User Manual

Release - 1.8.2 (Minor Version)

Updated on

Published: 16.03.2021

In this article we'll learn:

  • New features that are available
  • Improvements that have been added
  • Which bugs have been fixed in version 1.8.2 of the Workflow

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

Please Note

See the section 2.2 Impose Editor about reusing existing impositions created in Manual Mode.

1. Overview

With version 1.8.2, users can take advantage of several new features in the environment of the Impose Editor, automated processing of Production Jobs and the handling of data. Additional improvements have been implemented in the area of Print Data Management, Processing and Output.

An overview of all changes are outlined below, and a detailed description is included for specific areas such as features, improvements and bug fixes.

1.1. Adobe Illustrator Plug-in

The following new features are available in version 1.8.2.28 of the Plug-in:

Adobe Illustrator CC 2021 compatibility: Adobe Illustrator Plug-in is compatible with the latest Adobe Illustrator 2021 (version 25.2) – released in February 2021. When Workflow version 1.8.2 and Plug-in version 1.8.2.28 is installed, only Adobe Illustrator CC 2021 (25.2) can be used. For details, see the compatibility overview.

Open or Place Print Items or Articles: When checking out a file in Adobe Illustrator, the user can now decide whether to open or place the file in Illustrator. When opening, the user can access all objects contained in the PDF. When placing the file, an unmodified version of the design is placed on the artboard in Illustrator, and the user does not have access to the objects contained in the PDF. However, the user can add variable content or new objects and save them together with the design.

1.2. New Features in the Workflow

The following new features are available in version 1.8.2 of the Workflow:

Impose Editor: In version 1.8.2, all components of the Impose Editor have been brought up to the latest technical standard. With this new version, the entire user interface was adapted and user guidance was also optimized. In addition, further functions were implemented, which  streamline the working process and minimize mistakes that could be made. The following features have been implemented with this release:

  • Create New or open an existing Imposition – When starting the Impose Editor, we have revised the behavior from the ground up. Before version 1.8.2, the Impose Editor could initially only be started using Manual Mode. As of version 1.8.2, the Impose Editor opens with a modal dialog that allows the user to create a new Imposition or open an existing Imposition. Both of these dialogs have been restructured and redesigned.
  • »Print Items« tab – In the »Print Items« tab of the Impose Editor, new functions are available starting with this version and the user interface has also been adapted. The number of copies per Print Item as well as the scaling per Print Item can now be adjusted directly for each Print Item.
  • Information, Warnings and Errors – Since version 1.7.7, the imposition is continuously validated during the imposition process. Any information, warnings and errors are displayed in a separate window. As of version 1.8.1, the warnings and errors of the imposition are also displayed when saving the imposition. The user must confirm these errors and warnings before the imposition can be saved. From this version on, validation within the Impose Editor and the validation when saving an imposition have been unified. From now on the same modal dialog is opened with the same warning and error messages. This dialog has also been adapted to the new user interface.
  • Improved stability in Manual Mode – The behavior of Bleed has been revised in this release in Manual Mode so that it can be used in a way that is similar to the rule-based Impose Modes. This was a necessary improvement which provides more consistent behavior in the Impose Editor.

Captions: As of version 1.8.2, new placeholders for Captions are available and the list/dialog displaying available placeholders in the Impose Editor has been revised.

  • Intuitive Selection options – Before version 1.8.2, the available placeholders were opened as a list. Starting from this version, a separate dialog is opened, which offers all available placeholders (depending on the impose mode selected).
  • New Placeholders – Also in this version, additional placeholders including: Order Number, Production Job - External ID and Customer Number have been added, which can be selected in the Impose Editor and used with Captions.

Multiple Dielines: From version 1.8.2 it is possible to add multiple Dielines, e.g., punching and creasing to the imposition in the Impose Editor. Until now, only single Dielines could be added.

Primer Support: Especially for Delta SPC Printing Systems, output using Primer on the is now available. A process color called »Primer« will be available by default after adding it to a printer. If a color configuration with primer is available, you can determine when Profiling whether the Profile should be created with or without Primer. If a Primer is selected, an additional Profiling Step called »Primer« will be available when Profiling. In this Profiling Step, a Primer Test Chart can be printed and analyzed. Afterward, the desired Primer value can be defined and applied.

Extension of the Article List: The Article List was restructured from scratch during the development of this version. This made it possible to drastically improve performance. In addition, more columns were added to the list, making it easier to work with Articles.

  • Improved Performance - The internal restructuring of this list now ensures that list loading times (particularly in connection with Spot Colors) are drastically minimized. Faster loading time for this list provides improved display performance by calculating the Spot Colors per Article in parallel.
  • Additional Columns – Two additional columns: Technical Colors and Output as Separation, have been added to the Article List. Therfore, normal Spot Colors, Technical Colors and Spot Colors that are output as separations (e.g. White, Primer, Varnish...) are displayed separately in the list view. So it can be recognized faster, which Articles already contain which Spot Colors. This extension/improvement is of course also available in the Print Item List of the menu item »Orders«.

Extensions for Hotfolders: The Hotfolder List and also the detailed view of all processing methods: Auto-Nesting, Single Files, XML and ZIP, has been unified in this version as well. The processing methods now use the same user interface and are handled in the same way. This ensures consistency across the user interface. In addition, a new function has been implemented that allows Hotfolders to split multi-page documents into individual pages during processing. Functionality of the XML processing method has been greatly expanded as well.

  • Improved User Experience – The standardization of the user interface concerning different Hotfolder types has resulted in a significant improvement in display performance and improved user guidance. In addition, the choice of processing method (Auto-Nesting, ZIP,...) has been moved to the »Processing Parameters« tab.
  • Split multipage documents – For each processing method, an additional option "Split multipage document" can now be enabled using this version. This option ensures that multipage documents are split into individual pages during processing and are processed separately. For the »Single files« processing method, the »Keep Split Sequence« option can also be activated so that the split pages are kept in the same Production Job.
  • New options for XML processing method – An XML job ticket can be used to create a Production Job with several Print Items via a Hotfolder with the information on the Production Job and the Print Items. Fixups can still be applied to selected Print Items and subsequently imposed according to the defined Impose Template.

Connect Analytics to the Workflow: Starting from this version, the »Analytics Collector« of a printer can be connected when creating a new printer. By registering the collector, information is transferred from the printer to the Workflow. This makes it possible from this version on to import Substrates from the printer directly into the Workflow or to connect them with pre-existing Substrates. In the future, the »Analytics Collector« will also be able to send statistical data from Production Jobs as well as the status of the print job back to the Workflow.

System Routines: As of version 1.8.2, two new system routines are available in the Administration > Routines menu item. The first routine deletes all intermediate versions of motifs and articles created in the application of corrections when the selected status is reached. The second routine moves all production orders to the recycle bin based on the status reached, which can subsequently be emptied automatically - using a separate routine.

System Settings: As of this release, a new system-wide setting is available that allows the pages of a multipage document to be sent to the printer in the order of the multipage document. The setting "Keep page order" is located in the workflow settings in the RIP settings section.

Fixups: In this version, some general functions for data corrections have been implemented or improved. In addition, more corrections have been added to the workflow.

  • General - All data corrections that previously used the final format or bleed frame of the article/motif now offer the selection of ImageBox as well as ImageBox + Bleed. This new feature allows to apply the correction to the desired production frame - net format or production format - of the file.
  • New Fixups – The following data corrections have been added in this version:
    • Create Unprinted Rectangle – Creates an unprinted rectangle based on the entered starting point, as well as the width and height. The start point (0/0) for the rectangle is at the bottom left corner of the ImageBox by default.
    • Convert Page Content to an Image – Rasterizes the entire page content of the image. This can be used to bypass problems that occur in the few cases in the output when ripping.
    • Create White Only Separation – Creates a white separation (spot color) from all white areas of the subject. This removes any other image content, leaving only the white areas as the printable area.
    • Delete Separation – Deletes selected separations from objects of any type that are created in CMYK. Use this to remove parts or all of the printed image of the subject, leaving only spot colors of the printed image.
    • Assign Source Profile for RGB objects – Assign an ICC profile for RGB objects that do not have a source profile (DeviceRGB). This allows to assign a source profile to the RGB object that differs from the working color space.
    • Upscale Image Resolution – The resolution for color, grayscale or black and white images is extrapolated to the specified target resolution. Use this to reduce the sawtooth effect at the sharp edges of individual objects.

Rest API: There are new features in the following in the "Article Controller API", "Print Order Motif Controller API" and "Production Job Motif Controller API". In addition, further improvements have been implemented in the "Subscription Controller API".

1.3. Improvements

The following improvements to existing functions have been made in version 1.8.2 of the Workflow:

Processing Performance: Render performance has been improved in this release so that the system is overloaded less quickly. Processes running in parallel are split evenly to make the best use of hardware resources. This improvement provides more stable processing and prevents processor overload.

Fixup Chains – Intermediate Versions: As of this version, intermediate versions of Print Item and/or Articles, which are generated after applying Fixups or Preflight profiles when a Fixup Chain is executed, are no longer saved. This minimizes the processing time that the Fixup Chain needs and also reduces the amount of memory required to generate intermediate versions.

Approval and Ink Cost Reports: From this version onwards, additional functions and paths for user-defined Approval and Ink Cost Reports are available. It is possible from version 1.8.2 to use certain fields with or without Internal ID's and to place the Print Item preview with or without Bleed. Additionally, there are some new fields which can be used when creating Custom Reports.

Calibration Charts: In this release, additional Calibration Charts are available in the Workflow when Profiling:

  • A complete set of calibration charts for CMYK-RB
  • Special CMYK calibration charts when re-profiling for Delta SPC printing systems
  • Primer Test Chart

Minor Improvements: Additional minor enhancements have been implemented.

1.4. Fixed Bugs

Adobe Illustrator Plug-In: A list of fixed bugs and/or minor improvements in the Adobe Illustrator Plug-In.

Workflow: A list of fixed bugs and/or minor improvements in the main application.

Impose Editor: A list of fixed bugs and/or minor improvements in the Impose Editor.

2. New Features

In this section you will learn about new features that have been developed in the Adobe Illustrator Plug-In, Impose Editor and the Workflow. In some cases, existing functions may have also been updated.

2.1. Adobe Illustrator Plug-in

If you are working with version 1.8.2 of the Workflow, version 1.8.2.28 of the Plug-In must be installed to ensure consistent operation. If you are using an older version of the Plug-In, you will be notified in the Plug-In when you log in.

The following versions of Adobe Illustrator are supported:


Adobe Illustrator CC 2019
Version 23.1.1
Adobe Illustrator CC 2020
Version 24.2
Adobe Illustrator CC 2021
Version 25.2
MacOSX 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 10.15 (Catalina),
Mac OS Version 10.14 (Mojave),
Mac OS Version 10.13 (High Sierra)
Mac OS Version 11.2 (Big Sur),
Mac OS Version 10.15 (Catalina)
Mac OS Version 10.14 (Mojave),
Mac OS Version 10.13 (High Sierra)
Microsoft Windows MS Windows 7 with Service Pack 1,
MS Windows 8.1 or
MS Windows 10
MS Windows 7 with Service Pack 1,
MS Windows 10
MS Windows 7 with Service Pack 1,
MS Windows 10
Support Plug-In Version 1.8.1.0 and
Plug-In Version 1.8.2.28 (only Windows)
Plug-In Version 1.8.1.0 and Plug-In Version 1.8.2.28 (only Windows)
Plug-In Version 1.8.2.28 (Mac OS and Windows) 

Support for older versions of Adobe Illustrator

Please note that the current Plug-In Version 1.8.2.28 can only installed for Adobe Illustrator CC 2019, Adobe Illustrator CC 2020 and Adobe Illustrator CC 2021.

Adobe Illustrator CC 2017 and Adobe Illustrator CC 2015.3 can still be used with the Plug-In Version 1.7.0.26 in conjunction with Durst Workflow 1.7.2. Using Plug-In Version 1.7.0.26 in conjunction with newer Workflow versions is at your own risk. Support cases or bugs for this constellation/configuration will not be followed up and/or fixed.

Adobe Illustrator 2018 can still be used with Plug-In version 1.7.6.36 in conjunction with Durst Workflow 1.7.6. The use of Plug-In version 1.7.6.36 in conjunction with newer Workflow versions is at your own risk. Support cases or errors for this constellation will not be followed up and corrected.

2.1.1. Open or Place Print Items or Articles

Prior to version 1.8.2, checking an item out always opened the Print Item or Article in Adobe Illustrator as a standalone document. Opening the document allows access and permission to modify and/or edit all objects in the document.

Starting with version 1.8.2, when you check out a file, you can choose whether to place the document or open it. When placing the file, none of the live/active objects in the PDF are loaded and can not be edited. However, variable content and/or new objects can be created using the Place variant. Follow these steps to place documents in Adobe Illustrator:

  1. Open Adobe Illustrator and connect to the Workflow in the Adobe Illustrator Plug-in.
  2. In the Plug-in, navigate to Durst Workflow > File Management.
  3. Navigate to either the Article, Order, or Production Job list.
  4. Select your desired Print Item/Article to load it into Illustrator.
  5. Click on Check Out.
  6. When the dialog appears, click on either Open or Place.
  7. Place creates an artboard the size of the ImageBox with the appropriate Bleed (based on the Bleed contained in the Print Item), and places the Print Item on it. New objects and variable content can then be placed on their own layer in Illustrator.

Figure 1: Opening or placing Print Items in the Adobe Illustrator Plug-in.

Applying variable content to Print Items/Articles

If you want to apply variable content to Print Items/Articles without making any changes to the Print Item itself, we recommend that you place the item in Adobe Illustrator when checking out. By placing the Print Item on the artboard in Adobe Illustrator, the original file remains completely unchanged, which means, among other things, that all layers in the Print Item are retained. In addition, Print Items with variable content can be created even if you do not have the original font installed on your local system, which must be available locally when you open the file.

However, if you want to apply variable content as an integral part of the Print Item, you must open the file and place the variable content. Keep in mind that you must have access to the original fonts contained in the Print Item. In addition, the layer structure in the PDF is lost when you open a Print Item.

2.2. Impose Editor

The Impose Editor and the underlying render engine have been completely revised in version 1.8.2. From this version on, the editor uses various new technologies, which were all brought up to date in the course of development. For this reason, the user interface has also been adapted throughout and its design has been improved. In addition, the user guidance when opening the Impose Editor has been improved and additional functions have been made available.

Existing Manual impositions may change when processing

Production Jobs or impositions that were imposed and saved in the »Manual« Mode before version 1.8.2 are re-drawn with the new processing logic as of version 1.8.2, which may lead to changes in the imposition in most cases. The reason for this is because of fundamental changes in the behavior of how the Bleed is handled when Print Items are rotated, scaled and cropped manually.

To remedy this situation, following options are available:

  • Reprint Job – If the manually imposed Production Job has been sent to the printer before, it can be ripped again without changing the imposition using the Reprint Job function. This renders the Production Job without making changes and sends it to the printer.
  • Edit the Manual Imposition – If the manually imposed Production Job has not been sent to the printer, the function mentioned above cannot be selected. The user must open the imposition manually, check it, make the desired changes and save the imposition again. When opening the Impose Editor, the user is informed that the imposition was created using an older version and must be saved again. The same message is displayed when the Production Job is sent to the printer without resaving the imposition beforehand.

2.2.1. Create or Open an Imposition

Before version 1.8.2, the Impose Editor was initially opened in »Manual« Mode. From there, the user could switch to the desired impose mode using the desired Output Configuration. If the Impose Editor was opened in a Production Job, the desired mode could be selected in the Production Job. In this case the Output Configuration from the Production Job was used. This procedure has not been changed.

As of version 1.8.2, when opening the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor, the user has the option to select whether a new imposition should be created or an existing imposition should be opened. Depending on the which option is chosen, the appropriate dialog is displayed.

Figure 2: The initial options when opening the Impose Editor under Automation > Impose Editor.

Impose Editor

Create a new Imposition

Proceed as follows if you want to create a new Production Job or a new imposition via Automation > Impose Editor:

  1. Select the menu item Automation > Impose Editor
  2. A dialog will open where you can select Create a new Imposition.
  3. In the New Imposition dialog, select the following options:
    • Output Configuration of the Production Job [2] this can also be accomplished by selecting a Template [1].
    • Impose Sheet Size [3] The user can select either the existing Substrate Shape size or create a Custom shape using the Width and Height inputs.
    • Impose Mode [4] Here you can choose the Impose Mode and an appropriate Impose Template.
  4. Click on Create to start the imposer.

Figure 3: The New Imposition dialog under Automation > Impose Editor.

Impose Editor

Open Imposition from Production Job

Proceed as follows if you want to open an existing Production Job or a previously saved imposition via Automation > Impose Editor:

  1. Select the menu item Automation > Impose Editor.
  2. When the dialog opens, select the Open Imposition from Production Job option.
  3. In the next dialog, select your desired Production Job.
  4. Click Open to start or continue working on your imposition.

Figure 4: The Open Imposition from Production Job dialog.

Impose Editor

2.2.2. »Print Items« tab

We've added two additional features in the Print Items tab in the Impose Editor in version 1.8.2. In addition to adjustments in the user interface, the user has the option to change the number of copies [5] and the scaling factor [6] per Print Item. You can access the edit dialog by selecting the desired Print Item and clicking on the number displayed for copies or the percentages showing the current scale applied to the Print Item.

Figure 5: New functions offer the ability to change the number of copies or the scale for individual Print Items in the Print Items tab.

Impose Editor

2.2.3. Information, Warnings and Errors

Since version 1.7.7, the imposition is continuously validated during the imposition process. Information, warnings and errors were displayed in a separate field in the Impose Editor. With version 1.8.2, warnings and errors in the imposition are now displayed when saving the imposition. In order to save the imposition, the user must first "accept" these warnings and error messages first.

As of this version, we have unified the errors and warnings that occur when imposing, so you see them immediately when they occur versus just in a separate field, where they may be overlooked. From now on, the same modal dialog is displayed when saving an imposition or under the Imposition Warning overlay. This dialog has also been visually adapted to match the new user interface.

When saving, only warning and error messages are displayed, which must be accepted in order to continue.

Figure 6: The Errors and Warnings dialog is displayed in the Impose Editor when saving and also during the process of creating the imposition.

Impose Editor

2.2.4. Improved stability of »Manual« Mode

In the Manual Mode, you can now expect more stability and improved handling of Bleed which now mirrors how this is handled in other impose modes.

Improved Stability

In previous versions, users working in Manual Mode repeatedly encountered situations for example when moving, scaling and rotating a Print Item, the original placeholder frame remained on the artboard as a "ghost frame". These superfluous objects could only be eliminated by a reloading the page, combined with the loss of any progress.

By reworking the code in the underlying render engine, these problems have been resolved and this also resulted in a drastic improvement in on the fly rendering speeds, combined with a reduction in the amount of memory required by the browser.

Handling of Bleed

Before version 1.8.2, the Bleed of a Print Item was not correctly rotated with the TrimBox content of the Print Item. In comparison to other rule-based impose modes, where the Bleed was always rotated with the Print Item(s). Furthermore, in Manual Mode, the value of the Bleed was always set in the entered absolute values and therefore were not scaled correctly. As a result of the old logic, differences between the individual impose modes were visible regarding the placement of Print items, especially when switching between impose modes.

As of version 1.8.2, in Manual Mode the Bleed is now correctly rotated when the Print Item is rotated.

Example: A Print Item is placed using a Bleed of:  Top: 0 mm, Right: 10 mm, Bottom: 10 mm, Left: 0 mm. If the Print Item is rotated by 90°, the resulting Bleed is: Top: 0 mm, Right: 0 mm, Bottom: 10 mm and Left: 10 mm. The corresponding values are displayed in the Bleed drop-down.

In addition, the Bleed is now scaled when the Print Item is scaled.

Example: A Print Item is placed with a Bleed: Top: 0 mm, Right: 10 mm, Bottom: 10 mm, Left: 0 mm. If the Print Item is scaled by 200%, the Bleed is now Top: 0 mm, Right: 0 mm, Bottom: 20 mm and Left: 20 mm. The scaled value is displayed in the Bleed drop-down. The Bleed can still be adjusted as need here.

2.3. Captions

In version 1.8.2, the dialog for selecting Caption Placeholders has been restructured and its design has been changed. Furthermore, new Placeholders for Captions are available, which can be used as additional information for the imposition. Captions that are set to the Print Items Origin (outside the placed designs) and the Artboard are sorted alphabetically for output. Read the following sections to discover more about these new features.

2.3.1. Intuitive selection options

Before version 1.8.2, the available Placeholders were opened as a list when using the @ character in the text input field. Starting from this version, instead of the list, a separate dialog is opened, which displays all available placeholders (depending on the impose mode selected). In this dialog the user can also search for available Placeholders using full text search. By entering text, Placeholders are filtered dynamically.

Figure 7: Adding Captions using the Caption Placeholder Select dialog.

Impose Editor

2.3.2. New Placeholders

Also in this version, additional Placeholders for Captions have been added, which can be selected in the Impose Editor. The following new Placeholders are available with version 1.8.2:

  • Order Number – This allows the associated Order Number to be used for either the Print Item or the Artboard.
  • External ID (Production Job) – With this placeholder, the ID from an external system, e.g., ERP or MIS, which has generated the Production Job can be displayed.
  • Customer Number – This allows the ability to display the Customer Number, which should be matched with a leading system such as an ERP or MIS, for the Print Item or on the Artboard.

2.4. Multiple Dielines

Before version 1.8.2, only one Dieline could be created per Print Item in the Impose Editor. As of this version, it is possible to add multiple Dielines and assign them to different Positions [7], such as: ImageBox and ImageBox + Bleed in the imposition, for example to create a kiss cut and a thru cut per Print Item. Dielines are applied to all Print Items on the Artboard, as was the behavior from previous versions.

Figure 8: The Finishing tab with two Dielines applied.

Impose Editor

2.5. Primer Support

Particularly for the Delta SPC 130 printing system or for any system which supports the use of a primer, corresponding additional functions have been implemented in this version.

If the »Primer« option is available in your printing system, this is made clear when adding a new printer by adding the process color »Primer«. If a corresponding Color Configuration with »Primer« has been set up, you can then determine when creating a Profile (Color Setup) whether it should be created with or without »Primer«. If the  »Primer« option has been activated, an additional »Primer« Profiling step is enabled when creating the Profile (Color Setup). In this Profiling step, a primer test chart can be printed and analyzed. The desired percentage value for the amount of primer to be applied can then be determined and entered.

The following steps must be performed to use primer in your system.

2.5.1. Configuring the Printer

To create a primer separation for the printer, the printer must contain or support this »Color«. To accomplish this, the color must be added to the printer as a separate Color Configuration in the Workflow. Follow the steps below to do this:

  1. Under Administration > Printers, open either an existing printer in the Workflow or create a new one and open it.
  2. Open the Edit Print Color Configuration dialog.
  3. Add the color Primer as Process Color to the printer.
  4. Select an Ink Family and Ink Name for the primer.
  5. Click on Save to complete your changes.

To ensure that the primer separation is created and rendered correctly when it is sent to the printer, a separate Profile (Color Setup) must be performed for each Print Configuration, more on this later.

Figure 9: The Edit Printer Configuration dialog with primer added as a separate Process Color.

PMS WebGui :: Printer Setup

Ink Family and Ink Name cannot be selected

In order to select the correct Ink Family and Ink Name in this dialog, please ensure that the Ink Family and/or Ink Name is available under Administration > All Inks. To do this, create a new Ink Family and Ink, specifically for primer under the Mapping tab. Both Ink and the Ink Family are only available after updating to version 1.8.2!

2.5.2. Profiling with Primer

After the »Primer« has been added to the printer as a separate color, the ink can be used when Profiling. When Profiling with primer, an additional Profiling Step »Primer« has been added in this version, which calculates the optimal application of the primer separation.

Follow the steps below to start Profiling with »Primer«

Step 1Add Color Setup

  1. Switch to the Color > Color Setup menu item.
  2. Add a new Color Setup by clicking on +New in the action bar.
  3. Enter a Setup Name and select your desired Output Configuration: Printer, Print Configuration, Substrate and Channel Configuration.
  4. Activate the Use Primer option if you want to create a Profile using Primer.
  5. Click on Save to complete the Color Setup.

Figure 10: The Add Color Setup dialog with the Use Primer option activated.

PMS WebGui :: Color Setup

Advice for the »Use Primer« option

The Use Primer option is only available if the color »Primer« has been added to the printer selected in the Output Configuration outlined under step 3. Only when this option is selected, will the additional profiling step »Primer« be visible in the Profile Steps. If this option is deactivated, the Profile will be created as usual in the Workflow without primer.

Step 2Perform the Profiling and print a Primer Test Chart

  1. Open the Profile that you created with Use Primer.
  2. Switch to the Primer profiling step.
  3. Click on the Print button.
  4. Send the chart to the printer.
  5. Print the chart on the printer side.

Figure 11: The Print Primer Calibration Chart dialog as seen when creating a Profile that uses Primer.

PMS WebGui :: Primer

Advice concerning the Primer Test Chart

In addition to a wide variety of color areas, the Primer Test Chart contains a Spot Color called »Primer«, which is printed in different gradations between 0% and 60% in 5% steps. This makes it possible to find the optimum percentage value for the primer application per Print Configuration.

Step 3Perform the Profiling to determine optimal Primer application.

  1. Analyze the printed Primer Test Chart.
  2. Determine the optimal value for the Primer coverage.
  3. Open the Define Primer Coverage substep in the Profile.
  4. Enter your desired % value for the Primer Coverage.
  5. Click on Save Primer Value.
  6. Then finalize the Profile, the defined Primer Coverage is automatically output as a separation for each additional calibration chart.

Figure 12: The Define Primer Coverage dialog where the user can define Coverage using a percent value.

 

PMS WebGui :: Primer

Advice on defining maximum values

The maximum value for Primer Coverage uses a fixed value per Print Configuration. This value cannot be exceeded when Profiling.

2.5.3. Outputting Print Items with Primer

As soon as Profiling using Primer has been carried out, the defined percentage value of the Primer Coverage is saved in the calculated Color Policies. If the respective Color Policies are used in Production Jobs, the coverage of the Spot Color »Primer« in the Print Item is automatically adjusted when sent to the printer.

Example: If Primer Coverage was set to 55%, 100% tonal values from the Spot Color »Primer« will effectively be printed at 55%. A 40% tonal value from the Spot Color »Primer« is effectively printed with 22%.

The following criteria must be fulfilled by a Print Item and/or Production Job so that the Primer can be output correctly:

  • The Print Item must contain a Spot Color called »Primer«.
  • Areas to be printed with »Primer« must be set to »Overprint« in the print file.
  • The tone value of the Spot Color »Primer« must be 100% in the print file so that the Primer job is printed according to the value defined.
  • In the Output Configuration of the Production Job, a printer that has a separation called »Primer«  in the Color Configuration must be used.
  • In the Output Configuration of the Production Job, a ColorPolicy that contains a Primer Profile must be used.

2.6. Extension of the Article List

We've restructure the Article List from the ground up for this version. On one hand, we have improved the performance drastically, and on the other hand, we've added additional columns to the list, which should facilitate smoother working methods.

2.6.1. Improved Performance

In the course of the development of 1.8.2, the Article List under the menu item Article > Article was completely overhauled, due to slow loading times and inaccurate information being displayed. Because of the restructuring of the list, loading times particularly for Articles that contain Spot Colors has been drastically reduced. As of this version Articles that contain Spot Colors are now loaded and calculated in parallel, therefore reducing loading times.

2.6.2. Additional Columns

In addition to optimizing this list, two additional columns: Technical Colors and Output as Separation, have been added to the Article List and also to the Print Item List available under Orders > Print Items. Print Items that contain Spot Colors, Technical Colors and Spot Colors Output as a separation (e.g. white, primer, etc.) are displayed separately in the list view. This makes it easier to quickly determine if an Article/Print Item contains Spot Colors, Technical Colors, etc.

Figure 13: The Article List displaying two new columns for Spot Colors and Output as separation.

PMS WebGui :: Articles

2.7. Hotfolders

The Hotfolder List and also the detailed view of all processing methods: Auto-Nesting, Single Files, ZIP and XML, has been unified in this version. From now on, Hotfolders using different processing methods use the same user interface, which provides the user with more consistent user guidance. In addition, we've added a new function that allows Hotfolders to split multipage documents into individual pages during processing in the Hotfolder. We've also updated and added functions concerning how XML job tickets are processed when creating Production Jobs.

2.7.1. Improved user experience

The unification of the user interface concerning different processing methods provides a strong improvement for guiding the user. In addition, we moved the processing methods (Auto-Nesting, ZIP,...) to the Processing Parameters tab. Proceed as follows when creating a Hotfolder:

  1. Switch to the Automation > Hotfolder menu item.
  2. Open the Hotfolder Setup dialog by clicking +New.
  3. Under the General tab, specify a Name for the Hotfolder.
  4. Switch to the Process Parameter tab.
  5. Select the desired Processing Mode in this tab. For detailed information concerning each Processing Mode, simply choose a Mode and then hover over the information tooltip to see a description.

Figure 14: The Process Parameter tab in the Hotfolder Setup dialog.

PMS WebGui :: Hotfolder

The following areas have been changed:

  • The Processing Modes, most of which were previously available in the Impose tab, have been moved to the Process Parameter tab.
  • Processing XML files (XML job tickets) is now a separate Processing Mode.
  • Depending on the Processing Mode selected, options within the Process Parameter tab and the Impose tab will be limited.
  • File format types listed under Process Type are selected or activated by default.

2.7.2. Split Multipage documents

For each Processing Mode, the Split Pages option can be activated with this version. This option ensures that multipage documents are split into individual pages when processed. For the Processing Mode: Single Files, the option Keep Split Sequence can also be activated, so that split pages are are combined in a single Production Job. If this option is not selected, a separate Production Job is created for each individual page.

Figure 15: The Process Parameter tab in the Hotfolder Setup dialog with the new Split Pages and Keep Split Sequence options.

PMS WebGui :: Hotfolder
2.7.2.1. New functions for »XML« Processing Mode

We've added a multitude of enhancements for the updated XML Processing Mode.

These are:

  • Multiple Print Items – Previously, only one Print Item could be processed per Production Job. Now, any number of Print items can be added to a Production Job.
  • Impose Template – By selecting an Impose Template, an imposition can be automatically created when the XML file is processed.
  • Cutter Configurations – In addition to the selection of a Cutter, a corresponding configuration for the Cutter can now also be included in the XML file.
  • Color Correction – Color Corrections available in the Workflow can now be applied in the XML on the Print Item level.

The following XML job ticket example shows which options are available when creating Production Jobs automatically via Hotfolders.

<HotfolderJob>

<ProductionJob name="Name of the Prodcution Job" comment="A comment" externalId="EXT123" leadIn="2" leadOut="3" shippingDate="2021-03-13" productionDate="2021-02-28">

<ImposeTemplate internalName="NESTING_TEMPLATE_1"/>

<Cutter internalName="FOTOBA_1">

<CutterParameterSet internalName="FOTOBA_1_FOTOBA_DIGITRIM_SERIES_1"/>

</Cutter>

<PrintItem name="PrintItem 1" comment="This is the first Item" width="350.0" height="2020.0" unit="mm" pages="1" numberOfCopies="13" url="file:/path/to/pdf/sample_file1.pdf" windingType="OUTSIDE" orientation="TOP">

</PrintItem>

<PrintItem name="Print Item 2" comment="This is the second Item" width="25.0" height="15.0" unit="inch" pages="1" numberOfCopies="4" url="file:/path/to/pdf/sample_file2.pdf" cutContourSpotColor="FORM">

<Fixup automationKey="FLIP_PAGE"/>

<Fixup automationKey="CONVERT_TO_GRAYSCALE"/>

</PrintItem>

<PrintItem name="Print Item 3" comment="This is the third Item" pages="3" numberOfCopies="1" url="file:/path/to/pdf/sample_file3.pdf">

<ColorCorrection internalName="REDUCE_MIDTONES_13"/>

<ColorCorrection internalName="HIGH_CONTRAST"/>

</PrintItem>

</ProductionJob>

</HotfolderJob>

Only available with certain license types

Please note that the XML Processing Mode is only available if the user owns a license that allows this type of processing. Generally speaking, a Workflow Plus version of the Workflow is necessary.

2.8. Importing Printer Substrates in the Workflow

As of version 1.8.2, it is possible for the first time to establish a connection between the Workflow and the Analytics Collector, which is the collection point for data on the printer side. By connecting the Workflow with the Collector, data can now be transferred from the Analytics Collector to the Workflow.

In version 1.8.2, this connection is used in the first step to access the printer's Substrates in the Workflow to eventually import selected Substrates and map them in the output. In the future, this connection can be used for additional functions, such as the feedback displaying production data as well as print settings.

To import and map a printer's Substrates into the Workflow, proceed as follows:

  1. Verify that a Durst Analytics Collector is installed for the Printing System.
  2. If a collector is installed, note the IP address of the Analytics Collector.
  3. Connect the Workflow to the Analytics Collector (this can be accomplished via the Workflow under Administration > Printer in the Edit Printer dialog).
  4. Under Administration > Substrate, select the Printer and import the selected Substrate in the Workflow. If a similar or the same Substrate already exists in the Workflow, then you can also associate the Substrate name with the existing Substrate name in the Workflow.
  5. This way, when a print job is sent to the printer, the Substrate ID is written in the job ticket, so that the print operator can identify predefined print jobs.

2.8.1. Establish a connection between the Workflow and the Analytics Controller

After this version is installed, a Printer in the Workflow can be connected to the Analytics Collector. By connecting the Workflow with the Analytics Collector, you can access a list of Printer specific Substrates and import selected Substrates into the Workflow or link them to existing Substrates. To connect the Workflow with the Analytics Collector for a specific Printer, proceed as follows:

  1. Go to the Administration > Printers menu item.
  2. Select +New or Edit in the action bar to create a new Printer or edit an existing Printer.
  3. In the Analytics Collector IP/Port input field, enter the Analytics Collector IP Address and Port 8083.
  4. Connect the Workflow to the Analytics Controller by clicking on the icon [8] »Connection and setup registration. Data will be synchronized.«. If the connection can be established, the Analytics Controller will start transferring data to the Workflow immediately. If the connection has been established correctly, the Printer Type [9] is displayed below it and an icon for disconnecting the connection then appears. In addition, the fields Serial Number, Software Version, Printer Firmware are filled in automatically. If an invalid IP address or port is entered, the connection will not be established.
  5. To stop the connection between the Analytics Controller and the Workflow, click on the icon [10] »Disconnect and cancel registration«.

Figure 16: The Edit Printer dialog with the new option to connect the Workflow with the Analytics Collector.

PMS WebGui :: Printer Setup

2.8.2. Importing Substrates from the Printer

After the Workflow has been connected with the Analytics Collector, a complete list of Substrates that belong to the printer is transferred to the Workflow. The Substrates that have been transferred from the printer to the Workflow are listed under Administration > Substrate > Printer Substrate List. From this version on, these Printer Substrates can be imported into the Workflow. In addition, imported Substrates can also be linked to existing Substrates in the Workflow.

Follow the steps below to import printer Substrates into the Workflow:

  1. Go to the Administration > Substrate menu item.
  2. Navigate to the Import Printer Substrates tab and select the desired Printer in the Printer drop-down menu [11]. This tab is divided into three sections:
    • Workflow Substrates [12] – In this panel, all Substrates that are already associated with a selected Printer are listed.
    • Import Substrate [13] – In this panel you can select a Printer Substrate to be imported and choose whether a new Substrate should be created or if the Substrate should be linked to an existing Workflow Substrate.
    • Substrate Description and Classification [14] – In this panel you can determine how the Substrate to be imported should be created in the Workflow.
  3. In the Workflow Substrates panel, check which Substrates are already available in the Workflow for the selected Printer. Substrates that are available for the Printer can either have been imported manually in the Workflow or have already been imported from a Printer's Substrate list. Imported Printer Substrates are labeled with an asterisk "*" [17] in the list.
  4. In the Import Substrate panel, select the Printer Substrate [15] to be imported.
  5. Determine whether the Substrate should be created as a new Workflow Substrate [16] or linked to a "related" Substrate [18].
  6. If a new Substrate should be imported, define this information in the  Substrate Description and Classification panel and then press the Import button.
  7. If the Substrate should be linked to an existing Workflow Substrate, select a "related" Substrate in the list and press the Use selected Substrate button.

Figure 17: The Import Printer Substrates tab of the Substrate Overview dialog under Administration > Substrate.

PMS WebGui :: Import Printer Substrates

2.9. Routines

In version 1.8.2, two additional Routines: »Delete Print Item or Article Intermediate Versions« and »Move Production Jobs to the trash«, have been added to the Workflow and are disabled by default. Users can enable these Routines to free up disk space as needed.

2.9.1. Delete Print Item or Article Intermediate Versions

In this version, a Routine has been implemented which deletes all intermediate versions (PDF files) of Print Items or Articles. If this Routine is activated, these intermediate versions are deleted based on the selected configuration and cannot be restored. Follow these steps to activate and configure this Routine:

  1. Go to the Administration > Routines menu item.
  2. Select the Delete Print Item or Article Intermediate Versions Routine in the list.
  3. Select Edit in the action bar.
  4. In the Edit Routine dialog, activate the Routine.
  5. Define the time in which the Routine should be executed. You can define this in the Cron expression input field.
  6. Define which intermediate versions of Print Items/Articles should be deleted by entering the value in the Older than field. The value 90 days deletes all intermediate versions whose modification date is older than 90 days.
  7. You can also specify for Articles or Print Items that have a certain status, that should be deleted. If for example, the value in Older than 90 days and the checkbox for the Status »Sent to Printer« is activated, only those intermediate versions of Print Items and Articles whose modification date is older than 90 days AND have the Status »Sent to Printer« will be deleted.
  8. Save your configuration and start the Routine in the list, the status field is turquoise and the pause button is displayed.

Figure 18: The Edit Routine dialog for the Delete Print Item or Article Intermediate Versions Routine.

PMS WebGui :: Routines

2.9.2. Move Production Jobs to the trash

An additional Routine has been implemented, which moves all Production Jobs to the trash depending on their age or status.  Production Jobs which have been placed in the trash can be restored until the trash is emptied, (manually or by using a separate Routine). Follow the steps in the description below to activate and configure this Routine:

  1. Go to the Administration > Routines menu item.
  2. Select the »Move Production Jobs to trash« Routine.
  3. Select Edit in the action bar.
  4. In the Edit Routine dialog, activate the Routine.
  5. Define a time for which the Routine should be executed. You can define this in the Cron expression input field.
  6. Determine which Production jobs should be moved to the trash by entering a value in the Older than input field. Entering a value of 90 will move all Production Jobs whose modification date is older than 90 days to the trash.
  7. You can also specify if a Production Jobs with a certain status should be moved to the trash. For example, if you enter a value of 90, in the Older than input and activate the status Printed, Quantity Reached or Closed, only these Production Jobs will be moved to the trash whose modification date is older than 90 days AND has the status: Printed, Quantity Reached or Closed.
  8. Save the configuration and start the Routine in the list, the status field is turquoise and the pause button is displayed.

Figure 19: The Edit Routine dialog for the Routine Move Production Jobs to the trash.

PMS WebGui :: Routines

2.10. System Settings

As of version 1.8.2, another System Setting is available in Workflow that allows multi-page documents to be sent to the printer in order that they exist in the original document. The Keep Multipage sequence setting is located under Administration > Settings > General in the RIP Settings panel. Follow the steps in the description below to enable this option:

  1. Go to Administration > Settings > General > RIP Settings panel.
  2. Enable the Keep multipage sequence option.
  3. Click on Save in the header.

Figure 20: The RIP Settings panel located in the General tab of the Workflow's System Settings.

PMS WebGui :: General

2.11. Fixups

In the course of development, new Fixups have been added and existing Fixups were extended in functionality or improved in terms of usability.

2.11.1. General

Fixups, which previously used the TrimBox or BleedBox in an Article or Print Item, now only offer two options: ImageBox or ImageBox+Bleed. This new feature allows you to apply these Fixups to the ImageBoxes set in the workflow: either ImageBox or Production Format, of the file, regardless of whether it is the TrimBox, BleedBox, CropBox or MediaBox in the PDF file. The following Fixups are affected by this change:

  • Redraw Dieline of the TrimBox
  • Add a Dieline to the ImageBox

A note concerning future Workflow versions

In future versions, this functionality will be added to additional Fixups to provide more consistent results for prepress operators.

2.11.2. New Fixups

In version 1.8.2 some new Fixups, which were requested by many customers in the label and large format environments, have been implemented.

Create Unprinted Rectangle

This Fixup creates an unprinted rectangle based on the entered start point, using the entered width and height. By default, the starting point (X & Y Origin) for the rectangle is on the bottom left corner of the TrimBox.

Use case Scenario: Use this Fixup if you want to keep certain areas free of printed content, typically used in the packaging industry. The created rectangle is placed above printed elements. Objects which are created using a Technical Color will remain above them.

Figure 21: The Fixup Create Unprinted Rectangle.

PMS WebGui :: Data Preparation

Availability

This Fixup is only available under the Data Preparation tab to customers with a Workflow Plus license. This Fixup can also be used with Fixup Chains.

Convert Page Content to an Image

This Fixup converts all page content into a pixel image using the selected color space. Selected objects such as: Text, Spot Colors or both can be excluded from the conversion when applying this Fixup, for example to avoid an unwanted color shift in the conversion of a Spot Color.

Use case scenario: Use this Fixup in case of unwanted effects/artefacts in the output or crashes using the integrated RIP when ripping the file. By converting the page content to a resolution that is sufficient for output, complex data structures become very easy to process for the output or possible errors are made visible even before the RIP process has begun.

Figure 22: The Convert Page Content to an Image Fixup.

PMS WebGui :: Data Preparation

Availability and note

This Fixup is only available under the Data Preparation tab to customers with a Workflow Plus license. This Fixup can also be used with Fixup Chains.

Only use this Fixup as a fallback solution for problem situations. Converting page content to an image by default may in many cases reduce the quality as well as prevent more detailed editing options via additional Fixups or concerning output in the future.

Create White Only Separation

This Fixup creates a Spot Color White separation using all areas that contain white in the image. This removes all other image content so that only the white areas remain as printable areas.

Figure 23: The Create White Only Separation Fixup.

PMS WebGui :: Data Preparation

Availability

This Fixup is only available under the Data Preparation tab to customers with a Workflow Plus license. This Fixup can also be used with Fixup Chains.

Delete Separation

This Fixup deletes selected color separations from objects of any type which were created using CMYK. Use it to remove parts or the entire image in a Print Item in order to retain only Spot Colors for example.

Use case scenario: Use this Fixup, for example, to remove marks in an Article or Print Item that have been created using magenta. However, this only makes sense if the remaining content in the Print Item does not use magenta. Note that removing a separation only removes the separation in the design. Due to the color conversion of Spot Colors as well as color areas by the color management, magenta can of course be used again in the print.

Figure 24: The Delete Separation Fixup.

PMS WebGui :: Data Preparation

Availability

This Fixup is only available under the Data Preparation tab to customers with a Workflow Plus license. This Fixup can also be used with Fixup Chains.

Assign Source Profile for RGB objects

This Fixup can assign an ICC profile for RGB objects that do not have a source profile (DeviceRGB). This allows the RGB object to be assigned a source profile that differs from the working color space.

Use case scenario: Use this Fixup on one hand to increase the radiance of color images, for example, by assigning AdobeRGB as the source profile to an sRGB image. On the other hand you can assign a source profile to a DeviceRGB object that deviates from the color management settings. For the first case, it should be mentioned that this can sometimes cause colors to shift significantly. For the second case, it should be noted that for DeviceRGB objects the selected color profile, which has been set as the working color space for RGB in the System Settings of the Workflow, is normally used for color matching.

Figure 25: The Assign Source Profile for RGB objects Fixup.

PMS WebGui :: Data Preparation

Availability

This Fixup is only available under the Data Preparation tab to customers with a Workflow Plus license. This Fixup can also be used with Fixup Chains.

Upscale Image Resolution

When applying this Fixup, the resolution for color, grayscale, or black-and-white images is upsampled to the specified target resolution. Use it to reduce the sawtooth effect often visible in certain objects types.

Figure 26: The Upscale Image Resolution Fixup.

PMS WebGui :: Data Preparation

Availability

This Fixup is only available under the Data Preparation tab to customers with a Workflow Plus license. This Fixup can also be used with Fixup Chains.

2.12. REST API

In this version, additional areas of the Rest API have been updated and extended. New features and changes are listed below.

Complete Rest API documentation

Updated documentation with examples of the Rest API is available under:  https://en.help.durst-group.com/m/81642/c/305793.

2.12.1. New Functions

Article Controller API

PATCH /api/v1/articles/{id} – the status of an Article can now be updated using a PATCH request. Use this function to set the status of an Article from an external system.  Possible statuses are: CREATED, CHECKED_IN, CHECK_REQUIRED, FINAL_ARTWORK, WAITING_FOR_APPROVAL, APPROVED and LOCKED.

POST /api/v1/articles/{id}/splitPages – A multi-page Article can be split into single pages after checking-in. The response of this call contains a Workflow ID which represents the internal process flow and its retrieval via GET /api/v1/workflows/{id} outputs both the status (RUNNING, SUCCESS, ERROR) and the IDs of the new Articles.

PATCH /api/v1/printOrders/{id}/printOrderItems/{printOrderItemId}/motifs/{motifId} – The status of a Print Item can now be updated using a PATCH request. Use this function to set the status of a Print Item from an external system.  Possible statuses are: CREATED, CHECKED_IN, CHECK_REQUIRED, READY_FOR_PRINT, WAITING_FOR_APPROVAL, APPROVED, IMPOSED, SENT_TO_PRINTER, PRINTED and QUANTITY_REACHED.

POST /api/v1/printOrders/{id}/printOrderItems/{printOrderItemId}/motifs/{motifId}/splitPages – A multi-page Print Item within an Order can be split into single pages after checking-in. The response of this call contains a Workflow ID which represents the internal process flow and whose retrieval via GET /api/v1/workflows/{id} outputs both the status (RUNNING, SUCCESS, ERROR) and the IDs of the new Print Items.

Production Job Print Item Controller

PATCH /api/v1/productionJobs/{id}/motifs/{motifId} – The status of a Print Item within a Production Job can now be updated using a PATCH request. Use this function to set the status of a Print Item from an external system.  Possible statuses depend on whether the original Print Item is an Article (i.e, an Article from Article List which was assigned to a Production Job) or a Print Item from an Order or Production Job. This can be determined using the new motifType attribute. Possible statuses for Articles are CREATED, CHECKED_IN, CHECK_REQUIRED, FINAL_ARTWORK, WAITING_FOR_APPROVAL, APPROVED and LOCKED as well as CREATED, CHECKED_IN, CHECK_REQUIRED, READY_FOR_PRINT, WAITING_FOR_APPROVAL, APPROVED, IMPOSED, SENT_TO_PRINTER, PRINTED and QUANTITY_REACHED for Print Items. These statuses are also synchronized with the original document.

POST /api/v1/productionJobs/{id}/motifs/{motifId}/splitPages – A multi-page Print Item within a Production Job can be split into single pages after checking-in. The response of this call contains a Workflow ID, which represents the internal process flow and whose retrieval via GET /api/v1/workflows/{id} outputs both the status (RUNNING, SUCCESS, ERROR) and the IDs of the new Print Items. This call in a Production Job is independent from the motifType.

2.12.2. Improvements

Read about improvements we've made to the Rest API in this section:

Subscription Controller API

The Subscription Controller now allows the user to subscribe to internal processes. This includes, for example, the splitPages as well as the Apply Fixup function. Each started process is transmitted to a defined endpoint after its execution (status SUCCESS or ERROR). In the case of splitPages, the transmitted data also includes the IDs of the new Articles and Print Items. For this purpose, the topic field has been updated.

Examples:

WORFKLOW/* – A subscription to all processes triggered by splitPages, motif-apply-profile, calculate-ink-usage.

WORKFLOW/motif-split-pages – A subscription to processes triggered by splitPages

WORKFLOW/133 – A subscription to a defined Workflow

3. Improvements

In version 1.8.2 of the Workflow, further improvements are now available, which include:

3.1. Processing Performance

In the course of the development of version 1.8.2, the parallel processing of Production Jobs has been optimized. From this version on, processes executed in parallel are better distributed across all software and hardware components. The system can therefore be utilized to a greater extent without blocking itself. If, for example, 100 Production Jobs are transmitted to the printer at the same time, they are processed in a staggered manner, but still in parallel, so that additional processes can be executed if necessary.

3.2. Fixup Chains

Fixup Chains perform a certain number of corrections, one after another until all corrections have been successfully performed. After each Fixup is applied, a new, corrected version of the document is created. Up until version 1.8.2, each version of the document was saved to the Print Item. This could quickly lead to storage space problems. To remedy this, the intermediate versions are no longer saved to the Print Item when applying Fixup Chains. Furthermore, for previously applied Fixup Chains using earlier versions of the Workflow, the system routine »Delete Print Item or Article Intermediate Versions« can be used to delete the intermediate versions and therefore keep the system clean.

3.3. Approval and Ink Cost Reports

In version 1.8.2, further improvements or options for both Approval and Ink Cost Reports have been implemented. As of this release, additional fields are available when using Custom Reports. Default Reports have also been slightly modified.

3.3.1. Changes in Default Reports

The following changes have been implemented:

  • The preview image in the report is displayed without Bleed.
  • For all fields in the report the internal IDs at the end have been removed

3.3.2. Additional fields in the Indesign Library

We've added the following changes to the Indesign Library, which are the basis for building Customer Specific Reports

  • The preview image can be placed in the report using the Bleed
    • Preview image + Bleed – Use the new Item-Preview-Placeholder_<Landscape>_with-Bleed element from the Indesign Library delivered with the report template.
  • For some fields, the internal ID of the system can also be output:
    • Substrate Category – Use the new element OutputInfo_Substrate-Category_Internal-ID from the Indesign library provided in the report template.
    • Substrate – Use the new OutputInfo_Substrate-Name_Internal-ID element from the Indesign library provided in the report template.
    • Color Policy – Use the new OutputInfo_ColorPolicy-Name_Internal-ID element from the Indesign library provided in the report template.
    • File Name – Use the new File-Name_Internal-ID element from the Indesign library provided in the report template.
    • Print Configuration – Use the new OutputInfo_PrintConfiguration-PrintMode_Internal-ID element from the Indesign library provided in the report template.
  • Some new fields can be used in the report starting with this version:
    • Print Mode – Use the new OutputInfo_PrintConfiguration-PrintMode element from the Indesign library provided in the report template.
    • Print Configuration Resolution – Use the new OutputInfo_PrintConfiguration-Resolution element from the Indesign library provided in the report template.
    • Render Engine – Use the new OutputInfo_PrintConfiguration-RenderEngine element from the Indesign library provided in the report template.
    • Dither Mode – Use the new OutputInfo_PrintConfiguration-DitherMode element from the Indesign library provided in the report template.
    • Dither Bit Count – Use the new OutputInfo_PrintConfiguration-DitherBitCount element from the Indesign library provided in the report template.
    • Pass Type – Use the new OutputInfo_PrintConfiguration-Passes element from the Indesign library provided in the report template.

Learn how to create and use Customer Specific Reports in this section.

3.4. Calibration Charts

In this version, more calibration charts have been added to the Workflow. Below is a list of new charts that are available:

  • Complete calibration chart series for CMYK-RB
    • LIN-Chart_CMYK-RB_210_LFP_12mm_G7
    • LIMIT-Chart_CMYK-RB_210_LFP_12mm
    • PROF-Chart_CMYK-RB_210_LFP_12mm
    • REPROF-Chart_CMYK-RB_210_LFP_12mm
  • Special CMYK calibration charts for Delta SPC printing systems
    • PROF-Chart_CMYK_210_LFP_12mm_SPC
    • REPROF-Chart_CMYK_210_LFP_12mm_SPC
  • Primer Test Chart
    • SPC_Primer_Test Chart_CMYK_v2
    • SPC_Primer_TestPicture_CMYKcm_v2

3.5. Minor Improvements

The following minor improvements have been implemented in this version.

3.5.1. Workflow

Measuring Calibration Charts (Barbieri LFP / LFPqb)

As of version 1.8.2, the Measuring Device, after a calibration chart has been correctly measured, moves to the »load position« so that the current chart can be removed or exchanged more easily.

Print Items using a Spot Color that must be output as a separation (e.g.: white) can be output on printing systems without this additional color

Before version 1.8.2, a Production Job was aborted with an error if the Production Job contained e.g. »White«, but the printer did not support »White«. As of this version, this unsupported color (white, varnish,...) is simply ignored or not used. The Production Job can now be sent to the printer and printed without causing errors. Please note, the unused Spot Color remains in the Production Job and is simply ignored when rendering.

CMYK Working Color Spaces

The ICC profile »eciCMYK« which can be found in the Workflow under Administration > Settings > Color Management > Working Color Spaces has been replaced in this version with a new version of the Profile called  »eciCMYK-v2«. This is a new version of the ICC profile and offers improved gray axis control and therefore extends the application possibilities of the CMYK exchange color space compared to the previous version. You can find out more about this topic using this link.

ZIP Hotfolder CleanUp

As of version 1.8.2, successfully processed ZIP files that were sent to the printer via a ZIP Hotfolder are deleted by the »File Management« workflow to prevent storage space problems. The ZIP files are no longer needed once the resulting Production Jobs have been fully processed.

Sending multi-page documents & Cutting Devices

When a multi-page document is sent to the Printer and Cutter in the Workflow, the names of the cut files are also adjusted. A single cut file is created per page and includes the page number in the file name so that cut files can also be manually assigned to the page to be cut.

Spanish translations

The Spanish language delineation has been corrected from »ES/ES Espania« to »ES/ES Español« in the language drop-down menu.

User-defined Fields

User-defined fields can be added as of this version in the Article, Print Item, Order and Production Job lists as a separate column in the list view so that they are visible at a glance.

Output Templates

In the Workflow with version 1.8.2, when selecting an Output Template, the Internal ID is also displayed for each Output Template so that they can be clearly identified if the names are similar.

4. Fixed Bugs

The following errors (bugs) have been fixed in this release.

4.1. Adobe Illustrator Plug-in

Bar Width Reduction for Barcodes: Decimal values (with decimal places) could not be defined for the Bar Width Reduction option for Barcodes. This error has been fixed. (PXT-959)

Flip QR Codes/Barcodes: If a QR Code/Barcode was mirrored in the Adobe Illustrator Plug-in, it was rotated in the output. This error has also been fixed. (PXT-955)

Positioning of Variable Text: Due to the fact that variable text was sometimes positioned inaccurately, a »Bottom Align« option was implemented, which converts the text object into a "Text on Path" object. Text on paths are usually placed more accurately. (PXT-951)

Translations: In some cases, translations for log-in messages were not displayed. These have been corrected. (PXT-945)

Datamatrix GS1 / {GS}: Sometimes the GS character in the CSV file was replaced by a space. This bug has been fixed. (DW-4975)

QR Code with Chinese characters: QR codes that contained Chinese characters were sometimes rendered incorrectly. (DW-4966)

QR Code/Barcode with Spot Colors: Pantone Spot Colors were not being rendered correctly. (PXT-970)

4.2. Workflow

ZIP Hotfolder Processing: Starting from this version, previously processed ZIP files are deleted from the Workflow File Management directory to free up disk space. (DW-4877)

Reports: Substrates from Orders were sometimes not used correctly in reports if the Substrates were mapped to a Profile from another Substrate. (DW-4798) Furthermore, reports could not be created with PDF printers. (DW-3823) Process colors that are not included in the workflow by default were not used in the report when generating an Ink Cost report. (DW-4814)

Measurement devices: Connection problems with some Barbieri LFPqb devices were solved in this release. (ZCM-1354)

PDF User Unit: Sometimes documents with included a User Unit were uploaded to the Workflow using the wrong resolution. This error has been fixed. (DW-4539)

User-defined Fields: Date and time fields were not displayed in the system-wide defined format. (DW-4984)

XML Hotfolder: Two Production Jobs were processed per XML file. This error was also fixed. (DW-4973)

Spot Color Mapping: The »Rename, convert or delete spot colors« Fixup no longer had access to System-wide Spot Colors. This behavior has been corrected. (DW-4969)

Delete Substrate Categories: It was no longer possible to delete Substrate Categories. This has been made possible again. (DW-4902)

Output Templates: If a different template in an Output Configuration was selected in a Production Job, the Send to Printer button was disabled. (DW-4867)

Motif Metadata: If a multi-page document (thousands of pages) was loaded into the Workflow, metadata was stored for each page. This slowed down the entire system. The behavior was revised. (DW-4857)

Uploading multiple Articles: When uploading multiple Articles (>20) in the Article List, error messages were sometimes displayed. This error has been fixed. (DW-4842)

4.3. Impose Editor

Multi-page Nesting: Marks can no longer be placed based on the Artboard if a Multipage Output is selected as of this version. (IMPOSE-2078)

Double-sided Nesting: Two bugs were fixed

  • Placed Print Items with different designs were sometimes overlapping on the backside of the imposition. This bug has been fixed. (IMPOSE-2256)
  • When selecting Print Items in the Print Items list, the wrong Print Items were marked on the Artboard. (IMPOSE-2255)

Create Production Jobs: From now on, all system-wide settings are also used when a Production Job is created in the Impose Editor. (IMPOSE-2023)

5. Hot Fixes

DW Build 1.8.2.(299) was released on March 16, 2021. The following Hotfixes were added in the subversions below:

DW Version 1.8.2.(301)

On March 18th, 2021 this Hotfix was provided due to the following error:

Multipage Nesting: A multipage Nesting with pages of different sizes was sent to the printer incorrectly when either the »Flip Horizontal« or »Flip Vertical« options were enabled in the Send to Printer dialog.

DW Version 1.8.2.(303)

On March 22nd, 2021 these Hotfixes were provided due to the following errors:

Custom Tiling: »Custom« Tiling Mode could no longer be used because the defined sizes were not adopted. This bug has been fixed.

Approval and Ink Cost Reports: Reports could not be created if a host or target directory was mapped to the Profile of the Color Policy to be used.

DW Version 1.8.2.(312)

On April 13th, 2021 this Hotfix was provided due to the following error:

Zünd ProCut: Some permissions were missing, this resulted in the Send to Printer operation being aborted with an error. The cutting device could therefore not be controlled in some cases.

Tiling Impose Mode: When saving a Tiling, the individual pages of the Impose Output were partially scaled. This could potentially lead to faulty productions.

Old Production Jobs: When opening old Production Jobs (i.e., from 2016/2017), an error message was displayed. Certain data could not be loaded completely.

System Routine: The routine »Move Production Jobs to trash« also moved Hotfolder Templates to the trash. Hotfolder Production Jobs could not be created correctly afterwards.

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