User Manual

Release - 1.7.5

Updated on

Published: 30.06.2019

In this article you can find out which

  • New Features are available
  • Which Improvements have been implemented
  • Bug Fixes are included with the release of version 1.7.5

This article can also be downloaded as a PDF. The release notes from previous versions can be downloaded from the archive.

1. Overview

With version 1.7.5, users can access a number of new features in the Impose Editor, Data Preparation and Administration. We have also implemented improvements in the areas of Profiling, processing new file types and the Send to Printer dialog.

Below you will find a condensed overview of all changes. The detailed description is then given in the sections New Features, Improvements and Bug Fixes.

1.1. Adobe Illustrator Plug-in

The following new features and improvements are available for the Plug-in version 1.7.5.8:

Stability Improvements: An overall improvement in the stability of the Plug-in has been implemented by overhauling the code. Some functions have been improved or changed slightly to improve performance. A list of all bug fixes can be found at the end of this article.

Korean Translation: This version of the Plug-in provides a complete translation for our South Korean customers.

1.2. New Features

The following New Features are available with version 1.7.5 of the Workflow:

Impose Editor: In Release 1.7.5, the complete Impose Editor has been revised and extended once again. In addition to numerous new functions in file handling and imposing, a stand-alone Impose Editor is also available with this version, which allows new and existing Production Jobs to be created or edited directly in the Impose Editor. The user can now add new files to Production Jobs using the Imposer. The following areas of the Impose Editor have new implementations or are improved:

  • Action Bar – We've added an additional header in the stand-alone Impose Editor for creating, opening and saving Production Jobs (New)
  • File Manager – An additional area in the Impose Editor to create and select Collections and Articles for Production Jobs (New)
  • Print Items list – Improvements have been made to the display and handling of Print Items for determining the sequence of the imposition (improvement)
  • Dielines – It is now possible to add a Dieline per Print Item and edit different parameters (New)
  • Captions – Captions can now be added per Print Item in the Impose Editor using dynamic content (Smart Marks) (New)
  • Auto Margins – A new function to calculate values for Margins pertaining to the imposition area, this ensures that that all items will fit on the sheet (New)
  • Marks – Improvements in how Marks are handled and improved settings (improvement)

Impose Mode – Tiling: A new Tiling Impose Mode has been implemented with this version. This includes three different Tiling Modes as well as other specific functions such as the placement of folding lines to the Tiling. The following new settings are available in Tiling mode and are described in this section:

  • Tiling Modes – Three different Tiling Modes – By Number, By Size and Custom are available
  • Preview Modes – We now offer two different display views – either Total Overview or Tiling View – to provide a clear overview of changes and settings that have been applied.
  • New options for the Artboard Settings tab – these include the Scaling options – the Print Item can be scaled to a certain size or increased by a scaling factor. The new Overlap Area panel provides options to define the unprinted and printed areas of the overlap. The Margins area to add additional Margins per Tile. And also a Bleed panel to select the size of the Bleed for the Print Item.
  • Lines – Add printing lines that are typically needed for Tiling corners on unprinted surfaces.
  • Dielines Dielines for Tiles can be added here.
  • Captions – Captions can also be added to enable speedy and precise assembly of Tiles after production.
  • Marks – Marks can also be added based on different parameters and settings.
  • Save options – When saving, you can optionally select whether individual Tiles should be saved as Articles. This is especially important if individual Tiles are to be imposed with other Print Items.
  • Tiling Results – In order to access your Tiling impose results more quickly, an area that displays the Tiling results has been implemented.
  • Tiling Impose Templates – A specially defined default Tiling Impose Template is now also available for Tiling Mode.

Manual Impose Mode: In addition to numerous minor improvements in the background of Manual Impose Mode, the scaling function has also been revised so that Print Items can be enlarged or reduced by entering values or by a percentage factor.

Impose Editor performance improvements: Various performance improvements have also been made in the Impose Editor. From the new ruler tool to optimizing zoom levels, CTRL-Z (undo) options and other bug fixes. Furthermore, the Print Item preview mode is automatically switched to a »preview disabled« view if more than 100 Print Items are used simultaneously on a Sheet.

Fixup Favorites: This new feature allows the user to define favorites for Fixups. These favorite Fixups are then available in the Article or Print Item detail view under the Print Data tab in a separate favorites menu, this eliminates the need switch between tabs to apply the most frequently used Fixups.

Apply Fixups to multiple Articles: Starting with version 1.7.5, it is possible to apply Fixups to multiple selected Articles. You can select any number of Articles in the Article list or a Collection and then select and apply the desired Fixup in a new menu.

New Fixups: In this version two new Fixups: Banner with Grommets as well as Add Grommets have been implemented especially for the large format industry. The Fixup Banner with Grommets offers various options where you can: scale the Print Item to the final output size, add Grommets, add a Dieline and/or a folding line. Other new Fixups include: Extract Colors from DeviceN and Synchronize selected Page Geometry Boxes.

New features for »Settings«: Under the Administration menu item. Two improvements have been made:

  • Custom Currencies: In the course of this release, selecting your desired currency was adapted to the system settings. Now it is possible to define your own currency. Simply enter the desired currency type (€, $,...) in the text field.
  • Extract Spot Colors from DeviceN: This function can be used to resolve DeviceN constructs during initial check-in.

New Cutter Devices added: under Administration > Cutter Devices, there are two new Cutter Devices available, these are:

  • Aristo Cutter: As of Release 1.7.5, the Aristo cutter or the corresponding Aristo Cutter Control Panel software can be controlled. The selection of the cutting device determines the setting of Marks and the corresponding HPG cutting file, which is transferred to the Aristo software.
  • SD-AugustaF150R Cutter: Starting with version 1.7.5, the cutting device »SD - Augusta F150R Cutter« can be controlled. The selection of the cutting device determines the setting of Marks and the corresponding DXF cutting file, which is transferred to the SD software.

Editing Adobe Photoshop and TIFF files: As of this release, Adobe Photoshop (PSD) and TIFF files can be correctly uploaded and processed in the Workflow. The alpha channels are also recognized correctly and created as Spot Colors accordingly.

New Profile calculation Templates for LFP and Proofing: So far, the Workflow provides five Profile Templates by default: Best Match, Standard, Economy, Standard (substrate), Reprofile. In this version the Profile Templates: Best Match, Standard, Economy have been renamed with a [TAU] extension. In addition, new Profile Templates for use in the Large Format industry called Best match [LFP], Standard [LFP] and Sublimation (substrate) have been added.

1.3. Improvements

The following Improvements to existing functions are now available with version 1.7.5 of the Workflow:

Restarting Services: With this version it is now possible for users to restart the services PMS & ZuniComm directly from the Workflow. We've added two functions in the System Status menu in the action bar, which can restart both services separately when selected.

Reset Measurement Data: Previously measured measurement data could only be overwritten by the user by re-measuring the calibration chart. Overwriting measurement data often caused confusion, because the counter of the calibration charts jumped back to the end after the measurement, as all measurement data was available. In order to eliminate this confusion a new function was implemented which can reset or remove all previous measurements of the Profiling Step. When performing this action, the Profiling Step must be measured again in it's entirety.

Additional options for the »Send to Printer« dialog: Due to changes made in the functionality of this dialog, the tabs have been restructured or extended. The most common functions are now available in the main view, less frequently used functions have been moved to a separate tab.

Enhanced filtering and searching capabilities: Due to several customer requests, some additional options have been added to the exiasting filter options in the list views:

  • Display Multipage Documents – This new filter now shows all multi-page documents in a Print Item, Order and Production Job list.
  • Display Tiling Items – In the Print Item and Collection list, selecting this filter will display all Tiling results.
  • Search Color Policies by name and ID – In the Color Setup list you can search by name and ID of the Color Policy. Calculated Color Policies are also displayed in the Color Setup list.

Role Permissions: In the course of this version further Role Permissions were added, which can be assigned to a User Role. For this reason, a new license is required after this update, otherwise these functions will not be available in the Workflow. You can use the following new Role Permissions:

  • The ability to download Print Items or Articles for all variants
  • The ability to access Order Information
  • The ability to replace Print Items for Articles
  • The ability to open the Impose Editor under the menu item Automation
  • The ability to apply Fixups to an Article

Small Improvements: Further minor improvements have been made. You can read the list of minor improvements here.

1.4. Fixed Bugs & Minor Details

Plug-in for Adobe Illustrator: Fixed Bugs and minor improvements for the Illustrator Plug-in.

Workflow: Fixed Bugs and minor improvements in the main application.

Impose Editor: Fixed Bugs and minor improvements for the Impose Editor.

2. New Features

2.1. Adobe Illustrator Plug-in

If you are working with version 1.7.5 of the Workflow, Plug-in version 1.7.5.8 must be installed to ensure trouble-free operation. If you are using an older version of the Plug-in, you will be notified via a warning dialog when logging in to the Plug-in.

The following versions of Adobe Illustrator are supported:


Adobe Illustrator CC 2017 Adobe Illustrator CC 2018
Adobe Illustrator CC 2019
Mac OSX
Mac OS Version 10.12 (Sierra) or Mac OS Version 10.11 (El Capitan)
Mac OS Version 10.14 (Mojave), Mac OS Version 10.13 (High Sierra), Mac OS Version 10.12 (Sierra) or Mac OS Version 10.11 (El Capitan)
Mac OS Version 10.14 (Mojave), Mac OS Version 10.13 (High Sierra), Mac OS Version 10.12 (Sierra) or Mac OS Version 10.11 (El Capitan)
Windows
Windows 7 mit Service Pack 1, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
Microsoft Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
Microsoft Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
Supports Plug-In Version 1.7.0.26
Plug-in Version 1.7.0.26 and Plug-In Version 1.7.5.8
Plug-In Version 1.7.5.8

Current version not available for older Illustrator versions

Please note that Plug-in Version 1.7.5.8 can only be installed for Adobe Illustrator 2018 and Adobe Illustrator 2019. Adobe Illustrator 2017 and 2015.3 can still be used with Plug-in Version 1.7.026.

2.1.1. Stability Improvements

An overall improvement in the stability of the Plug-in has been implemented by overhauling the code. Some functions have been improved or changed slightly to improve performance. Virtually all texts can now be edited in the Plug-in. Future versions of the Plug-in will also contain translation updates. A list of all bug fixes can be found at the end of the release notes.

2.1.2. Korean Translation

A Korean translation is now available for the Adobe Illustrator Plug-in with the same features and settings. However, the names of the panels have not been translated. They will be displayed in the local language of Adobe Illustrator or, if the local language is not available in the Plug-in, the English name will be displayed instead.

Figure 1: The Korean version of the Variable Data panel.

Adobe Illustrator Plug-in - Korean language

2.2. Impose Editor

With version 1.7.5, a new stand-alone version of the Impose Editor has been developed so that it can be started or used without an opening an existing Production Job. Starting with this new version, there are two different ways to use the Impose Editor:

  • Original Impose Editor: The Impose Editor is opened from an existing Production Job (as usual).
  • Stand-alone Impose Editor: The Impose Editor is opened and an empty Production Job is opened (new).

We describe the new functions of the Stand-alone Impose Editor in more detail below. All functions and possibilities are available with both versions of the Impose Editor. The action bar of the Impose Editor is only available in the stand-alone version of the Impose Editor, as this is not necessary when using the original Impose Editor.

As we know from earlier versions, the Impose Editor can be used to impose Print Items in an existing Production Job. Once the imposition for the Production Job is complete, the status is set to Imposed and the Production Job can be sent to the printer in the traditional way.

As of version 1.7.5, the Impose Editor can also be started using the menu item Automation > Impose Editor. This option allows the user to quickly create Production Jobs, create impositions and save the results in the Production Job. In the future, it will also be possible to transfer Production Jobs directly from both variants of the Impose Editor to the printer.

2.2.1. Impose Editor action bar

As previously mentioned, the action bar of the Impose Editor is only available if it is opened via the menu item Automation > Impose Editor. Since the operator's tasks involves creating, imposing and saving new Production Jobs, an action bar with these functions is required. If the Impose Editor is opened in a Production job, these functions are not needed because the Production Job already exists in the system.

Figure 2: The action bar of the stand-alone Impose Editor.

Impose Editor – Action Bar – 1.7.5

The functions of the Action Bar are:

Create a new Imposition

The stand-alone Impose Editor is able to create a new document which creates a Production Job. The +New function [3] can be used to create a new document. The name of the Production Job [1] is displayed as the first entry in the action bar. If there is an Asterix * [2] after the name of the Production Job, this indicates that the Production Job has not yet been saved. The following situations indicate whether the Production Job has not yet been created or whether it has been modified:

  • Save as [6] – If only the Save as action is available, it is an empty document which has not yet been saved as a Production Job.
  • Save [5] and Save as [6] – If both actions are available, an existing Production Job can be overwritten by clicking Save, but if Save as is pressed, a new version of the existing Production Job will be saved as a duplicate. The previously saved Production Job remains unchanged.

To create a new document in the Impose Editor, proceed as follows:

  1. Click on Automation > Impose Editor.
  2. By default, the Impose Editor opens with an empty sheet, and Manual Impose mode selected. Sheet size is determined by the default Color Policy chosen under Administration > Settings > Color Management. This Color Policy is used to determine color calculation and to determine the applied Substrate characteristics for calculating the size of the sheet. The Impose Mode can be changed as usual below the action bar.
  3. If a different Impose sheet size is required, enter the corresponding values for width and height. If you require a different output configuration, click on +New [3] in the action bar.
  4. The New Imposition dialog opens where you can create a new Production Job or define a different sheet size.

Figure 3: The New Imposition dialog for creating a new document.

New Imposition - 1.7.5
  1. An Output Configuration is required in order to create an Imposition. The Output Configuration is defined by selecting a Color Policy as well as a Substrate Definition or a Custom Impose Size.

To select a Color Policy, proceed as follows:

  • Select a Printer [7] – Selecting a printer will narrow down possible Print Configurations and Color Policies.
  • Select a Print Configuration [8] – Selecting a Print Configuration defines the possible Color Polices available in the list below.
  • Select a Color Policy [10] – Select a Color Policy from the list so that it can be applied to the Production Job. However, you can omit the preselection of the Printer or the Print Configuration when, for example, you know the ID of the Color Policy (the number which is displayed after the name of the Color Policy in brackets) and enter it directly in the Search Color Policies field [9]. By entering the ID, the Color Policy is located and selected in one step.

Afterwards, you can select a Substrate Shape or enter a Custom Impose Size. Proceed as follows:

  • After selecting a Color Policy, all Substrate Shapes [11] defined in the system are displayed. A Substrate Shape is preselected for the Color Policy by default. All other defined Substrate Shapes can be selected optionally.
  • As a rule, the Substrate Shape [11] defines the sheet size. However, you can also select Custom Impose Size in the Substrate Shape area. Enter the required values for width and height under Impose Size [12].
  1. Click on Create [13] to create the new document. The user can now continue with creating the Imposition.
Create an Imposition for an existing Production job

The stand-alone Impose Editor is also able to open existing Production Jobs in the system where you can update an existing Imposition or create a new Imposition for the Production Job. Open an existing Production Job by doing the following:

  1. Open the menu item Automation > Impose Editor.
  2. By default, an empty sheet opens in the Impose Editor with Manual Impose Mode selected.
  3. To select an existing Production Job, select Open [4] (Figure 2) in the action bar of the Impose Editor.
  4. The Select a Production Job dialog opens, which lists the most recent Production Jobs (10 items per page) in the Workflow.

Figure 4: The Select a Production Job dialog where you can open existing Production Jobs.

Select a Production Job - 1.7.5
  1. The Select a Production Job dialog displays the last ten Production Jobs in the system per page. The following options are available for selecting a Production Job:
    • Production Job Search [14] – This field can be used to quickly select your desired Production Job by typing in a name. The search references either the Name or ID of the Production Job. Its important to note that you cannot search by: Printer, Print Configuration, Print Item name, or Date.
    • Page Navigation [15] – Because only ten Production Jobs can be viewed at a time by scrolling, the user can navigate to the next page by clicking on the arrows. Options for jumping to the first and last pages are also available by clicking on >| symbol.
  2. Once you have located your desired Production Job, select it and click Open [20] to display all Print Items. You can identify the Production Job by using the following information:
    • Metadata [16] – The Name, Internal ID and the status of the Production Job are displayed here (from left to right). The creation date of the Production Job is also displayed on the right.
    • Preview thumbnail [17] – If the Production Job has already been Imposed, the Imposition preview thumbnail is displayed here. If there is no Imposition, the preview thumbnail of the first Print Item in the Production Job is displayed instead.
    • Details [18] – Depending on the display mode selected [19] more detailed information is displayed in this area. The following display modes are available:
      • Output Configuration: Shows the Print Configuration, Substrate and Color Policy used this Production Job.
      • Print Items: Shows the number of assigned Print Items and the corresponding thumbnails for each Print Item contained in the Production Job.
      • Impose Settings: Shows the Impose Size, Sheet Dimensions, Printed Area, etc. of the Production Job.
      • Impose Type: This option displays the Impose Mode, Impose Template and any Marks that have been applied to the Impose.
  3. If you want to add additional Print Items to the Production Job, you can accomplish this using the File Manager.
Saving a Production Job

Once we've created a Production Job, modified and/or imposed the Print Items, the stand-alone Impose Editor must also be able to save the Production Job or duplicate the edited Production Job. In order to save a Production Job, proceed as follows. Please note: a distinction is made between a new Production Job and an existing Production Job:

Saving a new Production Job:

  1. Open the menu item Automation > Impose Editor.
  2. By default, the Impose Editor opens with an empty sheet and Manual Impose mode selected.
  3. Select your desired Impose Mode and create a new Imposition using the File Manager.
  4. By adding Print Items the Save [5] (Figure 2) function will activate in the action bar.
  5. Click on Save to open the Save Imposition dialog, where you can save the Production Job including your Print Items and the Imposition.

Figure 5: The Save Imposition dialog of the Impose Editor.

Save Imposition - 1.7.5
  1. The following information is displayed or must be entered in the Impose Configuration area of the Save Imposition dialog:
    • Impose Configuration
      • Print Items [19] – In this area all Print Items contained in the Production Job are listed (scrollable). A preview, the Name and the items contained in the Imposition is displayed for each Print Item.
      • Print Item Details [20] – This section lists the amount of all placed Print Items, the Sheet Size to be rendered, the total area of the Imposition and the Printed Area in m2 and the %.
    • Production Job Configuration
      • Job Name [21] – The name of the Production Job must be defined here. A comment can also be entered and saved.
      • Output Configuration [22] – This area displays the current Output Configuration for the Production Job.
  2. By clicking the Save button, a new Production Job is created or overwritten. The Print Items and the Imposition are also saved to the Production Job. At the end of the saving process, the Production Job is displayed in the Production Job list in the Workflow. From there, the process can be continued. If necessary, the Production Job can be opened or edited again using the Open function.

Articles are split when a Production Job is saved

If Articles were added to the Production Job using the File Manager, the reference to the Article is split from the File Manager when the Production Job is saved. Articles that are already in a Production Job remain referenced (linked) when an imposition is saved with its source file in either the Print Item or Order categories.

Deleting an Article in the File Manager therefore has no effect on existing Production Jobs.

Saving an existing Production Job as a new Production Job using Save as

In addition to the conventional save function described above, another option for saving Production Jobs is available The Save as function [6] (Figure 2) offers the possibility to create a new Production Job in the Workflow by duplicating the Job and creating them in the system as completely new Production Jobs. This option allows Production Jobs to be created quickly with different variants. Follow the steps below to perform the Save as function.

  1. Open the menu item Automation > Impose Editor.
  2. By default, an empty sheet opens and Manual Impose Mode is selected and the default Color Policy is applied based on the defined settings. The Impose Mode can be changed as usual below the header.
  3. Open [4] (Figure 2) a Production Job that is Imposed or create a new Imposition using the File Manager.
  4. Save the Imposition by clicking on Save [5] (Figure 2), the Save as function is active in the action bar.
  5. After editing and saving the Imposition, click on the Save as [6] button.
  6. After clicking the Save as button The Save Imposition dialog (Figure 5) opens allowing you to save your Production Job including the Imposition and Print Items.

2.2.2. File Manager

Since Production Jobs can be created using the Impose Editor, we have also added the ability to manage Print Items using the Impose Editor. For this purpose we have integrated a new function, titled the File Manager in the Impose Editor, in order to use Articles and Collections more efficiently. The File Manager is a central point for managing and creating Collections & Articles within an Imposition.

Collections & Articles

Before describing the File Manager in more detail, we must first clarify a few terms and elements that are now used within the File Manager.

Collection: Various Articles can be grouped under a Collection. Collections could be used in the following examples:

  • Substrates – Users want to group individual Articles, depending on the Substrate to be used, in a Collection using the Substrate Definition.
  • Weekday – Users want to group individual Articles, depending on the date of production, in a Collection using specific dates.
  • Order Number – Users want to group individual Articles in a Collection using the Order Number, depending on the Order to which they belong.
  • Project Name – Users want to group individual Articles in a Collection using the Project Name, depending on whether they belong to a project or not.
  • Article Group – Users want to group individual Articles in a Collection using the Article Group name depending on which Article Group they belong to (symbols; traffic signs; animals; faces; people; etc.).

Companies can thus create Collections according to their needs and assign Articles to Collections accordingly. It is not a must that companies use Collections because Articles can be managed without being assigned to a Collection.

For companies that have licensed the Plus version of the Workflow, additional options are available when using Collections. For more information, see the article Collections.

Articles: An Article is a Print Item or Print file to be printed in the Workflow. The file format of an article can be PDF, JPEG, TIFF, EPS, PSD or PNG. When using PDF's, an Article can be single-page or multi-page. An Article can be of any size and can be provided with or without Page Geometry defined as is the case with PDF's.

Upload Articles to a Collection and assign it to a Production Job

The File Manager is available in both versions of the Impose Editor and all Impose Modes. Two conditions must be met in order to access the File Manager:

  • The Impose Editor must be open – The Impose Editor can be accessed via Automation > Impose Editor or directly within a Production Job in the Impose tab.
  • File Manager must be open (expanded) – If you do not see the File Manager on the left side in the Impose Editor, it is most likely hidden. Expand the File Manager by clicking on the arrow [23].

After you have expanded the File Manager, an empty list is displayed. To use multiple Articles in a Production Job, proceed as follows:

  1. Create a Collection by clicking on the + symbol [26]. After entering a name for the Collection, it is preselected in the Select a Collection [24] section.
  2. Add Articles to the selected Collection by clicking the + symbol [27].
  3. After adding Articles, uploading and checking the selected Articles in the Workflow will begin.
  4. After successful verification, the list of all uploaded Articles is displayed to the user.
  5. The user can then begin to add Articles to an open or new Production Job individually by clicking on the + symbol [28].

Figure 6: Articles can be managed using the File Manager in the Impose Editor, the top area can be used to add, edit and delete Collections and Articles and the lower area displays uploaded Articles.

File Manager - 1.7.5
Add, Select, Edit and Delete Collections

In the File Manager, Collections can be added, selected, edited and deleted. Working with Collections is not mandatory but we do recommend it. Collections allow you to better organize your files and access them more quickly. We describe how to Add a new Collection, or select, edit, or delete an existing Collection.

Add a new Collection

To create a new Collection, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job.
  2. Once the Impose Editor opens, the File Manager on the left opens to the right. The File Manager can also be expanded and collapsed using the arrow icon [23] in the action bar next to the Sheet Configuration button.
  3. Clicking on the + symbol [26] opens the Add Collection dialog.

Figure 7: The Add Collection dialog.

File Manager - Add Collection - 1.7.5
  1. Once the dialog has opened, you can give the Collection a Name [28] and add an optional Comment [29].
  2. Click the Save button to create the new Collection, close the dialog and select the newly created Collection under the Select a Collection field [32].
  3. The list of Articles in the lower area [34] of the File Manager is empty because no Articles have been added to the Collection yet. The user can now start uploading Articles to the selected Collection.

Selecting a Collection

To select a Collection, click in the Select a Collection [32] input field and select the desired Collection from the drop-down menu. You can also type the name of the Collection, which will filter the Collection list accordingly.

If you want to remove the selected Collection from the input field, click on the x symbol [30]. This deletes the entry and displays all Articles in the Article list of the File Manager.

Figure 8: The File Manager after creating a new Collection which contains no Articles.

File Manager - New Collection - 1.7.5

Editing Collections

Collections can also be edited in the File Manager. To edit a Collection, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job.
  2. Once the Impose Editor opens, the File Manager on the left opens to the right. The File Manager can also be expanded and collapsed using the arrow icon [23] (Figure 6) in the action bar next to the Sheet Configuration button.
  3. Select the desired Collection in the input field Select a Collection [32] and click on the pen symbol [31]. The Edit Collection dialog opens, which offers the same parameters as the Add Collection dialog (see Figure 7). Enter your desired values.
  4. Click Save to confirm the changes to the edited Collection.

Deleting Collections

Collections created in the Workflow can also be deleted in the File Manager. You have two options in this regard:

  • Delete the Collection including assigned Articles
  • Delete the Collection only, leaving existing Articles in the File Manager

To delete a Collection, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job.
  2. Once the Impose Editor opens, the File Manager on the left opens to the right. The File Manager can also be expanded and collapsed using the arrow icon [23] (Figure 6) in the action bar next to the Sheet Configuration button.
  3. Select the desired Collection in the input field Select a Collection [32] and click on the recycling bin symbol [33] to open the Delete Collection dialog.

Figure 9: The Delete Collection dialog for deleting either a Collection including the assigned Articles or to delete the Collection only.

File Manager - Delete Collection - 1.7.5
  1. The Delete Collection dialog opens where you can either delete just the Collection or delete the Collection and the corresponding Articles. To delete the Articles contained in the Collection you should check the checkbox Delete Collections and Articles [35]. If you want to know which Articles, Orders or Production Jobs are affected by this, click on the arrow next to Show Cascades [36].
  2. By clicking the Delete button the Collection alone or the Collection including the assigned Articles will be deleted.
Articles: Uploading, Deleting or Adding an Article to the sheet

In the File Manager, Articles can be uploaded, deleted or added to the Imposition. Articles/Print Items can be uploaded either through the File Manager or directly into a Production Job, Order, or an Article. Find out more on how this is done by reading this article: Article - Order - Production Job. We describe how to add Articles to a Collection, delete Articles and add an Article to the Imposition using the File Manager.

Uploading Articles

In order to be able to upload the Print Item directly into the Workflow without leaving the Impose Editor, you can upload or create Articles directly via the File Manager. Follow these steps to accomplish this:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job.
  2. Once the Impose Editor opens, the File Manager on the left opens to the right. The File Manager can also be expanded and collapsed using the arrow icon [23] (Figure 6) in the action bar next to the Sheet Configuration button.
  3. In the Select a Collection [37] input field, select the desired Collection or create a new Collection beforehand. For more information on how to create, select, edit and delete Collections, see this section – Add, Select, Edit and Delete Collections.
  4. Then click on the + symbol [31] to add Articles to the selected Collection.

Figure 10: The File Manager with a Collection selected.

File Manager - Selected Collection
  1. The native file management dialog opens where you can select one or more files [39]. If the desired files cannot be selected, they are not PDF files. To be able to select JPEG, TIFF, PSD, EPS or PNG files, you should select All formats under Options [40].
  2. Clicking Open [41] triggers the process of uploading, checking, normalizing and calculating the preview files. You can follow the progress of the check-in of all Articles in the upper right area of the Impose Editor.

Figure 11: A view of the native file management dialog when selecting files to upload.

File Manager - Add Article - 1.7.5
  1. After the upload, review, normalize, and preview calculation processes are complete for all files, the Articles are added to the selected Collection and displayed in the Article list (bottom section of Figure 12).

Article list: The Article list displays a Thumbnail [47] for each Article, the name of the Article [45] with the internal ID [46] and the associated metadata [48] (TrimBox, CropBox, Bleed, number of pages and minimum resolution). The number [42] of Articles for the selected Collection is displayed in the header bar of the list. If more than 10 Articles are assigned to a Collection, you can browse to the next page using the page navigation [44]. Additionally, the option Hide used Articles [43] is available in the header. If this option is activated, Articles that are already used in the current Production Job are no longer displayed in the list.

Figure 12: The File Manager displaying a Collection and the assigned Articles for that Collection.

File Manager with Collection and Articles

Deleting Articles

If you no longer need specific Articles, you can also delete them directly from a Collection or from the Article list in the File Manager. To delete an Article, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job.
  2. Once the Impose Editor opens, the File Manager on the left opens to the right. The File Manager can also be expanded and collapsed using the arrow icon [23] (Figure 6) in the action bar next to the Sheet Configuration button.
  3. Search for the desired Article either by selecting a Collection or by entering the name of the Article in the Search Articles input field.
  4. To delete an Article, click on the recycling bin icon [49] below the Article metadata, which opens the Delete Article dialog.

Figure 13: The Delete Article dialog.

File Manager - Delete Article - 1.7.5
  1. The Delete Article dialog will open, asking you if you want to delete the Article. As soon as you click on the Delete button [50], the Article is permanently deleted and removed from the File Manager and can therefore no longer be used. If the Article has already been used in a Production Job, this has no effect on Articles added from the File Manager, since they were separated when the Production Job was saved.

Adding an Article to the Artboard

Once you have created the desired Articles in the Impose Editor using the File Manager, you can easily and efficiently add them to the open Imposition. We describe how to add Articles in more detail below:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job.
  2. Once the Impose Editor opens, the File Manager on the left opens to the right. The File Manager can also be expanded and collapsed using the arrow icon [23] (Figure 6) in the action bar next to the Sheet Configuration button
  3. Once the File Manager has opened, you can select the Article you want to add to the Imposition.

Figure 14: The File Manager as seen when adding an Article to the open Imposition.

Impose Editor - File Manager - 1.7.5
  1. To add an Article to the Imposition, click on the + symbol [51] in the Article List. As soon as you complete this action, the Article is automatically placed on the Artboard.
  2. To add more Articles, simply repeat step 4 until the desired amount of Articles has been added.

When adding an Article to the Imposition, in Step & Repeat mode you must compare the dimensions of the Article you want to add with the currently placed Articles on the Artboard.  If the Article dimensions are different, the Article cannot be placed on the Artboard and you will need to change the Impose Mode. In Manual, Nesting and Tilling modes, you can use Articles with different dimensions.

2.2.3. Improvements to the »Print Items tab«

In order to better organize imposing in the Impose Editor, we have made some improvements and UI changes in version 1.7.5 regarding the Print Items tab [52].

In the sections below, we describe in more detail the improvements we've made. All functions and possibilities are available in both versions of the Impose Editor and Impose Modes.

Figure 15: The Print Items tab in the Impose Editor displaying three separate Print Items.

Impose Editor - Print Items tab - 1.7.5
UI design changes

To display the Print Item List, click the Print Items tab [52] on the right side of the Editor. When the Print Item list opens, all Print Items used in the Production Job are displayed. With 1.7.5 we have made some design changes to make the organization of Print Items even easier and more efficient. The changes we have made are described below:

  • Number of placed Print Items [56] – In the upper right area of the Print Item preview you will now see the amount of Items placed on the Artboard.
  • Delete Print Items [57] – You can delete a Print Item from the Print Item list using the recycle bin icon at the bottom right of the single Print Item view. If you delete a Print Item and save the Imposition, the Print Item is also deleted in the Production Job as well.
  • Print Item Name [54] – The name of the Print Item is now displayed in a rectangle in the lower half of the preview thumbnail to save space.
  • Print Item Details [55] – Using the Print Item Details checkbox in the upper right area of the Print Items tab, you can expand the Print Item Details panel. See below for more information on the new Print Item Details panel.
  • Print Item Order [53] – Use the icon (three parallel lines) on the left side of each Print Item to change how the Print Items are ordered in the Print Item list. For more information on changing the Print Item order, see the section below.
Functional changes

We've add a couple of changes that directly affect the functionality of the Impose Editor, the following changes have been made to version 1.7.5.

Changing the Print Item order in the »Print Items tab«

In the previous version of the Impose Editor, it wasn't possible to move individual Print Items in the Print Items list. Therefore we have implemented this function when using rule-based Impose Modes, which allows you to change the order of the Print Items. If you have placed several Print Items on the Artboard, changing the ordering in the Print Items list will change the imposition order on the Artboard. The following examples describe the behavior of this new feature.

  • Step & Repeat: By changing the ordering, you can determine which Print Item is to be used in the first, second and third columns.
  • Nesting: By changing the order, you can determine which Print Item should start the Nesting and in which order Print Items should be imposed together.

Figure 16: The animation below shows you how to change the ordering of the Print Items in the Print Items tab.  

Impose Editor - Print Items tab gif - 1.7.5

Displaying Print Item Details

In order to clarify or check details for individual Print Items, one had to leave the Impose Editor in the previous version and switch to the Print Item view of the Production Job. With release 1.7.5 we've implemented the possibility to view details directly from the Print Items tab, thus creating a transparent and integrated way to view the metadata of any specific Print Item directly in the Impose Editor. Print Item Details can be activated and view the following way:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job.
  2. Select your desired Impose Mode and add your required Print Items to the sheet from either the File Manager or directly from the Print Items tab.
  3. Once you have selected a Print Item, activate the Print Item Details checkbox [59].
  4. Select the desired Print Item by clicking on the Print Item number [60].
  5. The Print Item Details panel expands and you have access to all Print Item details and metadata [58] without leaving the Impose Editor.

Figure 17: The Print Item Details for the selected Print Item.

Impose Editor - Print Item Details - 1.7.5

2.2.4. Dielines in the Impose Editor

As of version 1.7.5, Dielines can be created for individual Print Items or Tiles in the Impose Editor. If the Print Item contains no Dielines, it can be added automatically using the Impose Editor.

Dielines can be created in all Impose Modes. And of course, they are also saved in the Impose Templates. Dielines that are created in the Impose Editor can be used with compatible Cutters or Plotters as needed.

To create Dielines for individual Print Items in the imposition, proceed as follows.

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job.
  2. Activate the Finishing Settings tab [61].
  3. Open the Dielines panel [62].

Figure 18: The Dielines panel is located under the Finishing Settings tab.

Impose Editor - Finishing Settings - DieLines - 1.7.5
  1. Select the Create Dieline checkbox [63] to create a Dieline for Print Items where the Dieline will be aligned to the TrimBox. The type of Dieline including the Technical Color that is assigned to the Dieline can be controlled via the settings in the Dielines panel. The following options are available:
    • Corner Type [64] – Defines the appearance of the contour. Two corner types are available:
      • Bevel – If a value of 0 is entered in the Bevel input field, a corner is created, otherwise a beveled edge is created based on the amount entered.
      • Rounded – If a value 0 is entered in the Radius input field, a corner is created, otherwise a radius is created based on the amount entered.
    • Bevel/Radius [65] – Determines the thickness of the Bevel or Radius. A Bevel/Radius value of 0 mm creates a corner.
    • Thickness [66] – Defines the weight of the Dieline starting from the center.
    • Offset [67] – Shifts the Dieline by the set value from the TrimBox. A positive value shifts the Dieline to the outside, a negative value to the inside.
    • Technical Color [68] – Here the user can select all system-wide defined Technical Colors defined as a CutContour type. Being able to select a non-technical color makes no sense here and is therefore not possible. To create printing lines (creasing lines, cutting lines, etc.), the Lines function is available in the same tab, which is only available for Tiling Impose mode.
    • Overprint [69] – Can be enabled or disabled. As a rule, Dielines should be set to overprint, otherwise areas behind them will be omitted from the print.

2.2.5. Captions

Version 1.7.5 offers dynamic Captions that can be created in the Impose Editor in all Impose Modes and added per Print Item. Captions can be created using a freely defined text (e.g. »Name«) as well as predefined placeholders that contain metadata from the Print Item, Production Job, Substrate or Color Policy. In practice, Captions are used to quickly identify printed data after Production is finished.

When using the Impose Mode Tiling, it is also possible to add a Caption to individual Tiles. An example would be adding a Caption to display the number of the Tile and the number that corresponds to the adjacent or neighboring Tiles as well. We describe the process for adding Captions in more detail below. Additional options for the Impose Mode Tiling and Captions are dealt with separately in the Tiling section of the release notes.

To create a Caption, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job.
  2. Activate the Marks [70] tab.
  3. Navigate to the Captions panel [71]. Select the Default Caption option in the Add Caption input field.

Figure 19: The Caption panel is available under the Marks tab.

  1. Expand the Default Caption [72] drop-down panel to edit the Caption settings. The following parameters can be edited:
    • Position [73] – Specify the position of the Caption in relation to the Print Item boxes. The position selected is displayed in the header of the panel to ensure faster orientation for the user. You can select the following entries in this panel:
      • BleedBox – available in all Impose Modes
      • TrimBox – available in all Impose Modes
      • Overlap – This option is only available for Tiling Mode and pertains to the Overlap value that is entered for individual Tiles.
      • Bleed Overlap – This option is only available for Tiling Mode and pertains to the Bleed that is additional to the entered Overlap value for individual Tiles.
    • Set To [74] – This determines the edge to which the Caption is aligned. If a Caption with different content is required on a different edge, an additional Default Caption must be added to the Imposition and the content and edge must be specified again. The following options are available:
      • Top – Aligned either left, centered or right
      • Right – Top flush, center flush or bottom flush
      • Bottom – Aligned either left, centered or right
      • Left – Top flush, center flush or bottom flush
    • Offset [75] – Defines the distance between the Caption and the selected position. Note that the offset may change slightly depending on the font selected.
    • Font [76] – Here you can specify which font family (e.g. Arial) and font weight (e.g. Bold) previously installed in the Workflow should be used for the Caption. You can upload your own fonts to the Workflow server using the Font Manager [77].
    • Font Size [78] – You can define the font size defined in pt for the Caption.
    • Font Color [79] – You can define which color the font should be. Selection of a Spot Color will not be available until the next release.
    • White Background [80] – This checkbox can be activated to provide the Caption with a white (non-printed) background. This ensures that a Caption defined as black can also be read when printing on dark areas.
    • Inside [81] – This checkbox can be activated optionally to place the Caption on the inside of the selected position with a corresponding offset.
    • Caption content [82] – The Caption content can be created either by entering text or by adding placeholders to this input field. To activate a placeholder, first type in the @ character, which will activate the following placeholder options:
      • Color Policy ID
      • Color Policy – Name
      • Job – Name
      • Job ID
      • Neighbor Tile-Number (Tiling)
      • Page No. – Current
      • Page No. – Total
      • Print Configuration – Name
      • Print Configuration ID
      • Print Item – Name
      • Printer ID
      • Printer Name
      • Substrate – ID
      • Substrate – Name
    • Update Caption [83] – Select this button to display or update the defined Caption in the Imposition.

Captions per Print Item only

In version 1.7.5, Captions are added to all Print Items in the Imposition. In future versions it will be possible to create Captions and add them per sheet or Artboard.

2.2.6. Font Manager

When installing the Workflow, only Windows system fonts are available. The Workflow uses these fonts when fonts are needed to display information, e.g. for Captions. If you wish to use your own font to display information, this can be loaded into the Workflow using the Font Manager. In addition, the Font Manager provides a clean overview of all available fonts.

To upload your own fonts in the Workflow, using Captions as an example, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job.
  2. Activate the Marks tab [70]  in the settings areas on the right (Figure 19).
  3. Navigate to the Captions panel [71] (Figure 19). In the input field Add Caption select the entry Default Caption.
  4. Click the Open Font Manager icon [77] (Figure 19), which opens the Font Manager dialog seen below in Figure 20.

Figure 20: The Font Manager can be used to add your own fonts in the Impose Editor.

Impose Editor - Font Manager - 1.7.5

The Font Manager dialog displays all available fonts in the Workflow in the Available Fonts list [85]. In this list, fonts can be filtered and selected simply by entering text in the Search for Font field [84]. Selecting a font displays the font details to the right of it. Details include:

  • The corresponding font weights [87]
  • A font example [88]
  • Metadata [89] for the font

To upload your own font in the Workflow, proceed as follows:

  1. In the Available Fonts area, click the + symbol [86]. The native file management dialog for selecting content will open.
  2. Select the desired font in your file manager. Refer to the information below.
  3. Click Open to upload the font and install it on the Workflow server.
  4. Then search for the uploaded font by entering it's name in the search field [84] to check that the font has been successfully installed.
  5. If the incorrect font or weight was uploaded, it can be removed using the Delete function [90].
  6. Finish the installation process by clicking Close [91].
  7. The uploaded font will then be available for use with your Caption.

Not all fonts can be used

Only TrueType (.ttf) & OpenType (.otf) fonts can be uploaded or used in the Workflow.

2.2.7. Auto Margins

In all rule-based Impose Modes – Step & Repeat, Nesting and Tiling – there is the new function called Auto Margin [92], which is located under the Artboard Settings tab under the Margin panel for Tiling and under the Settings panel for Nesting and Step & Repeat. This function is activated by default in all rule-based Impose Modes and is stored in the default Impose Template. If this option is not needed, it must be deactivated and saved in a separate Impose Template.

Figure 21: The Auto Margin function ensures that all Print Items used in the imposition are printed completely on the sheet.

Impose Editor - Auto Margin - 1.7.5
How it works

Activating this option ensures that all elements to be printed are on the mounting surface and that no object protrudes beyond the edge of the mounting surface. The following elements influence the calculation of the Automatic Margins:

  • Print Items – All used Print Items must be within the mounting surface with defined settings (distances, alignment, etc.).
  • Bleed – If a Bleed is included with the Print Item, this is also included in the calculation.
  • Marks – All Marks used – including those defined in the Impose Configuration dialog - must be within the mounting sheet with defined settings (length, weight, size, spacing, background color, etc.).
  • Captions – All applied Captions must be within the mounting area with a defined setting (appearance, size, distance, etc.).
  • Lines (Tiling) – All applied Lines (folding or creasing lines) must be in Tiling mode with defined settings (appearance, size, distance, ...) within the imposition.
  • Dielines – All Dielines used must be within the mounting surface based on the settings applied.

If changes to the settings are made to the above elements the calculation of Auto Margins will be affected, which may also change the imposition layout (i.e., number of placed designs), which will inevitably lead to recalculating the entire imposition.

Special cases

In connection with Auto Margins, two special cases must be briefly mentioned:

Sheet Margins

We assume in version 1.7.5 that elements added in the Sheet Configuration dialog must also be on the sheet. This means that the Auto Margin function is also used for this, but cannot be explicitly enabled or disabled in the dialog. In the next release the Auto Margin function will also be offered here, so that for special cases Auto Margins can be applied.

Add to Margin

The Step & Repeat function for label printing ensures that the vertical distance between the labels remains the same over many repetitions. To ensure that the distance remains the same, the Margins for the Top and Bottom must not be adjusted when using the Auto Margin function. However, as soon as the Add to Margin option is deactivated, the corresponding Margin for Top and Bottom is automatically calculated again.

2.2.8. Marks

In the course of this release, three additional options – Position, Overprint and Background Width – have been added to the Marks options. These new options are available in all Impose Modes. Tiling Mode is the only exception where an additional option has been added, which is described in section 2.3.10 Marks.

Figure 22: The Marks tab showing the Rectangle Mark displaying the three new options.

Impose Editor - Marks - 1.7.5

The following additional settings have been implemented for Marks:

  • Position [93] – Defines the position (starting point) where Marks are created depending on the X and Y offset. In the rule-based modes, you can choose between TrimBox and BleedBox. The positioning only has an effect if the Origin is based on Per Print Item, Per Row or Print Items. In Tiling mode there are two additional options (see 2.3.10 Marks).
  • Overprint [94] – Marks can be overprinted or omitted. By activating the overprint option, the marks are overprinted. By deactivating the overprint option, the Marks are set to knockout.
  • Background Width [96] – Per previous versions, a white background for Marks can also be created. As of Release 1.7.5, the width of the background can be freely defined. A weight of 3pt is set as default for this option. The width of the background is only visible if the Add White Background [95] option has been activated.

2.3. »Tiling« Impose Mode

With version 1.7.5 we now offer Tiling Mode in the Workflow. Especially for the large format segment, this mode is essential for producing large jobs. With Tiling Impose Mode, oversized documents whose width is greater than the print width and print length can be divided into smaller parts with additional areas added for gluing the individual Tiles.

Requirements for Tiling

The following conditions need to be met for Tiling:

  • A single Print Item to be split is required in the Production Job
  • If an additional reinforcement border is required, this must be calculated and included in the original Print Data

2.3.1. Tiling Modes

Tiling is available in three different modes – By Number, By Size and Custom. These three options are described in more detail below.

By Number

The Tiling Mode By Number divides the desired Print Item into a specific number of Tiles, which can be rendered individually to the printer. The Workflow operator can define the number of Tiles to be created in the Impose Editor, which generates a uniform grid placed over a Print Item, this can also include necessary Marks and Captions.

The size of the individual Tiles in this mode depends on the width and height of the selected Print Item and the number of Tiles defined.

Figure 23: The Tiling Options panel is visible displaying optional parameters and the By Number mode.

Impose Editor - Tiling By Number - 1.7.5

To create a grid of 3 x 3 Tiles, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job and choose Tiling Mode.
  2. Add a single Print Item to the sheet.
  3. In the settings areas on the right, activate the Artboard Settings tab [97].
  4. Open the Tiling Options panel. By Number is the default Mode option chosen [98] and the number of columns and rows [99] is set to 3.
  5. If you want to create a different grid arrangement, you must open the lock symbol [101] and enter the corresponding number of columns and rows.

The number of Tiles generated and the size of the individual Tiles are displayed below the [100] input fields for columns and rows.

The default Impose Template for Tiling

The default Impose Template for Tiling includes the Tiling By Number mode with 3 columns and 3 rows. These settings can be changed and saved in a custom Impose Template. This can then be applied by default.

By Size

The Tiling Mode By Size divides the Print Item into Tiles of a defined size, which can be rendered individually to the printer. The Workflow operator can define the size of Tiles to be created in the Impose Editor, which generates a uniform grid placed over a Print Item, this can also include necessary Marks and Captions.

The number of Tiles in this mode depends on the width and height of the selected Print Item and the defined size of the Tiles. All Tiles will be uniform in size. An exception to this are Tiles that protrude at the edges. Depending on the Mounting Direction - smaller Tiles may be created.

Figure 24: The Tiling Options panel is visible displaying optional parameters and the By Size mode.

Impose Editor - Tiling By Size - 1.7.5

To create 1.5 m large Tiles, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job and choose Tiling Mode.
  2. Add a single Print Item to the sheet.
  3. In the settings areas on the right, activate the Artboard Settings tab [102].
  4. Open the Tiling Options panel. Select the By Size Mode [103]
  5. Enter a Width [104] of 1500 mm for the Tile.
  6. As long as you do not unlock the lock symbol [106], the entered value will also be used for the height of the Tile. Open the lock symbol and enter the desired value for the height of the Tile.

The number of Tiles generated and the size of the individual Tiles are displayed below the [105] input fields for width and height.

Custom

The Custom Tiling mode divides the Print Item into Tiles of any size, which can be rendered individually to the printer. The Workflow operator can define the size of the Tiles in the Impose Editor. By default, Tiles are generated in the same size as they were in the previous mode when switching to Custom mode. The difference with Custom mode is that the user has the possibility to add and remove new columns and rows in a defined size with the auxiliary Help Lines Tool and to change the width of the columns/rows.

The number of Tiles in this mode depends on the number of columns and rows defined for the Print Item. Tiles can be defined in different sizes. The dimensions of the Tiles are defined by the width of the columns and the height of the rows.

Figure 25: The Tiling Options panel is visible displaying optional parameters and the Custom mode.

Impose Editor - Tiling Custom - 1.7.5

To create Custom Tiles, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job and choose Tiling Mode.
  2. Add a single Print Item to the sheet.
  3. In the settings areas on the right, activate the Artboard Settings tab [107].
  4. Open the Tiling Options panel. Select Custom Mode [108]
  5. Enter the desired column width [109] and the desired height for the rows [110].
  6. If you want to add a column, click on the + symbol [111] behind the respective column. If you want to remove a column, click on the – symbol [112] behind the respective column. Proceed in the same way with the rows.
  7. An additional function [113] is offered for the last column or row. With this function, the last column or row can be defined using width and height, so that the guide line is placed exactly at the edge of the Print Item.

You can also manually move the guides (Help Lines) for columns and rows. To do this, select the Help Lines Tool [114] from the toolbar. Move the tool over an existing guide and click to place the guide as needed. If you want to add an additional column or row, simply click on the horizontal or vertical ruler with the Help Lines Tool and drag a new line onto the sheet.

Switching between Tiling Modes

The current settings for the Tiling Imposition are always carried over when switching between Tiling Modes. For example if you switch from By Number mode to By Size mode, the sizes calculated in By Number mode and vice versa will transfer automatically. However, if the Custom mode is switched to a different mode, the default values - stored in the default Impose Template for the respective Tiling mode will be applied again.

2.3.2. Available options for the »Artboard Settings« tab

Tiling Options

In addition to the Mode and the resulting definition of columns and rows (see section 2.3.1 Tiling Modes), the Tiling Options [115] can also be used to determine the final size of the product. For this purpose the Scale option [116] is available.

To enlarge a design to production format, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job and choose Tiling Mode.
  2. Add a single Print Item to the sheet.
  3. In the settings areas on the right, activate the Artboard Settings tab [107]
  4. Open the Tiling Options panel. Select By Number Mode [115] and enter the desired number of columns and rows.
  5. Select the Scale [116] checkbox. The adjacent box allows you to see the original size of the Print Item.
  6. Enter either the desired width [119] and height in millimeters or enter the scaling factor for the width or height below. In both cases, the Print Item will be scaled to the desired size and will be scaled up.
  7. Decide which method, either Save Scaling Factor or Save absolute dimensions – is to be saved in the Production Job or Impose Template. What is the difference you say?
  • Save Scaling Factor [117] – This option saves the defined scaling factor in the Production Job as well as in the Impose Template. In other words, if this Impose Template is used for other Print Items, these Print Items will be scaled by the applied scaling factor.
  • Save absolute dimension [118] – This option saves the absolute dimension in the Production Job as well as in the Impose Template. In other words, if this Impose Template is used for other Print Items, it will be scaled to the final size applied, even if the proportions of the Print Item is different. In this case, Print Items would be distorted, because they are stretched to the exact dimensions specified.

Figure 26: The Tiling Options panel with additional options for scaling a Print Item.

Impose Editor - Tiling Options - Scale - 1.7.5
Overlap Area

In the Overlap Area panel, you can define the additional printed and non-printed areas required for your Tiling layout. To define these areas according to your requirements, proceed as follows:

  1. First select the desired Mounting Direction [121]. You can choose from four different options:
    • Construction – Select either Horizontal or Vertical
    • Reverse – Allows you to determine which order the Tiles are displayed (right to left or bottom to top depending on whether Horizontal or Vertical Construction was chosen).
    • ZigZag – Determines the direction in which the next row or column should be continued.

Figure 27: The Overlap Area panel with options for defining the Mounting Direction, Overlap and Overlap Bleed.

Tiling Artboard - Overlap Area

In total, you can choose from eight different Mounting Directions (see Figures 28 and 29):

  1. Horizontal [125]
  2. Horizontal – Reverse [126]
  3. Horizontal – ZigZag [127]
  4. Horizontal – Reverse, ZigZag [128]
  5. Vertical [129]
  6. Vertical – Reverse [130]
  7. Vertical – ZigZag [131]
  8. Vertical – Reverse, ZigZag [132]

Figure 28: The four variants of the Horizontal Mounting Direction in Tiling.

Impose - Tiling - Mounting Direction - Horiztonal

Figure 29: The four variants of the Vertical Mounting Direction in Tiling

Impose - Tiling - Mounting Direction - Vertical
  1. Once you have decided on a Mounting Direction, you must now determine the size of the additional area, called the Overlap, that is to be used for gluing and printing overlapping surfaces. Specify the size of the Overlap area (blank and printed) by entering a Horizontal [122] value (Figure 27). If a different value is desired for the top or bottom overlaps, open the lock and enter the desired Vertical value. the Overlap area placement is determined by the Mounting Direction chosen previously.
  2. Finally, using Overlap Bleed, you can define an additional area to be printed in order to avoid unnecessary mis-registrations when gluing. Enter the desired value in Top [124] (Figure 27). If other values for Top, Bottom, Left or Right are desired, open the lock and enter the desired values. The side where the overlap bleed is applied is determined automatically by the Mounting Direction chosen.
  3. If you need different Bleeds for specific Tiles, click the Overlap Bleed Configuration [123] icon (Figure 27). This opens a dialog in which you can enter the desired Bleed value for Top, Bottom, Left and Right for each individual Tile.

Figure 30: The Overlap Bleed Configuration dialog, where Bleed values can be defined for individual Tiles.

Impose - Tiling - Overlap Bleed Configuration
  1. As previously mentioned, the Overlap of individual Tiles is added depending on the selected Mounting Direction. For example, if the Tiles are mounted horizontally, the Overlap is added to the right and bottom edges. In the Impose Editor, the Overlap is only displayed when you switch from Total Overview to Tile Mode view [133]. The unprinted area of the Overlap is designated with a light blue color [134], the printed area (Bleed Overlap) is dimmed.

Figure 31: If the Horizontal Mounting Direction is selected and the Bleed values for the Overlap are selected from Figure 30, the second Tile appears as shown below.

Impose - Tiling - Overlap Bleed
Margins

As in all other Impose Modes, an additional Margin can be added to the Tiling to create more white space on the edge of the Substrate. By activating the option Auto Margin [135], all elements to be printed, such as Marks, Captions and Dielines, are placed within the mounting area. Normally in Tiling, the Margins per Tile are different due to various distances, Overlaps and Bleeds.

Figure 32: The Margin and Bleed panels available under the Artboard Settings tab.

Tiling - Margins - 1.7.5
Bleed

As previously mentioned, there are two types of Bleed in Tiling Mode:

  • Overlap Bleed – Available in the Overlap Area panel
  • Bleed – An independent panel

While the Overlap Bleed is created only within the Tiling, on all edges with adjacent Tiles for example, the regular Bleed is the Bleed for the Print Item that is defined for the outer edges. If the Print Item has a Bleed, you can print the Bleed by entering values for Top [136], Bottom, Left and Right.

2.3.3. Tiling – Preview Modes

There are two different preview modes available for Tiling mode. The first option is the Total Overview [137], which displays the entire Print Item to be divided with the appropriate Tiles, and we have Tile Mode [138] which provides a view where the overlaps and applied bleeds can be seen.

Total Overview: Select this view to get an overview of how the Print Item looks as a whole image. With this view, Tile numbers [140] are displayed and the way in which the Tiles will align when assembled based on the Mounting Direction.

Tile Mode: Select this mode if you want to take a closer look at each individual Tile in terms of Overlap and Overlap Bleed. If Tile Mode [138] is activated, you have the option to navigate through the individual Tiles [139] on the right.

Figure 33: The two preview modes available in Tiling Mode. On the left the Total Overview, on the right, Tile Mode can be seen.

Impose Editor - Tiling - Total Overview - 1.7.5

2.3.4. Tiling Impose Templates

Just like other rule-based Impose Modes, there are also Impose Templates available for Tiling Mode. After updating to version 1.7.5, the system creates another default Impose Template for Tiling in the Workflow. This Impose Template contains the default configuration for Tiling.

Additional Impose Templates can be defined and saved for when using Tiling Mode. Tiling Impose Templates can be managed, like all other Impose Templates, under the menu item Administration > Settings > Impose Editor. Here you can save Impose Templates and set them as default as well as delete superfluous Impose Templates. More information can be found in the article Settings.

2.3.5. Tiling – Lines

Specifically for Tiling Mode, we've implemented new function called Lines, which allows the operator to create printing lines for single Tiles. Lines can be used to print cutting Marks for finishing purposes such as trimming. To use the new lines feature, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job and choose Tiling Mode.
  2. Add a single Print Item to the sheet.
  3. In the settings areas on the right, activate the Artboard Settings tab [107] and choose your desired settings to create your Tiling.
  4. Activate the Marks [141] tab. the operator is presented with three panels: Marks, Captions and Lines.
  5. In the Add Line [142] drop-down menu, select the desired line type. Three different line types are available – Solid, Dashed and Dotted. Once you have selected a line type, additional options are displayed. These options include:
    • Position – Specifies the position, the starting point (position [143]) and the desired edge alignement [149] (top, right, bottom and left). Four positions with four edges each are available:
      • Bleed Box – top, right, bottom and/or left
      • TrimBox – top, right, bottom and/or left
      • Overlapping – top, right, bottom and/or left
      • Bleed Overlap – top, right, bottom and/or left
    • Thickness [144] – Enter the line width in pt.
    • X and Y Offset [145] – Specify an offset of the line to the selected position. In most cases, the line will be moved slightly outwards so that it can be cut inside.
    • Color [146] – Enter a color value for the line, either by entering CMYK values or by clicking on the color field.
    • Opacity [147] – Offers the possibility to reduce the opacity of the line.
    • Dash/Gap [148] – This option is only available if a Dotted and Dashed line are selected for the line type.
      • Dashed – Here you can define the length and the gap of the dashed line in pt. If irregular strokes are desired, further lines and gaps can be created by clicking on the + symbol.
      • Dotted – Here the length as well as the gaps of the rounded line can be defined in pt. Note that you must enter a length of 0.01 pt to create a point. Larger values create a line with a rounded end cap. If irregular distances between the points are desired, further points and gaps can be created by clicking on the + symbol.

Figure 34: The Marks tab with the Lines panel expanded.

Impose - Tiling - Lines

Lines are only available in Tiling Mode

Lines will also be available for the other Impose Modes in future versions.

2.3.6. Tiling – Dielines

Because individual Tiles have to be cut by cutting devices, the availability of Dielines is also essential for Tiling. When adding a Dieline to a Tilling Imposition cut contours are created based on the box surrounding the Overlap, as this area has to be cut and glued. The Bleed at the outer edge and the Overlap Bleed ensure that cutting is possible without misregistration or gaps.

You can find the Dielines panel under the Finishing tab of the Impose Editor settings area.

Tiles need to be cut in the finishing process using a cutting device

If a Tiling imposition has to be further processed with a plotter after printing, then the Tiling in version 1.7.5 has to be split into separate Articles when saving, since support for multipage PDFs for cutting devices is not yet implemented.  More information is provided in the Save section.

In the future splitting Articles will no longer be necessary with version 1.7.6 of the Workflow.

2.3.7. Tiling – Captions

Creating Captions was described in more detail in section 2.2.5 Captions. In Tiling Mode, there are two additional entries under the Position option to which Captions can be aligned, and three additional placeholders.

The two additional positions are:

  • Overlap – Captions are placed on the Overlap Area bounding box. The option Set To has no effect here, because when the entry is selected, the Caption is automatically placed in the Overlap Area depending on the Mounting Direction selected.
  • Overlap Bleed – Captions are generated based on the bounding box of the Overlap Bleed.

The three additional placeholders are:

  • Neighbor Tile Number (Tiling) – This placeholder displays the number of the adjacent Tile(s).
  • Page Number - Current – This placeholder displays the number of the current Tile.
  • Page Number - Total – This placeholder displays the total number of Tiles.

The default Tiling Impose Template applies these placeholders automatically in order to see which Tile is to be glued left/right or below/above. The ordering of the Captions is as follows:

  • Name of the Product Job
  • Current Tile out of the total number of Tiles
  • Next Page

Figure 35: Seen below is the default set of Captions that are applied when the default Tiling Impose Template is used.

Tiling Impose Template - default Captions - 1.7.5

2.3.8. Tiling – Marks

In Tiling Mode, two additional options are offered under Position where Marks are placed. The two additional positions are identical to Captions.

  • Overlap – Marks are placed on the Overlap Area bounding box.
  • Overlap Bleed – Marks are generated based on the bounding box of the Overlap Bleed.

This provides the user with sufficient possibilities to create and place Marks in the appropriate color and size.

2.3.9. Tiling – Saving

After completing the Tiling Imposition, it must be secured with the Production Job. You have already read how this works in the section Saving a Production Job.

Generally speaking when saving a Tiling, a multi-page PDF is always generated, which contains one Tile per page. If a Tiling is saved with nine Tiles, a multi-page PDF with nine pages is generated and saved for the Production Job. However, when saving a Tiling, there is an additional function which is not available in the other Impose Modes. By activating the function Create separate Article for each Tile [149], a multi-page PDF is first generated and an Article per Tile is also generated from the individual pages of the PDF. The process is carried out in the following steps:

  1. The Production Job is saved.
  2. The Tiling Imposition is created and the multi-page PDF is saved in the Production Job.
  3. The multi-page PDF is duplicated internally and divided into individual pages.
  4. A Collection with the name of the Production Job is created in the Workflow.
  5. Each individual page is uploaded as an Article, checked, previewed and added to the new Collection.

Figure 36: The Save Imposition dialog when saving a Tiling Imposition.

Impose - Save dialog - Tiling

Once the Tiling has been successfully saved and the multi-page PDF has been split and the Articles have been created, the File Manager selects the Collection created for the Tiles and displays the individual Articles in the Collection in the list below. Now individual Articles (Tiles) are transfered into new Production Jobs or are imposed again before being rendered to the printer.

Individual Tiles need to be cut with a cutting device

If the individual Tiles have to be cut using a cutting device after output to the printer, the option Create separate Article for each Tile must be activated. In version 1.7.5 it is not yet possible to transfer a multi-page PDF to the plotter. For this reason it is necessary to transfer each Tile separately or to impose these Articles with other Print Items to the printer or plotter.

If individual Tiles do not have to be reimposed, or if they do not have to be cut using a plotter after output to the printer, the multi-page PDF of the Production Job can also be transferred to the printer. In this case, the option Create separate Article for each Tile should not be activated.

2.3.10. Tiling Results

When you save the Tiling by activating the Create separate Articles for each Tile function [149], a Collection with the name of the Production Job is created in the background. All Articles or Tiles of the Production Job are saved in this Collection. When the saving process is complete, the Tiling results are displayed in a separate view.

We describe in more detail how this function works and what it does below.

  1. Create a Tiling Imposition and save it by activating the option Create separate Articles for each Tile.
  2. Wait until the Imposition and Production Job backup process is complete.
  3. Above the settings area on the right side of the Impose Editor, when the multi-page PDF is being split (see Tiling – Saving) the circle and the number of Tiling processes are displayed in red [150] when splitting. Please wait for this process to complete, as it may take a few seconds. When the process is complete, a message is displayed.

Figure 37: This area displays progress when splitting multi-page PDFs and checking in files in the File Manager.

Tiling - Split Articles - 1.7.5
  1. Click on the icon Show Tiling results with Articles per Tile [151] to open the overview.

Figure 38: The Tiling results with Articles per Tile overview.

Tiling results with Articles per tile
  1. Navigate to the Tiling result of your choice using the page navigation [152].
  2. You can look at the result of the Tiling process [153] in terms of the number and size of Tiles.
  3. To view the Collection of individual items in the File Manager, click the Show in File Manager button [154].
  4. After pressing the button, the view closes. The appropriate Collection is then automatically selected in the File Manager and its Articles are displayed in the Article list. From there, individual Articles can be further processed.

2.4. »Manual« Impose Mode

The Scaling function for Manual Impose Mode was extended and improved in the course of version 1.7.5.

2.4.1. Improvements for Scaling Print Items

Before Release 1.7.5 only the scaling factor could be edited. The width and height of the Print Item was calculated and displayed. As of version 1.7.5, you can enter the scaling factor in a percentage as well as the width and height of the Print Item, which calculates the scaling factor.

To transform a Print Item to the desired size in Manual Mode, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor or by clicking the Open Impose Editor button under the Impose tab directly within a Production Job and choose Tiling Mode. Manual Impose Mode is selected by default.
  2. Add a Print Item from the File Manager or from the Print Items tab to the sheet.
  3. In the settings area on the right, activate the Artboard Settings tab and select the Transform panel.
  4. In the Width [155] input field, enter the desired value for width. By entering the width, all other values - height and the scale factor [156] for the width and height – are adjusted proportionally.
  5. If you want to distort the Print Item, you must open the lock symbol first before entering the desired value. From this point on, only the scaling factor for width is proportional to width and the same behavior for height.
  6. If you want to restore the original proportions, simply lock the lock symbol again. This automatically calculates the proportion for the height based on the values in the width.

Figure 39: The Transform panel with the new Scaling options.

Transform panel - Scaling

2.4.2. »Fit to Substrate« and »Fill« correction

In the course of the release a long overdue correction for the option Scale [157] was carried out. The functions Fit to Substrate and Fill were backwards. Version 1.7.5 fixed this bug.

 

2.5. Impose Editor Performance Improvements

In the course of this release, numerous improvements in the handling of objects were carried out in the background of the Impose Editor. Some existing functions have also been improved. The following elements have been revised or improved:

  • Ruler update – The ruler now reacts faster to changes when zooming.
  • Zoom levels – In the footer of the Impose Editor, a selection menu called Zoom is available, where predefined zoom levels – 10%, 25%, 50%, 100%, 125%, 150%, 200%, 400%, 800%, 1600%, 2400% and 3200% – can be selected. If you zoom in or out manually, the current zoom factor is displayed in a percentage.
  • Zoom gestures – Users can now zoom in and zoom out by using two fingers on the trackpad or by using the scroll wheel on a mouse.
  • Improved Undo function (CTRL+Z) – Many improvements have been implemented when using the undo action.
  • Automatic deactivation of the preview – The preview function is automatically deactivated when 100 or more Print Items are placed, as a memory limit is quickly reached by displaying too many preview images, especially with the Windows version of Chrome.

2.6. Fixup Favorites

For users of the Workflow + Version, more than 100 Fixups are available, which can be used to prepare print data for prepress. With version 1.7.5, it is possible to mark frequently used Fixups as favorites under the Data Preparation tab [159] so that they can then be used in the Print Data tab [158] without changing tabs. The system Fixups as well as Custom Fixups can be marked as favorites.

To mark a specific Fixup as a favorite and then access it in the Print Data tab, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Data Preparation tab [159]. This tab is available to all Workflow + users in the Article, Order and Production Job areas.
  2. The Data Preparation tab provides three setting areas – Filter, Fixups and Custom Fixups.
  3. The Fixups [160] tab contains the standard Fixups supplied by the system and Custom Fixups [161] tab contains Fixups that were added later in the Workflow.
  4. Select the desired Fixup in these two setting areas. You can scroll in the list or filter the list according to various criteria in the Filter settings area.
  5. Once you have found the desired Fixup, click on Add Fixups to Favorites [162]. This fills in the white star and marks it as a system-wide favorite for Articles, Orders and Production Jobs.

Figure 40: The Data Preparation tab of the Article menu item with three favorites already marked.

Data Preparation tab - Favorites
  1. To apply a favorite Fixup, switch to the Print Data tab [158]. Normally there is a specific list of the most common Fixups available in the respective footer bars of the individual setting areas.
  2. As of version 1.7.5, the footer of the settings areas Document, Production Information and User-defined Fields [163] contains the Favorites icon [164], where you can access all Fixups marked as favorites in the selection menu.
  3. Select the desired Fixup, which opens the Fixup dialog as usual.

Figure 41: The Document, Production Information and User-defined Fields settings area with the Favorites icon in the footer.

Favorites - 1.7.5

Favorites are set system-wide

Fixups marked as favorites are defined system-wide for all users. Each user in the Workflow has access to the same Fixup favorites. Changing the Fixup favorites therefore only has to be completed once per system.

If administrators want to exclude users from accessing favorites, this can be done using a separate User Role and deactivating the Fixup Favorites authorization, which you can find under Administration > Users > Manage Roles under the Print Item > Print Data > Fixup Favorites permission.

2.7. Apply Fixups to multiple Articles

When in an Order or Production Job, a Fixup could be applied to all selected Print Items, for Articles it was only possible to apply a Fixup to the currently displayed Article. Applying a Fixup to multiple Articles in one step was not possible until now.

With version 1.7.5 it is now also possible to apply a Fixup to multiple Articles or a selected Collection. We have added this function in the header using the Process button and can be applied to multiple Articles and Collections in the list view. This function can be applied in three different situations. These situations are:

  • Applying Fixups to multiple Articles
  • Applying Fixups to a selected Collection
  • Apply a Fixup to selected Print Items in a Collection

These three situations are described below using step-by-step instructions:

Applying Fixups to multiple Articles

To apply a Fixup to multiple Articles, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the menu item Articles > Article List [166]. A list of Articles is displayed depending on the filter set and the search entered.
  2. Select the desired Articles in the list by holding down the CTRL key (to select individual Articles) or the SHIFT  key (selects all Articles starting from the first Article selected).
  3. In the action bar, select Apply Fixup [165] under Process.

Figure 42: Apply a Fixup to selected Articles using the Process crop-down in the action bar.

  1. The Apply Fixup to selected Article(s) dialog from Figure 43 opens, in which all available Fixups are listed in alphabetical order. The following options are available in the dialog to speed up the process of locating your desired Fixup:
  • Filter [167] – This input field supports full text searches. By entering a name in this field, the Fixup list is filtered according to the name entered.
  • Category [168] – In this selection menu a category can be selected which restricts the Fixup list, and is displayed by category.
  • Action [169] – In this selection menu an action can be selected, such as: Add, Apply, Change, Convert, etc. and will filter and display the appropriate results.
  • Show Favorites only [170] – By activating this option, only the Fixups marked as favorites are displayed in the Fixup list.
  • Fixups [171] – This list displays all Fixups available in the system as well as Custom Fixups.

Figure 43: The Apply Fixup to selected Article(s) dialog.

Apply Fixup to selected Article(s) - 1.7.5
  1. Select the desired Fixup from the Fixup list.
  2. Then click the Apply button [172] where the Fixup dialog will now open.
  3. Select or change your desired settings for the Fixup.
  4. Confirm by clicking Apply to Selection. The Fixup will then be applied to all Articles.

Apply Fixups to a selected Collection

To apply a Fixup to a selected collection, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the menu item Articles > Collection List [174]. Collections are displayed depending on the filter set and the search entered.
  2. Select your desired Collection from the list.
  3. In the action bar, select Apply Fixup [173] under the Process drop-down.
  4. The Apply Fixup to selected Article(s) dialog from Figure 43 opens.
  5. Select your desired Fixup from the list.
  6. Then click the Apply button [172] which will open the Fixup dialog.
  7. Select or change your desired settings.
  8. Click on Apply to Selection. The Fixup will then be applied to all Articles in the Collection.

Figure 44: The Collection List view with Apply Fixup selected under the Process drop-down menu.

Apply Fixup to Collections - 1.7.5

Apply a Fixup to selected Articles in a Collection

To apply a Fixup to multiple Articles in a Collection, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the menu item Article > Collection List [176]. A list of all Collections is displayed depending on the filter set and the search entered.
  2. Double-click on the selected Collection to display all Articles contained in the Collection [177] will expand the Article list below the Collection.
  3. Select your Articles in the Collection by holding down the CTRL key (selects individual Articles) or the SHIFT key (selects all Articles starting from the first Article selected).
  4. In the action bar, select Apply Fixup [175] under Process.
  5. The Apply Fixup to selected Article(s) dialog from Figure 43 opens.
  6. Select your Fixup from the list.
  7. Click the Apply button [172] (Figure 43) where the Fixup dialog will open.
  8. Select your desired settings for the Fixup.
  9. Confirm by clicking on Apply to Selection. The Fixup will then be applied to all Articles in the Collection.

Figure 45: The Collection List where individual Articles can be selected and Fixups applied.

Apply Fixups to specific Articles in a Collection - 1.7.5

2.8. New Fixups

With each new Workflow version, Fixups are updated or new Fixups are implemented in order to extend productivity for Workflow + users. With version 1.7.5, Fixups have been added with the Large Format Industry in mind. These Fixups address and focus on areas such as: edge reinforcement, setting grommets and synchronizing page geometry frames.

New Fixups are described in more detail below.

Fixups are only available for »Workflow +« users

The Fixups listed below are only available to Workflow+ licensees. The Fixup Banner with Grommets is available to Workflow users as long as the Grommet function is not yet been implemented in the Impose Editor. As soon as Grommets can be set in the Impose Editor, this functionality will be deactivated again for users of the Workflow.

2.8.1. Add Grommets

The Fixup Add Grommets, allows you to add Grommets at a defined distance and offset along the TrimBox of a Print Item.

To add Grommets to a Print Item, take the following steps:

  1. Select the desired Print Item from an Order or Production Job.
  2. Click on the Data Preparation tab.
  3. Search for the Fixup Add Grommets.
  4. Select the Fixup and press Apply.

Figure 46: The Apply Fixup dialog box, displaying the Add Grommets Fixup.

Add Grommets - 1.7.5
  1. When the dialog opens the following settings can be made:
    • Unit [178] – Select the desired unit of measurement. You can choose between mm, inch and point (pt).
    • Type [179] – Select how Grommets are applied to horizontal and vertical edges. Two methods are available:
      • Grommets by Distance – Grommets are created using the minimum distance entered. If the minimum distance is not exact, the distances are distributed over the available length, but will not be less than the minimum distance. The Min. Horizontal Distance and Min. Vertical Distance [182] input fields are based on the selected unit and can be used for entering the minimum distance.
      • Grommets by Number – The entered number of Grommets will be distributed evenly over the embedded length. The Min. Horizontal Distance and Min. Vertical Distance [182] input fields based on the unit selected.
    • Grommet Template [180] – The path to the Grommet Template (a PDF) is specified. Please read the note below.
    • Offset [181] – Enter the Offset (inwards) for the Grommets measured from the TrimBox in the input fields Left, Top, Right and Bottom.
  2. Click Apply to Selection to create the Grommets. After the Fixup is finished a new version of the Print Item is checked in.

Important information regarding the Grommets Template

The Grommet Template [181] is determined by a file path. This path specifies which Grommet Template is applied. The Grommet Template is a PDF file that contains a single Grommet. There are three Grommet Templates available: Grommet_1zu1.pdf, Grommet_1zu5.pdf and Grommet_1zu10.pdf - these templates provide various options for the Grommet size based off of magnification factors when using large format print data.

If the Grommet Template does not fit your needs, you can create your own Grommet Template and copy it to the target directory c:\Program Files\PPD\ZuniComm\images\ and change the file path to Grommet Template. You can change the file path in the XML file with the name ADD_GROMMETS.XML, so that the file path does not have to be changed again after each call to the file path.

The Banner with Grommets Fixup addresses multiple process steps that are typically needed in the large format environment. The Banner with Grommets Fixup contains the following settings and options:

  • Long Edge final Size – The Print Item or Article can be scaled to a specific final size. Simply define the desired size of the long edge. The short edge is then proportionally adjusted.
  • Add Edge Reinforcement – An edge reinforcement (white space) can be added to all edges of the Print Item.
  • Add a Folding Line to TrimBox – Folding lines can be created with a defined offset to the TrimBox. The name, line color values, line weight and offset can be defined.
  • Add a Dieline to Production Format – A Dieline can be added to the production format. System-wide technical Spot Colors can be assigned, line thickness and the offset (to the MediaBox) can be defined.
  • Add Grommets – Grommets can be added to horizontal or vertical edges with a defined distance to the respective edges of the TrimBox. The range of functions is (almost) equivalent to the Add Grommets Fixup. The difference lies in the fact that for the calculation of the minimum distance the maximum distance is calculated and that with the offset the entered values for an offset to the inside must be entered with minus. In the next release, we will synchronize the functions between the two Fixups.

To apply Scaling, Edge Reinforcement, Folding Lines and Dielines with Grommets, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the desired Article or Print Item from an Order or Production Job.
  2. Select the Data Preparation tab.
  3. Search for the Banner with Grommets Fixup.
  4. Select the Fixup and click on Apply.

Figure 47: The Apply Fixup dialog when Banner with Grommets is selected.

Fixup - Banner with Grommets - 1.7.5
  1. To scale the long edge to the final size, simply enter the final size in the Long Edge final Size [182] input field. The short side is adjusted proportionally, distortion can not be added here as the edges are always proportionally calculated. If the final format does not need to be adjusted, simply leave the value as is.
  2. To Add Edge Reinforcement to the final format, activate the Add Edge Reinforcement [183] checkbox and enter the necessary Size.
  3. To add a folding line to the final format, activate the Add a Folding Line to TrimBox [184] checkbox. Enter the parameters required to create the line. The following parameters are available:
    • Name – Enter the name of the Spot Color, as you normally would in your production environment.
    • Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black – Enter your desired CMYK values for the Spot Color.
    • Line Thickness – Enter the desired line thickness in pt.
    • Offset – If your folding line is slightly offset, enter your desired offset here. A negative offset moves the line inwards.
  4. To add a Dieline to the production format (including edge reinforcement), activate Add Dieline to Production Format [185]. After checking the box you can enter the parameters required. The following parameters are available:
    • Name – Select the name of the Spot Color from the System-wide defined Technical Colors. The corresponding CMYK values are taken from the Technical Spot Color definition. Entering a different value has no effect on the color value of the Dieline, since the defined color value is always used. This minor error will be corrected in the upcoming version, where we will prevent color values from being entered.
    • Line Thickness – Enter the desired line thickness in pt.
    • Offset – If the Dieline has a slight offset, enter the desired offset (minus values) here. Entering a plus value would move the Dieline outwards and it will no longer be visible.
  5. To Add Grommets, activate the Add Grommets [185] checkbox. You can now enter the parameters required to create the Grommets. The following parameters are available:
    • Unit [186] – Select the desired unit of measurement. You can choose between mm, inch and point (pt).
    • Type [187] – Select how Grommets should be placed on the horizontal and vertical edges. Two methods are available:
      • Grommets by Distance – Grommets are created using the minimum distance entered. If the minimum distance is not exact, the distances are distributed over the available length, but will not be less than the minimum distance. The Min. Horizontal Distance and Min. Vertical Distance input fields are based on the selected unit and can be used for entering the minimum distance.
      • Grommets by Number – The entered number of Grommets will be distributed evenly over the embedded length. The Min. Horizontal Distance and Min. Vertical Distance input fields based on the unit selected.
    • Grommet Template – The path to the Grommet Template (a PDF) is specified here. Please read the note below.
    • Offset – Enter the Offset (inwards) for the Grommets measured from the TrimBox in the input fields Left, Top, Right and Bottom.
  6. Click Apply to Selection to create the Grommets. After the Fixup is finished a new version of the Print Item is checked in.

Explaining the »Grommet Template«

The Grommet Template is determined by a file path which can be seen under the Grommet Template field in the Fixup. This path specifies which Grommet Template is applied. The Grommet Template is a PDF file that contains a single Grommet.  

If the current Grommet Template does not match your needs, you can create your own Grommet Template and copy it to the target directory c:\Program Files\PPD\ZuniComm\images\ and change the file path under the Grommet Template option. You can change the file path in the XML file with the name BANNER_WITH_GROMMETS.XML, which belongs to the Fixup, so that the file path does not have to be changed each time the file path is called.

2.8.3. Extract Colors from DeviceN

Using the Extract Colors from DeviceN Fixup, objects that were created using the DeviceN Color Space can be converted to the appropriate color space by removing the DeviceN components and creating new components in the chosen color space.

Use this Fixup, for example, to extract Dielines in a PDF file that contains DeviceN constructs to make them editable or to take DeviceN color constructs that cannot be edited and edit them with Adobe Illustrator.

To separate DeviceN color constructs, proceed as follows:

  1. Select your desired Article or Print Item from an Order or Production Job.
  2. Select the Data Preparation tab.
  3. Search for the Extract Colors from DeviceN Fixup.
  4. Select the Fixup and press Apply.

Figure 48: The Extract Colors from DeviceN Fixup dialog.

Fixup - Extract Colors from DeviceN - 1.7.5
  1. The following options can be selected:
    • Extract Spot Colors from DeviceN – Separates only DeviceN constructs from objects that are created as Spot Colors. Selecting this option is appropriate if Dielines or other Technical Colors need to be corrected or edited in Adobe Illustrator.
    • Extract CMYK-Colors from DeviceN – Separates only DeviceN constructs from objects that are created in CMYK. Choose this option if you want to extract and edit an image created using DeviceN which is embedded in a PDF file in Adobe Photoshop.
    • Extract all Colors from DeviceN – Separates all DeviceN and CMYK constructs from objects. This is also the most time-consuming option.
  2. Click Apply to Selection to execute the Fixup. After the Fixup is finished a new version of the Print Item is checked in.

DeviceN color separation is a complex process

Please note that resolving DeviceN constructs in conjunction with re-creating the same objects in the chosen separation color space can take some time, especially for complex files. Be patient and always compare the resulting image with the original.

2.8.4. Synchronize selected Page Geometry Boxes

The Synchronize selected Page Geometry Boxes Fixup can be used to set selected page geometry box or all page geometry boxes to the target page geometry box.

Use this correction to:

  • Change the TrimBox geometry to the BleedBox geometry
  • Change the TrimBox geometry to the CropBox
  • To set all page geometry boxes to a single value

Applying this Fixup can create a consistent starting point for automated processing of multiple files that have different sources.

To synchronize page geometry boxes, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the desired Article or Print Item from an Order or Production Job.
  2. Select the Data Preparation tab.
  3. Search for the correction Set page geometry frame to existing page geometry frame.
  4. Select the Synchronize selected Page Geometry Boxes Fixup and click Apply.

Figure 49: The Synchronize selected Page Geometry Boxes Fixup for changing the box geometry of a Print Item.

The Set Page Geometry Frame to Existing Page Geometry Frame correction can be used to set a selected page geometry frame or all page geometry frames to the value of a target page geometry frame.Use this correction toto place the final format frame on the bleed frame,Place the final format frame on the bleed frame orto set all page geometry frames to one value.By applying the correction can create a consistent starting point for the automated processing of many files that have emerged from different sources.To synchronize page geometry frames, proceed as follows:Select the desired article or the desired motif of an order or production order.Activate the Data Correction tab.Search for the correction Set page geometry frame to existing page geometry frame.Select the correction in the list of all corrections and press Apply in the footer of the settings area...Figure 49: The Correction Apply Correction dialog box for correcting Set page geometry frames to existing page geometry frames - 1.7.5
  1. The following options can be selected:
    • Source Page Box – Select the Source Page Box to be changed. You can choose from:
      • TrimBox
      • BleedBox
      • CropBox
      • All (Boxes)
    • Target Page Box – Select the Source Page Box with which the box selected above is to be synchronized. You can choose from:
      • TrimBox
      • BleedBox
      • CropBox
      • MediaBox
  2. Click on Apply to Selection to start this process. The Fixup is then executed and a new version of the Print Item is checked in.

2.9. New Features for »Settings«

Under Administration > Settings, two new features have been added to the General and Color Management tabs.

 

2.9.1. User defined Currencies

You can define a currency format under the General tab found under the Administration > Settings menu item. Before the release of 1.7.5, six different variants were offered (Euro, Dollar, Yen, Pound, Swiss Franc, Zloty). Based on this selection, the currencies are adjusted throughout the entire Workflow by exchanging the symbol (with no conversion).

This function has been revised in the course of this version. The selection menu containing the six currencies has been replaced by a text input field. The currency can now be defined by the user and changed as required.

To enter a user-defined currency, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the menu item Administration > Settings
  2. Locate the General tab
  3. Under the Display Options panel [188], specify the desired currency [189].
  4. Save the settings.

Figure 50: Under the Settings menu, using the Display Options panel, a currency can be entered as needed.

Admin > Settings > Display Options > Currency - 1.7.5

2.9.2. Extract Spot Colors from DeviceN

By activating the option Extract Spot Colors from DeviceN, objects created as DeviceN are converted into the corresponding color space by removing the DeviceN components and creating new components in the separation color space, immediately after check-in.

Use this option, for example, to make Dielines in the PDF file from DeviceN color constructs that cannot be edited with Adobe Illustrator editable. If, in addition, the CMYK DeviceN constructs are also isolated, you must use the Extract Colors from DeviceN Fixup.

To isolate DeviceN color constructs, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the menu item Administration > Settings
  2. Click on the Color Management tab.
  3. Under the General Settings panel, activate the checkbox Extract Spot Colors from DeviceN [190] [191].
  4. Then save the settings.

Figure 51: The General Settings panel found under the Color Management tab.

General Settings - Extract Spot Colors from DeviceN - 1.7.5

Activate the option »Extract Spot Colors from DeviceN« by default.

Please note that activating this option can slow down the check-in process considerably, as the high resolution of DeviceN constructs combined with the re-creation of the same objects in the separation color space can take some time for complex files.

It should be pointed out that very little practical experience has been gained with this option. Therefore it is imperative that you compare the source file with the checked-in file in the Workflow over a short period of time to ensure that this option does not cause any production errors.

2.10. New Cutter Devices added

As of 1.7.5, two new cutting devices from the manufacturers Aristo and SD/Gerber are available under Administration > Cutter Devices, depending on the license installed.

2.10.1. Aristomat flatbed cutter in connection with the Aristo CutterControlPanel

With 1.7.5 the integration of the Aristomat flatbed cutter in connection with the cutting software Aristo CutterControlPanel Version 5.53 was implemented. In this section you can read how to add this cutter  to the Workflow and how to use it for production.

Adding the Aristo flatbed cutter to the Workflow

Before the Aristomat flatbed cutter can be used in the Workflow for production, the cutting device must be created in the Workflow. Follow these four steps to add the cutter:

Step 1: Setting up a Host & Share for the Aristomat flatbed cutter in the Workflow

In order to establish a connection between the Workflow, the cutter and the cutter workstation - where the Aristo CutterControlPanel runs - we have to create a Host & a Share under the menu Administration > File Management. Details on this topic can be found in this article Manage Folders & Shares.

Step 2: Add the Aristomat cutter to the Workflow

In order to use the Aristomat cutter in production, the cutter must be added to the Workflow. Proceed as follows:

  1. Select the menu item Administration > Cutter Devices
  2. Open the Add Cutter dialog by clicking on the + New button.

Figure 52: The Add Cutter dialog with entered values for creating the Aristomat Cutter.

Add Cutter Aristo -1.7.5
  1. Select the following parameters in the Add Cutter dialog:
    • Device Type [192] – Select Aristo.
    • Name [193] – Enter a unique name for your cutting device. If you have two devices of the same type, you should create the device twice to create unique names and target directories in the Workflow.
    • Serial Number – Optionally enter the serial number of the device, this makes sense if two cutting devices from the same manufacturer are used.
    • Host [194] - Select the Host defined in step 1 and the Share (target directory).
  2. Finally, create the Aristomat cutter by clicking Save.

Step 3: Configuring the Aristomat flatbed cutter

In order for the Aristomat flatbed cutter to transfer the required Marks and the appropriate cutfile to the Aristo CutterControlPanel software, the cutter must be correctly configured. Proceed as follows:

  1. Select your new Aristo cutter from the Devices [195] panel.
  2. Select the automatically generated Default Set under the Parameter Sets [196] panel. Additional Parameter Sets for the Aristo cutter can be added in a further step.
  3. Various options are available under the Parameters [197] panel. By selecting a parameter, various settings can be adapted as needed. The following parameters are available:
    • Generate Marks – Determines whether Marks should be generated for the cutter or not.
    • Sphere Diameter (mm) – Determines the diameter of the rendered Spheres.
    • Sphere Maximum Distance (mm) – Specifies the maximum distance between Spheres. Starting from the distance specified, new Spheres are added.
    • Sphere Offset (mm) – Determines the offset of the Spheres from the TrimBox.
  4. If you want to adjust a value in the Parameters panel, you can select the desired entry in the list and click Edit [198] in the footer.

Figure 53: The Parameter Sets and Parameters allow you to configure the new Aristo cutter under the menu item Administration > Cutter Devices.

Aristo Cutter Parameters - 1.7.5

Step 4: Assign Technical Colors to the Cutter Pen Types

To ensure that the correct Pen Types for the Aristomat flatbed cutter are used, system-wide Technical Colors in the Workflow must be assigned to the correct Pen Types. Proceed as follows:

  1. Select your new Aristo cutter from the Devices [195] panel.
  2. Find the Pen Types panel, located below the Devices panel. Here you will find a list of all Pen Types provided by the cutting device.

Figure 54: The Pen Types panel displays all Pen Types available for the Aristo cutter in the Workflow.

Aristo Cutter - Pen Types - 1.7.5
  1. Select a Pen Type [199] from the list.
  2. Click Edit [200] in the footer of the panel, which opens the Edit Cutter Pen Type dialog.

Figure 55: The Edit Cutter Pen Type dialog where system-wide Technical Colors can be assigned to various Pen Types.

Edit Cutter Pen Type - 1.7.5

In the Edit Cutter Pen Type dialog, select your desired Technical Colors from the drop-down menu Available Colors [202] which will be bound to a selected Pen Type [201]. If several Technical Colors should to be assigned to one Pen Type, repeat the previous step. Technical Colors that have already been assigned to a Pen Type will be grayed out in the list. Pen Types that are already assigned are listed in the Selected Colors list.

After you have assigned all necessary Technical Colors to a Pen Type, click on Save.

Using the Aristo cutter in a Production Job

Once the Aristomat cutter has been correctly and completely created in the Workflow, it can then be used for Production Jobs. To use the Aristomat cutter in production, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the menu item Job.
  2. Open a Production Job that contains Print Items with Technical Colors.
  3. Select Send to Printer in the action bar. The Send to Printer dialog will open.

Figure 56: The Send to Printer dialog with the Finishing tab selected, in which the cutting device and the mode can be selected.

Send to Printer dialog - Artisto Cutter - 1.7.5
  1. Select the Finishing tab [204] in the Send to Printer dialog.
  2. Select the Aristo cutter in the Cutter [205] drop-down menu, then select your desired Mode [206].
  3. Click on Send to Printer, so that the cutting data can also be transferred to the plotter.

Create Margins to ensure there is enough room for Marks

If Production Jobs are imposed beforehand in the Impose Editor, suitable Margins (~20mm) should be added to create additional space for any Marks that may be potentially added. The Margins must always be larger than the set distance of the Marks.

Selecting Cutting Devices

Cutting Devices can be selected under the Finishing tab in the Send to Printer dialog. They can also be selected and used under the menu item Automation > Force Print and in Automation > Hotfolder.

2.10.2. SD-Augusta F150R Cutter

With 1.7.5 the integration of the SD-Augusta F150R cutter in connection with the cutting software supplied by SD was implemented. This section explains how to make this cutter available in the workflow and how to use it for production orders.

Adding the SD-Augusta F150R Cutter to the Workflow

Before the SD-Augusta F150R cutter can be used in the Workflow for Production Jobs, the cutter must be added to the Workflow. To do this, the following three steps must be performed.

Step 1: Set up a Host & Sharre for the SD-Augusta F150R cutter in the Workflow

In order to establish a connection between the Workflow, the cutter and the cutter workstation - where the SD cutting software is running - it needs to be made available for the Workflow. To do this, the Host & the Share must be created under the menu Administration > File Management. Details on this topic can be found in this article Manage Folders & Shares.

Step 2: Add the SD-Augusta F150R cutter in Workflow

In order to use the SD-Augusta F150R cutter in production, the cutter must first be added to the Workflow as a cutting device. Proceed as follows:

  1. Select the menu item Administration > Cutter Devices.
  2. Open the Add Cutter dialog by clicking on the + New button.

Figure 57: The Add Cutter dialog with entered values for the SD-Augusta F150R cutter.

Create an SD Cutter - 1.7.5
  1. Select the following parameters in the dialog:
    • Device Type [207] – select SD Italy.
    • Name [208] – Enter a unique name for your cutting device. If you have two devices of the same type, you should also create the device twice to create unique names and target directories for the Workflow.
    • Serial Number – Optionally enter the serial number of the device, this makes sense if two cutting devices of the same manufacturer are used.
    • Host [209] – Select the Host defined in step 1 and the Share (target directory).
  2. Finally, create the SD-Augusta F150R cutter by clicking Save.

Step 3: Configuring the SD-Augusta F150R cutter

In order for the SD-Augusta F150R cutter to transfer the required Marks and appropriate cutfile to the cutter software, the cutter will need to be correctly configured. Proceed as follows:

  1. Select your new SD-Augusta F150R cutter under the Devices [210] panel.
  2. Select the automatically generated Default Set under the Parameter Sets [211] panel. Additional Parameter Sets for the SD-Augusta F150R cutter can be added in a further step.
  3. Various options are available under the Parameters [212] panel. By selecting a parameter, various settings can be adapted as needed. The following parameters are available:
    • Generate Marks – Determines whether Marks should be generated for the cutter or not.
    • Sphere Offset XY – Determines the offset of Spheres.
    • Orientation Mark – Specifies the where the orientation Sphere is placed.
    • Orientation Mark Distance (mm) – Specifies the distance between the orientation Sphere and the Margin Sphere. As a rule, the distance is 100 mm vertically from the upper left margin Sphere.
    • Sphere Diameter (mm) – Determines the diameter of the Spheres generated.
  4. If you want to adjust a value in the Parameters panel, you can select the desired entry in the list and click Edit [213] in the footer.

Figure 58: The Parameter Sets and Parameters allow you to configure the new SD-Augusta F150R cutter under the menu item Administration > Cutter Devices.

SD Cutter Parameters - 1.7.5
Using the SD-Augusta F150R Cutter in a Production Job

Once the SD-Augusta F150R cutter has been correctly and completely created in the Workflow, it can then be used for Production Jobs. To use the SD-Augusta F150R cutter in production, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the menu item Job.
  2. Open a Production Job that contains Print Items with Technical Colors.
  3. Select Send to Printer in the action bar. The Send to Printer dialog will open.

Figure 59: The Send to Printer dialog with the Finishing tab selected, in which the cutting device and the mode can be selected.

Send to Printer - SD Augusta - 1.7.5
  1. Select the Finishing tab [214] in the Send to Printer dialog.
  2. Select the SD-Augusta F150R cutter in the Cutter [215] drop-down menu, then select your desired Mode [216].
  3. Click on Send to Printer, so that the cutting data can also be transferred to the plotter.

Create Margins to ensure there is enough room for Marks

If Production Jobs are imposed beforehand in the Impose Editor, suitable Margins (~20mm) should be added to create additional space for any Marks that may be potentially added. The Margins must always be larger than the set distance of the Marks.

Selecting Cutting Devices

Cutting Devices can be selected under the Finishing tab in the Send to Printer dialog. They can also be selected and used under the menu item Automation > Force Print and in Automation > Hotfolder.

2.11. Editing Adobe Photoshop and TIFF files

Starting with version 1.7.5, Adobe Photoshop file formats (.psd) can be uploaded and as well as Adobe Photoshop TIFF files with Alpha or Spot Color channels into the Workflow. Alpha or Spot Color channels are now correctly recognized by the Workflow and are displayed as Spot Colors in the Print Item.

Spot Colors created from Alpha or Spot Color channels are processed in the Workflow as classic Spot Colors. For example, you can define typical customer file names system-wide and thus map an automatic Spot Color for Alpha or Spot Color channels. You can find out how to do this in the System-wide Spot Colors article.

2.12. New Profile Templates for LFP and Proofing

Before version 1.7.5, five Profile Templates were offered by default after installing the Workflow. Profile Templates are used to calculate Color Policies when creating ICC profiles during profiling.

Until this point, the following Profile Templates have been provided, they were used exclusively for the Tau printer:

  • Best Match – Type: DeviceLink
  • Standard – Type: DeviceLink
  • Economy – Type: DeviceLink
  • Standard (substrate) – Type: N-Channel
  • Reprofile – Type: DeviceLink

With version 1.7.5 the Profile Templates: Best Match, Standard, Economy were provided with the extension [TAU]. In addition to the previous Profile Templates, four new Templates have been added to the Workflow, which are primarily aimed at profiling printing systems in the large format and corrugated segments.

The current list of Profile Templates, including our recommended application of said Profiles with version 1.7.5 is as follows:

  • Best Match [TAU] (renamed)
    • Type: DeviceLink
    • Use: For printing systems where primary inks are very close to the lab definitions of offset inks, primary inks can be kept pure and a chromatic color structure is required.
    • Possible consequences in digital printing: Maximum ink consumption; reduces streaks in neutral gray tones; higher ink coverage.
  • Standard [TAU] (renamed)
    • Type: DeviceLink
    • Use: For printing systems where primary inks are very close to the lab definitions of offset inks, where primary inks can be kept pure and where an achromatic structure is required.
    • Possible consequences in digital printing: Reduced ink consumption; medium streaks in neutral gray tones; optimized ink application
  • Economy [TAU] (renamed)
    • Type: DeviceLink
    • Use: For printing systems where primary inks are very close to the lab definitions of offset inks, where the primary inks can be kept pure and where the greatest possible achromatic structure is required.
    • Possible consequences in digital printing: Minimal ink consumption; higher streaks in neutral gray tones; reduced ink application
  • Best match [LFP] (New)
    • Type: DeviceLink
    • Use: For printing systems where primary inks are very far from the lab definitions of offset inks, the primary inks are not kept clean and a chromatic color structure is required.
    • Possible consequences in digital printing: Maximum ink consumption; reduces streaks in neutral gray tones; higher ink application
  • Standard [LFP] (New)
    • Type: DeviceLink
    • Use: For printing systems where primary inks are far removed from the lab definitions of offset inks, where the primary inks are not kept clean and where an achromatic structure is required.
    • Possible consequences in digital printing: Reduced ink consumption; medium streaks in neutral gray tones; optimized ink application
  • Standard (substrate) (unchanged)
    • Type: N-Channel
    • Use: Basic set for color separation with homogeneous transition to gamut expanding colors, a neutral gray axis acting according to offset standard and use of a neutral black tone for the lowest black point within the maximum defined ink limit.
    • Possible consequences in digital printing: sometimes too yellowish for large format applications.
  • Sublimation [substrate] (New)
    • Type: N-Channel
    • Use: Basic set for color separation with homogeneous transition to gamut expanding colors, a slightly bluish gray axis and use of a neutral black tone for the deepest black point within the maximum defined ink limit.
    • Possible consequences in digital printing: Sometimes appears too bluish for the packaging segment.
  • Reprofile (unchanged)
    • Type: DeviceLink
    • Use: For creating a comparison profile between the stored and the currently measured color values of a printing system.
    • Note: Not currently used by workflow.
  • Proofing (New)
    • Type: DeviceLink
    • Use: To simulate the set CMYK working color space on the printing system by users of the absolute colorimetric rendering intent.
    • Possible consequences in digital printing: The paper white simulation suppresses corresponding grey/blue tones for white areas. Therefore is not intended for matching two printing systems

Which Profile Templates should I use?

It is recommended that LFP and corrugated printing systems use Profile Templates with the [LFP] extension by default. TAU printing systems, on the other hand, should use Profile Templates with the [TAU] extension.

In a future version, these Profiling Templates will automatically be preselected for their respective printing systems.

2.12.1. Comparison of Profile Templates for Reseparation

For the reseparation of CMYK data sets into the output color space of the printer, the Profile Templates listed in the following table are available when calculating ICC profiles in the Template Reseparation option. The differences between the individual Profile Templates are described as follows.


[TAU]
[LFP]
Best Match 0 – GCR Amount
80 – Black Width
Keep Primary Colors
0 – GCR Amount
100 – Black Width
Primary Colors are not kept pure
Standard 70 – GCR Amount
80 – Black Width
Keep Primary Colors
80 – GCR Amount
100 – Black Width
Primary Colors are not kept pure
Economy Max K
Keep Primary Colors
Not defined for LFP printing systems

2.12.2. Comparison of Profile Templates for Substrate Profiles

For the creation of the Substrate ICC profiles for the output color space of the printer, the Profile Templates listed in the following table are available when calculating the ICC profiles in the Substrate Template option. The differences between the two Profile Templates can be described as follows.

Standard (substrate)
Sublimation (substrate)
0 – Gray Correction b -2 – Gray Correction

Which Profiling Template should I use for Direct or Transfer printing?

For Direct printing, we recommend using the Standard (substrate) Profile Template as the default template for the Substrate Profile (Substrate Template [217]). The default settings for this Profile Template provides no gray axis correction. Optionally, a gray correction can be set when calculating the profile.

In Transfer printing or Sublimation printing, we recommend using the Sublimation Profile Template (substrate) as the default template for the Substrate Profile (Substrate Template [218]). By default, this Profile Template contains a gray axis correction of "b -2" [219], which can be changed (reduced or increased) when calculating the profile.

Figure 60: Settings in direct printing compared to the settings in transfer printing (from left to right)

Calculate Substrate Profiles - 1.7.5

2.12.3. Profile Template »Proofing«

The Profile Template Proofing can be used for color matching of the printout on different printing systems in order to simulate the color range of the CMYK working color space set under Administration > Settings > Color Management. This Profile Template can be used if a Print Item should be printed on different printing systems with the same color appearance.

To make this possible, you must

  1. Create and calculate your own Color Policy as an additional Profile in the Calculate Substrate Profile dialog,
  2. The color range of the Substrate Profile must be larger than that of the CMYK working color space
  3. A Proofing Color Policy must be calculated for both printers.

If the Profile Template Proofing is used to calculate the Color Policy and the resulting Color Policy is used to Send to Printer dialog, the following items are displayed

  • The colors of the PDF are converted to the working CMYK color space
  • Is output to the output color space of the printing system using the Absolute Colorimetric Rendering Intent.

For the simulation to be successful, the paper white must be simulated in the background (which leads to a light background in the printout). This mode is not ideal for documents where the Substrate must shine through. This will work well for documents with solid shapes or surfaces.

To enable simulated printing, i.e. for the most accurate color reproduction possible, on two printing systems, proceed as follows:

  1. For »Printer A« and »Printer B« a complete separate Profiling (including measurement) for the Substrate must be carried out.
  2. Open the Printer A's Profile and create another Profile and use the Profile Template Proofing in the option Template Reseparation [220].
  3. Calculate the new Profile by selecting the entry »Calculate profile 3« [221] (example from Figure 61)
  4. Perform steps 2 and 3 for Printer B as well.
  5. Print the same Print Item using Printer A's Proofing Color Policy and Printer B's Proofing Color Policy and compare the printouts under standardized lighting conditions.

Figure 61: Calculating the Color Policy based on the Profile Template Proofing.

Calculate Substrate Profiles Proffing - 1.7.5

Proofing does not work for RGB to Substrate

This method will not work if RGB to Substrate is selected in the Color Space Conversion option in the Send to Printer dialog.

3. Improvements

3.1. Restarting Services

In the course of this release the possibility was implemented to restart Workflow specific services, i.e. PMS and ZuniComm, directly in the Workflow. In earlier versions, these services could only be restarted directly on the Workflow workstation or by remote access. These circumstances ultimately led to an increased effort in communication between the internal IT department in larger companies.

Starting with version 1.7.5, we can now restart both services directly in the Workflow. To restart one of the two services, proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Workflow in your browser
  2. Select the System Status [222] drop-down menu in the action bar.
  3. Switch to the Info tab [223].
  4. Under the Restart Services [224] section, click the ZuniComm button to restart ZuniComm.
  5. Under the Restart Services [224] section, click the PMS button to restart the Workflow Engine.

Figure 62: The System Status menu of the Workflow

Restarting the Workflow Services - 1.7.5
  1. After pressing the respective buttons, a dialog opens where the operator must confirm restarting those particular services. Particularly when restarting the PMS service, waiting times (~2 minutes) may occur until the system is completely restarted.

Figure 63: The Restart Service dialog.

Restart Service warning dialog - 1.7.5

No response when services have been restarted successfully

Under certain circumstances it could happen that a service no longer starts automatically, for various reasons (incorrect configurations, missing files,...). Currently, when a service is not completely restarted or the restart is not successful, this is not transmitted to the Workflow, i.e. there are no error messages for aborted restarts. In future versions, this function will be revised so that the operator is informed whether a service was started successfully or has failed.

3.2. Resetting Measurement Data

When measuring a Color Setup, the measured data are stored in each Profiling Step – Transition, Linearization and Profiling. In most cases several pages are measured in the Profiling Step Profiling. All data for each measured page must be saved. As soon as the measurement is complete, individual pages can be measured again afterwards if necessary, (e.g. due to measurement errors) or measurement data can be deleted for the selected Profiling step.

To measure a specific page again afterwards, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the corresponding Profiling step. Subsequent calibration is possible in each Profiling step.
  2. Open the Measure Profile dialog. Under the Pages Measured option [226], the page number of the Calibration Chart for which measurement data are already exists (green number) is displayed.
  3. In the Scan Page Index [225] option, set the number of pages to be measured again.
  4. Then click on Measure Page (X) [228] to start measuring the page.
  5. After measurement is complete, the previously measured values for this page will be overwritten.

If the complete measurement needs to be reset or deleted, an additional function has been implemented which resets or deletes all measurement data for the current Profiling Step (Transition, Linearization & Profiling).

To delete the existing measurement and perform a new measurement, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the corresponding Profiling Step. It is possible to delete the measurement data for each Profiling Step.
  2. Open the Measure Profile dialog. The recycling bin symbol Reset Measurement Data [226] is visible.
  3. Click on the recycling bin icon to delete the measurement data for the selected step. This is displayed to the user by resetting the Scan Page Index [225] to number 1 and removes the green digits.
  4. Then click on Measure Page (X) [228] to start the measurement for this page.
  5. Perform the measurement again for all pages. Only when all pages have been measured can the Substrate Profile calculation be carried out.

Figure 64: The Measure Profile dialog of the Profiling step Profiling.

Reset Measurement Data - 1.7.5

3.3. Additions to the »Send to Printer« dialog

In the course of the new version 1.7.5, the Send to Printer dialog has been refined in some areas and additional options added. The Advanced tab Advanced now contains extra settings and functions, and the General tab now contains essential settings and a summary of all other selected options is displayed in text form. The differences between versions 1.7.4 & 1.7.5 are explained in detail below.

Figure 65: The General and Color tabs of the Send to Printer dialog from version 1.7.4

Send to Printer dialog - 1.7.4

Figure 66: The General and Advanced tabs of the Send to Printer dialog from version 1.7.5.

Send to Printer dialog - 1.7.5
  • Preview – If a Production Job was not imposed in earlier versions, no preview [229] was available in the Send to Printer dialog. In version 1.7.5, the currently selected Print Item [236] is displayed in the dialog, even if no imposition exists. The warning message: "This Job is not Imposed" is still displayed. The preview and the underlying preview information (page size and scaling) allow you to see at a glance whether something has been changed in the Size tab without switching tabs.
  • Impose Mode [230] The arrangement and display of the selection menus has been changed. The desired Print Item – if several are available – can be selected under the Print Item [237] drop-down. Then the Impose Mode and Impose Template have to be selected. These can be used optionally. Even without imposing, individual Print Items can be sent to the printer. All Print Items can not be transferred at once!
  • Output Configuration [231] and [238] – The current Output Configuration was placed below the Impose Mode so that it remains visible even if the tabs are changed.
  • Enable Color Management – The option to deactivate Color Management has been moved to the Advanced tab and the function has been reversed at the same time. In 1.7.4 the function was still Unprofiled [232] and was deactivated, in 1.7.5 the function Enable Color Management is now active when checked [243] and is activated by default. (DW-1572)
  • Color Space Conversion – The Color Space Conversion [233] option has been moved to the Advanced [240] tab, as it is rarely changed on a regular basis.
  • Rendering Intent – The Rendering Intent [234] option has also been moved to the Advanced [241] tab, as it is rarely changed on a regular basis.
  • Color Correction – The Color Correction [235] option has also been moved to the Advanced [242] tab. Users should use DeviceN Color Correction [245], as it is much more effective and easy to controll how color correction is applied to CMYK values after calculation.
  • Render Flags [239]Render Flags were previously only visible in Extended Mode – Administration > Settings > General > Extended Mode. With version 1.7.5. these parameters have been moved to the Advanced tab, as these options usually do not need to be changed unless there are problems with overprinting elements compared to the customer's template. The available options are explained in more detail:
    • Smooth – Performs some antialiasing on the render, resulting in an increase in sharpness (fonts, lines, etc.). If a »pixelated« print is deliberately desired, this option can be deactivated.
    • Overprint – Objects that have been set to Overprint (OPM 0 and OPM1) in the PDF file should also be overprinted in the output. However, if overprint is not desired for a printout, this option can be deactivated.
    • IHVD – This option is available for purchase, which increases the speed, especially in the environment of rendering variable data, because a comparison between the previously rendered and the currently rendered page takes place during rendering.
  • Summary [244] – In the General tab a summary of the selected options from all tabs in the Send to Printer dialog is available. This area allows you to quickly see which settings have been defined in the Finishing and Advanced tabs without changing the tab. All options of these two tabs are summarized with the defined values.

3.4. Extension of Filters and Search functions

We've improved filtering options in specific lists of the Workflow. New options are available in the Article List, the Order List and in the Production Job List. We have also improved searching Color Setups as well.

3.4.1. Filtering Multipage Documents

A new filter – Multipage Documents, has been implemented for Articles > Article List, Order > Order List and in the Production Job list. This filter allow you to display all multipage documents in the lists. The filter can display all Print Items that have more than one page and can also display specific Print Items that contain a specific number of pages.

To select and define specific parameters for this filter, proceed as follows:

  1. Select one of the following menu items: Articles > Article List , Order > Order List or Production Jobs. The new filter is available for selection in all of these lists.
  2. Click on Set Filter in the filter bar to open the Filter Options dialog.

Figure 67: The Filter Options dialog with the Multipage Documents filter activated.

Filter - Multipage Documents - 1.7.5
  1. In the Add Filter [246] drop-down menu, select Multipage Document.
  2. Select Show All [247] to display all multipage documents in the list.
  3. Alternatively, deselect Show All [247] to use the advanced functions [248] to limit the search to a range of page numbers (pages from - to).
  4. Display the entries in the filter by clicking the Apply button to display the documents specified in the lists.

3.4.2. Tiling Items Filter

A new filter has been added to the Article > Article. This filter allows you to display all Tiling Items - Articles that were created for each Tile when the Tiling was split (see section 2.3.9 Tiling – Saving).  

Proceed as follows to filter Tiling Items:

  1. Select the menu item Articles > Article List. This filter is only available in the Articles list.
  2. Click on Set Filter in the filter bar to open the Filter Options dialog.

Figure 68: The Filter Options dialog with the Tiling Items filter activated.

Filter - Tiling Items - 1.7.5
  1. Select Tiling Items from the Add Filter [249] drop-down menu.
  2. Activate the option Tiling Items [250] to display Tiling Items in the Article list.
  3. Click on the Apply button to display Tiling Items in list view.

3.4.3. Searching by Color Policy

Starting with version 1.7.5, all calculated Color Policies for each Color Setup in the list are displayed or listed in a separate column [252] in the Color Setup list view. In earlier versions, a Color Setup had to be opened first to see which Color Policies had been calculated as well as which Color Setups were complete. The operator can now search for Color Policies in the search field [251] of the filter bar, if this is also activated in the selection menu for the search field.

Figure 69: The Color Setup list with an additional column displaying calculated Color Policies.

Color Setup - Search by Color Policy - 1.7.5

No Color Policies are displayed

If no Color Policy is displayed under the Color Policies column [252], this is an indication that this Color Setup has not yet been completed and therefore should not be used.

3.5. Managing User Rolls

In the course of this release, some changes have been made to the Role Permissions. In addition to some small changes, new options are also available for assigning Permissions to a Role.

3.5.1. New User Permissions

The following Permissions have been added:

  • Download Article or Print Item – Allows the user to download Articles or Print Items from the Workflow. By deactivating this Permission, unauthorized downloads can be prevented.
  • Replace Article or Print Item – Allows the user to replace Articles or Print Items from the Workflow. By deactivating this Permission, unauthorized replacement of Print Items or Articles can be prevented.
  • Order Information – Allows the user to access the Order > Order Information tab.
  • Impose Editor – Allows the user to access the menu item Automation > Impose Editor. Below this authorization there are additional Permissions that allow access to individual Impose Modes.
  • Cutter Devices > Aristo – Allows the user to add the Aristomat flatbed cutter to the Workflow.
  • Cutter Devices > SD – Allows the user to add the Augusta F150R cutter to the Workflow.

As soon as new Role Permissions are available in a new version, a new license is also required to use these Permissions in the Workflow, otherwise these functions will not be available.

3.6. Small Improvements

3.6.1. Adobe Illustrator Plug-in

Size to Fit mode: This function has been completely reworked and now delivers stable and predictable results. (PXT-702)

Search function for Orders: To ensure that the full text search in the list views delivers the same results in all three areas, the entire search function has been revised. (PXT-813)

3.6.2. Workflow

Measuring Calibration Charts not possible after printing them: The rendering process wasn't completing after sending a chart to the printer, this bug is fixed. (DW-1732)

User information for Pre-Linearization Step: The Create Pre-Linearization Curves dialog now contains a information tooltip next to the correction input field. (DW-940)

Display the current dimensions in the Article list: The current dimension for an Article is now displayed instead of the requested dimension. If it does dimension does not exist, the requested dimensions are displayed instead. (DW-998)

Display Spot Colors used in the Article list: A new column named Spot Colors has been added to the Article list. All Spot Colors contained in the Article are listed. This function requires a short calculation time, which currently slows down the loading of the list. We are working on shortening this delay. (DW-1570)

Automatic using the existing Bleed values in the Fixup »Set Page Geometry Boxes«: When the dialog is opened, the current Bleed values are automatically used. (DW-1638)

3.6.3. Impose Editor

Head Turn in Step & Repeat Mode vertical mirroring was incorrect: Up to this version, this function was only used to mirror vertically. Starting with this version, these functions mirror vertically and horizontally. (IMPOSE-279)

Duplicating Print Items in Manual Mode: When duplicating Print Items in Manual Mode, Print Items that are duplicated are now place over the original Print Item. (IMPOSE-419)

When scaling a Print Item with a Bleed, the Bleed was also scaled: When scaling a Print Item, the Bleed of the Print Item is no longer scaled in Manual Impose mode. The existing Bleed is now also used for the scaled Item. (IMPOSE-585)

4. Bug Fixes & Minor Details

The following bugs have been fixed in this release

4.1. Adobe Illustrator Plug-In

Translations: Additional translations, particularly for the Management Panels and various other Panel were updated. (PXT-684)

Refresh Button: The Refresh button has been reworked to ensure that when selected the list is updated. (PXT-709)

Technical Colors: If a Technical Color was created in the Plug-in, it was not created correctly in the Workflow. This error has been fixed. (PXT-799)

Deactivated fields: input fields which should not be available when creating a Production Job from the Plug-in have now been dimmed in the current version. (PXT-812)

Variable data on the lowest layer: Variable Data on the lowest layer were being duplicated during check-in into the Workflow and moved to the highest level. This bug has been fixed. (PXT-816)

CTRL+A: The keyboard shortcut CTRL+A (CMD+A) to select all objects on the drawing area caused an internal Plug-In error in Illustrator. This bug has been fixed. (PXT-821)

4.2. Workflow

Locked Production Jobs: By changing the status of a locked Production Job, the Production Job could be unlocked. This error has been fixed. (DW-540)

ACCESS VIOLATION: Sometimes an ACCESS VIOLATION error occurred when sending files to the printer. This error is fixed. (DW-1514)

Check-in of large TIFF files failed: Sometimes special (very large) TIFF files could not be uploaded in the Workflow. This bug has been fixed. (DW-1517)

Automatic status change: The status of the Production Job will change automatically after it is successfully rendered to the printer. (DW-1419)

Spot Color measurement with the Barbieri Swing: After a Spot Color was measured with the Barbieri Swing measurement device, several processes were retained in the activity display. This bug has been fixed. (DW-1530)

Ink Limit: The next button was disabled after printing the Ink Limit chart. (DW-1549)

Incorrect ink cost calculation for Tau SD print mode: Ink cost calculation for SD mode (TAU) was calculated incorrectly. (DW-1556)

The target directory was not saved when a hotfolder was created: When saving and reopening the hotfolder settings, the target directory was always overwritten with the printer's default selection. (DW-1559)

White separations contains stripes: After checking-in special data, stripes were often visible in the white separation. This bug has been fixed. (DW-1671)

Spot Colors created with CMYK alternative color values are converted differently in the output than CMYK objects with the same CMYK values: Spot Colors with CMYK alternative color values are rendered identically to objects with the same CMYK values in the PDF file. (DW-1696)

The entered number of expected pages changed after changing Print Item status: When changing the status of a Print Item, the number of expected pages is no longer changed. (DW-1674)

4.3. Impose Editor

VDP: When Horizontal Reverse is chosen, pdf output is showing incorrect order. This error has been fixed. (IMPOSE-896)

CTRL+Z keyboard shortcut: The CTRL+Z (CMD+Z) Undo function has been updated. (IMPOSE-308)

Newly created Impose Templates not applied: When saving a new Impose Template the saved Impose Template is now automatically used for the Impose. (IMPOSE-520)

5. Hot Fixes

The following Hot Fixes have been implemented.

Version 1.7.5.1

DeviceN Color Correction: When the Medium Contrast DeviceN Color Correction was applied, a decrease contrast was applied to the Print Item. This bug has been fixed. (DW-1896)

Default values for "Honor Source Profiles" were reversed: All options were activated under Administration > Settings > Color Management > Honor Source Profiles area. By default all options - except CMYK - should be deactivated. This bug has been fixed.

Google Chrome Update: After updating to version 77.0.3865.75 (official build) (64-bit), the Impose Editor could no longer be used. This error has been fixed. New installation file: DW_Release1.7.5.(16)-Setup.exe

Version 1.7.5 (27)

This Hotfix was released on October 16, 2019. The following issues have been fixed when using Grid Charts.

  • Color Management was applied when printing DeviceN Grid Charts.
  • No Color Management was applied when printing CMYK or LAB Grid Charts.

With version 1.7.5 (27) DeviceN-Grid Charts without Color Management and CMYK or Lab Grid Charts with Color Management are now rendered correctly.

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