Because we've added a large list of new functions, such as the creation and application of Plate Templates and Sheet Templates, the user interface has also been updated and adapted as needed to accommodate these new features. The user interface has been affected in the following areas of the Impose Editor:

• Footer – The footer has been eliminated so that scrolling down is no longer necessary to access vital information regarding the imposition. Information and functions that were previously available in the footer have been relocated elsewhere, including in the new action bar [1].
• Header – Most of the functions that were previously available in the header have been moved to a separate tab which is now called »General« [3]. The remaining functions have been placed in the new action bar [1].
• Artboard Settings [4] – The optimization function has been added to this tab, all functions that were previously available are still there.
• Toolbar [2] – Only visual adaptions and a slightly wider enhancement have been added to the UI

Below you can read more detailed information concerning each specific area that has been updated.

Figure 1: The new user interface with the activated General tab.

In the new General tab, basic settings for the imposition can be selected and configured. The following areas are included in the basic settings:

• Plate Template – If a conventional printing plate with imprinted information has to be created, the first step in this tab is to select a Plate Template [5] or to create a new Plate Template [14].
• Sheet Template – Each imposition is done on a Sheet. The Margins, Marks, Captions, Lines, Grommets and Color Bars contained in the sheet are determined by selecting a Sheet Template [6]. The size of the sheet is determined by entering a width [9] and height [10], as well as by selecting Trim to height [18] and Trim to width [17]. Note that the width and height are not included in the Sheet Template variables!
• Impose Mode – Select the way in which the print items will be arranged on the sheet/Artboard by choosing an Impose Mode [7], i.e., Step & Repeat, Nesting, Tiling or Manual Mode.
• Impose Template – Impose Templates define which spacing, bleed and ordering the selected print items should have and whether the imposition should be single–, double– or multi–page. Existing Impose Templates can be selected [8] and also saved or reset [16].
• Artboards [11] – This describes the area on the sheet that is to be used for arranging the print items. By adding additional Artboards, a single sheet can be divided into several areas (Artboards), each of which can use different Impose Modes for example. Note that Artboards can be selected and configured [19] only when Nesting or Step & Repeat  mode is selected for the first Artboard.
• Dimensions [12] – In this area the current dimensions of the Plate, Sheet and Imposition Area are displayed. The Imposition Area can differ from the size of the Sheet if additional information has been placed on the imposition sheet and as a result the available area of the imposition has been decreased. This information used to be partially displayed in the footer of the Impose Editor.
• Impose Information [13] – Here you can see information regarding the Area, Printed Area, Placed Print Items and the degree of Utilization as well as the individual imposition in case of a multi–page Nesting. This information was previously visible in the footer.

Figure 2: The new General tab with the basic settings of an imposition.

In the Artboard Settings tab [20], the Start Optimization [22] function has been added to the Nesting Options sub–panel [21]. This function was previously available in the header of the Impose Editor. All other functions are available as they were before.

Figure 3: The Nesting Options sub–panel of the Artboard Settings tab.

Menu commands that were available in the action bar in previous versions have been merged in this version with additional functions that were previously located in the footer or header of the Impose Editor. The new action bar offers the following functions and menus:

• Production Job Name [23] – Displays the name of the currently opened Production Job.
• New [24] – Creates a new empty imposition. If another unsaved imposition was opened before, the user will be prompted to save the current imposition or discard the changes.
• Open [25] – Opens an existing imposition from a Production job. If another unsaved imposition has been opened before, the user will be prompted to save the current imposition or discard the changes.
• Save [26] – This saves the new imposition as a Production Job with the imposition or overwrites changes in the imposition for the selected Production Job.
• Save as [27] – This allows the user to create a new Production Job from the currently opened imposition and save it with the imposition.
• Close [28] – This closes the Impose Editor and returns to the previous view. If the current imposition has not been saved yet, the user will be prompted to save the current imposition or discard the current changes made.
• Sheet Template [29] – Displays the currently selected Sheet Template. Clicking on the name opens the General tab.
• Impose Mode [30] – Shows the currently selected Impose Mode. Clicking on the name opens the General tab.
• Impose Template [31] – Displays the currently selected Impose Template. Clicking on the name opens the General tab.
• Sheet Dimensions [32] – Displays the width and height currently used for the sheet. Clicking on the dimensions opens the General tab.
• Display [33] – Here you can select display options. These options are described in more detail below.
• Zoom [34] – The current zoom factor is displayed. By opening the drop–down menu, you can access predefined levels of magnification. Inputting a value for the zoom factor is currently not available.
• Impose Warnings [35] – By clicking on the icon, the errors and warnings dialog is opened, where all errors and warnings for the current imposition are listed according to their severity.

Figure 4: The new action bar.

Clicking on Display [33] opens the display dialog where you can access various display options. The following functions are available:

• Display Quality [36] – Switches between the normal display mode and a higher resolution version. Higher resolution preview images are used for display. Switching to the higher resolution display mode should be omitted for very large impositions, as this could cause the browser to allocate too much memory, potentially causing problems.
• Tiling Collections [37] – Use this to open the Tiling overview with Separate Articles per Tile dialog, where you can access Tiling impositions that have been split into separate Articles.
• Preview Mode [38] – This option is available only when in Tiling mode. It allows you to switch between Overall View or Tile View.
• Help [39] – Displays the help page and available shortcuts in the Impose Editor.
• Show/Hide [40] – If you see a colored tile behind the letter, then this option is activated and visible in the Impose Editor. The following toggles are available:
  • IB – Displays the ImageBox for single Print Items.
  • IB + B – Displays the ImageBox + Bleed for single Print Items.
  • M – Displays the Margin on the sheet in the form of a frame.
  • A – Displays the Artboard.
  • S – Shows the Substrate and the corresponding color that was mapped to the Substrate when it was created in the Workflow.
  • PD – Indicates the printing direction with two black arrows.
  • P – Toggles preview images. By deactivating preview images, the display performance will improve and can also prevent excessive memory usage, which may be helpful when creating very large impositions.

Figure 5: The Display dialog.

With version 1.11.0, the user now has the option to save a layout for traditional printing plates, (typically for offset). Plate Templates can now be configured and saved and then reused when creating output pdfs for a platesetter for example.

A printing plate is defined in the Workflow with the following components:

• Size – The dimensions of the plate can be entered using a specific width and height. The printing plate is visually represented using a violet frame [41] and the Sheet is displayed using a white shape [42].
• Sheet Start [44] – The sheet is positioned on the printing plate, using the bottom edge as a reference by entering a value in the Start of Sheet input. The sheet is centered horizontally on the plate. Changing the horizontal orientation of the sheet is currently not available.
• Gripper Margin [43] – The Gripper Margin is displayed as a gray area on the sheet. The Gripper Margin is only displayed to help determine if there are any obvious errors when imposing print items. Gripper Margin dimensions have no effect on the algorithm when imposing print items. Possible issues with overlapping items will be displayed as a warning in the Errors and Warnings dialog in the future.

Figure 6: A printing plate layout in the Impose Editor.

The printing plate can also include Marks and Captions if needed. This means that required static and dynamically generated information can be applied to the printing plate. For example, the following information can be included on the printing plate:

• Register Marks [45] – By default, Register Marks use a color called All (register color), this mark can be printed on all plate separations. You can determine the Position, Size and Offset.
• Barcode [46] – Adding a Barcode for example, allows the user to add the name of the Production Job and other necessary information. This information can be quickly read by a barcode reader. Please note that in this case, Barcodes should use the Spot Color All so that it is printed on all printing plates.
• Color Control Marks [47] – Applying Color Control Marks (Codimag), helps to recognize any offset that may be occurring.
• Plate Names [48] – by adding static content and using the respective separation color and name, an operator can see with a quick glance which plate is which.
• Job Name [49] – through adding a Caption e.g. the Production Job's name can be applied dynamically.  Please note that in this case Captions must use the Spot Color All so that it is printed on all printing plates.

Figure 7: An example of a typical printing plate layout.

Normally, Plate Templates are set up specifically for each press. All settings regarding Size, Sheet Start, Gripper Margin, Marks and Captions must therefore be set up once and saved as a Plate Template.

Proceed as follows to create a new Plate Template:

1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor.
2. Create a new imposition. It does not matter which Impose Mode you choose. Remember that the size of the sheet must be smaller than the Plate size.
3. In the Impose Editor, select the General tab [50]. Make sure that the Width [51] and Height [52] of the sheet are smaller than the Plate dimensions.
4. Click on the Edit Plate Template icon [53].

Figure 8: The General tab, showing the sheet dimensions.

5. By clicking the Edit Plate Template [53] the Plate Configuration options are displayed.
6. Enter the size of the Plate by entering values for the Width [56] and the Height [62].
7. Determine the position of the sheet from the bottom edge by entering a value in Start of Sheet input [57].
8. Enter a value in the Gripper Margin [58] input as well.
9. Add any required Marks [59] and configure them regarding the position, color, etc as needed.
10. Add any required Captions [60] and configure them regarding the appearance, position, etc.

Figure 9: Plate Configuration parameters when creating a new Plate Template.

11. Once you have defined the Size, Marks, Captions, etc., for the Plate, you can save this configuration as a Plate Template. To do this, click on the Save Plate Template icon [61], which opens the Save Plate Template dialog.
12. Enter a Name for the Plate Template, comment if necessary and click on Save to complete the process.
13. To continue, switch back to the General tab [55] (Figure 8).

Figure 10: The Save Plate Template dialog.

If you have installed the corresponding license, you will find Plate Templates in various places in the Workflow. These places are briefly introduced with an accompanying figure to show their location.

Force Print – Click on the menu item Automation > Force Print, the drop–down Plate Template menu is available in the Impose area.

Figure 11: Users can access Plate Templates in the Force Print menu item.

Hotfolder – Click on the menu item Automation > Hotfolder and selecting New in the action bar, a Plate Template can be selected under the Impose tab.

Figure 12: Plate Templates can be accessed under the Impose tab within the Hotfolder Setup dialog.

Create Production Job – If you create a Production Job from either Articles or Print Items in an Order, the user can also access Plate Templates in the Create Production job dialog.

Figure 13: The Create Production Job dialog also offers access to the new Plate Template function.

Impose Editor: New Imposition – If you create a new imposition in the Impose Editor, you can also access Plate Templates there.

Figure 14: The New Imposition dialog shows the new Plate Template drop–down.

Impose Editor: General – Under the General tab, a Plate Template can be created, saved and also applied to an existing imposition. More detailed information is available in the »General« section.

Up to version 1.11.0, an imposition sheet could be created, but once it was configured, it could not be saved as a template. With version 1.11.0, the user can create any number of Sheet Configurations and save them as Sheet Templates. We've also revised how Marks and Captions are positioned and added a new function for creating Color Bars, which are used to activate the nozzles when over printing.

A Sheet is the surface to be printed. Sheets have a defined width and height, which is taken from an existing Substrate Definition. In the case of roll media, the Sheet is defined using a predefined width and a maximum height. The width is taken from an existing Substrate Definition, the maximum height is taken from the Printer settings.

A Sheet Configuration is not the size of the impose area but the sum of all elements to be used on the Sheet as well as margin settings. Sheet Configurations consists of the following parameters:

Margin [63] – By entering Margins, the area of the Sheet can be limited to the effective usable imposition area. Margins can be entered manually or calculated automatically. By activating the Auto Margin [64] option, the Margins are automatically calculated depending on the elements placed on the Sheet. The algorithm for calculating Automatic Margins ensures that no element on the sheet configuration extends into the imposition area.

Marks [65] – Marks on the sheet are generally needed to monitor the printing process and are also used for finishing (e.g.: cutting, creasing, etc.). The type of Mark that is used and in which size, color and position depends on the respective application, printer type and the machines used for finishing as well. All Marks are available. However, in this case the position of the Mark is specified from the edge of the sheet, which allows you to place desired Marks relative to the edge of the printed sheet.

Captions [66] – Captions displayed as text or as a Barcode/QR Code on the sheet can help users with post processing steps. This could include identifying printed sheets and applying appropriate steps and processing methods to those respective printed sheets.  All static and dynamically generated Captions, which are available for individual print items, are available for selection. However, in this case, Captions are positioned based from the Sheet edge, which allows you to place Captions relative to the edge of the printed sheet.

Color Bars [67] – Color Bars are a special feature for Sheet Configurations, as they can only be selected here. Color Bars can be used to print color strips for activating the nozzle activity per sheet/repeat. You can read more about this in the release notes under Color Bars.

Figure 15: The Sheet Configuration dialog in the Impose Editor.

Sheet Templates are set up based on post processing steps that will applied as needed. All settings regarding Margins, Marks, Captions and Color Bars must therefore be set up once per post process and saved as a Sheet Template.

To create a Sheet Template, proceed as follows:

1. Open the Impose Editor via Automation > Impose Editor.
2. Create a new imposition. It does not matter which Impose Mode you choose. Note, however, that the Sheet size must be smaller than the Plate size.
3. In the Impose Editor, select the General tab [50] (Figure 8). Confirm that the width [51] (Figure 8) and height [52] of the sheet are smaller than the Plate size.
4. Click on the Edit Sheet Configuration icon [54] (Figure 8).
5. The Sheet Configuration options are then displayed.
6. In the Margin area [69], determine whether the Sheet Margin should be calculated automatically or defined manually. The Margins are calculated automatically by default.
7. Add required Marks [70] and configure their appearance and position.
8. Add required Captions [71] and configure the content, appearance and position.
9. Add required Color Bars [72] and configure the type, appearance and position. You can read more about this topic in Section 2.2.4 Color Bars.

Figure 16: The Sheet Configuration parameters available in the Impose Editor.

10. Once you have chosen your settings for the Sheet Configuration, you can save this configuration as a Sheet Template. Click on Save Sheet Template [73], which opens the Save Sheet Template dialog.
11. Enter a Name for the Sheet Template and complete the process by clicking on Save.
12. To continue, switch back to the General tab [68].

Figure 17: The Save Sheet Template dialog.

Sheet Templates are available in the following areas:

Force Print – Navigate to Automation > Force Print, the Sheet Template selection menu is available in the Imposition area.

Figure 18: The Force Print menu item now offers the new Sheet Template function.

Hotfolder – Navigate to the Automation > Hotfolder menu item and select New in the action bar, a Sheet Template can be selected under the Impose tab.

Figure 19: The Impose tab as seen in the Hotfolder Setup dialog.

Create Production Job – If a Production Job is created from either Articles or Print Items, the user can also access Sheet Templates in the Create Production Job dialog.

Figure 20: The Create Production Job dialog, where Sheet Templates are now available.

Impose Editor: New Imposition – If you create a new Imposition in the Impose Editor, you can also use Sheet Templates there.

Figure 21: The New Imposition dialog in the Impose Editor.

Impose Editor: General – Under the General tab, a Sheet Template can be created, saved and also applied to an existing imposition. More detailed information is available in the »General« tab section.

As of this version, the option to create or output Color Bars is available in the Impose Editor. For example, Color Bars can be used to activate the nozzles in the overlay print. Color Bars are available in the Sheet Configuration and can also be saved in an Impose Template.

Follow the steps below to create Color Bars in the Impose Editor:

1. Open the Impose Editor and select your desired Impose Mode. It does not matter which Impose mode you select.
2. Activate the General tab in the right panel.
3. Click on the Edit Sheet Template icon [54] (Figure 8).
4. Select a Color Bar [72] variant (Figure 16). The following variations are available:
   • All Colors [74] – All colors from the selected Color Policy are used by default in the Color Bar. These colors are output in the Production Job without being color managed. Process colors cannot be deactivated. If the Color Policy changes after the imposition is created, the Color Bars will also change.
   • Selected Colors [79] – All colors from the selected Color Policy are used for the Color Bars by default. These colors will be output without color management in the Production Job. Certain colors can be optionally disabled or enabled. Example: »Cyan, Magenta, Yellow« should always be used, and all other colors should be ignored, regardless of which Color Policy is used.
   • Ignored Colors [81] – All colors from the selected Color Policy are ignored by default for Color Bars. Selected colors will not be output. Certain colors can be ignored or used with this variant. Example: »White« should always be ignored – all other colors should be used, no matter which Color Policy is used.

Figure 22: All three variants available when creating Color Bars in the Impose Editor.

5. The following settings are available for Color Bars:
   • Position [75] – This option determines on which edge the Color Bar will be placed. Up to four color bars can be output on the respective edges of a sheet.
   • Indent [76] – The starting position of the Color Bar of left/right or top/bottom edges can be specified.
   • Offset [78] – The Offset specifies the distance of the Color Bar from the edge of the sheet. The larger the Offset, the further the Color Bars will be moved towards the center of the sheet.
   • Line Width [77] – Specifies the total width of the Color Bar. The width of the individual color strips in the Color Bar is automatically calculated depending on the selected line width in comparison to the number of selected colors.
   • Colors [80] – Activate/deactivate specific colors.

In the Edit selected Print Items dialog in the Impose Editor, individual or all Print Items on the front side, double–sided and also on the backside can be edited. Any values which affect all Print Items can be saved in a Print Item Template with version 1.11.0.

The following parameters are available when saving a Print Item Template, which affects the front side, and under advanced settings affects both front and backside:

• Frontside – The parameters for the frontside can be used in connection with Manual mode, Step & Repeat and Nesting.
  • Scaling: Use this option to add scaling for both the height and the width.
  • Rotation: Uniform, non–uniform or from Nesting Options, defined under Artboard Settings > Nesting Options.
• Front > Advanced – After activating the Advanced options, the following parameters are available in Manual mode, Step & Repeat and Nesting.
  • Spot Color: Select a Spot Color e.g: White, Varnish or Primer.
  • Tint Value: Define the tint value for the selected Spot Color. The input field is only available if a Spot Color has been selected.
  • Overprint: Select the overprint status for the selected Spot Color. The input field is only available if a Spot Color has been selected.
  • Position: Select either the ImageBox or ImageBox + Bleed as defined in the Print Item. The input field is only available if a Spot Color has been selected.
  • Offset: Specify the Offset based on the selected Position. Minus values decrease and plus values increase the area. The input field is only available if a Spot Color has been selected.
• Backside – Parameters for the Backside can currently only be used in conjunction with Nesting mode, when Double–Sided Output is selected.
  • Mirror: Choose how the print item on the backside will be mirrored. Horizontal, Vertical or None are available.
  • Rotation: Choose how the print item on the backside will be rotated. Auto, 90°, 180° and 270° are available.
  • Opacity: Can be defined using a percentage value for the print item on the backside.
• Backside > Advanced – Parameters for the Backside Advanced can currently only be used in conjunction with Nesting mode, when Double–Sided Output is selected.
  • Spot Color: Select a Spot Color e.g: White, Varnish or Primer which will be applied to the print item on the backside.
  • Tint Value: Define the tint value for the selected Spot Color. The input field is only available if a Spot Color has been selected.
  • Overprint: Select the overprint status for the selected Spot Color. The input field is only available if a Spot Color has been selected.
  • Position: Select either the ImageBox or ImageBox + Bleed as defined in the Print Item. The input field is only available if a Spot Color has been selected.
  • Offset: Specify the Offset based on the selected Position. Minus values decrease and plus values increase the area. The input field is only available if a Spot Color has been selected.

After installing version 1.11.0, the Default or Default Double–Sided Output Print Item Template is available. While the first Print Item Template is selected by default for all Impose Modes, the second Print Item Template is only used by default when Double–Sided Output is selected. If you want to create additional Print Item Templates with modified parameters, proceed as follows. The following description creates a Print Item Template that can be used for the production of a lightbox, where the same Print Item should be printed on both the front– and backside with a corresponding opacity adjustment.

1. Open the Impose Editor under Automation > Impose Editor.
2. Select the desired Output Template and enter a width and height for the Substrate.
3. Select Nesting mode with the desired Impose Template and confirm by pressing Create. It does not matter if you select a Plate Template or a Sheet Template.
4. Select the Artboard Settings [82] tab and select the Settings [83] sub–panel. Select Double–Sided Output [84] in the Impose Output option.

Figure 23: The Settings sub–panel of the Artboard Settings tab.

5. Add Print Items using the File Manager to the current imposition and specify the number of copies that should be placed on the sheet.
6. Switch to the Print Items tab [85] and click on Select All [86]. This will select all the Print Items in the list.

Figure 24: The Print Items tab with all Print Items selected.

7. Click on Edit selected Print Items [87], which opens a dialog with the same name.
8. For the Frontside [88], no parameters need to be changed.

Figure 25: The Frontside tab of the Edit selected Print Items dialog.

9. Then select the Backside [90].
10. In the Mirror column, select Horizontal [91] and enter the percentage value 75% [92] in the Opacity column.

Figure 26: The Backside tab of the Edit selected Print Items dialog.

11. Once you have set all the parameters correctly, you simply need to save the settings in a Print Item Template. To do this, click on the Save Print Item Template icon [89], which opens a dialog box with the same name.
12. Enter an appropriate Name and click on Save. You have now saved the Print Item Template. It can now be selected and applied at various points in the Workflow.

Figure 27: The Save Print Item Template dialog.

Print Item Templates are available in the following areas:

Force Print – Navigate to the menu item Automation > Force Print, the selection menu Print Item Template is available in the Impose area.

Figure 28: The Force Print menu item with the »Default« Print Item Template selected.

Hotfolder – Navigate to the menu item Automation > Hotfolder and select New in the action bar, a Print Item Template can be selected under the Impose tab.

Figure 29: The Impose tab located in the Hotfolder Setup dialog.

Create Production Job – If a Production Job is created from either Articles or Print Items, the user can also access Print Item Templates in the Create Production Job dialog.

Figure 30: The Create Production Job dialog.

Impose Editor: Edit Selected Print Items dialog – In the Edit Selected Print Items dialog, a Print Item Template can be created, saved and applied to an existing imposition.

Up until now, Dielines could be created with a general Offset based on the selected Position: ImageBox or ImageBox + Bleed. From version 1.11.0, Dielines can be defined with separate values for the X and Y Offset. For example, individual offsets can be added to compensate for slight distortions in the Substrate.

Figure 31: The Dielines setting area with the two new values for the X– and Y Offset.

After the introduction of the Save Ink Caption with version 1.10.3, starting with version 1.11.0 users can access three additional Captions that can be applied especially in the environment of multi–page output. The following new Captions are available:

• Sequential Numbering per Print Item [93] [95] – For example, the same Print Item is located several times on different sheets, this Caption can be used to number the Print Items consecutively across multiple sheets. Use this string in the Impose Editor: ${imposer.record_no_in_job}.
• Number per Print Item [96] – Use this Caption to specify how many Print Items in total from this specific Print Item should be in the entire imposition. Use this string in the Impose Editor: ${imposer.records_in_job}.
• Number of Print Items per Page [94] – Specify how many Print Items in total from this specific Print Item are on the current impose sheet. Use this string in the Impose Editor: ${imposer.records_per_page}.

Captions are applied as they always have been in the Impose Editor under the Marks tab.

Figure 32: The first page of a Double–sided output imposition, with the new Captions mentioned above.

On the second page of the imposition, the Caption Number of Print Items per Page [97] is adjusted accordingly. By adding the previously available Captions Sheet/Repeat Number – Current [98], Sheet/Repeat Number – Total [99] and Production Job Name [100], it is also very easy to apply sheet numbering using Captions on the sheet.

Figure 33: The second page of a Double–sided Output with the corresponding Print Item numbering and sheet numbering.

Once you have clicked on the Create Approval Report option, the user will see the new Generate Approval Report dialog, which has new features starting with version 1.11.0. The following options are available:

• Select All/None [101] – Use this to determine whether an Approval Report should be created for all Print Items (the symbol contains a √) or for none (the symbol is empty). If one or more Print Items have been deselected, this is indicated by a dash displayed in the symbol.
• Select / Deselect individual Print Items [102] – If you want to exclude individual Print Items, the option of deselecting individual Print Items is here.
• Layout [103] – Select the type of layout that is used for the Approval Report. Find out more information about customizing Approval Reports in the article Customize Report Templates.
• Customer, Contact Person and E-Mail [104] – All three fields can be optionally selected to personalize the Approval report. To do this, first select a Customer, which will automatically enter a Contact Person and their E-mail Address. However, you can overwrite both Contact Person and E–mail Address at any time, even if no Contact Person has been assigned to the Customer.
• Print Item View [105] – Use these options to determine which separations will be included in the Approval Report on the first page. The following options are available:
  • Process Colors + Spot Colors: All visible Process and Spot Colors in the print item are included in the Report. Objects that are on hidden layers will not be displayed.
  • Technical Colors: All Technical Colors (Dielines as well as areas designated for e.g.: varnish–free zones, etc.) will also be included on the first page of the Approval Report.
  • Output as Separation: All color separations that are output separately, i.e., White, Varnish, Primer, etc.) will be included on the first page of the Approval Report.
• Additional Pages [106] – Use these options to determine which objects should be included on an additional page in the Approval Report. The following options are available:
  • for Technical Colors: Technical Colors will be included in the Approval Report as additional page(s).
  • for White, Varnish and Primer: Color separations such as White, Varnish and/or Primer are included as additional page(s).
  • Attach Print File: The current pdf file is added to the Approval Report.
• Share as [107] – The options in this area can be used to determine how the Approval Report(s) will be shared. The following options are available:
  • Multipage PDF: Individual Approval Reports are combined into a multipage PDF. The name of the report is: motifname–first–file [number–motifs] reports.pdf – Example: woman 2021–01 [4] reports.pdf
  • ZIP – PDF per Print Item: Individual Approval Reports are created, compressed into a ZIP file and downloaded.
    • The name of the zip file is: motif–name–first–file [number–of–motifs] reports.zip – Example: woman 2021–01 [4] reports.zip
    • The name of a single report is: motif–name report–version–number.pdf – example: woman 2021–01 report–v1.pdf
• Comment [108] – Additional information can be entered here.

Figure 34: The Generate Approval Report dialog with new functions.

Depending on the parameters selected under the Print Item Preview area and under the Additional Pages area, a higher resolution thumbnail image is now displayed in the Approval Report pdf, and individual separations are now displayed as layers that can be shown or hidden.

If you have selected the parameters in the Print Item Display area and the Additional Pages area as shown in Figure 34, depending on whether there are technical colors or a white or varnish channel in the print item, a report is generated in which only the print item thumbnail is located on the first page, and the technical color separation is located on the second page, and a white or varnish separation is located on the third and fourth pages respectively.

Figure 35: A multipage Approval Report.

Up until version 1.11.0, preview thumbnails had a maximum of 300 pixels on the long side. Starting with version 1.11.0, the resolution for the thumbnail image is created with 1000 pixels on the long side.

If the PDF is viewed in Adobe Reader or Acrobat Pro DC, the user can open the Layers panel [110] on the left side and toggle the separation visibility [109].

Figure 36: An Approval Report opened in Adobe Acrobat DC with the Layers panel open.

The entire process for approving one or more print items takes place over several steps within the Workflow. One possible scenario is as described below.

1. Applying corrections (fixups) to the print item as needed and then set the status to Ready for Print. Data preparation can also be completed without changing the print item status. An Approval Report can of course be created for Print Item/Articles even if the status is not ready for print.
2. Select Print Item/Articles to be submitted for approval. Several options are available when selecting Print Items/Articles.
   • Article > Article – Select one or more Articles from the Article List. Multiple Approval Reports can be created this way.
   • Article > Detail view – When viewing an Article in detail view. When using this view, Approval Reports can only be created for this specific Article.
   • Order > Print Items – Select one or more Print Items from the Print Item list. This allows multiple Approval Reports to be created.
   • Order > Orders Item > Detail view – An Order displays the Print Items contained in an Order Item in the detail view. This allows Approval Reports to be created only from Print Items contained in that specific Order Item.
   • RestAPI – This can be used to create Approval Reports for Print Items using the Print Item (Motif) ID.
3. Creating the Approval Report. To do this, select Action > Create Approval Report and select your desired options in the Generate Approval Report dialog. Available options  have already been described here Options when Creating Approval Reports. Up to and including version 1.11.0, Approval Reports can only be created as a PDF or as a ZIP file with individual Approval Reports in it. In future versions, Approval Reports will be available via an Approval portal.
4. The Approval Report creation process starts when the Download button is clicked (see Figure 34).
5. After the process is complete, the user will see the following message: »Report successfully generated«.

Figure 37: The Generate Approval Report dialog after the Report has been successfully generated.

6. Submit the created Report to the client. You can share the Approval Report(s) digitally via E–mail, FTP, Dropbox link, etc., and in future versions via the Approval Portal.
7. The Report is then either Approved or Rejected with corresponding explanation from the client and the corresponding message is sent to the sender via E–mail, telephone or in the future via the Approval Portal.
8. In the Workflow, the Approval or Rejection is to be carried out either manually by the account manager/user or, in future, automatically via the Approval Portal. To do this, go to the Approval tab of the respective Print Item. All Approval Report versions are listed in the Approval tab. Since only one Approval Report has been generated so far, there is only one entry here – version 1 [111] with the status Approval pending [112] along with the creation date. The status of the item is automatically set to Not Approved [113]. If a report has not been downloaded automatically, you can download the Approval Report again manually by clicking on the Download icon [114].
9. To Approve or Reject an Approval Report, click on the Update Approval Report Status icon [115].

Figure 38: The Approval tab of an Article after creating an Approval Report.

10. In the Change Approval Report Status dialog, the user can decide whether to Approve or Reject the Approval Report. In case of rejection, an explanation for the rejection must be given in the Comment section. In case of Approve, a comment can also be entered here, but is not mandetory.
11. Click on Save to change the Approval Report status.

Figure 39: The Change Approval Report Status dialog, where the Reject option has been selected.

12. After saving, the Status of the Approval Report is updated to Rejected [116], the Comment [117] is displayed below the Status, and the status of the Print Item/Article is reset to Data Check [118].

Figure 40: The Approval tab of an item after rejecting the Approval Report.

13. After the corresponding fixup has been applied by the prepress department and the Status has been set to Ready for Print again, a new Approval Report can be created by clicking on Action > Create Approval Report.
14. This creates a second version of the Approval Report with the Status Approval pending [119] and the Status of the Article is again automatically set to Not approved [121]. The rejected Approval Report remains listed [120] and can be downloaded again at any time.

Figure 41: The Approval tab of an Article after creating a second version of the Approval Report.

15. The second version of the Approval Report is sent to the client again for approval.
16. If the client approves, the status of the Approval Report must still be changed to Approved. To do this, click the Update Approval Report Status icon [122] again.
17. In the Change Approval Report Status dialog, the option Approve must be selected, and a remark optionally entered. Complete the process by clicking on Save.

Figure 42: The Change Approval Report Status dialog.

18. You have now completed the approval process. The Status of the Approval Report has been set to Approved [123], the Status of the Article is also automatically set to Approved [124].

Figure 43: The Approval tab of an Article after being approved by the customer.

With the Rotate every second page by 180° function, also affectionately called flip–flop in the LFP environment, a tiling can be output from version 1.11.0 in such a way that even or odd pages are rotated by 180° and then rendered. This makes it possible to visually compensate for the fluctuations when applying ink, from left to right, and therefore reduces barely visible variations in the application of inks when the tiles are finally assembled.

To activate this option, proceed as follows:

1. Create a Tiling in the Impose Editor.
2. Save the Tiling without splitting the individual tiles as separate Articles.
3. Select the Production Job that contains the Tiling (a multipage PDF has been created) and select Send to Printer in the action bar.
4. In the Send to Printer dialog, select the Size tab.
5. To rotate every second page by 180° activate the option of the same name [125].
6. Then select either Even Pages or Odd Pages in Apply to [126].
7. After clicking on Send to Printer [127], the corresponding pages of the multipage PDF will be rotated by 180° and then rendered.

Figure 44: The new Rotate every second page by 180° option is available under the Size tab in the Send to Printer dialog.

As of version 1.11.0, the Send to Printer dialog shows which Impose Mode and Impose Template was used to impose the Production Job. Take a look at the figures below to see where this new information is displayed.

If an imposed Production job is sent to the printer, information regarding the Impose Mode [128] and the Impose Template [129] is displayed directly below the preview thumbnail.

Figure 45: The Send to Printer dialog now displays information regarding which Impose Mode and Impose Template is used in the imposition.

If several Production Jobs that are imposed are sent to the printer, information regarding the Impose Mode [130] and the Impose Template [131] for the respective Production Job is displayed in the last line of the information block.

Figure 46: The Send to Printer dialog now displays information regarding both the Impose Mode and Impose Template used in an imposition.

With 1.10.0 it was possible for the first time to view the most important information such as ImageBox and ImageBox + Bleed for the individual Print Items in the Send to Printer dialog. With version 1.11.0 the dialog was extended by adding the Effective Size of the Print Item as well. The Effective Size differs from the ImageBox if the Print Item was scaled in the imposition. Therefore, the Effective Size represents the actual size of the finished format used for the respective Print Item in the imposition.

Figure 47: The Print Item Information dialog with the addition of the new Effective Size value.

In version 1.11.0, the range of functions has been expanded in subsequent Fixups.

Rotates all, even or odd pages, 90° clockwise, 90° counterclockwise and 180° and/or flips all, even or odd pages horizontally and vertically.

With version 1.11.0, this Fixup has been extended with the ability to rotate and flip all even and odd pages, due in part to the introduction of the Rotate Every Second Page 180° feature, which was added to the Send to Printer dialog.

Figure 50: The Rotate and/or Mirror Pages Fixup dialog with new options available under Apply to.

Converts page content into a pixel image using the selected Color Space. Selected elements: text, Spot Colors or text and Spot Colors, can be excluded from the conversion when applying the Fixup. For example, to avoid unwanted color shifts when converting Spot Colors to pixel images. To convert a specific page, enter the desired page number (e.g.: 2). If you want to convert a specific page range, separate the numbers you enter with a hyphen (e.g.: 2–5).

With version 1.11.0 this Fixup now has a new option where you can convert the page content of all pages, or only for specific pages.

Figure 51: The Convert Page Content to an Image Fixup dialog with new options available under Apply to.

In version 1.11.0, we've updated the UI for certain Fixups.

Converts selected objects, except Spot Colors, to the selected working or output color space. Optionally, you can select whether Spot Colors should also be converted.

With version 1.11.0 this Fixup was updated to the new design.

Figure 52: The Convert to CMYK Fixup has been adapted to the new UI design.

Creates a colored bleed to extend the existing background.

With version 1.11.0 this Fixup has been updated to the new UI design, as well as extended to create the bleed depending on the selected ImageBox as well as ImageBox + Bleed. Note that from now on, colored bleed will be created depending on which ImageBox has been selected.

Figure 53: The Create Colored Bleed Fixup adapted to the new UI design and with new selection options.

In version 1.11.0, new features have been implemented for the Production Job Controller and the Article Job Controller.

The imposition of a Production Job now also supports the newly introduced Impose Templates and Plate Templates. Two more parameters have been added to the impose request: referencedImposePlateTemplateApi and referencedImposeSheetTemplateApi.

POST productionJobs/{id}/impose

{ "referencedImposePlateTemplateApi": { "id": 3 }, "referencedImposeSheetTemplateApi": { "id": 1 }, "referencedImposeTemplateApi": { "id": 3 } }

A new POST request allows searching and filtering of existing Articles using certain criteria.

POST articles/list

{ "filterTerms": [ { "operator": "LIKE", "property": "name", "value": "Article" } ], "limit": 6000, "orderBy": [ { "orderType": "DESC", "property": "id" } ], "page": 0, "searchTerms": [ { "operator": "LIKE", "property": "name", "value": "Can" } ]

Starting with this version, a new Print Configuration called HS can be selected for TAU-RSC series Printers. Corresponding ink pre-calculations are also calculated correctly for this resolution now. Three Print Configurations are now available:

• HD – with a resolution of 1200 x 1200
• HD Opacity White – with a resolution of 1200 x 1200
• HS – with a resolution of 1200 x 600

In previous versions the user had to assign the Color Policy, Printer, Print Configuration, etc. separately to different Production Jobs. As of version 1.11.0, an Output Configuration can be applied by selecting a previously saved Output Configuration Template. It may be, for example that you only want to change the Save Ink Profile, this can be accomplished by clicking on Configure Template button [136].

Figure 53: The Edit Production Job dialog, as seen when multiple Production Jobs were selected first.

With version 1.11.0, a warning in the Simulation settings area in the Output Configuration indicates that RGB to Substrate is selected in the Color Space Conversion option, since a print simulation requires that all RGB data must first be converted to a CMYK working color space.  

Figure 54: The Simulation settings area of an Output Template indicates to the user that only CMYK working spaces can be used when a Simulation is applied.

With version 1.11.0 a revised and updated version of the Workflow in the Czech language is now available. All common dialogs in the Workflow, the Impose Editor and a large number of Fixups have been translated. The Workflow should be mostly complete in the coming versions of the Workflow.

Version 1.11.0 also offers a Slovakian version of the Workflow for the first time. All common dialogs in the Workflow, the Impose Editor and a large number of Fixups have been translated. The Workflow should be mostly complete in the coming versions of the Workflow.

Figure 55: The language menu in the action bar with the two additional languages.

The area representing Edge Reinforcement (green area in the Impose Editor) is now also displayed when Overall View is active. In Tile View, Edge Reinforcement was already displayed correctly in the previous version.

Figure 56: The Overall View displaying the added Edge Reinforcement when Tiling.

Additional minor improvements have bee implemented in version 1.11.0 of the Workflow, these are:

Object Creation Tools: After creating a new shape, the Tint value can be determined, this setting is available under the Color drill-down menu. This means for example, that users can now create overprinted white areas using any tint value.

Cancel New Imposition dialog: After opening the Impose Editor, the user is prompted to create a new Impose or open an existing Imposition from a Production Job. In this dialog, with version 1.11.0, Cancel is now available in addition to the create function, which in turn allows the user to return to the previous area.

Register XY Mark: This new Mark has been added in order to be able to check the horizontal as well as the vertical alignment of the printer heads more quickly.

System Status: Warnings for misconfigured Substrate Categories, Substrates and Substrate Definitions are now available in the respective language selected in the Workflow.

Figure 57: The System Status dialog with the category names correctly translated.