In this article, you will learn
- which functions are available in the Operation,
- for which tasks the Operation is applicable, as well as
- about a use case.
1. Introduction
As described in the article Create a Production Configuration, you can add various Operations to a Production Configuration. This article describes in detail the prerequisites and options offered in the Operation Check-in Artwork and Normalize Print Data.
The Operation Check-in Artwork and Normalize Print Data is inserted at the beginning of Production Configurations that map an entire Operation from uploading Print Data to the Workflow to Output. Whether or not you need to use this Operation can be explained as follows:
- If Print Data needs to be checked into the Workflow, the Operation must be added to the Production Configuration. This is the case if you want to upload Print Data to the Workflow via a Hotfolder or through the menu items Quick Print and Batch Processing. Omitting this Operation would result in an error for the Automation Job.
- If you want to apply a Production Configuration to Print Data that is already uploaded to the Workflow as Print Items or Articles, using this Operation is not necessary, since the Print Data has already been checked in and normalized in an earlier step. However, if the Operation is still in a Production Configuration, this will not cause an error, as the Operation will be skipped in this case.
2. Function and Purpose of the Operation
The main function of the Operation Check-in Artwork and Normalize Print Data is to apply a Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template [1] to Print Data that is uploaded to the Workflow. This Template is used to verify that the print file meets defined requirements and to apply the corresponding Fixups for normalization.
The goal of this step is to bring the Print Data to a normalized and optimized state for production. Based on this state the user can add necessary add-ons for production and start the approval process for the Artwork.
2.1. Set Up Operation
After adding the Operation Check-in Artwork and Normalize, the desired parameters for the Production Configuration must be selected.
Figure 1: The dialog Add Production Configuration with the Operation Check-in Artwork and Normalize selected
The following options are available for configuring the Operation:
- Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template [1] – select the Template from the dropdown menu that should be applied when uploading Print Data. The comment [2] for the Template is displayed below.
-
Name [3] – determine how the Print Item name should be displayed by clicking Insert Placeholder [4]. The placeholder File Name (without extension) is inserted by default and ensures that the Print Item name corresponds to the file name of the print file.
Note: If you want to display the placeholders as chips, click on the list icon [5]. - Scale Factor [6] – determine the scale factor to be used to scale the print file during upload. This allows Print Data that was originally created in 1:10 to be scaled to the final size. This ensures that size checks, resolution checks, and the check and creation of the Bleed to be defined in the effective size.
- Preflight the first page only [7] – by activating this option, only the first page of a multipage print file is checked. This accelerates the check-in process for multipage documents and is also required to prevent the preparation of all pages for extensive VDP Print Data. The print file is still normalized.
- Preflight only (no correction) [8] – activating this option will only initiate a check of the print file. The step for normalizing the print file is skipped.
- Use Bleed from PDF [9] – by enabling this toogle, users can specify whether the Bleed for the print file should be taken from the PDF itself or whether predefined Bleed should be applied for the expected output.
-
Create Article [10] – when enabled, the print file will be created as an Article. Optionally, additional information can be assigned to the Article at creation.
- Substrate Category [11] – assign a Substrate Category. By selecting one, the default Substrate [12] and the corresponding Color Policy [13] will also be assigned. This allows Articles to be categorized for subsequent process steps with regard to Substrate.
- Customer [14] – Optional assignment of a customer. This is only meaningful in Automation if print data is always stored by the same customer, for example, a Hotfolder.
- Select Collections or Create Collection [15] – Optionally assign the print file to an existing or a new collection. The first option is only useful if you want to assign all files in an existing Collection [16], for example, files from webshop A. Creating a collection based on defined placeholders is useful, for example, for grouping Articles into a Collection with the name of a customer, order number, or purchase order number in the Workflow.
Notes on the options "Preflight the first page only" and "Check only (no correction)"
Preflight the first page only: Activate this option if you want to automate the processing of multipage print data with a large number of pages and are certain that the first page does not differ from the following pages with regard to the criteria that should be checked. This is particularly the case with Variable Print Data, where only the Barcode or Serial Number, for example, would change on the following pages. Please note that activating this option means that only the first page in the Workflow is saved with a Preview Image and meta information. You will not be able to view subsequent pages in detail within the Workflow, since by enabling this option you have indicated to the system that all pages are identical in terms of size and metadata.
Check Only (no correction): Enable this option if the print data originates from upstream processes that have already applied the normalization step to the print data in a different way. When activating this option, you must be sure that all normalization conditions have been correctly mapped in the print data and that the corresponding mapping of Spot Colors has been set up correctly in the Workflow.
2.2. Placeholders for Print Item Names
Clicking on the button Insert Placeholder [4] (Figure 1) opens the dialog Select Placeholder with the available placeholders for the Print Item name.
The following placeholders are available:
Figure 2: The dialog Select Placeholder for dynamic naming of the Print Item name
Useful placeholder configurations
The variety of placeholders does not make it easier for the user. We would like to present you some useful placeholder configurations below:
-
${global.random_guid}– generates a Print Item name with a unique number, e.g., a3328987-ac65-4a48-a29d-82c89ee1d471. -
${factory_job.file_ref.plain_name}– generates a Print Item name that is identical to the File Name but without the File Extension, e.g. Inaccurate_TrimBox_End. -
${global.random_guid}_${factory_job.file_ref.name}– generates a Print Item name consisting of a unique number along with the current File Name with 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 that is identical to the File Name but without the File Extension, followed by the number of copies, e.g., Inaccurate_TrimBox_End #30.
3. Use Case
In the following example, print data should be uploaded to the Workflow via Automation > Batch Processing and all Print Items with a defined pattern for the Print Item name should be stored together in a Production Job. To achieve this, a Production Configuration must be created with two Operations – Check-in and Normalize, followed by Create Production Job – set up in the defined order. To do this, proceed as follows:
- Select the menu item Automation > Production Configurations.
- Create a new Production Configuration. For detailed information, refer to the article Create a Production Configuration.
- In the tab General [18], assign a name to the Production Configuration and then switch to the tab Operations [17].
- First, add the Operation Check-in Artwork and Normalize [19] to the Production Configuration.
- Select the Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates [21] Workflow Default Preflight and add the placeholders with free text as shown in the field Name [22]. Selecting the placeholders generates the Print Item name consisting of the File Name, the Current Date and the Name of the user – e.g. MyFile 09.02.2025 (hps).
- Then add the Operation Create Production Job [20] to the Production Configuration and define the desired settings.
- Save the Production Configuration.
Figure 3: The dialog Add Production Configuration with the two Operations required for this example
- Navigate to Automation > Batch Processing.
- In the tab Execute Batch Production [23], add the desired files from your local computer using + Choose Files [24]. Enter the desired number of copies for each Print Item in Quantity [27].
- Then select the previously created configuration from the dropdown list for the Production Configuration [25] and activate the option Use Print Item Name from Operation "Check-in Artwork and Normalize" [26], so that the selected pattern is used for the Print Item name in the Operation.
- Click Start [28] to start the Operation Batch Processing.
Figure 4: The settings area of the menu item Batch Processing
- In the dialog Batch Processing that now opens, check the settings again.
- Click Start Batch Production [29] to start the Operation.
Figure 5: The dialog Batch Processing for confirming the execution
- After a while – processing may take some time depending on your computer system or the workload in the Workflow – navigate to Production Jobs > Production Jobs.
- You can track the progress of individual Automation Jobs either in the tab Batch Processing History of the menu item Automation > Batch Processing or via Automation > Automation Jobs.
- The created Production Job is displayed in the list of Production Jobs.
Figure 6: A detailed view of a Production Job containing three Print Items
Article update: Version 1.21.2 – 08/2025