default Patch Size for Grid Chart [18].
- Save the setting.
Figure 13: The tab Color Books & Grid Charts with the setting Default Patch Size for Grid Chart
3.3. Filtern for Dimensions
Up to version 1.15.2, it was possible to filter the dimensions of an Article via the filter bar by specifying a from and to value. Since version 1.15.2 the dimensions are determined by entering minimum and maximum values. The default value for the filter is empty, the content in the filter chip is indicated with "≥" - greater than or equal to or "≤" - less than or equal to.
To set such a filter, proceed as follows:
- Navigate to Article > Article or Order > Print Items.
- In the filter bar, select Set Filter, which opens the Filter Options dialog.
- Select the Dimensions filter from the Add Filter selection box.
- Enter the desired values in the available fields. Note that the value "0" is excluded, so you could also leave the input blank.
- Click Apply to apply the filter to your Article selection.
Figure 14: Left: The filter Dimensions for Articles or Print Items Right: the display of a defined value
3.4. Create Color Setup without a Linearization
Up to version 1.15.2, it was possible to deactivate the options Create Linearization and Create Ink Limit when creating a Color Setup for printing system with Light colors. As of version 1.15.2, this is no longer possible, since both steps must be performed for the correct color calculation of a Color Setup with Light colors.
Figure 15: The dialog Add Color Setup for a Color Setup with Light inks
3.5. Small Improvements
In version 1.15.2 of the Workflow some more small improvements are available. These are:
Saving in the Impose Editor: In the previous version, a Production Job without any applied changes couldn't be saved in the Impose Editor. This behavior has been fixed. From this version, Production Jobs which are opened with the Impose Editor can be saved also when no changes have been applied. Thereby, it is e.g. possible to retrospectively save separate Tiles as Articles via the Tiling mode.
Fixup "Add a Second Dieline": Starting with version 1.15.2 a new V2 version of this Fixup is used in the Workflow.
Send a Production Job to the Printer: The function to edit a Production Job while the Job is sent to the Printer was disabled and isn't possible anymore from this version on.
Overprint in Grid Charts: The option "Overprint" is enabled by default in the Send to Printer dialog of a Grid Chart from this version on.
Head Turn in Step & Repeat Mode: This function shows which Head Turn is currently used for the Print Item.
Step & Repeat - Trim function: When distributing Print Items vertically and horizontally in a Step & Repeat imposition the Trim of the Width and the Height is taken into consideration. Previously the distribution of Print Items was forced to the set Height/Width.
RGB to Wide Gamut CMYK: This function was removed from Settings > Color Management from as well as from Production Job > Send to Printer > Advanced.
Artboards in the Impose Editor: The support of multiple Artboards was removed from the Impose Editor. If necessary this function is only accesible via the Debug Mode.
Shape Nesting for Hotfolder: When the function Prepare for Shape Nesting was disabled in Settings > Impose Editor Print Items with a selected Shape Nesting Template are nevertheless imposed according to their shape.
Duplicating Routines: Duplicating Routines is only possible when the Routine was stopped beforehand.
4. Fixed Bugs
The following bugs were fixed in this version.
4.1. Workflow
Creation of Grid Charts: When creating a Grid Chart via the setting area Spot Colors in the detail view of a Print Item already set information in regard to the Name and the Output Color Space of the Spot Color weren't taken over. This bug has been fixed.
Furthermore, when a Grid Chart was created out of an Article the chart couldn't be sent to the Printer and neither be edited. The reason was that the Name as well as the Base Spot Color weren't available. This bug was fixed.
Convert to Black: In the Process Colors settings area of the Print Item's detail view it was possible that for the Registration Color the button Convert to Black was missing. This bug was fixed.
Verification Measure dialog: It was possible that the Measure dialog of Verifications had to bo closed and reopenend for proper functioning when measuring multi-page measurements. This behavior has been fixed.
Compare Verifications - Check Compliance: When two Verifications with the Verification Method Compare were checked concerning their compliance an error was shown in the Workflow. This behavior was fixed.
Substrate management - Link to Printer: In the Substrate Definitions the Printer designation which was linked to the Printer via the Link to Printer button wasn't displayed. This bug was fixed.
Duplication of Fixup Chains: When duplicating Fixup Chains it was possible that values from the initial Fixup Chain weren't taken over. This behavior has been fixed.
Filter - Exclude for Articles: In the Article list it wasn't possible to exclude tags. This behavior was fixed.
4.2. Impose Editor
SC buttons: When using Barcodes in the Impose Editor it was possible that the buttons SC Size and Use SC Height were automatically activated. This behavior was fixed.
Group and Sort: When grouping and sorting user-defined fields it was possible that after defining a page-break the page-break wasn't present in the Imposition. This bug has been fixed.
Print Item Caption: When in Markers > Captions the origin was set to Print Items an error was displayed in the user interface. This error was fixed.
Various Print Items in Columns: When this arrangement was selected for the Grid Settings of a Step & Repeat the sorting order wasn't consistent. This behavior was fixed.
4.3. VDP Editor
Fill Color for Object Creation Tools: When creating objects in the VDP Editor it wasn't possible to use Data Source in the Fill Color Settings. This bug was fixed.
Technical Colors: When creating VDP Jobs with Technical Colors it was possible that the colors weren't identified in the cutfile. This bug was fixed.
5. Hot-Fixes
The designation for the Release of 30th August 2023 was "DW Build 1.15.2.(xxx)". The following Hotfixes were carried out in the following subversions.