User Manual

1.3 Preparing the system

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We'll learn in this Article,

  • How to prepare the Workflow for Print Production
  • Which parameters are necessary for setting up the Workflow.

1. Setting up the Workflow

After installing the Workflow you can begin configuring the system as needed. Changes made to the system should be carried out by the system administrator. Its important to note however, that all settings can be changed at a later date. We recommend that you follow the steps outlined below for optimum results.

2. Setting up external resources

External resources/systems need to be configured in advance. External device/system setup is described in the following articles:

  1. Setting up Hosts and Shares and checking availability.
  2. Configuring Measurement Devices and measurement parameters.
  3. Connecting Cutting Devices and setting parameters.

3. Setting up Inks and Printers

In order to correctly set up and operate a printer, the following steps must be carried out in advance:

  1. Create any additional Process Colors if they haven't already been created by default.
  2. Add an Ink Family and the associated Inks.
  3. Apply the Ink Family and Inks you added for your specific printer to be created.
  4. Enter Ink Costs for the Inks or store specific Ink Costs for customers.
  5. Add the Printer.
  6. Configure the Printer.

3.1. Setting up Process Colors

Standard Process Colors are created by default during installation of the Workflow. If you need additional Process Colors, you need to add them first. Proceed as follows:

  1. Select the All Inks tab from the Administration > All Inks menu. Additional Process Colors can be created if non-standard colors are available for your printing system and should be used.
  2. Click the +New button under the Setup tab under the Process Colors panel to open the Add Process Color dialog.

Figure 1: The Add Process Color dialog.

PMS WebGui :: Setup
  1. In the Add Process Color dialog you can specify a Name, an abbreviation (this must be unique) and the Display Color (CMYK).
  2. If this color should be used as a gamut-enhancing color, Retain Separation [1] should not be activated. By activating this checkbox, the added Process Color is designated as Spot Color in the printing system.
  3. If, however, the added Process Color is used as a Light Channel for calculating a transition for example, the option Light channel [2] and the corresponding Process Color should be activated.
  4. To save the selected Process Color settings, click on Save.

3.2. Add an Ink Family and Inks

The Ink Family is a generic group of inks that have been jointly developed for use in a printing system. Therefore most typical Ink Families are created by default during the installation, and can have one or more Process Colors assigned to it. To create a new Ink Family, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the All Inks tab from the Administration > All Inks menu.
  2. To create a new Ink Family, click on + New in the footer of the Ink Families panel under the Setup tab,  

Figure 2: The Add Ink Family dialog.

PMS WebGui :: Setup
  1. In the Add Ink Family dialog, the description fields [3] - Name, Segment and Supplier must be filled out.
  2. Then enter the Ink Name and the Order Code for all available Inks contained in the Ink Family. You can determine whether the ink should be available in the system by activating the checkbox Available [4].
  3. To create the Ink Family, click on Save.

3.3. Add Inks for a printer

Now that all Ink Families with the corresponding Inks have been created in the database, the available Inks for the Printer must be added. Proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Administration > All Inks menu and navigate to the Mapping tab.
  2. Select either a previously created Ink Family and click on Edit or click on + New in the footer of the Ink Families panel to add an Ink Family.
  3. When you add a new Ink Family, the Add Create Ink Family dialog opens.
  4. First select the Ink Family in the drop-down [5]. By selecting the Ink Family, all available Inks that are assigned to this Ink Family will be displayed.
  5. Select all the colors that will be used in the printer by selecting the checkboxes [6]. If specific colors are not displayed, either they have not been created yet or are assigned to another Ink Family. If this is the case, you can either create the necessary Ink or create another Ink Family.
  6. To make the selected Inks available in the Workflow, click on Save.

Figure 3: The Add Ink Family dialog.

PMS WebGui :: Mapping

3.4. Add Ink Costs

The next step is to add Ink Costs to the Workflow which will enable the user to create Ink Costs Reports and also provides the possibility to see real time Ink Costs directly in the Workflow. Customer specific prices and individual Ink prices can be entered in this step. Proceed as follows:

  1. Navigate to the Mapping tab tab after selecting Administration > All Inks.
  2. Select your desired Ink Family [7] under the Ink families panel. All available inks in the family are displayed under the Setup tab > Ink Families panel of the same name.
  3. Now select your desired Ink [8] in the Inks panel, which then display the Default Cost [9] under the Ink Costs panel.

Figure 4: The Mapping tab which displays the Ink Families, Inks and Ink Costs in one overview.

PMS WebGui :: Mapping
  1. Select the Default Cost [9] entry under the Ink Costs panel and click on Edit.
  2. In the Add Ink Cost dialog that opens you can enter the price for the Ink per litre under Cost €/l [11].
  3. By clicking on Save, the Ink Cost for this Ink will be saved. Continue adding Ink Costs as needed.
  4. If you would like to add a specific Ink Cost for a Customer, click on + New in the footer of the Ink Costs panel.
  5. In the Add Ink Cost dialog you can now select a Contact [10] and enter the Ink Cost for this customer under Cost €/l [11].

Figure 5: The Add Ink Cost dialog.

3.5. Add a Printer

To add a Printer in the Workflow, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Administration > Printer Setup menu item. A list of all available Printers in the Workflow is displayed.
  2. Click on + New in the action bar. This opens the Add Printer dialog.
  3. In the Add Printer dialog, you can select the model under Type [12]. By selecting the model, typical parameters are automatically filled in. If a parameter does not correspond to the desired specifications, you can adjust it as needed.
  4. Fill in the required input fields. It is particularly important to set up the Host and Destination [13] for the Printer and to set a Share (Destination) as the default directory.
  5. To save the Printer, click on Save.

Figure 6: The Add Printer dialog.

PMS WebGui :: Printer Setup

3.6. Configure the Printer

Once the Printer has been added, it must be configured for use. To configure a Printer, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Administration > Printer Setup menu item. A list of all available Printers in the Workflow will be displayed.
  2. Double-click on the Printer to be configured.
  3. In the configuration dialog there are three panels: Color Configuration [14], Channel Configuration [15] and Print Configuration [16].

Figure 7: The configuration details for a Printer that has been completely configured.

PMS WebGui :: Printer Setup
  1. Press + New in the Color Configuration [14] panel to add a new Color Configuration.
  2. In the Edit Color Configuration dialog, the Color [17], Ink Family [18] and Ink Name [19] for each color channel must be selected. Make sure all Colors have the correct settings. For certain situations the Host, Destination and Separation Suffix must be entered.

Figure 8: The Edit Color Configuration dialog showing a fully configured Color Configuration.

PMS WebGui :: Printer Setup
  1. Complete the Color Configuration by clicking on Save.
  2. After that step is complete you should create a Channel Configuration you intend to use for production. To create a Channel Configuration [15] (Figure 7) click on + New in the Channel Configuration panel.
  3. In the Add Channels dialog, select your desired Channel Configuration using Type [21]. Choose a name for the Color Channel Configuration [20].

Figure 9: The Add Channels dialog with Type and Color Channel Config already filled in.

PMS WebGui :: Printer Setup
  1. Complete the Add Channels dialog by clicking on Save.
  2. You should then create a Print Configuration. To create a Print Configuration [16] (Figure 7), click on + New in the Print Configuration panel.
  3. In the Add Print Configuration dialog, select your desired Parameter Set [22] from the list of preconfigured modes. By selecting a Print Mode, certain fields in the dialog will be pre-filled. Its also important to note that certain options that are not selectable for this print configuration will be greyed out. Corresponding parameter adjustments are the responsibility of the system administrator. A more detailed description of these steps can be found in the article Printer Setup.

Figure 10: The Add Print Configuration dialog where you can choose a Parameter Set and the Print Mode is pre-selected.

PMS WebGui :: Printer Setup
  1. Complete the Print Configuration dialog by clicking on Save.

The Workflow is now ready to start profiling Substrates. Before you start, however, it is advisable tha you also adjust the System Settings to your needs, particularly with regard to Color Management.

4. Configuring Routines

The Workflow contains so-called Routines (cron jobs), with which the user can "clean up" the system of superfluous or specific files within a certain time interval. You can start, pause and deactivate existing Routines. New Routines cannot be created. To configure a Routine, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Administration > Routines menu item. A list of all available Routines in the Workflow is displayed.
  2. To start a paused Routine, click on the Play symbol [24].
  3. To pause a running Routine, click on the Pause Symbol [25].

Figure 11: The Routines List showing the available Routines.

PMS WebGui :: Scheduler
  1. To activate an inactive Routine [23] you have to select the listed entry and click on the Edit command in the action bar.
  2. This opens the Edit Routine dialog where the administrator can make changes to the Scheduler task and also activate the Routine [26]. Please note that changing the Routine settings may cause severe problems with the Workflow.
  3. Complete the changes by clicking on Save.

Figure 12: The Edit Routine dialog.

PMS WebGui :: Scheduler

5. System Configuration

In the last step, you should enter basic settings regarding program settings and color management as well as determine access options for users of the Workflow. The following  areas still need to be configured:

  1. Workflow settings under Administration > Settings.
  2. Load Color Libraries and define System-wide Spot Colors.
  3. Create Users and define their Roles and User Permissions.

5.1. Adjusting existing Workflow Settings

Before you start profiling Substrates, it is essential that you define not only Color Management settings with regard to working color spaces, but also other parameters that are important for using and optimizing the Workflow. To view or change the system settings, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Administration > Settings menu item. Major system settings are displayed in the form of tabs. For the General tab [27] and the Color Management tab [28] these settings should be adjusted as they are essential for production.

Figure 13: The General tab in the System Settings.

PMS WebGui :: General
  1. Under the General tab [27], enter the settings that best suit your working method for production. There are four areas include:
    • General Settings [29]: Here you can define the behaviour and appearance of the header toolbar as well as how file name lengths are handled. The default values in this area have been optimized for the most common production methods.
    • RIP Settings [30]: Select which render engine to use for ripping print data and configure RIP performance using the available parameters. Individual explanations for each  parameter can be seen by hovering over the info icons for each parameter.
    • Display Options [31]: Select the desired values for displaying units of length, number format, currency, date and time format.
    • Box Options [32]: Select the typical Bleed values used in production as well as the Page Box that is used as default in production. Selecting the TrimBox as the Default ImageBox is used in common practice.
  2. If you have completed the settings in the General tab you should navigate to the Color Management tab [27]. Here you can enter settings that best suit your working method.

Figure 14: The Color Management tab of the Systems Settings dialog.

  1. There are four areas where settings should be established before starting to profile Substrates:
    • CMYK Working Space [34]: Select the CMYK profile that you normally use as reference Working Color Space for the output in production. Choosing ECI-CMYK (This is a CMYK color space with a wide color gamut for digital printing) may be a sensible choice when working within pure digital printing environments.
    • RGB Working Space [36]: Select the RGB profile that you normally use as a reference Working Color Space for creating media-neutral data in production. Choosing sRGB is recommended for all environments where the origin and the circumstances in which the file was created is unknown.
    • Honor Source Profiles [35]: Select which Source Profiles in the print data should be used for color matching. In certain environments it makes sense to ignore CMYK Source Profiles.
    • General Settings [37]: Here you can determine which options should be used for different areas of how color is managed such as: ∆E, Color Policies, default color space conversion, rendering intents and the linearization method. In this area you can also define which corrections should be made to the print data during check-in. Detailed information can be viewed by hovering over the information icon next to each parameter.
  2. Save the your settings by clicking on Save in the action bar. If you need to enter additional settings in the other tabs, now is the right time. You can, however, make changes to the settings at any time.

5.2. Import a Library

To ensure that the conversion of Spot Colors into the output Working Color Space and the calculation of ∆E color instances for the selected output color space (color strategy) can be determined correctly, you should create a color library, which will be used in prepress or production. it is possible to use an existing color library from Adobe CC programs for example, or you can use color libraries that are available in CxF format. Proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Colors > Manage Spot Colors menu item and switch to the Library tab.
  2. In the Action bar in the header, select and click on Import.
  3. A dialog opens, where either a .acb or CxF file can be uploaded. Drag the desired file to the drop zone [38] or click directly in the drop zone to navigate to the desired file.
  4. Click on Import Palette to upload the color library into the Workflow.

Figure 15: The Import Library drag and drop dialog.

PMS WebGui :: Libraries

5.3. Create System-wide Spot Color definitions

In order for specific Spot Colors to be automatically recognized as Technical Colors in the Workflow, they must be added as System-wide Spot Color Definitions. In addition, Spot Color Definitions can be mapped to a specific Substrate or Customer. To create a System-wide Spot Color Definition, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Colors > Manage Spot Colors menu item. Three panels are visible: System-wide Spot Colors, Substrate-specific Spot Colors and Customer-specific Spot Colors. In each panel, you can search for existing Spot Color Definitions, edit existing ones or create new ones.
  2. To create a System-wide Spot Color Definition, click on + New in the System-wide Spot Color panel.
  3. With the Create Spot Color Definition dialog open, enter the following settings to create a Spot Color name that is automatically recognized as a Technical Color:
    • Name [39]: Enter a name (mandatory). Please note that you have to create a separate Spot Color Definition for each case, i.e. both upper and lower case (Dieline and dieline).
    • Color Value: After selecting the Color Mode, you can enter corresponding color values for the color reproduction of the Technical Color. When creating Substrate-specific or Customer-specific Spot Color Definitions, a Lab value can also be entered using a measurement device.
    • Output as [40]: Select Technical Color, which activates the drop-down menu below it. Make sure you select either the entry Cut Contour or Crease.
  4. Complete the process by clicking on Save.

Figure 16: The Create Spot Color Definition dialog.

PMS WebGui :: Spot Color Definition

6. Add Users & Roles

Depending on the type of license you have, concurrent users can login to the Workflow simultaneously. Although all users can work with the same credentials, we recommend creating individual users for each person using the Workflow. By creating your own users, you can systematically track who last worked on the file but more importantly, you can grant/deny access to specific users in workflow.

To create users and user permissions, proceed as follows:

6.1. Add a User

To create a user, proceed as follows:

  1. Navigate to Administration > User and select the Manage Users tab.
  2. Click + New in the User Accounts panel.
  3. In the Add User Account dialog you can enter a Username [42] and a Password [43]. Password must be confirmed.
  4. Below this, the user must be assigned a User Role [44]. You can assign several User Roles to a User.
  5. To save the User Account, click on Save.

Figure 17: The Create User Account dialog.

PMS WebGui :: Manage Users

6.2. Add User Roles and Permissions

Users can be allowed access to certain areas, therefore typical User Roles should be created. To create a Role, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Manage Roles tab under Administration > User.
  2. By default, the Role USER is available under Available Roles. The USER Role does not have any rights assigned by default.
  3. If you want to create the "Prepress" Role for example, click on + New in the footer of the Available Roles panel.
  4. This opens the Add User Role dialog where you can enter a Role Name [45] and a Comment.
  5. To save the Role, click on Save.

Figure 18: The Add User Role dialog.

PMS WebGui :: Manage Roles
  1. Select the created User Role in the Available Roles panel [46].
  2. The Role Permissions [47] area is then displayed. The user is shown the Level 1 Role Permissions, which are basically the same as the menu items in the menu bar of the Workflow.

Figure 19: The Role Permissions panel with specific permissions selected.

PMS WebGui :: Manage Roles
  1. By opening [49] the first level, the 2nd level Role Permissions are displayed. For certain Role Permissions there are up to four levels that can be expanded. A large degree of control can be enabled simply by selecting or deselecting specific Role Permissions.
  2. Go through the list of Role Permissions and activate the main checkboxes to activate all Role Permissions contained in the Permissions category or activate individual Role Permissions as needed. If only certain Permissions in the subordinate levels are activated, the [-] symbol [48] is displayed in the main category checkbox.
  3. As soon as you have set a Role Permission it will be saved. As such, confirming any changes in the Role Permissions is not necessary.

You have now completed the last step of the setup phase. You can now start to profile Substrates or create your first Production Job, Order or Article.

Previous Article 1.2 Preparing External Systems
Next Article 2.1 Substrate Management
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