Editors can be found throughout various points in the Workflow. An editor is necessary for example when graphical objects or variable data have to be created within the Workflow by the user. Color Correction based on Curves is a prime example where the user can make changes by entering specific values and can expect a certain result. In this article, we use the Impose Editor as an example to find out which Print Items can be arranged automatically or manually on a Substrate, we cover the following information:
- Which workspace/areas of the Editor are available
- Which structure the workspace/areas utilize
- The basic functions that are used in Editors.
A complete description of the Impose Editor can be found under the chapter Impose.
1. General Overview
Editors are independent applications that have been integrated into the user interface in such a way that the editor feels like a seamlessly integrated piece of the Workflow. These applications were specifically designed as independent modular systems. The reason for this is that editors with the same basic functionality can be integrated into different applications or even made available independently.
Editors are used in the following areas of the Workflow:
- Impose Editor – for mounting motifs on one or more print sheets
- VDP Editor (still under development) – for applying Variable Data elements – images, text, graphics, color areas, barcodes, QR codes, etc.
- PDF Editing Editor (still under development) – for cropping or changing the page geometry and transferring areas for PDF editing
- PDF Approval Editor (still under development) – for adding notes or annotations as a part of the approval process
The following description of the structure and function of areas is based on the Impose Editor. To do this, open the Impose Editor by taking the following steps:
- Click on the Job icon in the menu bar
- Open a Production Job by double-clicking a job from the list of Production Jobs
- Select the Impose tab [1] in the overview page of the Production Job
Figure 1: When the Impose Tab is clicked we see the following workspace/areas below
Click on Manual [2], which opens the Impose Editor application and displays an empty Impose Configuration. To more easily understand the functions of the Editor we will briefly describe the visual components that we see when viewing the Impose Editor:
- Impose Configuration – describes the area that will eventually be rendered by the RIP. In some cases, an Imposition can consist of several Artboards.
- Artboards – a surface area that describes a specific area of an Impose sheet in which a Rule-Based assembly can be carried out. An Impose Configuration can have any number of Artboards.
- Marks – Cutter marks are used to identify the area to be trimmed for cutters. Markers can be set multiple times for each origin - Sheet, Artboard, or mounted objects, i.e., per motif.
- Margins – both Impose Configurations and Artboards can have an additional margin to limit the range for automatic calculation of the Imposition.
2. Areas and Bars
The interface of the editor consists of different areas, which can be displayed differently depending on their use. The following areas are distinguished as follows:
- Working area ([3] + [4]) (green) – Shows the Artboard(s) as a gray rectangle on a white mounting area. This is where you carry out the Imposition.
- Toolbar ([5]) (yellow) – Here you will find all tools available in the Workflow.
- Header ([6]) (orange) – Artboard settings, changing the Impose Mode, Save or Close the Impose Editor.
- Footer ([7]) (red) – Displays status information and is used to select the page geometry boxes, i.e. TrimBox, BleedBox, etc.
- Settings Area ([8] + [13]) (magenta) – Here you will find all settings for Manual Impose Mode.
Figure 2: User Interface of the Manual Impose editor
2.1. Workspace
Each editor has at least one workspace where objects can be inserted, created or modified. The work area can have different names depending on the situation and can also be displayed differently based on individual editors. Keep in mind that you may see several work areas depending on the situation.
Concerning the Impose Editor, the work area is called the Impose Configuration. This area consists of three parts:
- The grey area [3] describes the final size for mounting and output during rendering. The frame (in cyan) marks the Sheet Margin.
- The surrounding white area [4] is simply an additional canvas area. All objects in this area are not included in the output.
-
Rulers define a numerical measurement for the Impose Configuration on the left and top side. You can show or hide rulers by pressing
[alt]+[r].
If you do not see a gray area in the Impose Editor, there may be two reasons for this:
- The symbol [S] [9] is not activated in the footer.
- The contrast ratio of the monitor used is too low or the brightness level of the monitor has been set too high.
If you do not see the cyan mark for the border, although you have set a border, you might need to activate the symbol [M] [10] in the Footer area.
2.2. Toolbar
The tools available in the editor are grouped in the toolbar (yellow [5]). Depending on the editor, the toolbar can be equipped with different numbers of tools.
In the Impose Editor, the toolbar is located on the left side of the work area. Four tools are available for selecting objects, moving the Sheet and zooming in and out.
Selection tool – allows you to select and move objects. Please note the following:
- By clicking on an object the object is selected. If an object is already selected, the selection is cancelled when clicked again.
- Additionally when you hold down the
[cmd]/[Ctrl]-key,- if you click on an object that is already selected, the selection is deselected
- if you click on another object it is selected additionally to the object you've already selected
- by clicking and dragging a selection, all objects that sit within the rectangular bounding box are selected.
- by pressing
[cmd]/[Ctrl]+[A]all objects are selected - holding the
[alt]-keywhen moving an object duplicates the object - selected objects can be deleted by pressing the
backspace key
Hand tool – this allows you to navigate to a specific section in the work area. Please note the following:
- Pressing the
[cmd]/[Ctrl]-keytemporarily switches to the zoom-in tool - Pressing the
[cmd]/[Ctrl]+[Alt]-keytemporarily switches to the zoom-out tool.
Zoom in tool – Zoom into the workspace with a simple click. Note that you can zoom into a selected area by clicking and dragging a selection area.
Zoom out tool – Zoom out of the workspace with a simple click.
Fit to Width & Fit to Height Tool - Used to adjust the height or width of the view in the Impose Editor.
Click on either Fit Width or Height
- If you want to zoom in or out based on the width of the Sheet Size, you can accomplish this by clicking on the Fit Width [11] icon in the Header bar.
- If you want to zoom in or out based on the height of the Sheet Size, you can accomplish this by clicking on the Fit Height [12] icon in the Header bar.
2.3. Header
Below is a list of the settings and features available in the Header area of the Impose Editor.
The following functions are available in the Impose Editor at the top left-hand corner:
- Save/Close – These two buttons either saves the current Impose and creates a PDF in the background with relevant data and a preview image or closes the Impose Editor.
- Impose Mode – This allows the user to switch between Manual and Rule-Based Impose Modes.
- Preview Resolution – The user can choose between low and medium resolution, this option can be particularly helpful when working with items that have a high resolution.
- Help – The Help symbol provides information such as which shortcuts are a available for the Impose Editor and current ui version, etc.
- Output Files used by the Impose Editor – When this button is clicked the user is presented with three options: an Image Preview, a PDF Preview and the Impose XML File.
- Sheet Configuration – Here you can define the Sheet Size as well as the margins for the Imposition.
- Width and Height – Shows the current dimensions of both the Width and Height, the Trim buttons will automatically trim the width or height based on the button chosen.
- Box Type – The Box Type has two options either BleedBox or TrimBox. Depending on which box type you choose will influence how the Tranform settings affect your Print Items.
2.4. Settings
If settings are an option in an editor, then they will be offered under Settings. As a rule, settings are usually displayed as panels. If a particularly large number of settings and selection options are available, panels will also be distributed amongst several tabs.
In the case of the Impose Editor, two areas where settings (magenta) are available. These are:
- Adjustment of Artboards which is located next to the header area. Additional Artboards can be added and individual Artboards can be selected and resized.
- Adjustment of the current Impose Mode [8] (Figure 2 and Figure 3), which is located on the right edge of the Impose Editor. Here the settings are grouped thematically in panels. Since there are many adjustment possibilities for an Impose Mode, panels are distributed amongst different tabs to ensure a fluid experience.
If tabs are available, they can be selected at the top of the settings area. For example using Nesting Mode the Impose Editor, four tabs are available:
- Artboard Settings [15] – here you can enter values for position, bleed, spacing, alignment, mounting mode etc.
- Print Items [16] – a Selection of the Print Items available in a Production Job
- Marks [17] – a selection of predefined Print Marks that can be aligned in a multitude of ways including: Per Print Item, Print Items or Artboard.
- Finishing [18] – the Finishing tab contains options such as adding a Dieline or a Marks for sending the imposition to a Cutter.
Several panels may be offered when a tab is selected. A panel consists of:
- a panel Header [19] and
- the panel content area below [20].
The panel area can be displayed or hidden either by double-clicking on the panel header or by clicking on the arrow [21] in the panel header. The settings provided in the panel area may be available as checkboxes, radio buttons, input fields, drop-down menus or selections, depending on the application.
Figure 3: User Interface overview of Nesting Mode within the Impose Editor.
2.5. Information Footer
Depending on the selected editor or workspace, the most important information is displayed in the Footer area to allow accurate and rapid trouble shooting.
In the Impose Editor, the information area (red area) is available in the Footer of the editor.
- Impose Information [22] – displays the total number of placed Print Items, the size of the Sheet, the total size of the Imposition in SQM or SQF and also the amount of surface area being printed.
-
Display [23] – when working with the Impose Editor, it is often very helpful to display specific areas of the Imposition or Print Items. If a specific attribute should be displayed, the respective letter must be selected, i.e. [A] for Artboard. The background color of the letter represents the color of the attributes label.
The following areas can be displayed:- TB – displays the TrimBox for each individual Print Item (green)
- BB – displays the BleedBox for each individual Print Item (blue)
- M – displays the Margin for the Artboard(s) (cyan)
- A – displays all Artboards on the mounting surface (red)
- S – indicates the surface area of the Substrate - see info below
- PD – indicates the printing direction of the Substrate (black arrows)
Substrate Color
Whether the Substrate is displayed in grey or a different color depends on the color value selected for the Substrate under Administration > Substrate.
For more information, see how to add a Substrate.