Order > Order List > Print Item > Print Data
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Under the Print Data tab, you have access to detailed information in the Workflow:
[1] Preview
[2] Document and Production Infos
[4] Fonts
[5] Process Colors
[6] Spot Colors
[7] Technical Colors
[8] Separations
[9] Lightbox
The left area under the Print Data tab [1] shows a current Preview Image [10] of the Print Item including BleedBox and TrimBox [21], which can be turned on and off individually by hovering over their respective buttons under the large preview lightbox. After a Fixup or Pre-flight is applied, the preview image is automatically updated and rebuilt. The current file can be downloaded at any time using the Download button [11] and opened in a compatible PDF viewer.
Figure 1: Print Data – Order and Print Item details
During the Pre-flight process, the file is checked-in and all important information is analysed. This information is displayed in the Document & Production Infos [2] area. In the header you can see information about the Pre-flight Result Errors/Warnings [12]. In the main area, Print Item-related information is listed and the footer contains various Fixups [13] prepared for convenient Print Item editing, as well as radio buttons [14] which navigate between the main view and more details.
2.1. Header
In the header [12] of the document information there are three buttons which provide different information:
- Preflight Result Warnings: These warnings show incongruent Output Intents, Font issues, etc.
- Preflight Result Errors: All Preflight Errors found during check-in are displayed here such as incorrect Number of Pages, Font problems, etc.
- Download Preflight Report: Click on this button to download a Preflight report in the form of a PDF file.
2.2. Main View
In the main view you will find all information on the selected Print Item. You can edit it using the Fixups [13] in the footer. Use the radio buttons [14] in the footer to display the More Details page.
- Dimensions [15] When uploading the file, the Workflow checks whether the actual size (Current) of the file matches the entered size (Expected). If this is not the case, the whole line turns red. You can correct this error on the right side of the line by pressing the Adjust button.
- Copies [16]
- Number of Pages [17]: During the check-in process, the system checks whether the number of pages matches the number of pages specified when the design was created. If the number does not match, the line turns red. If you upload a multi-page document, a Split button appears. This function creates a single Print Item from each page in the multi-page document.
- Output Intent [18] Displays the Output Intent of the print item. If the parameters Expected and Current do not match, the whole line turns red.
- Layers [19]: The names of the layers contained in the document are displayed here. The Workflow offers some options for managing and editing layers.
- TrimBox, BleedBox, etc. [20]: All available frame types are displayed here and in the preview image. The Workflow has various functions for editing frames.
- Resolution [21]: If a document contains an image, the resolution of the image is displayed here. The value of the image with the lowest and highest resolution is displayed.
2.3. Footer
Figure 2: The footer contains the page navigation for the Main View as well as some Fixups for editing Print Items:
- Edit Page Geometry [23]
- Add Bleed [24]
- Rotate and Mirror [25]
- Manage Layers [26]
Figure 3: By clicking on the navigation points [14] + [22] in the footer, you can switch between the Overview and More Details pages
Figure 4: Below the Document and Production Information panel are the Output Parameters [3].
- Substrate Category [27]
- Substrate [28]
- Substrate Definitions [29]
- Color Policy [30]
These Output Parameters can be changed in the settings of the current Order Item (Edit > Order Item).
Figure 5: The Color Policy [30] is derived from the selected Substrate. With the green star icon [31] you can set your preferred Color Policy [32]
Figure 6: A list of embedded Fonts in the document
The Fonts used in the Print Item [33] are listed; additionally, the minimum Font size (in Points) and the minimum X-Height of the lowercase letters (in mm) [34] of the set Fonts are displayed. Fonts can be Converted to Outlines [37] or if the font is missing, it can be Embedded [38]
A font will be labeled with one of three different statuses. These are identified with the following symbols:
- A subset of the Font has been embedded [35]: The existence of font subgroups saves memory space, but is always a potential source of error with regard to making edits to text and the possibility that individual glyphs are missing in the font.
- The Font is fully embedded [36]: This is the optimum case because the original font can be used for output and corrections in the text can be made at the last minute if the original font is available in the system.
- The Font is missing: The absence of fonts should be avoided at all costs. The font is marked red. The Workflow provides a function for embedding missing fonts afterwards.
Figure 7: A list of the Process Colors contained in the Print Item [39]
In the footer you will find the following correction/editing options:
A color defined in 4c and applied to vector objects can be converted to a Spot Color in the Workflow. This function is particularly useful if, for example, a Technical Color has been forgotten to be correctly defined as a Spot Color (see following example). If the color value of these vectors is known, you can easily assign a Spot Color.
Figure 8: The Fixup for Mapping CMYK values from vectors to a Spot Color [43] using the example of a Dieline defined as 0/100/0/0 in 4c:
The Fixup shown above Maps all vector objects to a specified Spot Color [44] the print item has a Spot Color defined as "Dieline" [45]. The name of the Spot Color can be defined as needed. The desired Spot Color [46] as well as the Overprint State [47] can also be selected.
The use of black leads to necessary interventions in the print data for design and production reasons. The following functions are available in the Workflow for the most common scenarios [41]:
5.2.1. Convert K for Text Objects to Rich Black
Figure 9: Apply Fixup Convert Pure Black for Text Objects to Rich Black [48]
Text in 100% Black can be converted to a definable color [49].
This Fixup only affects text objects that have not been converted to paths or bitmap-based raster images.
5.2.2. Convert Pure Black to Rich Black
Figure 10: The Fixup Convert Pure Black to Rich Black [50]
All vector objects that contain 100% black can be converted to a definable color [51].
This Fixup only affects vector objects that have not been converted to paths or bitmap-based raster images.
5.2.3. Set Black Objects to Knockout
Figure 11: The Fixup Set Black Objects to Knockout [52]
It is often necessary to disable manuallly or automatically activated overprinting of black objects. Select the Object types which should be set to Knockout (Vectors, Text & Vectors, or Text only) [53].
5.2.4. Set Black Objects to Overprint
Figure 12: The Fixup Set Black Objects to Overprint [54]
This Fixup has the opposite effect to the previous one. Specify the Object type [55] to be set to overprint if the object is black.
The corrections introduced so far only affected vector objects (including text). The following two operations have an effect on bitmap-based raster images. The functions offered here are intended as last-minute interventions to enable simple improvements. Complex processing like in an image processing program is not planned.
5.3.1. Increase Tone Values in Midtones
Brightens the midtones of images. Comparable to tone correction or gradation curve settings in an image editing program.
Figure 13: The Fixup Increase Tone Values in Midtones [56].
Select the desired increase [57] (this has a lightening effect):
- 3%
- 5%
- 8%
- 10%
- 13%
- 15%
- 17%
- 20%
- 25%
5.3.2. Reduce Tone Values in Midtones
Darkens the midtones of images. Comparable to tone correction or gradation curve settings in an image editing program.
Figure 14: The Fixup Reduce Tone Values in Midtones [58]
Select the desired reduction [58] (this has a darkening effect):
- 3%
- 5%
- 8%
- 10%
- 13%
- 15%
- 17%
- 20%
- 25%
All Spot Colors contained in the Print Item are listed here. The ∆E value [43] is displayed for each Spot Color. This is the perceived color difference between the printed color and the specified color. You can switch between DeltaE76 and DeltaE2000 [44]. Under the Color Spaces [45] panel, you will see all Color Spaces used, and by clicking the radio buttons [46] the user can switch between Spot Colors and Color Spaces.
Figure 8: Spot Colors and Color Spaces of the Print Item
Figure 9: The Workflow distinguishes between six different Spot Color definitions and indicates this with the following icons:
- PDF Spot Colors [51] Embedded Spot Colors are mapped and listed during the check-in process. These Spot Colors are only available for the current Print Item.
- Spot Color Libraries [52] Under the menu item Color > Spot Colors under the Libraries panel you can import your own Spot Color libraries - e.g. from Adobe Photoshop. Simply load the .acb file into the Workflow. The Library will then be available throughout the entire Workflow.
- System-wide Spot Colors [53] Spot Colors that are used multiple times in the Workflow (e.g. Dieline) are defined as System-wide Spot Colors.
- Substrate-specific Spot Colors [54] A Spot Color can also be assigned to a specific Substrate and is then automatically available for use.
- Customer-specific Spot Colors [55] You have the option to create a Spot Color specifically for a Customer which enables the user to produce consistent Spot Color results. These definitions are automatically used for all Orders from the specified Customer for the respective Spot Colors.
- Print Item-specific Spot Colors [56] You have the option of creating your own Spot Color definition for a specific Print Item. This Spot Color is only available for the current Print Item and "overwrites" any existing Customer or System-wide definitions.
In the footer of this area, the Workflow provides further corrections for editing Spot Colors:
Figure 10: The Spot Color Definition dialog
6.2.1. Spot Color Tools
6.2.2. Overprint Status
6.2.3. Add White or Varnish
6.2.4. Fill Selected
6.2.5. Add White to all Printed Objects
