As described in the article Creating a Production Configuration, you can add various Operations to a Production Configuration. This article provides a detailed description of the prerequisites and options offered by the Operation Check Print Item and forward to.    

When processing Print Items, it may be necessary to check the print data and then continue processing based on the Preflight results. The Operation Check Print Item and forward to performs exactly this task. Print items can be evaluated according to defined criteria within the structure of the print file, and depending on the results, they can be automatically forwarded to another Production Configuration. This allows you to chain multiple Production Configurations sequentially, based on specific parameters.

The Operation Check Print Item and forward to can be used in Production Configurations that cover an entire process – from uploading print data into the Workflow to output – as well as when applying Production Configurations to selected Articles or Print Items.

The content that is checked depends on the Preflight options available in the Workflow. Examples of Checks and Actions or Fixups that can be triggered based on the results include:

• You want to check the Size of the Print Item and, depending on the Preflight result, forward the Print Item to a Production Configuration – for example, to apply a different distortion – or, if the size is correct, continue with the next step.
• You want to check whether the Print Item is a Multipage Print Item and, depending on the Preflight result, forward it to a Production Configuration to split the Multipage Print Item – or, if it is already single-page, continue with the next step.
• You want to check for the Availability of a Spot Color in the Print Item and, depending on the Preflight result, forward it to a Production Configuration where the TrimBox is set to the Dieline – or, if the Spot Color is not present – continue with the next step.
• You want to check for the Availability of PageBoxes in the Print Item and, depending on the Preflight result, forward it to a Production Configuration where the PageBoxes of all pages will be synchronized – or, if no PageBoxes are found, continue with the next step.
• You want to check the Number of Pages of a Print Item and, depending on the Preflight result, forward it to a Production Configuration where missing pages are added to reach a multiple of four – or, if the number of pages is already a multiple of four, continue with the next step.
• You want to check whether all pages in the Print Item are of the same size and, depending on the Preflight result, forward it to a Production Configuration where the TrimBox of the first page is applied to all pages – or, if all pages are already the same size, continue with the next step.
• You want to check the Image Resolution of the Print Item and, depending on the Preflight result, forward it to a Production Configuration where the image resolution is upscaled – or, if the resolution is sufficient, continue with the next step.
• You want to check whether Bleed is required or incomplete for the Print Item and, depending on the Preflight result, forward it to a Production Configuration where the Bleed is mirrored behind or onto the existing Bleed – or, if sufficient Bleed is already present, continue with the next step.

The Operation Check Print Item and forward to can, with the exceptions below, be added flexibly and multiple times within a Production Configuration. The following Operations must not be used before the Operation Check Print Item and forward to:

• Create Impose – as this only generates a Production Job from the Imposition.
• Create Impose with Auto Nesting – as this only generates a Production Job from the Imposition.
• Create Production Job – as this can only be used to transfer the Production Job to the printer.
• Create Production Job for Tracks – as this can only be used to transfer the Production Job to the printer.
• Create Production Job from Imposition – as this can only be used to transfer the Production Job to the printer.
• Send to Printer – as no further Operations can be applied to rendered data.
• Export Imposition Report – as this is only used to create and export an Imposition Report after a Production Job has been created.

The primary function of the Operation Check Print Item and forward to is to check Print Items in the Workflow against defined quality criteria and, depending on the Preflight results, forward them to another Production Configuration. Based on the selected check criteria, the print data is either assigned to a subsequent Production Configuration or processing continues with the next step in the current Production Configuration.

The purpose of this Operation is to ensure that Print Items are transferred to the appropriate process for further handling. The specific check and the subsequent forwarding to another Production Configuration ensure that the Print Item meets the requirements of the next steps and can be processed smoothly.

In the following example, print data is uploaded into the Workflow via Automation > Batch Processing, and all Print items are checked for the size of the TrimBox. If the Print Items are greater than or equal to 100 × 100 mm, they are forwarded to the Production Configuration "Poster Production". If the Print Items are smaller than 100 × 100 mm, they are forwarded to the Production Configuration "Sticker Production". Finally, the Print Items are processed in separate Production Jobs with Imposition.

To implement this process, a Production Configuration must be created with three Operations in the specified order – Check-in Artwork and Normalize, followed by Check Status, and finally Check Print Item and forward to. Proceed as follows:

1. Select the menu item Automation > Production Configurations.
2. Create a new Production Configuration. Instructions on how to do this can be found in the article Creating a Production Configuration.
3. In the tab General [9], assign a Name to the Production Configuration and then switch to the tab Operations [8].
4. First, add the Operation Check-in Artwork and Normalize [10] to the Production Configuration. Select the desired Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template. In this example, the Template Workflow Default Preflight was used. No changes were made to the default Operation settings.
5. Next, add the Operation Check Status [11] and select Normalized as the status to be checked. Only Print Items that are already normalized will be forwarded to the subsequent Production Configurations.
6. Then, add the Operation Check Print Item and forward to [12] and select the check Check the Size of the PageBox [13].
7. Click Edit [16] and configure the check as follows:
   • The PageBox to be checked is the TrimBox
   • The PageBox is greater than or equal to the defined value
   • The dimensions are 100 x 100 mm
   • The Tolerance is 3 mm
   • The page orientation should be ignored
8. This checks whether the TrimBox of the Print Items is greater than or equal to 100 x 100 mm. Only if this is the condition is met the check is successful.
9. Save the new Template, add a detailed description, and click Apply.
10. If the check matches, the print data is greater than or equal to 100 x 100 mm and should therefore be forwarded to the Production Configuration "Poster Production". In the dropdown menu of Action, select the entry Perform Operation [14].
11. Then select the Production Configuration Poster Production [15] to which the Print Items should be forwarded when the dimensions are at least 100 × 100 mm. In this Production Configuration, a Dieline and a Bleed area added to the Print Item. A Production Job and an Imposition are then created automatically. The Production Configuration used is available for download at the end of this document.
12. If the check does not match, the print data is smaller than 100 x 100 mm and should therefore be forwarded to the Production Configuration "Sticker Production". In the dropdown menu of Action, select the entry Perform Operation [17].
13. Then select the Production Configuration Sticker Production [18] to which the Print Items should be forwarded when the dimensions are less than 100 × 100 mm. In this Production Configuration, a Dieline and a Bleed area added to the Print Item. A Production Job and an Imposition are then created automatically. The Production Configuration used is available for download at the end of this document.
14. Finally, save the Production Configuration by clicking Save.

Figure 2: The dialog Edit Production Configuration with the Operations required for this example

15. Navigate to Automation > Batch Processing.
16. In the tab Execute Batch Processing [19], add the desired files from your local computer by clicking Choose Files [20]. In this example, the Print Items Poster_01 and Poster_02 have dimensions of 355 x 508 mm, while the Print Items Crown Seal_Cyan and Crown Seal_Green have dimensions of 82 x 82 mm.
17. Enter the desired number of copies for each Print Item in Quantity [22].
18. Then select the previously created Configuration from the dropdown list of Production Configuration [21].
19. Click Start [23] to begin the Batch Processing.

Figure 3: The settings area of the menu item Batch Processing

20. In the dialog Batch Processing that opens, review the settings once again.
21. Click Start Batch Production [24] to start the process.

Figure 4: The dialog Batch Processing for confirming execution

22. After some time – processing time may vary depending on the system performance and the current workload in the Workflow – navigate to Automation > Automation Jobs.
23. You can monitor the progress of the individual Automation Jobs either in the tab Batch Processing History under the menu item Automation > Batch Processing or via Automation > Automation Jobs.
24. The created Production Jobs are displayed in the list of Production Jobs.

Figure 5: The list of created Production Jobs