Find out in this Article,
- which tasks can be carried out in the Print Item Editor,
- how to open the Print Item Editor and
- for which purposes the desktop version of the Print Item Editor is needed.
1. Introduction
After a detailed analysis, some PDF files require changes before the print file is finally sent to the printer. This is exactly where the Print Item Editor comes into the picture in the Workflow. The following chapter will introduce you to the functions of the Print Item Editor.
2. Functions
The Print Item Editor in the browser provides basic features for analyzing and editing PDF files in prepress. The Editor allows you to edit Print Items no matter whether in Articles, Orders, or Production Jobs. Print Items don't have to be downloaded from the Workflow, edited manually, and checked in again, but can be edited directly via the Print Item Editor. The Print Item Editor can be used to analyze print data; add, edit, and delete Page Boxes; extract Barcode / QR Code information; and assign One-Ups to a Print Item.
3. Open the Print Item Editor in the Workflow
There are two possibilites to open the Print Item Editor in the Workflow which apply to Print Items of an Order or Production Job as well as to Articles. These are the following:
In both cases, open the Print Data tab in the detail view of a Print Item or Article. Therein, open the Print Item Editor by either:
- clicking on the "Open Print Item Editor" button [1] or
- double-clicking on the Print Item preview [2]
Figure 1: Detail view of a Print Item in a Production Job
4. Print Item Editor at a Glance
As soon as you have opened the Print Item Editor, access the needed functions via the toolbar [4] or via the individual setting areas [8]. The Print Item Editor's functions are grouped into individual tabs according to their area of application.
Once all editing is complete, the user can close the Print Item Editor [9]. The changes are automatically applied or saved during the individual steps.
Figure 2: The Analysis tab of the Print Item Editor
4.1. Tabs
The Print Item Editor currently offers four tabs, each of which offers the user theme-related functions regarding the following areas of application:
- Analysis [3] - here, the individual color separations and the existing Page Boxes are displayed
- Page Box [5] - here, the user can create, delete and reposition Page Boxes
- Barcode / QR code [6] - here, the content and symbology of barcodes / QR codes is displayed and available for inspection
- One-Up [7] - here, it is possible to assign One-Ups to a Print Item, to position Glueing Codes, and replace the existing Technical Colors of the Print Item with the Technical Colors of the One-Up
Not all tabs are always available
Depending on the installed license, not all tabs may be accessible to the user. If you have any questions on how to use other functional areas than the ones that are currently available to you, please contact your sales partner.
4.2. Toolbar
Depending on the tab, various tools are available in the toolbar. The following tools are available in all tabs:
-
Measure Tool
M[10] – Use this tool to measure the distance by clicking on the starting point on the Print Item and subsequently clicking on the end point. While using the Measure Tool, zoom in and out as required or dynamically switch to the Hand Tool. The following shortcut keys are available:-
+– after the Measure Tool was selected zoom in by pressing the+key. -
-– after the Measure Tool was selected zoom out by pressing the–key. -
g– hold down thegkey to dynamically switch to the Hand Tool. Thereby the shown section can be manually adjusted.
-
-
Hand Tool
G[11] – with this tool pan the visible section on the Artboard by clicking and dragging. -
Zoom Tool
Z[12]– with this tool, the mouse pointer changes to a magnifying glass with a "+" symbol in its center. There are different possibilities available for zooming:- click with the "+" magnifying glass on the point you would like to zoom.
- additionally hold down the
Ctrlkey (Windows) or thecmdkey (macOS) to change the "+" magnifying glass to "-". Click to zoom out. - Create a rectangle around the area that should be visible after zooming. Thereby, the selected section is zoomed in. In this case, it doesn't matter whether the "-" magnifying glass or the "+" magnifying glass is shown.
-
Fit to Width
W[13] – this tool is used to fit the Print Item to the width of the window. -
Fit to Height
H[14] – this tool is used to fit the Print Item to the height of the window.
Figure 3: The Toolbar in the Print Item Editor
4.3. Setting areas
The range of functions in the different setting areas can vary greatly depending on the tab. In the setting areas, you can select parameters, enter values, and select functions based on the context. A detailed list of all functions in their respective setting areas can be found in the Articles Analysis, Page Geometry, Barcode / QR code, and One-Up.
Figure 4: From left to right: The setting areas in the tabs Analysis, Page Geometry; Barcode / QR Code, and One-Up
5. PDF Editor
The PDF Editor is available for macOS and Windows and offers advanced analysis, editing, and optimization functions, allowing you to quickly edit print data in detail. To ensure smooth operating within the application, users can access the Workflow directly in the desktop version of the PDF Editor. Thereby, users can draw on print files, open them directly from the Workflow, and subsequently save the corrected version in the Workflow.
Further information on which functions are available in the PDF Editor and how to obtain the installer and a license can be found in the application's manual.
Artikel update: Workflow 1.17.0 – 02/2024