For the Fixup to perform as intended, the following conditions must be met:

• The file path leads to a file that has been stored in the correct directory on the server, or the PDF is in the Print Item list.
• The Print Item to be placed is available in one of the supported file formats.
• The file to be placed is available in its original size.
• Files larger than 5.08 meters can also be processed.
• The file extensions .ps, .eps, .tiff, .tif, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .gif, .psd (from version 8.1), .psb (from version 11), .html, .htm and .svg can be processed as files to be placed.

Figure 1: The dialog of the Fixup Add Overlay

To overlay a Print Item on a PDF, you can use the following options:

• Templates [1] – the settings selected in the dialog can be saved as a Template and applied to other Articles/Print Items. These Templates can also be used in the Operations Apply Fixups and Check Print Item and Apply Fixups.
• Overlay Source [2] – select where the PDF file or Print Item to be overlaid is located. The following options are available:
  • File from the File System – if this option is selected, the file to be overlaid must be located on the workstation where the application is installed. The file path must be entered in the designated field.
  • From Print Item list – if this option is selected, a Print Item available in the Print Item list within the Workflow can be selected from the dropdown menu.
• File Path [3] – enter the path to the PDF file to be overlaid. Note that the file must be located on the workstation where the application is installed. If the option From Print Item list is selected as the Overlay Source, this field becomes a dropdown menu from which a Print Item can be selected. For Variable Content [13], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the file path should be retrieved.
• Place on Page [4] – for multipage files, you can specify the pages on which the PDF should be overlaid. If both the Print Item and the Overlay PDF are multipage files, you can define which pages the Overlay should be applied to by entering a page selection. Example (4-page Print Item, 2-page Overlay PDF): By entering "2-3" as the page selection, the Overlay is limited to pages 2 and 3. This places page 2 of the Overlay PDF on page 2 of the Print Item and page 1 of the Overlay PDF on page 3 of the Print Item. The Info Box [14] provides examples of valid page selection entries:
  • All – the file is overlaid on all pages.
  • 8 – the file is overlaid on page 8.
  • 1-6 – the file is overlaid on pages 1 to 6.
  • -3-1 – the file is overlaid on the last 3 pages.
  • even – the file is overlaid on even pages (page number).
  • odd – the file is overlaid on odd pages (page number).
  • 1-5,8,13-16 – the file is overlaid on pages 1 to 5, page 8, and pages 13 to 16.
• Origin [5] – use the dropdown menu to select the position where the PDF should be placed. The following options are available:
  • Page Center – the center of the PDF file to be overlaid is placed on the center of the Print Item.
  • Top – the center of the top edge of the PDF file to be overlaid is placed on the center of the top edge of the Print Item.
  • Bottom – the center point of the bottom edge of the PDF file to be overlaid is placed on the center point of the bottom edge of the Print Item.
  • Left – the center point of the left edge of the PDF file to be overlaid is placed on the center point of the left edge of the Print Item.
  • Lower Left Corner – the lower left corner of the PDF file to be overlaid is placed on the lower left corner of the Print Item.
  • Lower Right Corner – the lower right corner of the PDF file to be overlaid is placed on the lower right corner of the Print Item.
  • Right – the center of the right edge of the PDF file to be overlaid is placed on the center of the right edge of the Print Item.
  • Upper Left Corner – the upper left corner of the PDF file to be overlaid is placed on the upper left corner of the Print Item.
  • Upper Right Corner – the upper right corner of the PDF file to be overlaid is placed on the upper right corner of the Print Item.
• Offset Horizontal [6] – the Overlay PDF will be shifted by the specified value along the X-axis (horizontally). Positive "+" values move the file to the right, while negative "-" values move the file to the left. For Variable Content [7], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the horizontal offset should be retrieved.
• Offset Vertical [15] – the Overlay PDF will be shifted by the specified value along the Y-axis (vertically). Positive "+" values move the file up, while negative "-" values move it down. For Variable Content [16], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the vertical offset should be retrieved.
• Rotate [8] – enter the desired angle by which the placed file should be rotated. For Variable Content [17], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the rotation should be retrieved.
• Layer Name [9] – enter the name of the layer on which the placed file should be created. For Variable Content [18], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the layer name should be retrieved. If no separate layer is required, you must remove the entry in the layer name field.
• Mark layer as non-printing [10] – activating this option marks the newly created layer as non-printing. This ensures that, for example, a watermark is displayed on the screen but is not printed.
• Blend Mode [11] – use the dropdown menu to select the Blend Mode for the line. The following options are available:
  • Normal – a line set to Knockout with the specified color values is created.
  • Multiply – multiplies the colors of the placed Print Item with the underlying Print Item based on the color information of the individual channels. The placed Print Item is thus overprinted.
  • Overlay – performs a multiplication. The light and dark colors of the Print Item are retained. The colors in the Print Item are not replaced, but mixed with the colors of the placed Print Item to reflect the light and dark colors of the Print Item.
  • Screen (Negative Multiply) – performs a negative multiplication. The result is always a lighter color from the combination of both Print Items.
  • Darken – the colors of the Print Item are compared with the colors of the placed Print Item and the darker color is selected as the result color.
  • Lighten – the colors of the Print Item are compared with the colors of the placed Print Item and the lighter color is selected as the result color.
  • Color-dodge – the colors of the Print Item are compared with the placed Print Item by reducing contrast.
  • Color-burn – the colors of the Print Item are compared with the placed Print Item by increasing contrast.
  • Soft Light – the brightness of the Print Item is compared with that of the placed Print Item. If the color of the placed Print Item is darker than 50 percent gray, the color of the Print Item is darkened. The effect is similar to illuminating the image with spotlights.
  • Hard Light – the brightness of the Print Item is compared with that of the placed Print Item. If the color of the placed Print Item is lighter than 50 percent gray, the color of the Print Item is darkened. The effect is similar to illuminating the image with diffuse light.
  • Hue – uses the hue of the placed Print Item combined with the saturation and luminance of the original Print Item colors.
  • Exclusion – subtracts the color information of the darker Print Item from that of the lighter Print Item.
  • Luminosity – combines the hue and saturation of the Print Item with the luminance of the placed Print Item to create a result.
  • Saturation – combines the luminance and hue of the Print Item with the saturation of the placed Print Item to create a result.
  • Color – combines the luminance of the Print Item with the hue and saturation of the placed Print Item to create a result.
• Transparency Group [12] – select from the dropdown menu how transparencies in the placed file should be handled. The following options are available:
  • Isolated – the transparencies of the placed file are isolated and therefore not calculated against the background of the Print Item.
  • Not Isolated – the transparencies of the placed file are not isolated and are therefore calculated against the background of the Print Item.

To experiment with this function, you can use the sample file "Sample_Overlay PDF.pdf". This file contains four Print Items that are to be cut out. The file "Sample_Overlay PDF Dieline.pdf" contains the corresponding Dielines. Using this Fixup, both files can be overlaid.

After applying the Fixup, the resulting file "Sample_Overlay PDF_End.pdf" shows the Dielines placed on top of the Print Item. The values from Figure 1 were used for this process.

Figure 2: From left to right: Original file on which the Dielines are to be placed; the Dielines from the Overlay file; Edited file in which both PDF files have been overlaid

Article update: Workflow 1.22.0 – 11/2025