User Manual – Durst

2.2 Operation "Update Print Item details"

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In this article, you will learn

  • which configuration options are available in the Operation "Update Print Item details",
  • for which work steps you can use this Operation, and
  • how to use the Operation efficiently with a practical application example.

1. Introduction

As described in the article Create a Production Configuration, you can add various Operations within a Product Configuration. This article provides a detailed explanation of the prerequisites and possible applications of the Operation Update Print Item details.

The Operation Update Print Item details can be used in Production Configurations that cover the entire Workflow, from uploading print data to the Workflow through to the final output. This results in the following application scenarios:

  • Standalone use within a Production Configuration – for example, to update the Print Item status or to specifically set a value in a Custom Field for selected Print Items.
  • Multiple uses within the same Production Configuration are possible.
  • Flexible placement within the Production Configuration – except after the following Operations, after which the Operation Update Print Item details cannot be used:
    • Create Imposition
    • Create Imposition with Auto-Nesting
    • Create Production Job
    • Create Production Job from Imposition
    • Send to Printer

The Operation Update Print Item details offers numerous options for control and customization within automated Workflows. The most common use cases include:

  • Changing the Print Item status – for example, to mark a successfully revised Print Item as ready for printing.
  • Adjusting the Print Item name – to standardize naming or to reflect a previous Workflow step.
  • Updating the number of copies – based on information from preceding Operations.
  • Adding "tags" – to mark processed Print Items or categorize them according to specific production characteristics.
  • Assigning finishing steps – to mark operations performed in subsequent production stages (e.g., die cutting, assembly, or comparable processes).
  • Entering additional information in the input field Print Item Information – to leave internal notes or production-relevant messages directly on the Print Item.
  • Setting or updating values in user-defined fields – to specifically manage metadata or support individual Workflows.    

2. Functionality

The core function of the Operation Update Print Item details is to selectively modify uploaded print data within the Workflow by repeatedly adjusting or updating Print Item details after various Operations.

The primary objective of this Operation is to optimally prepare Print Items for downstream processes – for example, by setting the appropriate status to control further processing, or by updating or assigning values in specific fields (e.g., User-defined Fields, Print Item Information, Number of copies, etc.). These targeted modifications ensure that Print Items meet the requirements of subsequent Workflow stages and can be processed without interruption.

2.1. Add Operation

To add the Operation Update Print Item details, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the corresponding Production Configuration via Automation > Product Configurations, then switch to the tab Operations.
  2. Add the Operation Update Print Item details to the Operation list. By default, the Operation will be inserted at the end of the existing Operation list.
  3. Move the Operation to the desired position within the configuration. Be sure to observe the placement restrictions mentioned earlier – particularly those concerning Operations after which this step cannot be inserted.

2.2. Install Operation

After adding the Operation Update Print Item details, you must define the required parameters within the Production Configuration. The Operation dialog provides – in addition to the option to set the Print Item Status – three additional configuration tabs – General, Advanced, and User-defined Fields.

2.2.1. Update Print Item details – Status

In the dropdown menu Status [1] (Figure 1), the following options are available to update the status of the Print Item or Article:

  • Created – indicates in the Workflow that the Print Item or Article has been created, but an error occurred during creation or the process has not yet been completed. This status is automatically assigned by the Workflow.
  • Data Check – indicates in the Workflow that the Print Item or Article has been created and checked, but warnings or errors occurred during the preflight check. This status is automatically set by the Workflow if the print data check was not completed without hits.
  • Normalized – indicates in the Workflow that the print data for the Print Item or Article has been successfully created and validated without errors or warnings. This status is automatically set by the Workflow when the check completes without hits.
  • Final Artwork – indicates in the Workflow that the print data for the Print Item or Article is complete and correctly prepared for production. This status is not set automatically by the Workflow and must be assigned either manually or via the Operation Update Print Item details.
  • Waiting for Approval – indicates in the Workflow that the Print Item or Article is part of an Approval Project that has not yet been completed. This status is automatically assigned by the Workflow as soon as the Approval Project Process is initiated for the Print Item or Article.
  • Approved – indicates in the Workflow that the Print Item or Article has been manually approved either by an operator or the end customer within the Approval Project. This status is automatically set by the Workflow once the Print Item or Article is approved.
  • Imposed – indicates in the Workflow that the Print Item or Article has been included in at least one Imposition. It does not confirm whether all required copies have been fully placed. This status is automatically set by the Workflow when the Print Item or Article is saved in an Imposition.
  • Sent to Printer – indicates in the Workflow that the Print Item or Article has been successfully rendered and Sent to Printer at least once. It does not confirm that the total quantity has been printed. This status is automatically assigned after the execution of the Operation Sent to Printer.
  • Printed – indicates in the Workflow that the Print Item or Article has been printed at least once. It does not indicate whether all required copies have been printed. This status is set automatically by the Workflow when the Production system confirms the Production Job has started. Note that this status can only be set if the printing system provides corresponding feedback to the Workflow.
  • Quantity Reached – indicates in the Workflow that the total quantity of copies specified in the job has been fully printed for the Print Item. This status is automatically set by the Workflow once the required number of sheets containing the Print Item have been printed for the Imposition. Note that this status can only be set if the printing system provides corresponding feedback to the Workflow.

2.2.2. Update Print Item details – General

In the tab General [2] of the Operation Update Print Item details, the following configuration options are available:

  • Name [3] – define the new name of the Print Item after the update. You can enter static text, use placeholders via Insert Placeholder [4], or combine both to create dynamic naming structures.
  • Ext. ID (External ID) [5] – specify the new external ID of the Print Item after the update. You can also combine static text with placeholders by Insert Placeholder [6] to create customized IDs.
  • Copies [9] – specify the number of copies the Print Item should have after the update. The entered value will overwrite any previously assigned number of copies for the Print Item.
  • Expected Width [7] – define the expected width of the Print Item or Print Items after the update. Note that only the expected width is updated. The actual width of the Print Item remains unchanged.
  • Expected Height [10] – define the expected height of the Print Item or Print Items after the update. Note that only the expected height is updated. The actual height of the Print Item remains unchanged.
  • Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template [8] – this parameter cannot be set for the Print Item, as it has already been checked into the Workflow using a template. Changes at this stage are not permitted.

Figure 1: The tab General of the Operation Update Print Item details

2.2.3. Update Print Item details – Advanced

In the tab Advanced [11] of the Operation Update Print Item details, the following parameters can be configured:

  • Winding Type [12] – specify the winding type to be assigned to the Print Item or Article after the update. The following options are available:
    • Outside – Top off First
    • Outside – Bottom off First
    • Outside – Left Side off First
    • Outside – Right Side off First
    • Inside – Top off First
    • Inside – Bottom off First
    • Inside – Left Side off First
    • Inside – Right Side off First
  • No. of Pages [18] – define the total number of pages the Print Item should have after the update.
  • Post Processing Steps [13] – select the post processing steps to be assigned to the Print Item following the update. The available steps must be previously defined in the Workflow under Administration > Settings > Post Printing Steps.
  • Rotation for Imposition [14] – specify the desired rotation of the Print Item or Article within an Imposition that the Print Item should have after the update. The following values are available:
    • 0°
    • 90°
    • 180°
    • 270°
    • In Feeding Direction
    • Across Feeding Direction
  • Tags [15] – assign tags that should be applied to the Print Item after the update. You can select from all tags configured under Administration > Settings > Tags > Print Item & Article.
  • Print Item Info [16] – enter  the information to be displayed in the field Print Item Info after the update. The input can consist of static text as well as placeholders by Insert Placeholder [17].

Figure 2: The tab Advanced of the Operation Update Print Item details

2.2.4. Update Print Item details – User-defined Fields

In the tab User-defined Fields of the Operation Update Print Item details, you can define or modify values for the User-defined Fields. All User-defined Fields created under Administration > Settings > User-defined Fields > Article & Print Item are available for selection. For each field, you can specify the value to be set during the update process. Inputs may consist of static text as well as dynamic placeholders.

Figure 3: The tab User-defined Fields of the Operation Update Print Item details

2.3. Placeholders for Print Item Name, External ID, and Print Item Information

By clicking the button Insert Placeholder [4] [6] [17] (Figure 1 and Figure 2), the dialog Select Placeholder opens. This dialog displays all available placeholders relevant to the respective input field. These placeholders allow you to insert dynamic information into the fields – such as data related to the Print Item, Article, Production Job, or User-defined Fields. During execution of the Operation, the placeholders are automatically replaced with the current values, allowing for flexible and context-sensitive updates to Print Item details.

Figure 4: The dialog Select Placeholder for dynamically populating input fields

Useful Placeholder Configurations

The wide range of available placeholders offers users great flexibility for dynamic string composition – however, the extensive selection can initially seem overwhelming at first. The following examples demonstrate useful placeholder configurations using the input field "Print Item Name" as a reference:

  • ${global.random_guid} – generates a unique Print Item Name based on a randomly created GUID – e.g., a3328987-ac65-4a48-a29d-82c89ee1d471.
  • ${factory_job.file_ref.plain_name} – generates a Print Item Name derived from the source file name, excluding the file extension – e.g., Inaccurate_TrimBox_End.
  • ${global.random_guid} | ${factory_job.file_ref.name}– combines a unique GUID with the current file name, including the file extension – e.g., a3328987-ac65-4a48-a29d-82c89ee1d471 | Banner.pdf.
  • ${factory_job.file_ref.plain_name} #${factory_job.quantity} – generates a Print Item Name derived based on the file name without the file extension, appended with the planned number of copies – e.g., Inaccurate_TrimBox_End #30.

File Names via the API

When files are checked into the Workflow via the API, they are typically assigned a GUID or an automatically generated name by default. This can impact placeholders that reference the original file name. For example, if you use placeholders "File > File name" or "File > File name (without extension)", the files will be named with the string "2173167_m-54963-85b76edc-47b4-491e-b798-51d00ef1fb87. pdf".

Therefore, we recommend using the placeholder "Print Item > Print Item Name", as it refers to the Print Item Name already stored in the Workflow – potentially set by the user – ensuring a meaningful and descriptive naming convention.

3. Update Print Item details - Use Case

This section provides an example to help you experiment with the Operation Update Print Item details.

In this use case, print data that has already been uploaded to the Workflow as Articles is standardized to a uniform size and then assign the status "Final Artwork". The example demonstrates the production of postcards, with the goal of producing them in a predefined format.

To implement this Workflow, you need to create a Production Configuration consisting of three Operations, executed in the following order – Update Print Item details, followed by Apply Fixup Chain, and again Update Print Item details. To set up the Workflow, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Automation > Production Configurations entry from the main menu.
  2. Create a new Production Configuration. For detailed instructions, refer to the article Create a Production Configuration.
  3. In the tab General [19], assign a name to the Production Configuration, then switch to the tab Operations [20].
  4. First, add the Operation Update Print Item details [21] to the Production Configuration.
  5. In the configuration dialog, enter the desired values for the Expected Height and Expected Width [24] of the Print Items – e.g., 150 mm x 80 mm. Note that these values only update the metadata of the Print Item or Article. The print data itself is not physically scaled. Therefore, a Fixup Chain is added in the next step to perform the actual scaling.

Figure 5: The dialog Add Production Configuration with the Operations required for this example

  1. Add the Operation Apply Fixup Chain [22] (Figure 5), which includes the required Fixups. In this example, the Fixup Scale Page Content – Width and Height is used to scale the Print Item to a defined size. Configure the Fixup as follows (Figure 6):
    • Set the Scale Method [26] to Fit from outside (Cut page).
    • Set the Scale Option to Scaling absolute [27].
    • Enable the Variable Content [28].
    • Select Expected Width and Expected Height as the scaling values.
  2. Then, add the Operation Update Print Item details [23] once again (Figure 5), and set the Status to the desired target value – in this example, Final Artwork.
  3. Save the Production Configuration by clicking the button Save [25] (Figure 5).

Figure 6: The Fixup Chain with the Fixup Scale Page Content – Width and Height applied

  1. Download the sample file – Update Print Item details_postcards.
  2. In the main menu, navigate to Articles > Articles.
  3. Upload the sample files as new Articles into the Workflow for training purposes.
  4. Select the print data that was previously uploaded from the list of Articles.
  5. Click on Additional Functions ... [29], then select Create Automation Job [30].
  6. In the dialog Create Automation Job that opens, you can start the desired automation process.

Figure 7: The list of Articles with the selected menu Create Automation Job

  1. In the dialog that opens, select the previously created configuration – in this example named "Update Print Item details" – from the Production Configuration [31] selection menu.
  2. Click Execute [32] to start the Automation Job.

Figure 8: The dialog Create Automation Job with the selected Production Configuration

  1. The process starts with the creation of an Automation Job, which sequentially executes all three configured Operations.
  2. The progress of the Automation Job can be monitored in real time via Automation > Automation Jobs.
  3. Click the first entry [33] in the process bar to open the Process Overview and view detailed information about the execution and status of the individual steps.

Figure 9: The list of Automation Jobs under Automation > Automation Jobs

  1. By selecting the respective step [34] in the Process Overview, you can view detailed information about the executed processes and the corresponding results within this step.

Figure 10: The dialog Process Overview for all three Operations in the Production Configuration

  1. Upon completion of the process, the Print Items have been scaled to the defined target size, and their status has been successfully set to Final Artwork.
  2. By clicking on the Name of the Print Item [35] (Figure 10), you can open the Print Item that was created or updated as part of the Automation Job.
  3. The Print Item now has the expected dimensions [36] of 150 mm x 80 mm and is set to the Status Final Artwork [37].

Figure 11: The processed Articles in the Articles Overview with the desired Dimensions and Status

Article Update: Workflow Version 1.20.1 – 05/2025

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2. Operations 3
3. Integration Possibilities 1
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