Data can be uploaded to the Workflow in the following ways:

Production Job – Print data can be uploaded when creating a Production Job. The user has full control over naming conventions, production times and diverse job data such as the number of pages, copies and so forth.

Force Print – This option also creates a Production Job, but less information needs to be initially entered versus creating a normal Production Job. Unlike when creating a Production Job where the user has to upload data and then render and then send to printer, the rendering process can be triggered immediately with Force printing. This enables you to quickly upload print data to the Workflow, render it and print it immediately.

Hotfolder – By setting up a Hotfolder, recurring processes can be automated. Data that is copied into a Hotfolder is represented internally as a unique type of Production Job according to the selected parameters and, if necessary, rendered and transferred to the printer as well. The user can very quickly finish jobs with recurring print data when using Hotfolders to automatically transfer them to the printer.

Each time print data is uploaded, it is automatically checked based on the default Preflight profile. In order to speed up the Preflight process, a Preflight profile can be set up specifically for a Hotfolder, which executes a so called »NoGo« checklist. In the case of the Force Print function and Production Jobs, a complete Preflight profile check is carried out and the print data is also normalized.

Normalisation automatically corrects errors in the print data and forwards information that is necessary in the Workflow for further processing. Since the normalised file can differ from the original file, the original file is saved unchanged and the normalized file is saved as the first version. Since a Production Job is always created independently during the upload process, the Preflight result can be viewed at any time under the Print Data tab in an open Production Job. Based on this information, you can decide whether your print data is suitable for output or not.

The search for Production Jobs and/or print data can be leveraged by using the Filter option, as well as searching and sorting with Lists without having to click through endless hierarchical directories. Production Jobs can be deleted or archived at any time.

Filtering in the list view allows results to be restricted by: material, production date, delivery date, production order type, printer and status, largely simplifying the process of finding Production Jobs. If the user needs to view a specific Production Job on a regular basis the user can create and save a filter for that specific Job as needed.

If you know exactly which Production Job you want to Search for, the quickest way to search is by Production Job number, Production Job description, comment, substrate and printer. A search can also be applied to data records that are already filtered (using a combination of Search and Filter functions).

If a Production Job has been created, the Output Configuration can be changed according to the requirements of the customer or other desired output results. This is necessary for example if the print must be suddenly produced on another machine, or on another material. The output configuration can be changed using the Output Configuration tab.

The user can define the following settings in the Output Configuration:

• Printer – determines which printer should be used
• Print Configuration – these settings determines printer resolution, glossy or matt, White Over/Under, etc.
• Substrate Definition – specific materials, width/length, weight, etc.
• Color Policy – depending on the Motif, a different Color Policy can also be selected for optimised for output or to reduce the Total Ink Coverage.
• Color Correction – can be used for color reproduction & proof printing, color adjustment of the print data can be performed by adding Color Correction Curves.

If the print data of a Production Job has already been Imposed, this step can be omitted. Imposing is necessary when one or more print items in a Production Job are to be assembled together on a predefined substrate size and may also need print Marks.

the Impose Method needed is highly dependent on the desired results for the print item. There are essentially two methods available in the Impose editor:

1. Manual Mode – Individual motifs can be manually positioned and saved on a predefined Substrate size.
2. Rule-based Mode – Individual motifs can be applied based on a set of rules. With Rule-based impositions, the following modes can be used:
   • Step & Repeat – Repetition of columns containing print items with specific spacing values entered.
   • Nesting – Placing of the maximum amount of print items on a specific Substrate size.
   • Ganging – Optimal placement of print items of different sizes on a specified Substrate (not yet implemented)
   • Tiling – This splits large print items into strips or tiles of specific size for reassembly at a later date.

Changing between Rule-based Mode and Manual Mode is possible at any time. Be aware, that changing from Manual Mode to Rule-based Mode will undoubtably change the layout of the print items.

Creating and using Color Setups is an individual choice that the user should discuss and determine before beginning production work. Our recommendation, is to create individual profiles for every Printer-Substrate combination you plan on using as this will most certainly provide the best results.

To carry out and complete a Profile, the Inks, Printer and Substrates must be created or imported. You can find out how to do this in the respective articles under the Administration section.

The profiling process is divided into Calibration (linearization) and Profiling. Depending on whether or not the printer has Light Inks, profiling is carried out in five steps:

1. Pre-Linearization – Using a printer and substrate dependent Pre-Linearization to improve the measurement results when density values increase too quickly.
2. Transition – Splitting the existing dark and light areas of a Process Color – usually Cyan, Magenta, and/or Black – for output to reduce visible grain in light tones.
3. Linearization – Calculate the Linearization curve to compensate for non-linear curves.
4. Ink Limit – Technical limit of the maximum ink application possible for the printer-substrate combination. This minimizes contamination of the printerheads, also ensures proper curing / drying of inks.
5. Profile – Measures the color range of the substrate-printing combination and total color output of the printer. Profiles for different applications are created from relevant measurement chart data.

If you are profiling a printing system with Gamut-enhancing Colors (e.g. CMYK-OVG), further subsets can be created without re-measuring:

• a profile without gamut expanding color (e.g. CMYK)
• a profile with a gamut expanding color (e.g. CMYK-O)
• a profile using black only.

If the Production Job has been assigned an Output Configuration and an optional Imposition, the Production Job simply needs to be sent to the printer. This process can be carried out automatically using Hotfolders or the Force Print function. An alternative is manually sending the print data to the Printer using the Send to Printer dialog.

In the Send to Printer dialog, the user can also choose typical parameters for rendering. This includes:

• Number of Pages – how many repetitions are to be printed
• Color Space Conversion – determine whether the color calculation is to be made via an intermediate color space or directly and which color correction must be made at which point.
• Destination – determines for which printer and in which target directory the data should be saved.
• Size – determine which scale factor should be applied or whether the output should be rotated.
• Variable Data – determine the start/end variables.
• Finishing – a specific cutter can be selected here.
• Inprint – choose from a selection of Inprints typically used in the Print Industry.

If a Production Job has already been transferred to a printer, it can be rendered again at any time using the Reprint Job button. This means that complex Impositions, especially with variable data printing, are not re-rendered, but are simply resent to the printer based on the existing Imposition data.

When ripping the Production Job, the data is calculated Colorimetrically and transferred to the printer in our proprietary file format. Parallel rendering is supported. The amount of parallel processes that are started depends (a) on the render engine used and (b) on the Workflow License.

• Standard Render Engine – parallel processing of render processes is only limited by memory (RAM) and the set number of render processes.
• Harlequin Host Renderer – up to four render processes can be rendered in parallel. Render times for individual processes should not significantly slow down. The main reason for slow throughput could be a slow network connection or slow write speeds on the target computers/printers.

After rendering, all information including Ink Consumption for this Production Job is displayed under the Print Statistics tab.