In this article, you will learn
- which prerequisites are required for this Fixup, and
- how to apply this Fixup.
1. Introduction
In the Workflow, the Fixup Adjust Size is available. The purpose of this Fixup is to check the size of the file and adjust it if necessary. Optionally, a Bleed can be added and additional areas can be generated to ensure that the print file is properly prepared for production.
2. General
The Fixup Adjust Size can be used to verify the size of a file and correct it if necessary. If the file does not match the expected dimensions, it is scaled to the target size, provided that the maximum defined distortion is not exceeded. In addition, extra areas – such as those required for a roll-up – as well as a Bleed for the production size can be generated. If the Fixup is successful, you will receive a PDF file in the defined production size, including Bleed.
Processing Print Files with Scale
If a Print File is supplied at a scale – for example 1:2, 1:5 or 1:10 – it is first scaled to 100%. All subsequent modifications are then applied based on this scaled state, ensuring that the file is handled within the application at a 1:1 scale.
You can find the Fixup in the tab Data Preparation of an Article, Order, or Production Job by:
- Entering the name of the Fixup in the section Filter,
- Activating the option LFP in the section Category,
- Activating the option Increase, Change and Create in the section Action, and
- Activating the option Banner, Bleed, Edge Reinforcement in the section Property.
3. Description
The Fixup Adjust Size prepares print data for production by processing the file size accordingly. The size is verified and adjusted if necessary, a Bleed for the production format is created, and additional areas are generated for the file. If a print file consists of multiple pages with different sizes – for example, a tablecloth whose individual parts are sewn together during post-processing – separate parts can be defined for the different sizes. This allows Multipage files with different sizes to be corrected as well.
Visible Size – Production Size – Bleed
For certain products – such as roll-ups – a distinction is made between the visible size and the production size.
The visible size refers to the area that remains visible once the product is assembled. The production size additionally includes those areas required for production purposes, such as extra areas. In addition to the production size, a Bleed – which is trimmed off during finishing – may also be required for production.
In the PDF, the production size corresponds to the TrimBox. In most cases, the visible size and production size are identical. A distinction is only necessary if the print file is supplied at the visible size and must be adjusted for production. In this case, the option Mode for adding Page Content is used.
3.1. Prerequisites and Functionality
No special conditions are required for the Fixup to perform as intended. You only need to know the size of the visible area and the production size.
The Fixup is divided into several logically separate tabs, each providing specific functionality. A detailed description of the individual tabs is provided below.
The following options are available for adjusting the size:
- Templates [1] – the settings selected in the dialog can be saved as a Template and applied to other Articles/Print Items. They can aso be used in the Operations Apply Fixups and Check Print Item and Apply Fixups.
3.1.1. Tab "Basic Settings"
The following options are available in the tab Basic Settings:
- Width – Visible Size [2] – enter the desired width of the visible area, e.g., the width that will ultimately be visible. For Variable Content [3], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the Visible Width should be retrieved.
- Height – Visible Size [4] – enter the desired height of the visible area, e.g., the height that will ultimately be visible. For Variable Content [5], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the Visible Height should be retrieved.
- Width – Production Size [11] – enter the desired width of the production size, e.g., the width that must be produced without Bleed. For Variable Content [12], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the Production Width should be retrieved.
- Height – Production Size [13] – enter the desired height of the production size, e.g., the height that must be produced without Bleed. For Variable Content [14], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the Production Height should be retrieved.
- Minimum Visible Height (0 disables this feature) [6] – enter the minimum height the visible area should of a product must have. This value is required when a product can have a variable size – for example, a roll-up that can vary in height but must be at least X and at most Y. Entering "0" disables this function. For Variable Content [15], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the Minimum Visible Height value should be retrieved.
Minimum Visible Height Required
As soon as the visible size of the print file is modified, a value for the Minimum Visible Height (0 disables this feature) must be entered. Otherwise, the Fixup will fail, and no changes will be applied to the print file!
Figure 1: The tab Basic Settings of the Fixup Adjust Size
Additional areas – in this section of the dialog, further parameters for production can be defined. These are:
- Top, Bottom, Left, Right [7] – specify where the additional areas should be added to the file. The additional areas result from the difference between the Visible Size and the Production Size. Enter the additional area for the side where it should be applied. For Variable Content [16] select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-Defined Field – from which the value for Top, Bottom, Left or Right should be retrieved.
- Bleed for Production Size [8] – enter the desired Bleed for the Production Size. If the file lacks sufficient Bleed, it will be added according to the chosen method. If the Bleed in the print file is insufficient – e.g., only 2 mm instead of 5 mm – the missing Bleed will be added beyond the existing Bleed. For Variable Content [17] select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-Defined Field – from which the value for the Bleed for the Production Size should be retrieved.
- Expected Pages [9] – specify the expected number of pages to be processed with the defined parameters. The default "1". For example, if "5" is entered, the Print Item must have five pages to which the previously entered values are applied. If the Print Item does not contain five pages, only the existing pages will be corrected and adjusted. If the exact number of pages is unknown, enter "0" to process all available pages. For Variable Content [18], select the desires placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the Expected Pages to be processed should be retrieved.
- Pages to be processed - comma delimited (example: 1,3,4) [10] – specify here which pages should be processed. This is only necessary if the product consists of multiple parts with different dimensions. If the print file contains only a single part – that is, all pages have identical dimensions – enter "all". For Variable Content [19], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the pages to be processed should be retrieved.
3.1.2. Tab "Advanced"
The tab Advanced contains options that do not necessarily need to be changed. The following options are available in this tab:
- Mode for adding Page Content [20] – select the desired mode from the dropdown menu to generate an extension of the image content within the page content. The following modes are available:
- Mirror page objects – the page content is generated by mirroring the entire Print Item at the respective edges and corners. To prevent the file size from increasing up to eightfold, the mirrored area is created as XObjects in the PDF, which usually results in only a doubling of the file size. Vectors, images, and text are preserved.
- Mirror page objects as image with 300 dpi – the page content is also generated by mirroring the entire Print Item at the edges and corners. The mirrored area is created as XObjects in the PDF to avoid excessive file size growth, typically resulting in a doubled file size. The additional area is added as an image at 300 dpi resolution.
- Repeat last pixel as image with 300 dpi – the Bleed is generated by repeating the outermost pixels of the Print Item. The last pixel at the edge of the Print Item is repeated until the additional area for the Bleed is filled. The Bleed is thus added as a 300 dpi image.
- Mode for adding Bleed [21] – select the desired mode from the dropdown menu to generate the Bleed for the production size. The following options are available:
- Use best method based on object type – automatically selects one of the methods described below based on the analysis of the Print Item content.
- Mirror page objects – the Bleed is generated by mirroring the entire Print Item at the edges and corners. The mirrored area is created as XObjects in the PDF, which usually results in only a doubling of the file size. Vectors, text, and images are preserved in the bleed.
- Mirror page objects as image with 300 dpi – the Bleed is generated by mirroring the entire Print Item at the edges and corners. The mirrored area is created as XObjects in the PDF, typically resulting in a doubled file size. The Bleed is added as a 300 dpi image.
- Stretch border area as image with 300 dpi – the Bleed is generated by stretching an edge area of the Print Item. The bleed is thus added as a 300 dpi image.
- Repeat last pixel as image with 300 dpi – the Bleed is generated by repeating the outermost pixels of the Print Item. The last pixel at the edge of the Print Item is repeated until the additional area for the Bleed is filled. The Bleed is added as a 300 dpi image.
- Maximum assumed Bleed in the Print Item [22] – enter the maximum Bleed that may be present in the print files. This value is required for internal calculations. Especially in automated workflows, the Bleed size may vary. The internal default is 20 mm. For Variable Content [24], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the Maximum assumed Bleed in the Print Item should be retrieved.
- Maximum allowed Distortion [23] – define the maximum distortion that may be applied when scaling the Print Item to the production size. The print file will be adjusted to the correct size within this tolerance. If this is not possible within the specified tolerance, an additional white area will be generated. For Variable Content [25], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the Maximum allowed Distortion should be retrieved.
Figure 2: The tab Advanced of the Fixup Adjust Size
Handling Missing TrimBox
If a print file is supplied with Bleed but without a defined TrimBox, the Fixup will attempt to determine the TrimBox based on the existing Bleed. This process operates within a configurable range, which is limited by the option Maximum assumed Bleed in the Print Item. If the file needs to be scaled, the determined Bleed is taken into account accordingly.
3.2. Handling Multi-Part Products
The Fixup can handle multipage files, which requires selecting within the Fixup which page should be corrected and prepared for printing. Products can consist of either a single part – i.e., with identical dimensions – or multiple parts – i.e., with different dimensions. For example, a tablecloth for a rectangular table may consist of three parts:
- Part 1 – this could be the tabletop area of the rectangular table. This part is defined in the tab Basic Settings.
- Part 2 – these could be the side panels of the tablecloth along the short sides of the table. This part is defined in the tab 2nd Product Part (optional).
- Part 3 – these could be the side panels of the tablecloth along the long sides of the table. This part is defined in the tab 3rd Product Part (optional).
Thus, the tablecloth product consists of three parts, each with different dimensions. This requires five Print Items in total:
- 1x Print Item for the tabletop
- 2x Print Items for the short panels of the table
- 2x Print Items for the long panels of the table
This results in a document with five pages – one page for each Print Item.
For exactly such products, the Fixup provides the tabs 2nd Product Part (optional) and 3rd Product Part (optional). These allow all parameters required for producing a product consisting of up to three parts to be defined. The input fields – described previously – must be applied accordingly for each additional part.
Globally Valid Settings for All Parts
Some options available in the first part are intentionally not selectable in the 2nd Product Part (optional) and 3rd Product Part (optional). Certain parameters are applied globally and therefore affect all three parts equally.
For example, if the mode Mirror page objects is selected for generating Bleed, this mode is automatically applied to the 2nd and 3rd parts as well.
The following options are valid globally:
- Maximum allowed Distortion
- Maximum assumed Bleed in the Print Item
- Mode for adding Page Content
- Mode for adding Bleed
3.3. Before/After
To experiment with this function, you can use the sample file "Sample_Size Adjustment.pdf". The file has a size of 800 x 1990 mm and does not contain Bleed.
The product to be produced is a roll-up. This roll-up must meet the following requirements:
- The Visible Size of the roll-up is 850 x 2200 mm.
- The Production Size (TrimBox) must be slightly larger to allow for additional substrate for insertion into the cassette and for the holder on the top. The production size is therefore 850 x 2300 mm.
- Since the roll-up may not always be fully extended, the Minimum Visible Height is 1500 mm.
- A Bleed of 15 mm should be generated for production.
After applying the Fixup, the resulting file is "Sample_Size Adjustment_End.pdf". In this file, the print data has been adjusted to match the product requirements. The values from Figure 1 and Figure 2 were used for this adjustment.
Figure 3: Left: Original file opened in the Print Item Editor; Right: Revised file, where the size has been adjusted and a Bleed added, also opened in the Print Item Editor
Article Update: Workflow 1.22.0 – 11/2025