Preps Imposition Software

Version 7.5

User Guide
English

2015-10-08
719-01504B-EN Rev A
Copyright
© Kodak, 2015. All rights reserved.

Some documentation is distributed in Portable Document Format (PDF). You may reproduce such documentation from
the PDF file for internal use. Copies produced from the PDF file must be reproduced in whole.

Trademarks
Kodak, Creo, Connect, eCentral, Evo, Preps, Prinergy, and SmartMarks are trademarks of Kodak.

FCC compliance
Any Kodak equipment referred to in this document complies with the requirements in part 15 of the FCC Rules for a
Class A digital device. Operation of the Kodak equipment in a residential area may cause unacceptable interference to
radio and TV reception, requiring the operator to take whatever steps are necessary to correct the interference.

http://graphics.kodak.com/

Internal 719-01504B-EN Rev A

Revised 2015-10-08
Contents
1 Overview...............................................................................................................................................1
Introducing Preps software.........................................................................................................................................................1
Licensing and features..................................................................................................................................................................1
Task-based views..........................................................................................................................................................................2
Related prepress workflow systems........................................................................................................................................6

2 Jobs........................................................................................................................................................7
General tips.....................................................................................................................................................................................7
Summary of job steps..................................................................................................................................................................8
Creating different job types........................................................................................................................................................9
Basic steps for printing the output..........................................................................................................................................10
Closing a job..................................................................................................................................................................................12
Reopening an existing job..........................................................................................................................................................12

3 Pages....................................................................................................................................................15
Page terminology.........................................................................................................................................................................15
Input files.......................................................................................................................................................................................16
Setting up the Files list.......................................................................................................................................................17
Files list..................................................................................................................................................................................17
Preparing suitable PDF input files...................................................................................................................................18
Previewing pages........................................................................................................................................................................20
Run-list pages..............................................................................................................................................................................20
Setting up a product run list.............................................................................................................................................21
Working with placeholders..............................................................................................................................................22
Pages view reference........................................................................................................................................................24
Pages on press runs....................................................................................................................................................................32
Adding content pages directly to a layout...................................................................................................................32
Adjusting the layout details for a product................................................................................................................... 33
Managing pages on press-run layouts......................................................................................................................... 34
Shingling the page images for creep compensation................................................................................................. 35
Bleed margins for sections with bottling......................................................................................................................37
Press Runs view reference for pages............................................................................................................................ 38
Common resources for planning pages................................................................................................................................45
Managing the common colors........................................................................................................................................45
Managing the common folios.........................................................................................................................................46
Standard page size conversion...............................................................................................................................................46

4 Press runs...........................................................................................................................................51
Flexible tools for creating layouts............................................................................................................................................51
Section terminology................................................................................................................................................................... 53
Resources for press runs..........................................................................................................................................................54
About the lists in the Resources pane.......................................................................................................................... 55
Fold patterns....................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Customizing or creating a custom fold pattern resource........................................................................................57
Fold Pattern dialog box......................................................................................................................................................61
Templates............................................................................................................................................................................ 63
Saving a job as a template............................................................................................................................................... 63
Creating a new media resource.....................................................................................................................................64
Creating a new stock resource....................................................................................................................................... 65
Creating a new mark resource........................................................................................................................................66
vi Preps Imposition Software User Guide

Press Runs view reference.......................................................................................................................................................66

View menu in the Press Runs view................................................................................................................................67
Press Runs List....................................................................................................................................................................68
Work styles for press sheets and webs........................................................................................................................71
Press Runs workspace......................................................................................................................................................74
Layout dimensions in the workspace............................................................................................................................78
Press run properties..........................................................................................................................................................79
Binding styles.......................................................................................................................................................................81
Press-run section properties...........................................................................................................................................83
Creating press-run layouts.......................................................................................................................................................85
Using the Layouts Search tool........................................................................................................................................86
Building press runs using template, fold pattern, or step-and-repeat pattern resources...............................87
Using AutoSelect to generate press runs from a run list.........................................................................................89
Multiple imposition sections on a press run...............................................................................................................90
Creating an imposition without using a Layouts resource.......................................................................................91
Creating a cut-and-stack press run...............................................................................................................................92
Multiweb layouts................................................................................................................................................................93
Creating come-and-go layouts.......................................................................................................................................94
Managing press runs.................................................................................................................................................................96
Working with layout sides...............................................................................................................................................96
Manually adding press runs............................................................................................................................................97
Adding or replacing a press run’s stock or media.....................................................................................................97
Adding marks to a press-run layout..............................................................................................................................98
Ganging.........................................................................................................................................................................................98
Ganged flat-work layouts................................................................................................................................................99
Manually creating a ganged layout.............................................................................................................................100
Step-and-repeat layouts..................................................................................................................................................101
Working with ganged page groups..............................................................................................................................103
Setting gutters between ganged page rows..............................................................................................................105
Removing a ganged page from a press run...............................................................................................................105

5 Assembly.........................................................................................................................................107
Product intent and assembly planning................................................................................................................................107
Preparing a job assembly........................................................................................................................................................108
Adding a product via the Products pane....................................................................................................................109
Starting an assembly job with product intent............................................................................................................110
Managing product assemblies........................................................................................................................................111
Using drag and drop to edit an assembly....................................................................................................................113
Generating an assembly’s press-run layouts.............................................................................................................114
Assembly view reference.........................................................................................................................................................115
Products list........................................................................................................................................................................115
Assembly workspace........................................................................................................................................................115
Product properties (assembly intent)..........................................................................................................................117
Part properties (assembly intent).................................................................................................................................118
Product section properties..............................................................................................................................................119

6 Output printing...............................................................................................................................123
Basic steps for printing the output........................................................................................................................................123
Printing job layout reports......................................................................................................................................................125
Output Preferences...................................................................................................................................................................125
Common Print options.............................................................................................................................................................129
General Print options ..............................................................................................................................................................130
Color separations setup...........................................................................................................................................................132
Contents vii

Setting up the color separations...................................................................................................................................132

Defining a spot color’s process equivalent ...............................................................................................................133
Adding a spot color to a job’s color list ......................................................................................................................133
Color Separations Print options....................................................................................................................................133
Web growth................................................................................................................................................................................135
Scaling to compensate for web growth......................................................................................................................135
Applying a scaling set to job output............................................................................................................................136
Web Growth Print options.............................................................................................................................................136
Creating and managing the scaling sets.....................................................................................................................137
Web Growth Compensation Sets window................................................................................................................138
Scaling Set setup dialog boxes......................................................................................................................................138

7 Media and devices..........................................................................................................................141

Media configurations...............................................................................................................................................................142
Creating a new media resource.............................................................................................................................................142
Creating and using tile sets....................................................................................................................................................143
Media Configuration settings................................................................................................................................................146
Media list in the Resources pane..........................................................................................................................................147
Connecting a printer for direct printing.............................................................................................................................. 148
Determining the punch location .......................................................................................................................................... 149
Turning off punch marks in the output................................................................................................................................150
Using custom media sizes......................................................................................................................................................150
Custom Size dialog box............................................................................................................................................................151
Moving the Printers folder.......................................................................................................................................................151
Media-related files....................................................................................................................................................................152
Editing a PPD file using PPD Browser...................................................................................................................................153
Checking a media’s job log.....................................................................................................................................................154

8 Marks.................................................................................................................................................155
General mark tasks...................................................................................................................................................................156
Creating a new mark resource......................................................................................................................................157
Adding marks to a press-run layout............................................................................................................................157
Deleting a mark from the Marks list............................................................................................................................158
Editing a placed mark......................................................................................................................................................158
Dragging a mark to a new position..............................................................................................................................159
Copying marks between press sheets........................................................................................................................159
Creating a mark group....................................................................................................................................................159
Managing placed crop and fold marks........................................................................................................................159
Legacy static marks in older files..........................................................................................................................................160
Marks Preferences settings....................................................................................................................................................160
Common settings for SmartMarks.......................................................................................................................................162
Mark anchors.............................................................................................................................................................................165
“Bring to Front” for overlapped marks ................................................................................................................................166
Mark Color dialog box..............................................................................................................................................................167
Custom and duplicating marks..............................................................................................................................................168
Mark image files...............................................................................................................................................................168
Bar codes in custom marks............................................................................................................................................169
Micro dots..........................................................................................................................................................................170
Adding a new custom mark............................................................................................................................................171
Custom Mark settings.....................................................................................................................................................172
Creating a new duplicating mark (color bar)............................................................................................................173
Duplicating Mark settings..............................................................................................................................................173
Text marks..................................................................................................................................................................................175
viii Preps Imposition Software User Guide

Text-mark variables.........................................................................................................................................................176
Text Mark settings...........................................................................................................................................................178
Creating a CJK text mark................................................................................................................................................179
Line Mark settings....................................................................................................................................................................180
Rectangle Mark settings..........................................................................................................................................................181
Crop Mark settings....................................................................................................................................................................181
Fold Mark settings....................................................................................................................................................................182
Collation Mark settings...........................................................................................................................................................183
Bearer Bars settings..................................................................................................................................................................186

9 Administration................................................................................................................................189
Profiles and preferences..........................................................................................................................................................189
Profiles for storing default settings..............................................................................................................................189
Setting your preferences................................................................................................................................................190
Using custom profiles......................................................................................................................................................191
General Preferences.........................................................................................................................................................191
Common Preferences ....................................................................................................................................................194
Stock Preferences.............................................................................................................................................................194
Step-and-Repeat Preferences.......................................................................................................................................195
Job Report Preferences...................................................................................................................................................196
Files and folders ........................................................................................................................................................................196
File types and folder locations......................................................................................................................................196
Folders and files that you can move or share...........................................................................................................199
Sharing folders.................................................................................................................................................................200
Folders Preferences.........................................................................................................................................................201
Managing job notes.................................................................................................................................................................202
Licensing Control dialog box.................................................................................................................................................203
Checking the current session’s status messages............................................................................................................204

10 Automation support.....................................................................................................................205
Mark rules for JDF automation and AutoGang................................................................................................................205
Creating a mark rule.......................................................................................................................................................206
Criteria for mark rules....................................................................................................................................................207
JDF automation........................................................................................................................................................................209
JDF jobs..............................................................................................................................................................................209
Completing a JDF job.......................................................................................................................................................211
JDF Preferences.................................................................................................................................................................213
JDF output..........................................................................................................................................................................216
AutoGang....................................................................................................................................................................................216
Creating an AutoGang preset.......................................................................................................................................217
Generating autoganged press runs..............................................................................................................................218
AutoGang Preferences....................................................................................................................................................219
AutoGang hot folders for Prinergy systems......................................................................................................................220
Setting the root hot folder.............................................................................................................................................220
Setting up an AutoGang hot folder..............................................................................................................................221
Autoganging a job for Prinergy.....................................................................................................................................223

11 Shortcuts..........................................................................................................................................225
User interface viewing tools..................................................................................................................................................225
Menu shortcuts – Windows OS-based computers.........................................................................................................226
Menu shortcuts – Mac OS.....................................................................................................................................................228
Other shortcuts........................................................................................................................................................................230
1 Overview

Welcome to the user guide for the Kodak Preps imposition software.

Introducing Preps software

The Preps software is a prepress tool that you use to create press run
layouts for bound-work impositions, ganged flat work, and step-and-
repeat work. You can work on the fly in an interactive workspace, use
stored templates for frequently repeated layouts, and print the
production output to common file formats. It also supports varying
degrees of workflow automation.
You can impose PDF input files or unpopulated job pages for sheetfed
or web press-run layouts and for packaging label and flexible bag
printers, and send the output to any PostScript-compatible device such
as a computer-to-plate (CTP) device, imagesetter, on-demand printer,
digital printer, wide-format imposition proofer, or laser printer.
Preps software is used in standalone PDF environments as well as in all
popular workflow solutions, including Kodak Prinergy systems and
third-party systems (for example, Agfa ApogeeX, Rampage, Global
Graphics Harlequin, Artwork Systems Nexus, Dainippon Screen
TrueFlow software).
System requirements
For system requirements and supported operating systems, check the
Preps Release Notes for your version. Preps documentation is available
on the Kodak services and support portal.

Licensing and features

Production-mode (standalone) software earlier than version 7.1.2 is
activated via dongle-based licensing. Standalone software in Preps 7.1.2
and later has a software-based licensing mechanism that no longer
requires a dongle. For detailed instructions on how to exchange your
dongle for a permanent software license, see the Licensing section of the
Preps 7.1.2 or later release notes.
In Prinergy workflows, floating licenses for Preps 7.x software can be
used with:
● Kodak Prinergy Workflow 6.x software versions

● Kodak Prinergy Evo Workflow 6.x software versions

2 Chapter 1—Overview

Preps 7.0 and later feature one license type. Earlier versions of the
Preps software offered different license types that enabled different
feature sets. If you upgraded from the Preps 6.x software to the Preps
7.x software, you have access to the feature set that was previously
available only with the Pro license, including:
● Unlimited sheet size, up to maximum supported
● Mixed binding styles
● Assembly view
● Web growth compensation
● Multiple products and parts
● JDF input
● JDF auto signature matching (ASM)
● JDF auto signature creation (ASC)
● AutoGang for semiautomation
● AutoGang hot folders for full automation (available only with a
Prinergy Workflow or Kodak Prinergy Evo Workflow floating Preps
license)
● JDF binding data output
● CIP3 cutting data export (JDF, PPF, PJTF)
● Automatic and custom tiling
● Fold Pattern resource
● Automated calculation for shingling and bottling
● Stock management
● Automated ganging for different covers/sizes
● Preps Template Migration Utility

See also:
Web growth on page 135

Task-based views
Tab between dynamically updated views as you work on a job’s pages,
press runs, or product assemblies, with an interactive workspace and
supporting list panes in each view.
● In the Pages view, set up the product run lists with blank,
placeholder, or PDF content pages; preview individual pages and
page details; adjust the trim boxes; and reposition, scale, or rotate
the PDF content.
Task-based views 3

● In the Press Runs view, create and interactively edit and preview
any number of sheetfed and multiweb press runs to accommodate
the job’s pages. Manage the stock, media, marks, and layout for
each sheet or web.
● In the Assembly view, provide the product intent for a customer job,
which can include multiple products and parts, and mixed binding
styles. Interactively plan the binding assembly of each product’s
parts and sections, and autogenerate the press runs based on your
planned details.

Working with the views

The way that you use the views can be affected by such factors as job
types, product requirements and complexity, the number of people
who work on the jobs, the feature set supported by your software
license, and personal preferences.
Here are a few possibilities:
● You might first use the Pages view to collect the input files or define
file placeholders and set up the run list, and then switch to the Press
Runs view to build the press-run layouts.
● For ganged jobs or for basic single-product, single-part jobs, you
might work entirely in the Press Runs view.
● For intelligent setup of ganged press runs, you might use the
AutoGang feature in the Press Runs view.
● Jobs for complex publications might be done in stages.
For example, a planner, customer service representative, or senior
prepress operator might start a job by providing the product intent
in the Assembly view. The job can then be completed by a prepress
operator who creates the layouts and prints the press runs.
● In a JDF-based workflow, you use the Assembly view to provide any
information that was not received via JDF, and then check the auto-
generated press-run layouts in the Press Runs view.

User interface tools

● Drag-and-drop functionality for placing and moving items
● Toolbars and keyboard shortcuts for most tasks
● Context (right-click) menus for managing the resources
● Triangle icons for expanding or collapsing the panes
● Adjustable dividers for resizing the panes
● Instant access to properties of items that you select in the
workspace
4 Chapter 1—Overview

● Dynamic updating in all affected areas when edits are made in any
area
● Menus and dialog boxes for less frequently performed tasks
● Help menu for user information and demonstration movies
● Horizontal and vertical rulers and guides in the Pages and Press
Runs views, enabling you to determine where to place content and
align objects, as well as allowing detailed measuring capabilities

User interface regions

The user interface panes are grouped by general purpose in the left
side, center area, and right side of the window:
● The left side of the window contains lists of job assets, from which
you can select elements for building a job.
● The center region is your primary job-building area.
● The right side gives you detailed control over selected job elements.

All information is dynamically updated as you make changes in related

areas.

Region Name Description

numb
er
1 Products Use the Products pane to view and manage the job structure.
For manual layouts, you can select and drag sections to the Press Runs
workspace.
2 Files In the Files list, you add customer PDF input files, create placeholder files,
and select file pages to add to a run list or press-run layout.
Task-based views 5

Region Name Description

numb
er
3 Resources Use the Resources pane to select and manage your resources for building
press runs.
● Media list
● Stock list
● Marks list
● Layouts pane:
○ Templates list
○ Fold Patterns list
○ Step & Repeat Patterns list
○ Search tool

4 View tabs Toggle between views for primary aspects of a job

● Pages view
● Press Runs view
● Assembly view

5 Workspace Review, rearrange, and edit items in the workspace to dynamically update
the properties.
● In the Pages view, preview pages and check trim boxes.
● In the Assembly view, plan multiple products and parts.
● In the Press Runs view, build and check press-run layouts.

Use viewing tools and menu options to control which details are
displayed.
6 Summary lists In each view, manage a list of all applicable job items. You can arrange the
rows and columns, change the sort order and width of columns, and
expand or collapse the rows.
Select an item in the Press Runs List or Pages List to display it in the
workspace. In the Assembly workspace, you can toggle between
graphical and list formats.
7 Properties Use the Properties pane to view and edit the settings of selected job
items. All applicable panes and lists are dynamically updated with your
changes.
Select an item in a workspace, summary list, or Products list to display its
settings in the Properties pane.
6 Chapter 1—Overview

Related prepress workflow systems

The way that this tool fits into your prepress workflow depends on your
operations. A downstream system in the workflow might require your
jobs to be populated or not populated with customer content before
you print the output files.
● Populated jobs contain actual content files.
A prepress system might refine, impose, and proof the pages, and
then send you the output as PDF pages. You add these page files to
a job, create the layouts, and send the output back to the same
system or to another system in the workflow for final proof and
plate production.
● For other workflows, you might create unpopulated jobs that use file
placeholders or blank pages, and the content pages are assigned
later in the workflow.

The way that you output the jobs can also vary between workflow
systems, depending on whether the downstream system uses features
such as hot folders, manual imposition import, JDF automation, and
automated page assignment (APA).
The Preps software engine is integrated in the Prinergy Workflow
software for the automatic creation and import of impositions. Full-
access versions of Preps can also be opened from within the Workshop
or Workspace user interfaces in Prinergy or the Prinergy Evo Client
software when using floating licenses. For more information, see the
Prinergy Workflow or Prinergy Evo Workflow user documentation.
2 Jobs

Many of your jobs can be completed using variations of a few basic

tasks.
1. General tips
This table summarizes useful tips, such as how to select, delete,
rearrange, and access the properties of items.
2. Summary of job steps
The following steps summarize the main aspects of most single-
product jobs. Not all steps must be performed in a specific order,
many can be combined or automated, and there are flexible ways
to perform most steps.
3. Creating different job types
The way that you create jobs can be affected by such factors as job
types, product requirements and complexity, the number of people
who work on jobs, and personal preferences.
4. Basic steps for printing the output
When you print the output, you provide basic information, such as
the print range. You can also set up advanced options for color
mapping and web growth compensation.
5. Closing a job
You can save and close a job at any stage, and you can store its
layouts as a template for future reuse. You can also save an
imposition as a reusable custom fold pattern.
6. Reopening an existing job
A job that was previously saved from any version of the software
can be reopened when it needs to be completed, revised, printed,
or reprinted.

General tips
This table summarizes useful tips, such as how to select, delete,
rearrange, and access the properties of items.
Option Description
Selecting an object in the workspace or Displays its settings in the Properties pane
Products list
Selecting a press run, sheet, web, or surface Displays the layout in the workspace (or the first layout of multiple
in the Press Runs List webs, with the web-selection list); if a press run is selected, also
displays its settings in the Properties pane
Selecting a page in the Pages List Displays its preview in the workspace and its settings in the
Properties pane
Double-clicking an imposition in the Displays its Modify Imposition dialog box
workspace
8 Chapter 2—Jobs

Option Description
Double-clicking a stock, media, mark, or Adds that resource to the layout in its default position
template in a Resources pane list
Right-clicking an item in a Resources pane Displays a context menu of options for that item or list
list or in the Products list
Double-clicking inside an editable text box Makes it editable, and in some cases, displays a list of selections
or column
Tabbing out of a text box that you edited Applies your edit and moves the cursor to the next text box, if
applicable
Deleting versus removing Typically, removing takes an item out of the workspace but retains
it in the job, and deleting makes it permanently unavailable
Pressing Delete versus Option/Alt+Delete To remove a ganged content page and its template page, select
to remove a ganged page the page and press Delete; to remove only the content page, press
Command/Ctrl+Delete
Dragging rows in the Press Runs List Rearranges the press runs for your viewing convenience
Dragging sections in the Assembly Can be used to combine sections or change their binding style or
workspace sequence; updates the page and section numbering accordingly
Editing a property with multiple values ( --, When multiple selected items are set to different values, your edit
Mixed, Multiple) sets them all to the same value.

See also:
Shortcuts on page 225

Summary of job steps

The following steps summarize the main aspects of most single-
product jobs. Not all steps must be performed in a specific order, many
can be combined or automated, and there are flexible ways to perform
most steps.
Requirements:
You need a solid prepress background and an understanding of
imposition concepts and workflow.
1. (Optional) Define the product intent, including the product and part
page counts.
2. Add the input files to the job.
Note: You can skip this step for unpopulated jobs.
3. Set up the run list with PDF, placeholder, or blank pages.
Note: You can skip this step for ganged jobs.
4. Add media and stock to a press run.
5. Create a press-run layout with page positions, content, marks, and
trims, as needed.
Creating different job types 9

6. Continue building the press runs to accommodate the pages for

this job.
7. Save the job, and print the output files.
8. (Optional) Save the job as a template or fold pattern for reuse.

Creating different job types

The way that you create jobs can be affected by such factors as job
types, product requirements and complexity, the number of people
who work on jobs, and personal preferences.
This topic provides brief summaries of the steps involved. For details,
see the applicable topics.
Note: Work on only one job at a time.

Choose a method:
Job type Steps
Basic jobs a. Select File > New.
b. Set up the run list in the Pages view.
c. Build the layouts in the Press Runs view.

Manual ganging jobs a. Select File > New.

Jobs with a single product and
b. Set up the Files list.
binding style
c. Build the layouts in the Press Runs view.

Jobs with multiple products, parts, a. Select File > New.

binding styles
b. Use the Products list and Properties pane to define the parts and
(without using product intent or
sections.
the Assembly view)
c. Set up the run list in the Pages view.
d. Build the layouts in the Press Runs view.

Jobs planned via product intent in a. Select File > New Job With Product Intent and provide the
the Assembly view available information.
b. If another product is needed in this job, select File > Add New
Product Intent.
c. Check and refine the job structure and properties in the Assembly
view.
d. Click Generate Press Runs.
e. Set up the run list in the Pages view.
f. Check and finalize the layouts in the Press Runs view.
10 Chapter 2—Jobs

Job type Steps

JDF automation jobs a. Select File > Open.
b. Locate and open the JDF file.
c. Check and refine or complete the generated job structure and
properties in the Assembly view.
d. If you made structural changes, regenerate the press runs.
e. Set up the run list in the Pages view.
f. Check and finalize the layouts in the Press Runs view.

AutoGang jobs (standalone) a. Select File > New.

b. Set up the Files list.
c. Set up the AutoGang list.
d. Generate the autoganged press runs.
e. Check and finalize the layouts in the Press Runs view.

See also:
Preparing suitable PDF input files on page 18
Setting up a product run list on page 21
Flexible tools for creating layouts on page 51
Manually adding press runs on page 97
Adding or replacing a press run’s stock or media on page 97
Product intent and assembly planning on page 107

Basic steps for printing the output

When you print the output, you provide basic information, such as the
print range. You can also set up advanced options for color mapping
and web growth compensation.
1. (Optional) In the Preferences dialog box, load a suitable profile or
set options as needed on the Output tab.
You can set default values for:
● Output type (Printer, PDF, PS, JDF, PJTF, or PPF)
● CIP3/PPF (Generate multi-page cut blocks, CIP3 units)
● JDF (Include JDF folding data, Include HTML file with JDF
output for WST equipment setup)
● PDF (Split File Name)
● Display punch mark
● Print side center marks
● Ignore split file output errors
Basic steps for printing the output 11

● Print crop marks for bleed bounds

● Auto rotate for best fit
● Center image on media
● Output PS marks flats for PJTF/JDF
● Scale shingled pages (Proportionally or Anamorphically)
● Shingle crop marks
● Remove crop marks when exceeding the center of gutters
● Skip device warning

2. Select File > Print.

3. In the Send to list in the Print dialog box, select the output file type
or Printer.
4. Accept or change the Media.
Any change that you make to the media selection applies to the
entire output.
5. Set up other print options on the dialog box tabs as needed.
6. Click Print.
7. If you are printing divided output and the Print File ID dialog box
appears, type an identifier to include in each file name, and click
OK.
8. If printing to file, specify a file name and folder location for the
output.
If you generate divided output for media configurations that are set
up with divided output paths, the files are placed in those folders
and you cannot redirect the output.
12 Chapter 2—Jobs

Closing a job
You can save and close a job at any stage, and you can store its layouts
as a template for future reuse. You can also save an imposition as a
reusable custom fold pattern.
Choose a task:
To save the job: Select File > Save or Save As, and accept or change the file name and
location.
The default location is the same folder that was used for the last save.
The job is saved with a .job file name extension.
● If the saved job contains fully defined press runs, the file contains
all the necessary data to allow the job to be reopened and printed
or reprinted.
● You can save and close a job with product intent only, and then
reopen the job later to complete the layouts.

To store any unique layouts in the Select File > Save as Template.
job for reuse: The template is saved with a .tpl file name extension.
If you save a job as a template, information about each unique press-
run layout is stored as a template signature.
To close the job window: Select File > Close.
To close the software: Select File > Exit.

Reopening an existing job

A job that was previously saved from any version of the software can
be reopened when it needs to be completed, revised, printed, or
reprinted.
You can save and close a job with product intent only, and then reopen
the job later to complete the layouts.
Also, note the following points about file compatibility between
software versions:
● You can use the Preps 7.x software to open jobs or templates that
were created in any version of the software up to the version of the
software you have installed.
● When you use the Preps 7.x software to reopen and save a legacy
job (for example, from Preps 6 or earlier), it becomes a Preps 7.x
job.
● You cannot use versions earlier than Preps 7.x to open Preps 7.x
jobs.
● You can use any version of the Preps software to open templates
that were created in any version of the software. Any unsupported
features are typically ignored.
Reopening an existing job 13

● Static marks in a legacy file will be converted to Kodak SmartMarks

or deleted, depending on the mark type.
● You can open a previously output JDF file to reprint or revise the
original job.

1. Select File > Open.

2. Locate and open the JOB or JDF file.
3. Respond to any messages about issues with the job file.
For example, messages that tell you if a legacy job contains static
marks or if its referenced template is missing.
4. Make your changes, and save the job.
The JOB file format stores the job layout information with no
reference to a template.
Note: In earlier versions of Preps this data was stored separately in TPL files.
14 Chapter 2—Jobs
3 Pages

Manage the product run lists in the Pages view, and manage the
placement of pages on the layouts in the Press Runs view. You can also
create your own lists of folio and color names to use as resources for
describing individual pages.
1. Page terminology
Many terms can be used for pages, depending on the context.
2. Input files
Customer content is provided as PDF files or source document files
that you must convert to PDF. You can also work with placeholder
files.
3. Previewing pages
Preview a job's pages in the Pages and Press Runs workspace
panes.
4. Run-list pages
A run list organizes a product’s pages in front-to-back sequence, so
that the pages will flow correctly through the template pages in a
layout. To help you plan the distribution of pages on the press runs,
you can provide detailed information and notes about each run-list
page.
5. Pages on press runs
Every content page on a press-run layout has a corresponding
template page that defines the placement of its content on the
sheet and within the final trim box. You control the details to
preview, and you can edit page properties directly in the layout or
the Properties pane.
6. Common resources for planning pages
Use common resources to provide information about pages to help
you organize a product’s run list, its part page lists, and the
distribution of pages on the press-run layouts.
7. Standard page size conversion
These tables provide horizontal and vertical scaling percentages
required to convert common page sizes to other standard sizes.

See also:
Shortcuts on page 225

Page terminology
Many terms can be used for pages, depending on the context.

Pages being prepared for layouts

Each file page in a job’s Files list is either a PDF page or a placeholder
page.
16 Chapter 3—Pages

In the Pages view, you create a product’s run-list pages by adding PDF
pages, blank pages, or placeholder pages to the Pages List.
You can also sort a multi-part product’s run-list pages by parts and part
pages.

Pages being planned for layouts

In the Assembly view, you create planned pages when you specify a
page count for a product, part, or section.
Before you add a layout resource (fold pattern or template) to a press
run or assembly, its pagination scheme defines a conceptual low folio
page, which is page 1. When you create a new press-run section from a
layout resource, the low folio page is occupied by the first page that
flows into this section from the run list.

Pages in layouts
In the Press Runs view, each content page on a layout occupies the
position that is defined by its corresponding template page.
A template page can represent an imposition page or a ganged page:
● An imposition page is one page position within an even grid of
same-size pages that will be folded together to form a book
signature. Each imposition page respects the folds and bleeds of
adjacent imposition pages.
● A ganged page is a page position in a flat-work layout that will not
be folded and bound. Care must be taken to prevent content overlap
with adjacent page content. Ganged pages can also be referred to
as an independent page.

Each content page on a press run represents an imposed run-list page

or a ganged instance of a page from the Files list.

Input files
Customer content is provided as PDF files or source document files
that you must convert to PDF. You can also work with placeholder files.
1. Setting up the Files list
Collect customer PDF input or placeholder files in the Files list.
2. Files list
The Files list displays information about the input files and pages,
including the number of times each page appears on a press run in
the job.
3. Preparing suitable PDF input files
Generate suitable PDF input files from customer source files by
following guidelines for configuring the PDF export settings in
Adobe Acrobat Distiller job options or other desktop software.
Setting up the Files list 17

Setting up the Files list

Collect customer PDF input or placeholder files in the Files list.
Requirements:
Although the source documents might be created in various software
products, they must be submitted as PDF input files to Preps.
Input files can include:
● Single-page or multiple-page PDF documents from other software
sources
● Individual PDF page files that were exported by a prepress system
● File placeholders and pages

Choose a method for building the Files list:

○ Drag PDF files from a local or network folder location to the Files
list, or select File > Add, and locate and add the files.
○ Drag files directly to a run list in the Pages view or to a layout in
the Press Runs view.
○ To add file placeholders, select Job > Add Placeholder, give the
placeholder a name, and specify the number of placeholder
pages.
○ When setting up a run list, use the Add Pages tool in the Pages
view to create placeholders.

Next:
Select and drag PDF or file placeholder pages from the Files list to a
product run list in the Pages view or directly to a press sheet in the
Press Runs view.
Note: The original files are not affected by any adjustments that you make within
your job. Job input files and information about any page adjustments that you
make in the layouts remain associated with the job after it is saved.

Files list
The Files list displays information about the input files and pages,
including the number of times each page appears on a press run in the
job.

File Name
Displays the name of each file or file placeholder that you add
to the job. Multi-page files can be expanded to show their list of
18 Chapter 3—Pages

sequentially numbered pages. This page number is appended to

the File Name in the Pages List.
Count
A dynamically updated value appears beside each page to
indicate the number of times that the page appears on a press
run in the job.
To sort the values in the Count column in ascending (zero to
highest value) or descending (highest value to zero), click the
column heading. This helps you quickly identify items that
haven't been placed.
Pages
Displays the number of pages that each file contains.
Trim
Displays the dimensions of the PDF page or placeholder page. If
a PDF input file does not specify the trim box size, the bleed box
or media box size is used.
Colors
Displays the colors that are specified in the PDF input file.

[+] and [–]

Click [+] and [–] to locate and add or remove selected files.

Preparing suitable PDF input files

Generate suitable PDF input files from customer source files by
following guidelines for configuring the PDF export settings in Adobe
Acrobat Distiller job options or other desktop software.
Note: Settings that are not mentioned here are optional. For information, see the
documentation for the software that you use to generate the PDF files.

Files
● Keep the default compatibility settings, or set the appropriate PDF
file-type version for the job. For example, for files that contain
transparencies, use PDF 1.5 or later.
● The recommended resolution is 2400 dpi.
● Do not use:
○ Object level compression
○ Auto-rotation of pages
○ Embedded thumbnails
○ Optimization for web viewing
Input files 19

Images
● For color and grayscale images, use ZIP compression.
● For monochrome images:
○ Use CCITT Group 4 compression.
○ Do not use downsampling.
○ Do not anti-alias to gray.

Note: To create smaller files, you can use downsampling and JPEG compression if
they are acceptable to you and/or your customer. However, there will be some
data loss.

Color
● Do not use an Adobe Color Settings file.
● Leave color unchanged (no color management).
● Apply the default document rendering intent.
● Device dependent: Enable under color removal and black
generation, and preserve any transfer functions that are found.

Fonts
● Embed fonts. For maximum font information, include 100% subset
fonts.
If you do not embed fonts in the PDF file and the outline font used in
the source file is not available, Acrobat may substitute the Multiple
Master fonts.
● Allow processing to continue if embedding fails.

Advanced settings
● Convert gradients to smooth shades.
● Preserve level 2 copypage semantics.
● Preserve overprint settings, with a nonzero default level.
● Save Adobe PDF settings inside the PDF file.
● Save original JPEG images inside the PDF file, if possible.
● Process DSC comments.
● Preserve EPS information from DSC.
● Preserve OPI comments.
20 Chapter 3—Pages

● Preserve document information from DSC.

● Resize page and center artwork for EPS files.

● Do not permit:
○ Adobe PostScript file to override Adobe PDF settings
○ PostScript X objects
○ Conversion of smooth lines to curves
○ Saving Portable Job Ticket inside PDF file
○ Using prologue.ps and epilogue.ps
○ Logging DSC warnings

Previewing pages
Preview a job's pages in the Pages and Press Runs workspace panes.
1. In the View menu, select the features that you want to preview.
2. Select a page to preview its content and trim box alignment:
● To preview an input file page before adding to a run list, use your
Adobe Acrobat software to open the file from its folder location.
● To preview a run-list page in the Pages view, select a page in the
Pages List.
● To preview a content page in the Press Runs view, select the
press run, sheet, web, or side that contains the section in the
Press Runs List.

See also:
View menu in the Pages view on page 26
View menu in the Press Runs view on page 38

Run-list pages
A run list organizes a product’s pages in front-to-back sequence, so
that the pages will flow correctly through the template pages in a
layout. To help you plan the distribution of pages on the press runs, you
can provide detailed information and notes about each run-list page.
1. Setting up a product run list
As you set up a product run list, you can add information about
each page to help ensure that all the pages are correctly placed in
the run list and on a press run.
2. Working with placeholders
Setting up a product run list 21

Create multi-page file placeholders or individual placeholder

pages, and replace them as content becomes available, or keep the
placeholders to print output for unpopulated workflows.
3. Pages view reference
In the Pages view, set up the product run lists with blank,
placeholder, or PDF content pages; preview individual pages and
page details; adjust the trim boxes; and reposition, scale, or rotate
the PDF content.

Setting up a product run list

As you set up a product run list, you can add information about each
page to help ensure that all the pages are correctly placed in the run list
and on a press run.
Notes:
● Depending on the job, you might set up a product run list either before or after
preparing the press-run layouts.
● For multiple-product imposition jobs, you can set up a run list for each product.
● For gang-only jobs, you do not set up a run list. Instead, you add file pages
directly to a press run.

1. Go to the Pages view.

2. On the Pages List toolbar, set the View by option to Product.
3. Choose a method:
Add an entire file: Click and drag the file (or file placeholder) from
the Files list, or directly from a folder location
onto the product name in the Pages List.
Add an individual PDF Click and drag the page from the Files list onto
page or placeholder the product name, to a specific run-list position,
page: or onto a page to replace it. Press Shift, then click
and drag to select and add multiple pages.
Add empty placeholder Use the Add Pages icon in the Pages List toolbar.
pages: Double-click or drag the icon, and in the dialog
box that appears, select the product, name the
placeholder, and specify the page count and
position in the list.
To add blank pages, use the Add Blank Pages icon:
Insert a single blank Drag the icon to a specific run-list position, or
page: drag it onto a page to replace the page.
Add a specific number Press and hold Option/Alt as you drag the icon,
of blank pages: specify the page count in a pop-up dialog box,
and drop the pages at an insertion point.
22 Chapter 3—Pages

Add multiple blank Double-click the icon, and in the dialog box that
pages at a specific appears, select the product, and specify the page
location: count and position in the list.

The run-list position numbers are updated according to where you

placed the new pages.
Inserting between page Renumbers the run-list page positions in
positions sequence from the insertion point. If you
previously applied folios, they are retained, and
you will need to apply folios to the new pages.
Replacing page Retains the numbering of the page or pages in the
positions selected position.
Note: If you drag multiple pages onto a single
existing page position, then the additional new
pages replace the corresponding number of
following page positions, and new page positions
are added if needed.

4. Adjust the Pages List to ensure that the run-list pages are in reader
sequence.
To rearrange the pages: Drag the page rows as needed.
To remove pages: Select the pages and click Delete. This does not
affect the Files list.
To cut or copy and Select the page, select Edit > Cut or Copy, click
paste a page: the page that should be after the pasted run-list
pages, and select Edit > Paste.

5. Edit the settings in each row, as needed.

You can assign folios, edit the placeholder names and planned
colors, and write notes.
6. If the product contains parts, select Part in the View by area of the
toolbar, and drag pages as needed to organize them into part-page
positions.

See also:
Pages List on page 26

Working with placeholders

Create multi-page file placeholders or individual placeholder pages,
and replace them as content becomes available, or keep the
placeholders to print output for unpopulated workflows.
Use placeholders when customer input files are not yet available, or if
content will be added by a workflow system downstream.
Run-list pages 23

Choose a task:
Add a file placeholder to the Files a. Select Job > Add File Placeholder.
list
b. Specify the page trim size and number of pages, and provide an
optional name.
c. Click OK to add the file placeholder and its placeholder pages to the
file list.
d. Add the placeholder pages to the job’s press sheet layouts.

The file and its pages appear in green text to indicate that they are
placeholders that can be replaced with content files when available.
Replace a file placeholder a. In the Files list, select the placeholder file.
b. Select Job > Add File Placeholder.
c. If the page count of the placeholder file and the actual content file
are different, your response to the message that appears depends
on whether you still need to fill the exact number of pages that
were in the placeholder file.

● The file name is updated.

● Any new content pages automatically replace any corresponding
placeholder pages that were already placed.
● If the page count was different, the file list is adjusted. For example,
if the replacement file contained fewer pages than the placeholder,
a new placeholder file might appear for the pages that were not yet
replaced by new content pages.

Add placeholder pages to a run a. Double-click the Add Pages tool in the Pages List toolbar.
list
b. In the Add Pages dialog box, select the product, give the new file
placeholder a name, and specify the page count and position
information.

The placeholder pages are inserted into the run list, and the
placeholder file appears in green text in the Files list.
Replace a placeholder page Drag a PDF page or the Blank Page icon onto the placeholder page in
the run list or on a press-run layout.
Replace a file placeholder a. In the Files list, select the file placeholder.
b. Select Job > Replace File Placeholder Job, and locate and open the
file.
If the page counts are different, a message prompts you to resolve
the difference.

The new file replaces the placeholder file in the Files list, and new
content pages replace the corresponding placeholder pages.
If the page count was different, the Files list is adjusted according to
your response to the message.

See also:
Files list on page 17
24 Chapter 3—Pages

Pages List on page 26

Pages view reference

In the Pages view, set up the product run lists with blank, placeholder,
or PDF content pages; preview individual pages and page details; adjust
the trim boxes; and reposition, scale, or rotate the PDF content.
1. Pages workspace
Use the workspace in the Pages view to check the alignment of the
content within the trim box. You can reposition the content by
dragging the page, or fine-tune the positioning by directly editing
the dimension text boxes.
2. View menu in the Pages view
The View menu lets you control the details that you see in the
workspace.
3. Pages List
Manage the product run-list pages in the Pages List in the Pages
view, and immediately preview a page that you select in the list.
4. Run list page properties
Select a page in the Pages List to display its trim boxes and
content in the workspace, and its settings in the Properties pane.

Pages workspace
Use the workspace in the Pages view to check the alignment of the
content within the trim box. You can reposition the content by
dragging the page, or fine-tune the positioning by directly editing the
dimension text boxes.
Select a page in the Pages List to display it in the workspace. Selecting
a page also displays its settings in the Properties pane. To quickly
select all pages, all odd or even pages, or a range of pages in the Pages
List, right-click a product or part, and select an option.
Tip: To control which details are displayed in the workspace, use the View menu
and workspace toolbar.

Page trims
You can view the following trims:
● Trim box: Dark blue rectangle that initially represents the
PDF file or the default page size for a placeholder page. After
the run-list page is placed on a press run, the trim box is
derived from the template page.
● Bleed box: Red rectangle that is relative to the trim box
Run-list pages 25

● Page size: Green lines that show a PDF page relative to the
trim box, adjusted when you reposition, rotate, or scale the
PDF run-list page
● Planned page size box: Pink rectangle that appears only if
specified for an assembly’s product intent

Select

For pages that are already assigned to a layout, use this tool
to select and drag the trim guides to reposition the content
within the trim box.
Rotate

Rotates the content of the previewed page in 90-degree

increments without changing the template-page orientation
Pan

Moves your view of the workspace

Zoom

Click the object or general area that you want to inspect

more closely, or drag a marquee around a specific area.
Show Page Previews

Display a preview of all page content..

Show Dimensions

Displays the page dimensions, including any distances

between the template-page trim box and the PDF content trim
box. You must select View > Show Trim Box to use this option.
Page preview navigators

Select a page in the Pages List to display,

and then use the arrow keys to scroll through the other pages in
the current list.
The text box displays the run-list number of the currently
previewed page, followed by the total number of pages in the
current list.
To jump to a specific page within the current list, type its run-
list number in the box.
26 Chapter 3—Pages

View menu in the Pages view

The View menu lets you control the details that you see in the
workspace.
You can toggle these menu items between showing and hiding the
specified items.
Show Dimensions
Displays the layout dimensions, including distances between
section or ganged page edges or centers (depending on
Preferences). Dimension text boxes become editable when you
click a page or section.
Show Page Previews
Displays a preview of all page content
Show Page Sizes
Displays the page width and height dimensions
Show Trim Boxes
Displays a dark blue box that indicates the page trim size
Show Bleed Boxes
Displays a red box that shows the page bleed margins
Show File Page Numbers
Displays the input file’s page number on each page
Show File Names
Displays the input file name on each page. If Show File Page
Numbers is also selected, the page number is added to the file
name.
Show Folio
Displays the folio that you assigned in the Pages List

Pages List
Manage the product run-list pages in the Pages List in the Pages view,
and immediately preview a page that you select in the list.
Note: For gang-only jobs, you add the PDF file pages to the Files list and then work
directly in the Press Runs view. You do not set up a Pages List.
Run-list pages 27

Toolbar
Add Pages

Double-click or drag the icon, and in the dialog box that

appears, select the product, name the placeholder, and specify
the page count and position in the list.
The new placeholder file and file pages also appear in the Files
list.
Add Blank Pages

To insert a single blank page: Drag the icon to a specific run-

list position, or drag it onto a page to replace the page.
To drag a specific number of blank pages: Press and hold
Option/Alt as you drag the icon, specify the page count in a
pop-up dialog box, and drop the pages at an insertion point.
To add multiple blank pages at a specific location: Double-click
the icon, and in the dialog box that appears, select the product,
and specify the page count and position in the list.
Folio list
Lists the standard folio sets that are provided with the software
and any common folio resources that you add.
Note: These folios are for reference only. Page lists can be ordered only
by product or page numbers.

Select a folio set to auto-apply to the page list, based on the

binding style, or select User-defined to edit the page folios
directly in the list.
To ignore the binding style and apply sequential numbers from
front to back, select 1, 2, 3...
Increment

Sequentially increments and applies the alphanumeric or

roman numeric folio of the currently selected page to the
remaining page rows in the list. You can use this tool in the
Folio column.
Repeat

Copies the selected cell text into the remaining page rows.
You can use this tool in the Folio, Planned Colors, and Notes
columns.
C, M, Y, K Throughout

Sets the Planned Color of the page list to CMYK. You can
also edit this value for individual pages.
28 Chapter 3—Pages

Black Throughout

Sets the Planned Color of the page list to black. You can also
edit this value for individual pages.
View by

● Product: For each product, lists all of its pages in Run List
order, from the front to the back of the product. The Part
Page column shows the part page numbers that occupy each
run-list position.
● Part: For each product, lists the pages per part in Part Page
order, in collapsible tree lists. The Run List column shows
the run-list positions that each part page occupies.

List columns
Tip: Drag the column edges to adjust their widths. Drag the column headers to
rearrange the columns.

Part Page
Displays the page numbers according to their position within a
part, and indicates whether each page is assigned to a press
run. The presentation of this list depends on your current View
by selection:
● By Part: Part Page is the first column and provides a
collapsible tree view of product names, part names, and the
pages, numbered according to their position in the part.
● By Product: Run List is the first column, and each page
number is described by its part name.

Folio
Double-click this cell and select a common folio resource from
the list, or double-click and edit the value. You can use the
Increment or Repeat tools to apply your folio to the remaining
pages in the list.
Note: If you insert new pages between pages with incremented folios,
reapply the selected folio set or manually edit the folios to reflect the
correct sequence.

Run List
Defines the reader sequence of the pages in one product, from
front to back. You cannot edit the auto-assigned run-list
numbers. When you view the Pages List by product, the Run
List column is the first column.
Run list page properties 29

File Name
Displays the editable placeholder name or the non-editable PDF
file name of the content page. For placeholder pages, you can
double-click and edit the value.
Planned Colors
Double-click this cell and select a common color resource from
the list, or type a descriptor to serve as a placeholder for the
actual expected color. When the actual color is updated, you
can check for discrepancies and resolve or ignore them, as
needed.
The list includes the standard CMYK process colors, standard
coatings, your pre-defined common color resources, and any
custom colors that are used in this job.
You can use the Repeat tool to apply your color selection to the
remaining pages in the list.
Press Shift and click to select multiple items from the list, and
use a comma to separate multiple values.
Actual Colors
Displays the actual colors that are provided by the input file,
which are updated whenever a color is mapped to another color
separation in the Press Runs view
Notes
Type or view a note.

See also:
Setting up a product run list on page 21
Managing the common colors on page 45
Managing the common folios on page 46

Run list page properties

Select a page in the Pages List to display its trim boxes and content in
the workspace, and its settings in the Properties pane.
To quickly select all pages, all odd or even pages, or a range of pages in
the Pages List, right-click a product or part, and select an option.
Part Name
Displays the part to which this page is assigned
Run List Position
Displays the sequential position of the page within the product,
derived from the Run List column in the Pages List
30 Chapter 3—Pages

File Name
Displays the editable file placeholder name or the non-editable
PDF file name
Page Size, W, H
Depends on the current state of the page that occupies this run-
list position:
● If the page is not yet placed on a press-run layout: Displays
the dimensions of the PDF page or placeholder page. If a PDF
input file does not specify the trim box size, the bleed box or
media box size is used.
● If the page is placed on a press-run layout: Displays the
Finished Page Size that is defined in the Template Page
properties.

Folio
Displays the current value of the Folio column in the Pages List.
Your edits are updated in both locations.
Planned Colors
Select a common color resource from the list, or type a
descriptor to serve as a placeholder for the expected actual
color.
Actual Colors
Displays the actual colors that are provided by the input file,
which are updated whenever a color is mapped to another color
separation in the Press Runs view

Content Page section

Position
Edit the content position in selected pages when you need to
override the Page Position Adjustment values that are specified
for the product’s even and odd pages (Job > Layout Details), or
the Autocenter run list pages default setting on the General tab
of the Preferences dialog box.
● Center in template page
● Use trim offsets
You can specify the width and height distances between the
lower-left corner of the content page and the lower-left
corner of the template page, or drag the page in the Pages
workspace to update these values.
Run-list pages 31

Note: The lower-left corner of a content page is defined in terms of

the trim box or bleed box, depending on how the page size is defined
in the input file.

Scaling
Scaling is based on the trim box or bleed box, depending on how
the page size is defined in the input file.
● None: Applies no scaling (default)
● Scale the content to fit template page: The results depend
on the Constrain proportions setting:
○ If proportions are constrained: Scales the height and
width of the content page to the best possible fit within
the template page, while also ensuring that the new
proportions of the content page match its original
dimensions.
○ If proportions are not constrained: Automatically scales
the height and width by separate factors as needed for
the best possible fit to completely fill the template page,
with no extra space.

● Set Scaling: Specify scaling percentages or new page

dimensions for the width and height.
○ If proportions are constrained: Typing one value
automatically sets the other value proportionately.
○ If proportions are not constrained: You can specify
separate values for the width and height.

● Select Constrain proportions to retain the original

proportions of the content page, or clear it if you need to
change the proportions anamorphically.

Note: If you do not constrain proportions, skewed images can result.

Page Rotation
You can rotate a content page within the template page in 90-
degree increments. The content rotates around the page center,
independent of the template page.
Comments
Type a note that you or other operators can review and edit.
32 Chapter 3—Pages

Pages on press runs

Every content page on a press-run layout has a corresponding template
page that defines the placement of its content on the sheet and within
the final trim box. You control the details to preview, and you can edit
page properties directly in the layout or the Properties pane.
1. Adding content pages directly to a layout
For ganged jobs, you can place pages directly on a press-run
layout without first setting up a run list in the Pages view.
2. Adjusting the layout details for a product
Use this method to set page positioning and shingling values for an
entire product.
3. Managing pages on press-run layouts
Access the template and content page properties for fine-tuning
the pages on press runs, and replace placeholders with content
pages as they become available.
4. Shingling the page images for creep compensation
Creep in a book can cause content to be trimmed due to pages
pushing out when the sections are folded. You compensate for
creep by progressively shingling the page image areas towards the
binding to decrease the page gutter or margin width, without
affecting content. If you must maintain the gutter and margin
widths, you can choose to progressively scale the images instead
of shifting them.
5. Bleed margins for sections with bottling
Bleed margins for bottled pages are restricted to the original
position of the page bleed margins, so that the bleeds do not
overlap with adjacent pages.
6. Press Runs view reference for pages
Use the Press Runs view to manage the placement of pages on the
layouts.

Adding content pages directly to a layout

For ganged jobs, you can place pages directly on a press-run layout
without first setting up a run list in the Pages view.

1. Select the pages using any of these methods:

○ In the Files list, select a PDF file or file placeholder.
Adjusting the layout details for a product 33

Note: If the content files are not yet available, select Job > Add File
Placeholder to add the required number of placeholder pages to the Files
list.
○ In the Files list, expand a multi-page file to view its list of pages.
Select a single page, or press Shift+click to select multiple pages.
○ Select a PDF file from an accessible folder in the file directory.

2. For press runs that already contain a layout resource, drag the
selected file, page, or pages onto a template page.
The first page is assigned to the template page position, and any
additional new content pages flow through the available template
pages in sequence.
Note: Any existing content on the affected template pages is replaced.
3. For manual ganging, drag the selected pages to a position on the
press sheet.
● If you drag the pages to an empty area, the pages cascade onto
the sheet, and you can arrange them.
● If you drag a page to a position near an existing page on the
sheet, it snaps into the default snap position that is defined in
the Preferences dialog box.
● If you drag the selected pages onto a template page, the first
page is assigned to the template page position, and any
additional new content pages flow through the available
template pages in sequence.
Note: Any existing content on the affected template pages is replaced.

4. To place any remaining content pages, you can either duplicate the
press run, or insert a new sheet via the Jobs menu, and repeat the
steps as needed.
5. In the Pages view, check the run list that was generated.

The Count column in the Files list is updated with the number of
instances of each page on a press run. A value of 0 (zero) appears
beside any page that is not yet assigned to a press run.

Adjusting the layout details for a product

Use this method to set page positioning and shingling values for an
entire product.
Requirements:
The job must be open.
34 Chapter 3—Pages

1. Select Job > Layout Details, or use the keyboard shortcut CTRL/
CMD + I.
2. If page offsets are required, select the product in the Page Position
Adjustment area.
3. In the Page Position Adjustment area, type Horizontal and Vertical
offset amounts for all the Odd pages and Even pages.
Note: This overrides the Autocenter run list pages setting on the General tab
of the Preferences dialog box. You can override these values for selected
content pages.
4. If shingling is required, select the product in the Shingling (Creep)
area, and set the values as needed.
For details, see the related topic about shingling the page images.
Note: You can override these values for selected template pages.

Managing pages on press-run layouts

Access the template and content page properties for fine-tuning the
pages on press runs, and replace placeholders with content pages as
they become available.

Choose a task:
Access page properties In the workspace, select the page or pages:
● Use the Select tool to select an independent or ganged page, or all
the pages in an imposition.
● For imposition pages, use the Page Select tool.
● For pages within a ganged page group, use the Ungroup tool before
selecting.

Make your edits in the Properties pane on the Content Page and
Template Page tabs.
Replace a content or placeholder Drag the new content page to the target page position, and release the
page mouse when the recycle symbol appears. All same-numbered template
pages are updated with the new content.
To replace one content page without updating all the other same-
numbered pages, press Option/Alt and drag.
Shingling the page images for creep compensation 35

Move a ganged page Select and drag the page, and release the mouse when guidelines
indicate a suitable position. To fine-tune its position, edit its gutter
and/or margin text boxes.
In the workspace, use the Select tool to:
● Move a page
Select an ungrouped ganged page or a page group.
● Press and hold Shift while clicking multiple pages.
● To select pages within a ganged page group, use the Ungroup tool
before selecting

See also:
Press Runs workspace on page 74

Shingling the page images for creep compensation

Creep in a book can cause content to be trimmed due to pages pushing
out when the sections are folded. You compensate for creep by
progressively shingling the page image areas towards the binding to
decrease the page gutter or margin width, without affecting content. If
you must maintain the gutter and margin widths, you can choose to
progressively scale the images instead of shifting them.

The amount of creep in a book is affected by the number of folds and

by paper thickness, and the affected pages depends on the binding
style:
● In saddle-stitched books, the increased thickness at the fold can
cause the inside section to push out.
● In perfect-bound books, creep is limited to the inner pages in each
individual section.

Bottling
Note: To additionally compensate for page skew that might be due to the number
of pages, the thickness of the paper, or the folding equipment, you can apply Page
Rotation (Bottling) in the template page properties. You can also override a
product’s shingling settings for specific template pages.
36 Chapter 3—Pages

1. Configure the related settings on the Output tab in the Preferences

dialog box as needed:
Scale shingled pages
Choose the default scaling type:
● Proportionally: Retains the vertical and horizontal aspect
ratio
● Anamorphically (Horizontally): Changes the vertical and
horizontal ratios

Shingle crop marks

Shifts the crop marks along with pages that are shingled for
creep
Remove crop marks when exceeding the center of gutters

2. Determine the amount of shingling to apply, using either the

approximate formula or exact method.
○ Approximate formula: (number of sheets/4) × stock thickness
The value that you use for the number of sheets depends on the
binding type:
● If perfect bound: pages per section
● If saddle-stitched: pages per product or part

○ Exact method:
a. Make a folding dummy using the same kind of paper and the
same folding equipment that you plan to use for the job.
b. Measure the amount of creep with a precise instrument.
c. Measure the difference between the outer edge (face) of the
outermost page and the outer edge of the innermost page.
This is the total creep compensation amount that is needed,
which you can apply to either the innermost or outermost
pages or divide between the inner and outer pages.

Tip: The value of stock thickness is measured in microns. Use a micrometer, or

obtain the thickness from the paper supplier.
3. To apply your calculations, select Job > Layout Details.
4. In the Shingling (Creep) area, select the product that requires
adjustment.
5. Optional: Select the Scale check box to preserve the margins and
progressively scale the images.
Bleed margins for sections with bottling 37

6. In the Inner and Outer boxes, specify the distance and direction to
move the innermost and outermost page edges.
● If Scaling is not selected, positive values move the image area
toward the binding edge of the page, and negative values move
the image area away from the binding edge.
● If Scaling is selected, positive values reduce the image area, and
negative values increase the image area, based on the
Preferences settings.
● For a perfect-bound or come-and-go product or part, the Inner
amount shifts or scales the innermost pages of each section.
The specified amounts are applied to the largest sections, and
shingling on any smaller sections is scaled back so that all
sections match each other after binding.
● For a saddle-stitched product or part, the Inner amount shifts or
scales the innermost pages.

7. To override the shingling for specific pages, edit the template page
properties.
For example, to prevent image distortion in crossover text or
images that spread across adjacent pages, you can apply zero
shingling and zero-bleed margins.

See also:
Adjusting the layout details for a product on page 33
Page Bottling (Rotation) and Shingling (Creep) on page 42

Bleed margins for sections with bottling

Bleed margins for bottled pages are restricted to the original position of
the page bleed margins, so that the bleeds do not overlap with adjacent
pages.

In this example:
● The dashed lines represent the original position of the page bleed
margins.
● The solid lines represent the position of the bottled pages.
● The solid double lines indicate where the bleeds are retained.
38 Chapter 3—Pages

Press Runs view reference for pages

Use the Press Runs view to manage the placement of pages on the
layouts.
1. View menu in the Press Runs view
The View menu lets you control the details that you see in the
workspace.
2. Content page properties
In the workspace, select a page, and in the Properties pane, select
the Content Page tab to display its settings. The customer’s
original files are not affected by any changes that you make to the
page in the layout, and any rotation or scaling that you apply
affects only the selected page.
3. Template page properties (common)
In the Press Runs workspace, select a page, and in the Properties
pane, select the Template Page tab to display its settings.
Template pages define the positioning of content pages on press-
run layouts.
4. Page Bottling (Rotation) and Shingling (Creep)
When an imposition section is folded, its pages might bottle (also
known as skew) due to the number of pages, the thickness of the
paper, or the folding equipment. You might also need to set or
disable shingling for specific pages in a book.

View menu in the Press Runs view

The View menu lets you control the details that you see in the
workspace.
You can toggle these menu items between showing and hiding the
specified items.
Show Dimensions
Displays the layout dimensions, including distances between
page edges or centers (depending on settings in the
Preferences dialog box) and between adjacent pages and press
sheet edges. Select a layout element to edit its text boxes.
Show Page Previews
Displays a preview of all page content
Show Page Sizes
Displays the width and height of the selected page, page group,
mark, stock, or media
Show Trim Boxes
Displays a dark blue box that indicates the page trim size
Content page properties 39

Show Bleed Boxes

Displays a red box that shows the page bleed margins
Show File Page Numbers
Displays the input file’s page number on each page
Show File Names
Displays the input file name on each page. If Show File Page
Numbers is also selected, the page number is added to the file
name.
Show Template Page Numbers
Displays the page numbers at the center of each page
Show Marks, Show Pages

Displays or hides the pages or marks. For example, turning off

the display of pages makes it easier to check or select marks.
Show Tiles
Displays the tiles and tile marks, if applicable
Show Group Count
Displays the number of pages in each ganged or step-and-
repeat page group
Show Folio
Displays the folio that you assigned in the Pages List

Content page properties

In the workspace, select a page, and in the Properties pane, select the
Content Page tab to display its settings. The customer’s original files
are not affected by any changes that you make to the page in the
layout, and any rotation or scaling that you apply affects only the
selected page.

File Name
Displays the full path and name of the customer input file
Page Number
Displays the sequentially assigned number, derived from the
input file in the Files list
Page Size, W, H
Displays the dimensions of the PDF page or placeholder page. If
a PDF input file does not specify the trim box size, the bleed box
or media box size is used.
40 Chapter 3—Pages

Position
Edit the content position in selected pages when you need to
override the Page Position Adjustment values that are specified
for the product’s even and odd pages (Job > Layout Details), or
the Autocenter run list pages default setting on the General tab
of the Preferences dialog box.
● Center in template page
● Use trim offsets
You can specify the width and height distances between the
lower-left corner of the content page and the lower-left
corner of the template page, or drag the page in the Pages
workspace to update these values.
Note: The lower-left corner of a content page is defined in terms of
the trim box or bleed box, depending on how the page size is defined
in the input file.

Scaling
Scaling is based on the trim box or bleed box, depending on how
the page size is defined in the input file.
● None: Applies no scaling (default)
● Scale the content to fit template page: The results depend
on the Constrain proportions setting:
○ If proportions are constrained: Scales the height and
width of the content page to the best possible fit within
the template page, while also ensuring that the new
proportions of the content page match its original
dimensions.
○ If proportions are not constrained: Automatically scales
the height and width by separate factors as needed for
the best possible fit to completely fill the template page,
with no extra space.

● Set Scaling: Specify scaling percentages or new page

dimensions for the width and height.
Template page properties (common) 41

○ If proportions are constrained: Typing one value

automatically sets the other value proportionately.
○ If proportions are not constrained: You can specify
separate values for the width and height.

● Select Constrain proportions to retain the original

proportions of the content page, or clear it if you need to
change the proportions anamorphically.

Note: If you do not constrain proportions, skewed images can result.

Page Rotation
You can rotate a content page within the template page in 90-
degree increments. The content rotates around the page center,
independent of the template page.

Template page properties (common)

In the Press Runs workspace, select a page, and in the Properties pane,
select the Template Page tab to display its settings. Template pages
define the positioning of content pages on press-run layouts.

Page Number, Section

The front and back page numbers and the section numbers
determine the flow of the run-list pages.
When you duplicate or copy ganged or independent pages, the
template page numbers are retained. However, if you duplicate
an entire press run that contains a layout, the page numbers
increment sequentially in the new press run.
Finished Page Size, W, H
The final width and height of the printed and trimmed product
page. The default dimensions are defined on the General tab in
the Preferences dialog box.
Reference Point
The corresponding corner or center point on both the sheet and
the page, from which Position on Sheet offsets are measured.
This point remains constant when rotation is applied.
Position on Sheet, H, V
The horizontal and vertical offset distances between the
reference point and the lower-left page corner
Locked
Imposition pages are always locked into their Position on Sheet
and Reference Point, which is always the lower-left corner.
42 Chapter 3—Pages

Rotation can be applied, because it does not change the

reference point.
Page Orientation
The head direction of the template page, which can be up, right,
down, or left
Content Bleed Limits
The maximum bleed to allow on each page edge. By default, all
four edges use the default bleed limit.
To be able to edit the values, use the check boxes:
● Select the Use default check box to apply the default limit
that is defined on the General tab in the Preferences dialog
box.
● Select the Use symmetrical margins check box to apply the
Top width to all four edges.
● Clear the Use symmetrical margins check box to activate all
the text boxes, and then specify the individual widths.

Page Bottling (Rotation) and Shingling (Creep)

When an imposition section is folded, its pages might bottle (also
known as skew) due to the number of pages, the thickness of the paper,
or the folding equipment. You might also need to set or disable
shingling for specific pages in a book.
In the Press Runs workspace, select a page, and in the Properties pane,
select the Template Page tab to display its settings. Template pages
define the positioning of content pages on press-run layouts.
Page Bottling (Rotation)

To compensate for bottling, you rotate the pages in the

opposite direction. You specify a positive or negative degree of
bottling.
Pages on press runs 43

● A positive amount rotates the pages counterclockwise

relative to the head direction on the press sheet front.
● A negative amount rotates the pages clockwise on the press
sheet front. The back side pages automatically rotate to line
up with the front side pages.

Specify the Degrees and the point Around which to rotate the
pages.
Top left corner Top right corner

Lower left corner Lower right corner

Arbitrary point Center

Note: If you select Arbitrary Point, also specify the X and Y coordinates
of the point.

Stock-based progressive bottling

Use this option with the stock's thickness value. You can define
rules that auto-calculate the bottling of a Preps job.
Progressive bottling is based on the number of pages in a
signature (unlike the vertical shingling option that is based on
the total number of pages in a part).
You can enable or disable a rule based on the Binding Style
(Flat Work, Perfect Bound, or Saddle-Stitched), direction of
bottling (Inner, Outer, or Both), page count (based on the
number of pages in a signature), and ratio (ratio is represented
as the maximum rotation allowed).
44 Chapter 3—Pages

For example, in a Preps job that is Saddle-Stitched, you can set

the direction to inner, for a page count ≥ 32 ratio = 5.
When you use this stock in a Preps job that is saddle-stitched
with a page count of 64, the software will automatically
calculate the bottling value with a maximum of 5 degrees.
The rule programs how to apply an auto-calculated solution,
however, you still need to select Auto Bottling from the Job
menu > Layout Details dialog box.
In addition, you can continue to use the traditional bottling
method. Select Custom Bottling from the Job menu > Layout
Details dialog box. You have access to all the individual page
controls through the Template Page properties.
In Preps 7.1 and later, this option works both with Preps jobs
that use a JDF fold pattern and with jobs that use a custom fold
pattern.

Shingling (Creep)
Use these settings to override a book’s creep compensation,
such as when images spread across adjacent pages.
Shift Page Content: Select the direction for shifting the image
area to override the default setting that is derived from the
product.
Amount
● Automatic: Applies the Shingling (Creep) compensation
that this product currently uses.
● Custom: Overrides the product’s Shingling (Creep)
compensation by your specified amount.

Vertical Shingling (Creep)

Use this option to control vertical shingling from the Layout

Details window. Vertical shingling, along with a number of
factors, page count, paper thickness, and binding style lets you
move the pages up or down with respect to the binding edge.
When you enter a positive or a negative value in the Inner or
Outer box, the pages will move in relation to the same axis as
the binding edge. This movement is done over the course of
each 2×2, 8-page sequence (head-to-head or foot-to-foot).
Common resources for planning pages 45

This option only works with Preps jobs that use a JDF fold
pattern. Custom defined fold patterns are not supported.

See also:
Shingling the page images for creep compensation on page 35

Common resources for planning pages

Use common resources to provide information about pages to help you
organize a product’s run list, its part page lists, and the distribution of
pages on the press-run layouts.
1. Managing the common colors
Customize the planned colors that you can assign to pages by
adding your own color names to the common colors that the
software provides.
2. Managing the common folios
Customize the folios that you can assign to run-list pages by
adding your own folios or customizing the standard folio sets that
the software provides.

Managing the common colors

Customize the planned colors that you can assign to pages by adding
your own color names to the common colors that the software
provides.

1. Select Resources > Common Colors.

2. Choose a task:
○ Click [+] and type the new color name.
○ Select an existing color, click Edit, and type a new name for the
color.
○ To delete a color, select the color and click Delete.

The revised list is immediately available in all Planned Color lists. The
software stores the list details in a commonColors.xml file in the
Resources folder.
46 Chapter 3—Pages

Managing the common folios

Customize the folios that you can assign to run-list pages by adding
your own folios or customizing the standard folio sets that the software
provides.

1. Select Resources > Common Folios.

2. Choose a task:
○ Click [+] and type the new folio name.
○ Select an existing folio, click Edit, and type a new name for the
folio.
○ To delete a folio, select the folio and click Delete.

The revised list is immediately available in the Folio column of the

Pages List. The software stores the list details in a
commonFolios.xml file in the Resources folder.

Standard page size conversion

These tables provide horizontal and vertical scaling percentages
required to convert common page sizes to other standard sizes.

Tabloid ANSI B (11 x 17 in.; 279 x 432 mm)

Convert to: H% V%
Legal 77 82
Letter 77 65
Half-letter 50 50
ISO A3 106 97
ISO B4 90 82
ISO A4 75 69
ISO B5 63 58
ISO A5 53 49

Legal ANSI B (8.5 x 14.0 in.; 216 x 356 mm)

Convert to: H% V%
Tabloid 129 121
Legal --- ---
Letter 100 78
Standard page size conversion 47

Half-letter 65 61
ISO A3 138 118
ISO B4 116 99
ISO A4 97 83
ISO B5 81 70
ISO A5 69 59

Letter ANSI A (8.5 x 11.0 in.; 216 x 279 mm)

Convert to: H% V%
Tabloid 129 155
Legal 100 128
Half-letter 65 77
ISO A3 138 151
ISO B4 116 127
ISO A4 97 106
ISO B5 81 90
ISO A5 69 75

Half Letter (5.5 x 8.5 in.; 140 x 216 mm)

Convert to: H% V%
Tabloid 199 200
Legal 154 165
Letter 154 129
ISO A3 212 194
ISO B4 179 163
ISO A4 150 138
ISO B5 126 116
ISO A5 106 97

ISO A3 (11.7 x 16.5 in.; 297 x 420 mm)

Convert to: H% V%
Tabloid 94 103
Legal 73 85
Letter 73 66
Half-letter 47 51
48 Chapter 3—Pages

ISO B4 84 84
ISO A4 71 71
ISO B5 59 60
ISO A5 50 50

ISO B4 (9.8 x 13.9 in.; 250 x 353 mm)

Convert to: H% V%
Tabloid 112 122
Legal 86 101
Letter 86 79
Half-letter 56 61
ISO A3 119 119
ISO A4 84 84
ISO B5 70 71
ISO A5 59 59

ISO A4 (8.3 x 11.7 in.; 210 x 297 mm)

Convert to: H% V%
Tabloid 133 145
Legal 103 120
Letter 103 94
Half-letter 67 73
ISO A3 141 141
ISO B4 119 119
ISO B5 84 84
ISO A5 70 71

ISO B5 (6.9 x 9.8 in.; 176 x 250 mm)

Convert to: H% V%
Tabloid 159 173
Legal 123 142
Letter 123 112
Half-letter 80 86
ISO A3 169 168
ISO B4 142 141
Standard page size conversion 49

ISO A4 119 119

ISO A5 84 84

ISO A5 (5.8 x 8.3 in.; 148 x 210 mm)

Convert to: H% V%
Tabloid 189 206
Legal 146 170
Letter 146 133
Half-letter 95 103
ISO A3 201 200
ISO B4 169 168
ISO A4 142 141
ISO B5 119 119
50 Chapter 3—Pages
4 Press runs

1. Flexible tools for creating layouts

You might use the same tools for most jobs, or you might switch
between several methods to match the variations in jobs. Tools
include stock and media resources, layout resources and searches,
manual and automated ganging, product intent and assembly
planning, and JDF automation.
2. Section terminology
A section is a container for an imposition grid of pages that will be
in the correct sequence when folded and bound. However, the
actual definition can depend on whether you are discussing a
planned product component in the Assembly view or a production
component in the Press Runs view.
3. Resources for press runs
When building a press run, use the lists of predefined resources to
select and add the media, stock, marks, and layouts. The software
ships with sample resources, and you can configure additional
resources for the lists.
4. Press Runs view reference
In the Press Runs view, create and interactively edit and preview
any number of sheetfed and multiweb press runs to accommodate
the job’s pages. Manage the stock, media, marks, and layout for
each sheet or web.
5. Creating press-run layouts
6. Managing press runs
7. Ganging
A ganged layout consists of independently positioned pages on a
press sheet. You can rotate, scale, align, group, and step-and-
repeat the pages, and edit the margins and gaps directly in the
workspace or in the Properties pane. Ganged layouts can be
manually generated, or you can use the AutoGang feature.

See also:
Shortcuts on page 225

Flexible tools for creating layouts

You might use the same tools for most jobs, or you might switch
between several methods to match the variations in jobs. Tools include
stock and media resources, layout resources and searches, manual and
52 Chapter 4—Press runs

automated ganging, product intent and assembly planning, and JDF

automation.
Press-run creation tool Useful for:
Stock and Media lists Manually targeting a specific sheet and device, including last-minute
changes that do not affect the layouts and pages.
Layouts Search Quickly finding a suitable layout within a large collection of templates or
fold patterns, based on various search criteria, including page count,
binding style, and name.
Templates list Repeating the same layouts for multiple products and jobs that require
specific page and sheet sizes, binding styles, and page numbering.
AutoSelect Generating press runs for a single-part product’s run list whose page
count can be efficiently imposed using a standard binding style.
Fold Patterns list Building layouts on the fly for products and product sections that vary in
page count, page size, stock, media, and binding style; also for flexibility in
orienting a section to match the folds to the stock grain, or for customized
content transformations for different binding edges.
Fold patterns quickly create press-run sections with pre-numbered page
grids. The default or planned sheet and page size are automatically
applied, and you can change these properties on the fly, or rotate or flip
the grid on the press sheet.
Manual ganging Placing ganged flat-work pages with full drag-and-drop control; stepping
and repeating ganged pages and page groups on press runs.
AutoGang Saving time by allowing the software to gang multiple products in
flatwork-only jobs, based on your settings and priorities.
AutoGang hot folders Fully automated ganging in a Prinergy workflow.
Create Imposition dialog box Using a dialog box for creating an imposition section that is based on fixed
gutters or on a fold pattern, for use in the current job and/or to save as a
template.
Product Intent dialog box Starting a new multi-part product by copying all the known requirements
into a single dialog box, perhaps by copying from a printed job ticket. If
enough detail is provided, you can proceed directly to autogenerating or
manually completing the press runs.
Assembly view Revising, refining, or completing the product intent details for jobs with
multiple products, parts, and binding styles before autogenerating or
manually completing the press runs.
JDF automation Deriving the product intent from a JDF file, which can support auto
signature creation (ASC), auto signature matching (ASM), or both.

See also:
About the lists in the Resources pane on page 55
Using the Layouts Search tool on page 86
Building press runs using template, fold pattern, or step-and-repeat
pattern resources on page 87
Using AutoSelect to generate press runs from a run list on page 89
Creating an imposition without using a Layouts resource on page 91
Section terminology 53

Manually creating a ganged layout on page 100

Starting an assembly job with product intent on page 110
Managing product assemblies on page 111
Completing a JDF job on page 211
Generating autoganged press runs on page 218
Autoganging a job for Prinergy on page 223

Section terminology
A section is a container for an imposition grid of pages that will be in
the correct sequence when folded and bound. However, the actual
definition can depend on whether you are discussing a planned product
component in the Assembly view or a production component in the
Press Runs view.

Press-run sections
A section on a layout is referred to as a press-run section. (This is also
known as a book signature, or in JDF, as a BinderySignature.)
You can manually create a press-run section by adding a template
signature or fold pattern to a layout, or creating an imposition for a
layout.
After a press sheet is printed and cut, each section is folded and
trimmed, and arrives at the finishing equipment as one folded signature.

Product sections
When setting up a book structure in the Assembly view or in the
Products list, you organize its text part into sequentially numbered
product sections. A product section represents a specific planned page
range within a product assembly, which can be imposed or ganged
with other product sections on a press run
You can also create press-run sections by autogenerating the press
runs from product intent, or by dragging product sections from the
Products list.

Multiple sections
Each section on a press-run layout represents one instance of a
product section, depending on how you plan your press runs. There are
54 Chapter 4—Press runs

many ways to create a press run with multiple sections, including these
examples:
● Renumbering a fold pattern or an imposition on a layout so that it
contains two low-folio pages (that is, both are page 1) breaks it into
two press-run sections.
● Ganging a product section by dragging it twice to the same press
run results in two identical signatures for two copies of the same
product.
● You can also gang product sections from different products to
create a multisection press run.

Resources for press runs

When building a press run, use the lists of predefined resources to
select and add the media, stock, marks, and layouts. The software
ships with sample resources, and you can configure additional
resources for the lists.
1. About the lists in the Resources pane
Set up resource lists with your commonly used media, stock,
marks, and layouts for building press runs. You can manually drag
the resources to a layout, or use various tools for generating the
layouts.
2. Fold patterns
Fold patterns quickly create press-run sections with pre-numbered
page grids. The default or planned sheet and page size are
automatically applied, and you can change these properties on the
fly, or rotate or flip the grid on the press sheet.
3. Customizing or creating a custom fold pattern resource
4. Fold Pattern dialog box
You can select, customize, and save a fold pattern under a new
name, and optionally group it with other fold patterns in a custom
fold set.
5. Templates
Templates are standalone files that store complete information
about reusable layouts for a specific binding style. Information
about each unique layout is stored in a template signature within
the template, including its media, press sheet size, work style,
template page positions, and marks. Templates are useful for
frequently repeated jobs.
6. Saving a job as a template
You can store frequently repeated jobs or press-run layouts as a
reusable template resource.
7. Creating a new media resource
To add a resource to the Media list, prepare a media configuration
for a specific target device. You can set up a media configuration
for any valid size that is defined in the device-specific PostScript
Printer Description (PPD) files in the Printers folder.
8. Creating a new stock resource
About the lists in the Resources pane 55

To add a resource to the Stocks list, you define its press sheet size
and provide additional details for your own reference.
9. Creating a new mark resource
To add a new resource to the Marks list, you define a mark that is
based on an existing SmartMarks (SMK) file. You can create, edit,
and duplicate individual marks or groups as needed.

About the lists in the Resources pane

Set up resource lists with your commonly used media, stock, marks,
and layouts for building press runs. You can manually drag the
resources to a layout, or use various tools for generating the layouts.
The Resources pane provides the following lists:
● The Stocks list contains the available sheet sizes. Each stock
resource represents a press sheet that will be printed on one or both
sides to produce the final printed product. When adding a stock,
you specify its dimensions and characteristics for your own
reference—such as manufacturer, weight, and grain direction.
○ The Preps 7 and later software versions include a Variable Sheet
Size property that lets you define a signature for a fold pattern
with an unconstrained height and width. As you change the fold
pattern or add additional sections to a variable sheet size, the
sheet will be updated to accommodate the change. You can
define this stock property in the Preps job or template. To
change from a variable sheet size in the Resources pane, right-
click on another stock, and select Replace on Current, Replace
All Variable Sheets, Replace on Selected Press Runs, or Replace
All Press Runs.

● The Media list contains the software’s pre-defined standard media

and the media resources that you configure to target specific
devices. You can also store tile sets for specific media resources.
● The Marks list contains the predefined marks and the mark files
that you create, which are based on Kodak SmartMarks technology.
● The Layouts pane contains a Templates list, a Fold Patterns list, a
Step & Repeat Patterns list, and a Search tool for filtering the lists.
○ The Templates list contains complete, reusable layouts that
predefine the press sheet dimensions and template page sizes,
positions, and numbering for specific binding styles.
Preps includes a selection of sample templates, and you can save
frequently repeated jobs as templates. When setting up Preps,
you might create non-customer jobs with layouts for the purpose
of creating templates.
56 Chapter 4—Press runs

Note: You can also migrate and continue to use existing templates from
previous versions of the software.
○ The Fold Patterns list contains dimensionless, prenumbered
page grids that you drag to press runs to build imposition layouts
on the fly. You can edit the default binding style, page size, page
numbers, and trims that are automatically applied to the
resulting press-run section.
The software includes standard fold patterns that are derived
from the CIP4 Pagination Catolog (also referred to as the JDF Fold
Catalog). You can also create and save new fold patterns or
variations of standard fold patterns.
○ The Step & Repeat Patterns list shows previously saved step-
and-repeat placeholders created in Preps 7.x that contain a
specific grid pattern of a set height and width.
○ Use the Layouts Search tool to find a specific layout in large
collections of templates and fold patterns.

Fold patterns
Fold patterns quickly create press-run sections with pre-numbered
page grids. The default or planned sheet and page size are
automatically applied, and you can change these properties on the fly,
or rotate or flip the grid on the press sheet.
A fold pattern describes the sequence of folds that the folding machine
will apply. A standard set of fold patterns is included in the software,
and you can create and store custom fold patterns. Although you
cannot change the standard JDF fold patterns, you can save them
under different names to suit your operations.
Each reusable fold pattern resource defines an imposition section’s lay
direction on the press sheet. By default, the lower-left corner is the
reference point. You can flip the fold pattern to place the section's lay
corner on the opposite side of the press sheet. You can also rotate the
fold pattern before or after adding it to a press run, and define trims as
needed for production.
Fold patterns provide dynamic flexibility in creating jobs:
● Add a fold pattern directly to a sheetfed or web press run, and then
autogenerate duplications to build the Press Runs List for the
product’s run list.
● Select a fold pattern for an assembly part to set the default for its
sections, and then change the selection for individual sections as
needed.
● To duplicate fold patterns for use in a variable sheet position,
duplicate an existing section by holding the Option/Alt key and
dragging the section to the required location. The section's
Customizing or creating a custom fold pattern resource 57

properties will be based on the original section; however, the

duplicated section has its own position controls that you can access
by right-clicking the section.
● Use the Layouts search function to quickly find a fold pattern, based
on criteria such as page count, binding style, and name.
● Using fold patterns reduces the need for maintaining large
collections of templates.
○ Use one fold pattern instead of multiple templates that are the
same except for the page and sheet sizes.
○ The search function also makes it easy to find all the templates
that use the same fold sequence.

● Use custom profiles to store default page and sheet sizes for
frequently repeated jobs, or set the sizes on the fly for each job.

You can also change a fold pattern’s pagination in a press-run section.

When you select the Page Numbering tool, highlighting indicates all
suitable candidates that can be used for page 1 without changing the
fold pattern.
For specific bindery requirements, experienced users can define and
store a content transformation with a custom fold pattern. Instead of
changing template page orientation settings, you can flip and rotate the
entire grid’s pages relative to the binding edge, such as for calendars
and right-bound books.
Fold information is included in JDF output, for use by JDF-enabled
bindery equipment.

Customizing or creating a custom fold pattern resource

Preps software offers many ways to customize existing fold patterns or
create new unique custom fold patterns. You can use defined Custom
Fold Patterns (within JDF) with MIS workflows that reference Custom
Fold Patterns.

Customizing an existing fold pattern

To add a resource to the Fold Patterns list, you select a fold pattern on
which to base the custom fold pattern.
For example, you might need to rotate a fold pattern’s orientation on
the sheet so that its folds can follow the stock grain. You can apply the
rotation for the one job, or you can store it as a reusable fold pattern
resource. Experienced users can also create fold patterns that change
the orientation of pages in reference to the binding edge, such as for
books that are bound on the right side or calendars with head-to-foot
pages.
58 Chapter 4—Press runs

1. Choose a method to access the Fold Pattern dialog box:

○ Select Resources > Fold Patterns.
○ In an assembly job, define a part with values for its Planned
Page Count and Largest Section, select a section to display its
properties, and in the Fold Patterns list, select Browse for fold
pattern.

2. In the Fold Sets pane, choose a method to specify the fold pattern
on which to base the new resource:
○ Select a fold pattern from the search results in the Available
Fold Patterns list, or scroll through the JDF or custom fold
patterns and select a fold pattern.
A thumbnail of the selected fold pattern appears in the Preview
pane.
○ Select a fold set to display thumbnails of its fold patterns in the
Preview pane.

3. In the Preview pane, select a fold pattern thumbnail to activate its

Rotate and Flip buttons.
4. To change the orientation of the fold pattern, click Rotate and Flip,
as needed.
The thumbnail shows how the fold pattern will appear in the
workspace when you add it to a press run.
5. Skip this step if you do not need to designate a different binding
edge.
Note: This is an advanced task for experienced users.

a. Ensure that the correct thumbnail is selected in the Preview

pane, and click Bind Edge.
b. In the Transformation list in the Bind Edge dialog box, choose a
rotation or flip increment to change the orientation of the pages
in reference to the binding edge.
For example, for a calendar, you might rotate right-side binding,
the pages might need to be flipped once.
c. When the desired transformation is displayed in Preview, click
Select.
In the Fold Pattern dialog box, the adjusted fold pattern thumbnail
is selected, and its buttons are activated.
6. Click Save As.
Note: When you click away from the thumbnail, its buttons revert to text that
display the current rotation amount and flip status.
7. Give the fold pattern a name, and optionally assign the fold pattern
to a new or existing fold set.
Creating a custom fold pattern 59

The fold pattern name and the name of its base fold pattern appear in
the Custom Fold Patterns list in the Fold Sets pane lists, in the Fold
Patterns list in the Layouts resource and Properties panes. The
software stores the list details in the FoldingPatterns.xml file in the
Resources folder.

Note: Standard fold patterns are never affected by edits that you make when
creating a custom fold pattern.

Creating a custom fold pattern

The following procedures show you how to create a unique custom
fold pattern. The available options are:
● Use an existing fold pattern and modify the page numbering.
● Use the Create Imposition method, in order to define a specific
number of horizontal and vertical pages.

In both cases, use the following the basics rules for customizing a fold
pattern:
● Must start with a page number 1.
● Must have all pages numbered sequentially, up to the maximum
number of pages defined. If necessary, you can use duplicate page
numbers.
Note: You cannot use duplicate page numbers when you are working with JDF
fold patterns.
● There can only be one section.
● Multiple webs will be defined as multiple sheets for the custom fold
pattern.

Using an existing fold pattern with modified page numbering

Requirements:
1. Select the Fold Pattern that contains the correct number of
horizontal and vertical pages.
2. Click on the Page Numbering tool.
3. Find page 1, and continue to number the pages until all the pages
have been numbered.
4. Select File > Save As Custom Fold Pattern.
5. In the Custom Name field, enter a descriptive name for the result.
6. In the Save in Group field, you can also change the group that this
fold pattern is associated with. You can also enter a New Group
Name if required.
7. Click OK.
60 Chapter 4—Press runs

The fold pattern name now appears in the Custom Fold Patterns list,
Fold Sets lists, and Fold Patterns list in the Layouts resource and
Properties panes. The software stores the list details in the
CustomFoldingPatterns.xml file in the Resources folder.
Note: Standard fold patterns are never affected by edits that you make when
creating a custom fold pattern.

Using the Create Imposition method

1. In a new Preps job, add a stock item from Stock to the Press Runs
view.
2. Select Job > Create Imposition.
3. Define the imposition page grid by specifying the page size and the
number of horizontal and vertical pages.
4. To control the Placement on Press Sheet, select:
○ Center horizontally or Fixed left margin
○ Center horizontally or Fixed bottom margin

Note: The Preps software does not automatically adjust the imposition frame
(blue rectangle) to reflect the Imposition Properties.
5. Click OK.
6. If you require a multiple sheet (web) solution, right-click the
Duplicate Sheet icon, and select Duplicate as Web.
7. Click the Page Numbering tool.
8. Find your page 1, and continue to number until all the pages have
been numbered. If you had a multiple sheet web, ensure that you
have numbered all the pages on all the sheets.
9. Select File > Save As Custom Fold Pattern.
10. In the Custom Name field, enter a descriptive name for the result.
11. In the Save in Group field, you can also change the group that this
fold pattern is associated with. You can also enter a New Group
Name, if required.
12. Click OK.
Note: Using the Create Imposition method requires you to ensure that all the
pages are in the direction that you expect them to be. Unlike a traditional fold
pattern, you are not able to edit the bind edge properties. You can rotate the entire
custom fold pattern, but you cannot rotate individual pages.

The fold pattern name now appears in the Custom Fold Patterns list in
the Fold Sets pane lists, and in the Fold Patterns list in the Layouts
resource and Properties panes. Preps software stores the list details in
the CustomFoldingPatterns.xml file in the Resources folder.
Fold Pattern dialog box 61

Note: Standard fold patterns are never affected by edits that you make when
creating a custom fold pattern.

Fold Pattern dialog box

You can select, customize, and save a fold pattern under a new name,
and optionally group it with other fold patterns in a custom fold set.
Adding a fold pattern to a layout creates one imposition section in a
specific production orientation on the sheet, and you can rotate or flip
the section on the sheet.
Each fold pattern contains prenumbered template pages in a specific
orientation relative to the binding edge. For special binding
requirements, you can access another dialog box for transforming the
pages relative to a different binding edge.

Fold Sets
Available Fold Patterns
Lists the patterns that match your specified page count
JDF Fold Pattern
Lists the available standard JDF patterns that are based on left-
side binding for production purposes.
The JDF fold pattern sets are grouped according to the number
of pages in each pattern. For example, select F8 to display
thumbnails of all the standard 8pp fold patterns.
Custom fold patterns
Displays the unique fold patterns that you created, listed
individually or under the group names that you defined.

Preview
The Preview pane displays the fold pattern or fold set that you select in
the Fold Sets list. If you open this dialog box after filtering it by page
count, it displays the patterns in the Available Fold Patterns list.
For standard JDF patterns, the CIP4 fold catalog identifier for this fold
pattern is displayed. For more details, see the CIP4 Pagination Catalog,
available at http://www.cip4.org/.
The following items appear for each previewed fold pattern.
Pattern name and grid
The name of the standard or custom fold pattern is followed by
the number of horizontal and vertical pages in this pattern’s
grid.
62 Chapter 4—Press runs

Thumbnail diagram
Each diagram shows the template page positions relative to the
binding edge.

● A symbol indicates the page head direction.

● Cut lines are dashed, and fold lines are solid.
● A solid line with gray shading indicates the binding edge.
● A red solid-line symbol indicates the sheet reference corner,
which is dashed when the fold pattern is flipped.

Rotate
Clicking the fold pattern thumbnail activates this button.
When the thumbnail is not selected, it displays the current
rotation.
Set the degree of rotation relative to the sheet's grip edge. Each
successive click of the activated button rotates the pattern
thumbnail by 90 degrees.
Flip
Clicking the fold pattern thumbnail activates this button.
When the thumbnail is not selected, it displays which side of
this fold pattern will by default be placed on the front of the
press sheet for production purposes.
The default state is No (not flipped). Select Yes to flip the fold
pattern.
Save As
Click to save the currently displayed thumbnail, rotation, and
flip status as a custom fold pattern. You can also save an
unchanged standard fold pattern as a custom pattern if you
want to use a different name, or place it in a custom group.
In the Save Custom Fold Pattern dialog box, you can perform
any of the following actions:
● Give the fold pattern a Custom Name.
● Select an existing fold set in the Group list.
● Type a new group name to create a fold set that contains
this fold pattern.

Bind Edge
Displays the Bind Edge dialog box
Experienced users can apply flip and rotate transformations to
change the orientation of the pages relative to the binding edge.
Templates 63

For more details, see the CIP4 Pagination Catalog, available at

http://www.cip4.org/.

Templates
Templates are standalone files that store complete information about
reusable layouts for a specific binding style. Information about each
unique layout is stored in a template signature within the template,
including its media, press sheet size, work style, template page
positions, and marks. Templates are useful for frequently repeated
jobs.
The Templates list contains complete, reusable layouts that predefine
the press sheet dimensions and template page sizes, positions, and
numbering for specific binding styles.
Preps includes a selection of sample templates, and you can save
frequently repeated jobs as templates. When setting up Preps, you
might create non-customer jobs with layouts for the purpose of
creating templates.
Note: You can also migrate and continue to use existing templates from previous
versions of the software.

The Layouts search tool makes it easy to find the right template for an
imposition. However, if you must store and retrieve a unique template
for most jobs, it can be more efficient to use a fold pattern resource
instead, which allows you to change the stock, page sizes, and
individual trims, as needed.
Note: When you apply a template resource to a job, the layouts are added to the
JOB file, and the original template is no longer referenced. If you separately edit
and resave the template that you used for this job, the changes are not
automatically applied when you reopen the job. To apply the changes, you must
reapply the template.

Saving a job as a template

You can store frequently repeated jobs or press-run layouts as a
reusable template resource.

1. Start a job and build the layouts that you want to save as a
template.
2. To save the layouts as a template, select File > Save As Template.
3. In the Partial Signature Placement dialog box, specify where to
position the partial signature relative to the full signatures when the
template is applied.
(Sometimes the number of run-list pages is not an even multiple of
the number of pages in the full signature in a template. To prevent
an excessive quantity of blank pages and to use paper and press
time efficiently, you typically add a partial signature to templates.)
64 Chapter 4—Press runs

4. Give the template a name, and select a location in the Templates

folder
● On the Mac OS: The name can be up to 31 characters long,
including the .tpl file extension. Avoid using special characters,
particularly if you might open this file on a computer that is
running Microsoft Windows.
● On Windows: The name can be up to 50 characters long,
including the .tpl file extension. The name can contain spaces,
but cannot contain any special characters, such as \ | :
“ " ? < > /

Each unique press-run layout is stored as a template signature

within the template’s TPL file in the Templates folder. The new
resource appears in the Templates list in the Layouts pane.
Note: When you apply a template resource to a job, the layouts are added to the
JOB file, and the original template is no longer referenced. If you separately edit
and resave the template that you used for this job, the changes are not
automatically applied when you reopen the job. To apply the changes, you must
reapply the template.

Next:
If you later rename a template file, the result is either two identical files
with different names, or one file with two different names: one that you
can see (external name), and one that Preps uses (internal name). The
results depend on whether you rename the template from within Preps
or outside of Preps.

See also:
About the lists in the Resources pane on page 55
Using the Layouts Search tool on page 86

Creating a new media resource

To add a resource to the Media list, prepare a media configuration for a
specific target device. You can set up a media configuration for any
valid size that is defined in the device-specific PostScript Printer
Description (PPD) files in the Printers folder.
The Preps software DVD provides several PPD files, and you can obtain
the most current PPD files directly from the manufacturer of your
imaging device. If a device is already installed on your operating
system, you can use a copy of the system’s PPD file.
Creating a new stock resource 65

1. Copy the new device PPD file and paste it to the \Printers\ppd\
folder.
The name of the PPD file must end in .ppd, and contain no special
characters.
Note: You can skip this step if the PPD file is already installed.
2. Select Resources > New Media.
3. Select the Media Type.
The Media Type list displays all the media for which a device PPD
file exists in the \Printers\ppd\ folder.
Note: To create a virtual media configuration that is equal to or larger than the
stock size, select Press Sheet Size.
4. Provide a meaningful nickname for the new media configuration,
and click OK.
5. In the Media Configuration dialog box, select the size, and set any
other options that you need.
Note: For Press Sheet Size media configurations, you cannot change the Size
(PressSheetSize). However, you can optionally increase the size of the output
by specifying top, bottom, and side margins. You cannot set margins for other
media types.
6. Close the dialog box.

The new media resource appears in the Media list in the Resources
pane. The software stores the details for each media in a <MediaName>
\printer.ppd file in the Printers folder.

See also:
About the lists in the Resources pane on page 55

Creating a new stock resource

To add a resource to the Stocks list, you define its press sheet size and
provide additional details for your own reference.
A list of sample stock sizes is provided to help you get started. The
following procedure bases a new resource on an existing resource.

1. In the Resources pane, click Stock to expand the list.

2. Select an existing stock that is similar to the new stock resource
that you want to define.
3. Right-click the stock, and select Duplicate.
4. Edit the properties, and save the stock with a new name.
Information that you can store includes the stock name,
manufacturer, dimensions, weight, and grain direction. Web-fed
stock dimensions represent the size of the roll width by the cutoff
length.
66 Chapter 4—Press runs

The new stock appears in the Stock list in the Resources pane. The
software stores the list details in the sheets.xml file in the Printers
folder.

See also:
About the lists in the Resources pane on page 55

Creating a new mark resource

To add a new resource to the Marks list, you define a mark that is
based on an existing SmartMarks (SMK) file. You can create, edit, and
duplicate individual marks or groups as needed.

1. On the Folders tab in the Preferences dialog box, set the default
Templates, Marks, and Resources path for this installation.
2. Choose a method to create or modify a mark:
○ Select Resources > New SmartMark, choose a mark type, and
edit its name and properties.
○ In the Marks list, right-click a mark to use as the basis, select
Duplicate or Edit, edit its name and properties, and save the
mark or a copy of the mark with a new name.

3. Save the mark to a location in the /Marks/SmartMarks/ folder.

The mark’s positioning information is stored in its
<MarkName>.smk file.
Important: Only marks that are stored in this folder appear in the Marks list.
4. Optional: Create a group of marks that can be added and
automatically positioned simultaneously:
a. Create a new subfolder within the SmartMarks folder, with a
name to identify this mark group.
b. Drag or copy the SMK files for this group into the new folder.
An info.smg file stores the information about the group in the
same folder as the individual SMK files.

The marks and groups that you create appear in the Marks list in the
Resources pane.

See also:
About the lists in the Resources pane on page 55

Press Runs view reference

In the Press Runs view, create and interactively edit and preview any
number of sheetfed and multiweb press runs to accommodate the job’s
View menu in the Press Runs view 67

pages. Manage the stock, media, marks, and layout for each sheet or
web.
1. View menu in the Press Runs view
The View menu lets you control the details that you see in the
workspace.
2. Press Runs List
Use the tools and settings in the Press Runs List to manually build
and manage a job’s press runs. You can also use AutoGang,
AutoSelect, product intent for assemblies, or JDF automation to
generate the list. Selecting a press run, sheet, web, or side in the
Press Runs List displays it in the workspace.
3. Work styles for press sheets and webs
Each press sheet or web in a press run is assigned a work style,
which describes how the press sheet will run on the press.
4. Press Runs workspace
Use the Press Runs workspace to interactively build, preview, and
adjust a job’s press-run layouts.
5. Layout dimensions in the workspace
Set preferences, select View menu options, and click workspace
tools to control the display of dimensions in the workspace.
6. Press run properties
In the Press Runs List, select a press run to display its settings in
the Properties pane.
7. Binding styles
The binding style determines the sequence in which job pages flow
through an imposition’s template pages. You can set a general
default binding style in the Preferences dialog box, optionally
change the default for a specific product or part, and assign
binding styles to individual product sections.
8. Press-run section properties

See also:
Press Runs view reference for pages on page 38

View menu in the Press Runs view

The View menu lets you control the details that you see in the
workspace.
You can toggle these menu items between showing and hiding the
specified items.
Show Dimensions
Displays the layout dimensions, including distances between
page edges or centers (depending on settings in the
Preferences dialog box) and between adjacent pages and press
sheet edges. Select a layout element to edit its text boxes.
Show Page Previews
Displays a preview of all page content
68 Chapter 4—Press runs

Show Page Sizes

Displays the width and height of the selected page, page group,
mark, stock, or media
Show Trim Boxes
Displays a dark blue box that indicates the page trim size
Show Bleed Boxes
Displays a red box that shows the page bleed margins
Show File Page Numbers
Displays the input file’s page number on each page
Show File Names
Displays the input file name on each page. If Show File Page
Numbers is also selected, the page number is added to the file
name.
Show Template Page Numbers
Displays the page numbers at the center of each page
Show Marks, Show Pages

Displays or hides the pages or marks. For example, turning off

the display of pages makes it easier to check or select marks.
Show Tiles
Displays the tiles and tile marks, if applicable
Show Group Count
Displays the number of pages in each ganged or step-and-
repeat page group
Show Folio
Displays the folio that you assigned in the Pages List

Press Runs List

Use the tools and settings in the Press Runs List to manually build and
manage a job’s press runs. You can also use AutoGang, AutoSelect,
product intent for assemblies, or JDF automation to generate the list.
Selecting a press run, sheet, web, or side in the Press Runs List displays
it in the workspace.
Tip: Drag the column edges to adjust their widths. Drag the column headers to
rearrange the columns.
Press Runs view reference 69

Duplicate Sheet

Adds a copy of the current press run with layout and

without content.
Right-click this tool to insert a duplicate of the current press-run
layout as a new web in the same press run. Adding a web to a
sheetfed press run converts it to a web press run. When you
use the Duplicate Sheet button to duplicate a press run, you can
designate the number of duplicated press runs and specify
whether to place them before, after, or between other press
runs in the list.
Note: You can also designate number and placement when you duplicate
or create new sheets using the Edit menu or a keyboard shortcut:
Command+D or Ctrl+D for duplicating or Command+T or Ctrl+T for
adding.

Delete Sheet

Removes the current press run and any layouts that it

contains.
● Right-click this tool to delete a web of the current press-run
layout.

Move Down, Move Up

When you move a press run, the Press Run ID
numbers are updated accordingly. Moving a press run up or
down does not change the product section numbers.
Press Run ID
This column lists the press runs by a sequentially assigned
number, which simply describes its position in the list. You can
expand a press run to display its component sheets, webs, or
sides. Selecting a press run in this list displays it in the
workspace and its settings in the Properties pane.
Work Style
View or select the work style that describes how the press
prints the press sheet:
● Sheetwise
● Work and Turn
● Work and Tumble
70 Chapter 4—Press runs

● Perfector
● Single-sided

Sections
Lists each product section that appears on this press run one or
more times, identified by the product letter and product section
number
Colors
Displays the actual content colors that are defined in the PDF
input files (not editable).
Note: Use the Pages view to check for discrepancies between planned
and actual colors.

Stock
The name of the stock resource that you assigned to this press
run
Media

The name of the media resource that you assigned to this press
run
Template
If a template was used to build this press run, displays the
template name. Otherwise, a default Untitled name is assigned,
with a number that increments for each existing Untitled
template in the Templates list. If you save the current job as a
template, the new name is displayed.
Template Signature
If a template was used to build this press run, displays the
template signature name. Otherwise, an editable default name
is assigned, starting at Untitled Sig 1 and incrementing for each
unique layout.
Run Length
The number of times that this press run must run through the
press to print the required product quantity.
For example, if a customer requires 5000 copies of a flat-work
product, and you gang the product 5-up on the press run, then
you will specify a Run Length of 1000.
Generate Press Runs
The required number of press runs and impositions is
automatically generated, and the run-list pages flow into
position according to the template page numbering.
Work styles for press sheets and webs 71

Work styles for press sheets and webs

Each press sheet or web in a press run is assigned a work style, which
describes how the press sheet will run on the press.
The default work style is defined on the General tab in the Preferences
dialog box, and can be Sheetwise, Work and Turn, Work and Tumble,
single-sided, or perfector.

Sheetwise
Sheetwise is one of the most common work styles. Different plates are
used to print the front and back of the press sheet.

The paper is run through a press to print the front side of the sheet. It is
then turned over on the vertical axis and run through the press again
using the same gripper edge, and a second plate is used to print the
back side of the sheet.
Web presses also use the sheetwise style, but they print both sides in a
single pass.
For digital and on-demand output, you usually use the sheetwise work
style, and the press sheet size is the size of the paper on which the job
is printed.

Work and Turn

For a work-and-turn work style, both sides of the imposition are
imaged on the same plate.
72 Chapter 4—Press runs

The imposition is divided in half at the vertical center so that the

images for the front are on one half and the images for the back are on
the other.
After the first side of a work-and-turn imposition is printed, the sheet is
turned over on the vertical axis so that the second side can be printed
using the same gripper edge. After printing, the sheet is cut in half
before folding, creating two identical copies.

Work and Tumble

For a work-and-tumble work style, both sides are imaged on the same
plate.

The imposition is divided in half at the horizontal center so that the

images for the front are on one half and the images for the back are on
the other.
After the first side of a work-and-tumble imposition is printed, the
sheet is turned over on the horizontal axis so that the second side can
be printed using opposite grippers, gripping first the leading edge, then
turning the sheet over to grip from the tail edge.
After printing, the sheet is cut in half before folding, creating two
identical copies.

Single-sided
For a single-sided work style, the press sheet has only a front side.

This work style is commonly used for flat work such as posters,
business cards, and labels.
Press Runs view reference 73

Perfector
The perfector work style is used for a sheetfed perfecting press.
Perfecting presses print both sides of the paper in one pass.

After the first side of the press sheet is printed, it is turned over on the
horizontal axis, changing the gripper to the opposite edge so that the
second side can be printed.
For a perfector work style, the back side of the press sheet is
automatically rotated 180 degrees.

Work styles in the workspace

Your work style selection affects how the press sheet and pages
appear in the workspace.
For example, the workspace displays an entire side of a work-and-turn
or work-and-tumble sheet. A dashed line indicates where the sheet will
be cut after the first side is printed, the sheet is turned, and the other
side is printed, resulting in two identical copies per sheet.
Whenever you place a page at one side of the sheet in the workspace,
a mirrored image of its back page appears on the other side, because
that is where it will be when the sheet runs through the press the
second time. Marks and gutters are similarly reflected, and you can
reposition pages on either side to automatically update both sides.
The following example shows a work-and-tumble layout with one page
ready for step and repeat:

You can change a press sheet’s work style at any time, and the layout
is updated immediately in the workspace.
The following example shows the result when you change a Sheetwise
layout to Work and Turn:
74 Chapter 4—Press runs

Press Runs workspace

Use the Press Runs workspace to interactively build, preview, and
adjust a job’s press-run layouts.
Select a press run, sheet, web, or side in the Press Runs List to display
it in the workspace. Selecting an element in the workspace displays its
settings in the Properties pane.
Dimensions can be edited directly in the workspace by typing in the
text boxes or by dragging items.
Tip: To control which details are displayed, use the View menu and workspace
toolbar. For information about specific layout elements in the workspace, see the
applicable topics.

Select

Use this tool for most mouse tasks.

● Click an object to select it.
● Press and hold SHIFT while clicking multiple objects.
● Drag a marquee around multiple objects.
● Click one page in a group to automatically select all of the
pages in the group.

Direct Select

Select an item within another object, such as an imposition

page inside an imposition.
Page Numbering

Click this tool and then select a page to automatically

number or renumber it.
To manually renumber a selected page, edit the Page Number
box that appears under the tool bar.
Press Runs view reference 75

Note: Imposition pages can be dynamically renumbered when you use a

fold pattern. For all other impositions, you must manually number or
renumber the pages.

Pages in fold patterns are pre-numbered, and you can renumber

them.
● When you select this tool after placing a fold pattern in the
workspace, the valid low-folio page positions are highlighted.
● Clicking a highlighted page designates it as a low folio.
● The remaining pages are automatically numbered.
● Designating more than one low folio creates multiple
sections.
● If you renumber a page, the remaining pages are
automatically renumbered.
● Clicking or renumbering a non-valid page changes the fold
pattern.

Impositions that you create using the Create Imposition dialog

box must be manually numbered or renumbered. Impositions
that are based on a template can be renumbered.
● After selecting the tool, the first page that you click is the
low folio, and you can click the remaining imposition pages
in sequence to number or renumber all the pages.
● To create multiple deliveries of the same product, designate
multiple pages as page 1.

Add Independent Pages / Convert to Spreads

Add independent pages or convert existing section pages

to independent pages.
To add a new independent page, select the tool or use the Add
Independent Pages menu item in the Job menu or use the copy
and paste operation. Adding a new independent page creates a
new part and section in the product tree.
To convert an existing section page to an independent page,
select it and then select the tool. When converting an
imposition or fold pattern page, you have the option of
converting Front, Back, or Both. Signatures that contain
independent pages can be saved as custom fold patterns and
added to the fold pattern library.
When the new or converted independent page is selected, you
can edit its page properties.
76 Chapter 4—Press runs

When two or more pages are selected at the same time, the
Add Independent Pages tool acts as a Convert to Spreads tool.
When converting imposition or fold pattern pages, you have the
option of converting Front, Back, or Both. To select more than
one page at the same time with the Direct Select tool, hold
down the Ctrl key while selecting the additional pages. Crop
marks are automatically adjusted to accommodate the new
page size, and fold marks are automatically added if gutters
exist between the series of selected pages to indicate fold/
spine width dimensions.
Pan

Drag your view of the workspace

Zoom

Click the object or general area that you want to inspect

more closely, or drag a marquee around a specific area.

Step & Repeat

After selecting this tool, click a PDF page, section, or

placeholder to quickly duplicate it across the sheet by dragging
the mouse away from the PDF. Or you can click an empty area
on the sheet to drop a step-and-repeat placeholder. You can
make additional adjustments based on the S&R properties.

AutoGang

Generate the job’s AutoGang list from all Files list pages.
Show Page Previews

Display a preview of all page content..

Show Dimensions

Display the layout dimensions, including distances

between edges or centers, depending on your Preferences and
View menu selections.
Hide Pages

Hide all pages on press runs.

Hide Marks

Hide all marks on press runs.

Press Runs view reference 77

Hide Gutter Lines

Hide all gutter lines on press runs.

Rotate

Rotate the selected section or template page. The content

follows the template page orientation.
Group, Ungroup

Create or break apart a group of selected sections or

ganged pages.
Flip

Flip your view of the sheet. The result depends on the

selected work style:
● Sheetwise: Flips on the vertical axis. The grip edge still
appears at the bottom.
● Perfector: Flips on the horizontal axis. Your view of the grip
edge position changes.

Transparency

To view the press sheet as if it were on a light

table, slide the control button to adjust transparency.
Layout selector
Switch the workspace between multiple webs that you selected
in the Press Runs List.
Single View, Multi View

Toggles the Press Runs view between:

● Single signature view: one surface of a press run
● Multi signature view: all surfaces of the press run, including
front and back or top and bottom

In the case of multi-web, all webs are displayed in one view.

See also:
Step-and-repeat properties on page 101
78 Chapter 4—Press runs

Layout dimensions in the workspace

Set preferences, select View menu options, and click workspace tools
to control the display of dimensions in the workspace.
● The default unit, distance measurement type, and snap type are
defined on the General tab in the Preferences dialog box.
● In the workspace, most applicable text boxes become editable when
you click a page or section. Some can be edited only in the
Properties pane.
● Measurements that are not in an editable state appear in dimmed
text boxes with no borders.

● A lock icon appears on any pages or sections that cannot be

repositioned. (Marks are locked by default.) Objects that can be
locked or unlocked include a check box in their Properties pane, or
you can use the Objects menu.
● If you edit the distance between a locked, ganged page and an
adjacent page, the locked page does not move, even if it is the page
that you selected. Only the adjacent page moves.

Measurement Description
Page or page group dimensions Select Show Page Sizes to display gray lines and text
boxes for the width and height of a selected object. A
dashed blue border indicates a selected group.
Finished page dimensions can be edited only on the
Template Page tab in the Properties pane.
The dimensions of a placed media or stock cannot be
edited in the workspace.

Margins between stock edge and selected page, Lines and text boxes indicate sheet margins, and you
section, or media edges can edit the text boxes to reposition the objects.
Press run properties 79

Measurement Description
Center to center distances Select Show Dimensions to display lines and text
boxes for the distances between the centers of equal-
sized and aligned objects.

Trim edge to trim edge distances Select Show Dimensions to display lines between the
edges of a selected object (page or section) and any
adjacent edges of the same object type, such as to
show gap, gutter, or trim widths.

Notes:
● A gutter is the space between the trim edges of any two rows of pages or
sections on a press sheet, as in pages within a ganged page group or an
imposition page grid.
● A gap is the space between two independent (or ganged) pages on a press
sheet.
● A trim is a gutter or margin area that will be trimmed from a final page.

Press run properties

In the Press Runs List, select a press run to display its settings in the
Properties pane.

Page Count
The number of template pages on this press-run layout
Fold Pattern
Select from the filtered list of fold patterns that match the
section page count, or click Browse for fold pattern to display
the Fold Pattern dialog box.
Template Name
If a template was used to build this press run, displays the
template name. Otherwise, a default Untitled name is assigned,
with a number that increments for each existing Untitled
template in the Templates list. If you save the current job as a
template, the new name is displayed.
80 Chapter 4—Press runs

Signature Name
If a template was used to build this press run, displays the
template signature name. Otherwise, an editable default name
is assigned, starting at Untitled Sig 1 and incrementing for each
unique layout.

Auto Select Signature

If you select this check box (default), the Auto Select option is
added to the context menu for this template signature in the
Layouts resource pane.
Section Count
The number of times that you added a product section to this
press-run layout. You can add one or more product sections to
a single press run, including the same product section multiple
times or multiple different sections, typically for the same
product.
Binding Style
Determines the sequence in which content pages flow through
the template pages on the press-run layouts:
● Flat Work (no binding)
● Perfect Bound
● Saddle Stitched
● Come and Go
● Cut and Stack
● Mixed (more than one binding style)

Work Style
View or select the work style that describes how the press
prints the press sheet:
● Sheetwise
● Work and Turn
● Work and Tumble
● Perfector
● Single-sided

Stock
The name of the stock resource that you assigned to this press
run
Binding styles 81

Media
The name of the media resource that you assigned to this press
run
Width, Height
The dimensions of the stock for this press run
Punch Distance

● If the media has a punch, specify the distance from the press
sheet edge to the punch center.

The punch is the hole on which the media can be anchored on

pins for accurate alignment (also referred to as setback).

Binding styles
The binding style determines the sequence in which job pages flow
through an imposition’s template pages. You can set a general default
binding style in the Preferences dialog box, optionally change the
default for a specific product or part, and assign binding styles to
individual product sections.
The following binding styles are available.
Perfect Bound

Content pages flow through the template pages in their run-list

sequence.

Saddle Stitched
An equal number of pages flow from the beginning and the end
of the run list through the sections, starting by default with the
largest section.
82 Chapter 4—Press runs

Come and Go
In a come-and-go job, the entire run list flows twice through the
same press runs, which are automatically divided into two
press-run sections. The template pages are numbered so that
the run list first flows through the first section in run-list
sequence, and through the second section in reverse sequence.
The resulting two identical books are perfect-bound together on
a common edge, and then cut apart.

Cut and Stack

This binding style lays out an entire book on one multisheet
press run with two (or more) template pages per sheet. The
necessary number of sheets are automatically generated to
accommodate the content, based on the number of pages in the
imposition grid and the total number of run-list pages. Starting
with the first sheet, the run list flows sequentially through the
first template page (front and back) on all the sheets. It then
starts again at the first sheet and flows through the next
template page, and so on.

Flat Work (no binding)

Select this binding style for products that are not bound, such
as posters, inserts, business cards, and leaflets.
Press-run section properties 83

Mixed binding styles

If a part’s product sections use multiple binding styles, the
Binding Style property is Mixed.

See also:
Creating a cut-and-stack press run on page 92
Creating come-and-go layouts on page 94

Press-run section properties

Select a section in the Products list or workspace to display its settings
in the Properties pane.
The Part Name, Part Type, and Binding Style are derived from the part
properties.
The ability to edit properties can also depend on whether you are
viewing a press-run section in the Press Runs view or a product section
in the Assembly view, and whether you create the imposition in the
section from a fold pattern or sheet-based imposition.
Part Name
Use or edit the default name.
Part Type
Can be Cover, Text, or Flat Work
Section
The number that determines the binding order of the product
sections. If the product sections are rearranged in the
workspace, the section numbers are automatically adjusted to
reflect the new sequence.
Lock
Select this check box to prevent this product section from being
rearranged within the assembly.
First Page Number
Determines the starting page and range of run-list pages that
will be printed in this section, based on its page count
Trim Size
The planned width and height of the printed product page, after
it is bound and trimmed. The default dimensions are defined on
the General tab in the Preferences dialog box.
84 Chapter 4—Press runs

Template Name
If a template was used to build this press run, displays the
template name. Otherwise, a default Untitled name is assigned,
with a number that increments for each existing Untitled
template in the Templates list. If you save the current job as a
template, the new name is displayed.
Page Count

The number of pages in this component

Fold Pattern
Select from the filtered list of fold patterns that match the
section page count, or click Browse for fold pattern to display
the Fold Pattern dialog box.
Binding Style
The style that determines the sequence in which the run-list
pages flow through the template pages on the press-run layouts
Reference Page
Applies only to sheet-based impositions that you create or add
from a template. Select the orientation of the section’s lower-
left page, which serves as the reference for the other pages in
this section.
Lay out additional page
Applies only to sheet-based impositions that you create or add
from a template. Select the orientation of the other pages in this
section, relative to each other, based on the reference page.

The following properties can be edited only in the Press Runs view:
Fold Flip
Select Yes to flip the fold pattern.
Fold Rotation

Set the degree of rotation relative to the sheet's grip edge.

Select one of the available rotations or select Optimize to allow
Preps to calculate the best fit.
Bind Edge
Experienced users can apply flip and rotate transformations to
change the orientation of the pages relative to the binding edge.
For more details, see the CIP4 Pagination Catalog, available at
http://www.cip4.org/.
Creating press-run layouts 85

Head Trim, Foot Trim, Face Trim, Spine, Front Lip, Back Lip
The applicable gutter or margin widths that will be trimmed
from the page edges. This applies only to impositions that are
based on a fold pattern and is editable after you select a Fold
Pattern.
In addition to setting individual trim margins, you can set a
spine width (for the backbone of a book cover) and lip widths
(for example, to create overfold edges on the front or back page
of the folded signature).
Planned Colors
Select or type the names of the colors that are planned for this
item.
Colors
Displays the actual content colors that are defined in the PDF
input files (not editable).
Note: Use the Pages view to check for discrepancies between planned
and actual colors.

Comments
Type a note that you or other operators can review and edit.

Creating press-run layouts

1. Using the Layouts Search tool
Use the Layouts Search tool to quickly find a suitable layout
resource for a press run.
2. Building press runs using template, fold pattern, or step-and-
repeat pattern resources
Use the Layouts Search tool to quickly find a suitable fold pattern
or template for creating a press-run layout. When you use fold
patterns, you can also change the default page and sheet sizes as
needed.
3. Using AutoSelect to generate press runs from a run list
Autoselecting a template or fold pattern imposes a product’s run
list by flowing its pages into the required number of autogenerated
press runs.
4. Multiple imposition sections on a press run
A press-run layout can contain multiple identical or unique
product sections to control placement of pages.
5. Creating an imposition without using a Layouts resource
When you do not use a fold pattern or template Layouts resource,
an imposition’s fold sequence is determined by the section binding
style and manual page numbering.
6. Creating a cut-and-stack press run
Use this method to print one entire book per digital press run. Each
press run consists of multiple sheets with the book pages imposed
86 Chapter 4—Press runs

multiple-up. The printed sheets are split into page blocks, which
are stacked to produce one correctly paginated product.
7. Multiweb layouts
You can create a web press run with any number of webs, and
then insert, delete, move, or copy webs as needed. The same zoom
level and relative focal point is maintained as you toggle between
the webs in the workspace.
8. Creating come-and-go layouts
Use this 2-up layout of different sections to produce two stacks of
identical books that require fewer plates and less makeready time,
compared to 2-up layouts of identical sections. Come-and-go jobs
are often printed on web presses and finished on 5-knife trimmers
that can cut out two books at once.

Using the Layouts Search tool

Use the Layouts Search tool to quickly find a suitable layout resource
for a press run.

1. On the Layouts pane, click the Search tool.

The search options that appear depend on whether you already
used this tool.
2. If no criteria selection list appears, click [+].
3. In the criteria selection list, choose Page Count, and specify how
many page positions are required in the layout.
This filters the lists in the Layouts pane.
4. Click [+] as needed to add criteria and narrow the search results.
You can specify:
○ Name
○ Page Count
○ Binding Style
○ Work Style
○ Page Size
○ Stock Size
○ Page Grid (horizontal: X, vertical: Y)
○ Section Count
○ Media

5. Review the filtered list of layouts.

Building press runs using template, fold pattern, or step-and-repeat pattern resources 87

6. If the results are not satisfactory, repeat the search with different
criteria. You can:
○ Change criteria selections.
○ Click [–] to remove criteria.
○ Click Reset to clear all your criteria selections, and start over
with new selections.

Next: Select and add the resource to a press run, and continue defining
the layout.

See also:
Customizing or creating a custom fold pattern resource on page 57
Customizing an existing fold pattern on page 57
Creating a custom fold pattern on page 59
Using an existing fold pattern with modified page numbering
on page 59
Using the Create Imposition method on page 60
Saving a job as a template on page 63

Building press runs using template, fold pattern, or step-and-repeat

pattern resources
Use the Layouts Search tool to quickly find a suitable fold pattern or
template for creating a press-run layout. When you use fold patterns,
you can also change the default page and sheet sizes as needed.
1. On the Layouts pane, click the Search tool.
The search options that appear depend on whether you already
used this tool.
2. If no criteria selection list appears, click [+].
3. In the criteria selection list, choose Page Count, and specify how
many page positions are required in the layout.
This filters the lists in the Layouts pane.
4. Click [+] as needed to add criteria and narrow the search results.
You can specify:
○ Name
○ Page Count
○ Binding Style
○ Work Style
○ Page Size
○ Stock Size
○ Page Grid (horizontal: X, vertical: Y)
88 Chapter 4—Press runs

○ Section Count
○ Media

5. Review the filtered list of layouts.

6. If the results are not satisfactory, repeat the search with different
criteria. You can:
○ Change criteria selections.
○ Click [–] to remove criteria.
○ Click Reset to clear all your criteria selections, and start over
with new selections.

7. Select a Templates or Fold Patterns layout, and drag it to the press

sheet.
○ If you select a fold pattern:
● The template pages are pre-numbered according to the fold
sequence.
● The page size is derived from the General tab on the
Preferences dialog box.
● The Properties pane displays the section’s properties,
including the fold pattern name.

○ If you select a template:

● The template pages are numbered by the template.
● The page size is derived from the template signature.
● The Properties pane displays the section’s properties,
including the template and template signature name.

○ And in either case:

● In the Press Runs List, the Section column for this press run
displays a sequentially assigned product and section number
for the new imposition, and the same information appears on
the new section’s pages in the workspace.
● In the Pages List, a run-list page position is created for each
imposition page position.
● The Products list includes a new section and section page
count.

8. In the Press Runs List, select the press run.

9. In the Properties pane, select the Auto Select Signature check box.
Using AutoSelect to generate press runs from a run list 89

10. Drag the customer’s PDF file from its folder location or the Files list
to the low-folio position of the imposition.
● The pages flow through the template pages in sequence.
● The required number of press runs and impositions is
automatically generated to accommodate the run-list pages,
which flow into position according to the template page
numbering.
● If you switch to the Pages view, you will see that the run list
contains the PDF file’s pages. It shows the file name and actual
color for each page, including any pages that are not yet placed.

11. In the workspace, check and adjust the layouts and trims as
needed.
If you used a fold pattern, you can edit individual head, foot, face,
spine, and lip trims. If you used a template, you can edit one gutter
to apply the same gutter width to every page in the page grid.
12. In the Marks list, select and double-click marks or a mark group to
add them to the currently selected press-run layout.
The mark name remains highlighted in the Marks list until you
delete or edit the placed instance of this mark.

See also:
Press Runs workspace on page 74

Using AutoSelect to generate press runs from a run list

Autoselecting a template or fold pattern imposes a product’s run list by
flowing its pages into the required number of autogenerated press
runs.
This method works best for products with standard page counts that
can be evenly divided into the autoselected page grid.
Autoselecting a template instead of a single page grid (fold pattern or
template signature) applies the template signatures that will print the
fewest possible pages.

1. In the Pages view, set up the product’s run list.

2. In the Layouts pane, select and right-click a template or fold
pattern.
3. Choose Auto Select.
The run-list pages flow into position in the generated press runs.
4. In the Press Runs view, check and adjust the results as needed.

See also:
Setting up a product run list on page 21
90 Chapter 4—Press runs

Multiple imposition sections on a press run

A press-run layout can contain multiple identical or unique product
sections to control placement of pages.
Identical sections can be used to print multiple deliveries of a product
or product section on the same press run, or you can organize an
imposition into multiple sections to flow the pages through different
press runs and still be able to collate them correctly.
You can use multiple imposition sections for a variety of purposes. For
example, use them to:
● Run a few color pages of a job on the same press sheet. You can use
normal collation marks and text marks to identify the sections,
without additional custom marks. You can restrict marks to print on
specific sections.
● Print two or more sections of a book product on a single sheetfed or
multiple-web press run as the content becomes available.
Identifying marks can be used to collate the parts and produce the
correct final page order.
● Print sections with different binding styles on the same press run.
● Break up a large printing job into press runs.
● Run the color sections in one press run, and run the black-and-white
sections in the other press runs.
● Print similar sections from different products on one press run.
● Print product sections out of order if some of the input files are not
yet available.
● Run a job on a very large sheetfed or web press run.
● On one press run, print multiple small sections that small folding
equipment can accommodate.
● Avoid problems by splitting sections when more folds are required
than can be accommodated by the paper or folding equipment, or
when media is difficult to fold.

Managing multiple sections

Each page is identified by a section number as well as a page number,
to define the page flow.
All sections on a press run respect shingling and marks, including press
sheet sluglines ($sig variable) and collation marks.
You can also renumber the sections and pages, including locked page
numbers, such as to reprint or replace pages in a completed job. Or, if
Creating an imposition without using a Layouts resource 91

you print selected sections for an incomplete product, the collation

marks might need to stay in the correct order.

Creating an imposition without using a Layouts resource

When you do not use a fold pattern or template Layouts resource, an
imposition’s fold sequence is determined by the section binding style
and manual page numbering.
Note: We use the term imposition to refer to a fold-based layout for bound
products.

You typically use this method when no available fold pattern or

template matches a product’s requirements for gutters, page
numbering, and page orientation.

1. Start a new job for an actual job or to set up a new template.

Optional: Set up a run list.
2. Select Job > New Sheet to start a new press run.
A new press run is added in the Press Runs List and displayed in
the workspace.
3. Change the stock and media selections, if needed.
4. Select Job > Create Imposition.
5. Define the imposition page grid by specifying the page size and the
number of horizontal and vertical pages.
The default page size is defined on the General tab in the
Preferences dialog box.
6. Define the number of sections needed for the Press Run.
7. Specify the page orientation for the reference page and other pages
in the grid.
Note: You can do this only if the Fold Pattern is None.
8. Click OK.
● The press run in the workspace contains the page grid that you
defined.
● The template pages are numbered according to the default
binding style.
● If the run list is already set up, the run-list pages flow
automatically through the template pages.

9. If the run list contains more pages to place, click the Duplicate
Sheet tool in the Press Runs List toolbar as often as needed to
place all the pages.
92 Chapter 4—Press runs

10. In the layout, select a press-run section to display, and select the
binding style and set other options as needed in the Properties
pane.
You can optionally double-click the section to display the Modify
Imposition dialog box.
11. In the layout, click and edit the gutter text boxes to set the face,
foot, and head trims, and drag a section or edit its margin text
boxes to reposition it on the press sheet.
Note: The same gutters and margins are applied to each duplicate of this
press run.
12. Number or renumber the template pages as needed:
a. In the workspace, click the Page Numbering tool.
In the layout, any page that is a suitable low-folio candidate is
highlighted.
b. Click a template page to designate it as the low folio for this
press-run section.
The back page is automatically numbered, and any page that is a
candidate for the next page number is highlighted.
c. Click pages in succession until all pages are numbered according
to the binding style and desired fold sequence.
The same numbering scheme is applied to each duplicate of this
press run, and the run-list pages now flow through the press-run
sections according to the new page numbering.
d. When you number for multiple sections, with the right button
mouse, select the section number from the drop-down menu.
Then number the pages for that section accordingly.
13. In the Marks list, select and double-click marks to add to the
layouts.
14. To save the layouts as a template, select File > Save As Template.

Creating a cut-and-stack press run

Use this method to print one entire book per digital press run. Each
press run consists of multiple sheets with the book pages imposed
multiple-up. The printed sheets are split into page blocks, which are
stacked to produce one correctly paginated product.

Note: Because a cut-and-stack press run is used for a single product, you do not
need to plan an assembly.
Multiweb layouts 93

1. In the Press Runs view, add the stock.

2. Select Job > Create Imposition.
3. Define the imposition page grid by specifying the page size and the
number of horizontal and vertical pages.
For example, you might use a 2-by-1 page grid if you are running
two A4-size pages on an ISO A3 press sheet (or two letter-size
pages on a tabloid ANSI B press sheet).
4. Number the pages using the Page Numbering tool.
5. In the Products list, select the product part.
6. In the Properties pane, set the required total page count for this
cut-and-stack product under Planned Page Count.
7. Click Generate Press Runs.
The necessary number of sheets are automatically generated to
accommodate the content, based on the number of pages in the
imposition grid and the total number of run-list pages. Starting with
the first sheet, the run list flows sequentially through the first
template page (front and back) on all the sheets. It then starts
again at the first sheet and flows through the next template page,
and so on.
8. Assign PDF pages by dragging the PDF to the imposition, or assign
them in the Pages view.

Multiweb layouts
You can create a web press run with any number of webs, and then
insert, delete, move, or copy webs as needed. The same zoom level and
relative focal point is maintained as you toggle between the webs in
the workspace.
Webs provide flexible options for working with sections:
● When you duplicate a web that contains an imposition section, the
imposition is duplicated, and the page numbering is auto-updated
across all the webs.
● You can also number or renumber the pages on each web
individually.
● The pages for one product section can be laid out across all the
webs in a press run.
● The printed press sheets that are cut from the web rolls can be
placed on top of each other and folded to form a single signature.
● Each web in a press run can be shared by multiple sections.
● For example, when three sections are laid out across two webs in a
press-run layout, the printed press sheets are cut from the web rolls
and cut again to split out the three sections. Each section results in
one signature.
94 Chapter 4—Press runs

Creating come-and-go layouts

Use this 2-up layout of different sections to produce two stacks of
identical books that require fewer plates and less makeready time,
compared to 2-up layouts of identical sections. Come-and-go jobs are
often printed on web presses and finished on 5-knife trimmers that can
cut out two books at once.

1. In the Pages view, set up the product run list with the required
number of PDF pages.
2. If you are using the Press Runs view (without using the Assembly
view):
a. Use the Search tool to specify Come and Go in the Binding Style
list.
The Templates list is filtered to display only come-and-go
templates.
b. Right-click a template and select AutoSelect.
3. If you are using the Assembly view, set up a product and part:
a. Set up the part with the same number of pages as the run list.
b. In the Binding Style list, select Come and Go.
c. Select the number of pages for the Largest Section to
automatically create the necessary number of sections.
d. Select the Press Type (Sheetfed or Web).
If you select Web, specify the number of webs.
e. Set other part properties as needed.
f. In the workspace, select all the sections.
You can drag a marquee around the sections, or select one
section, then press Command/Ctrl+A.
g. In the Properties pane, select a suitable Fold Pattern.
h. Set up other section properties as needed.
i. Click Generate Press Runs.
The imposition layouts are automatically generated, and the Press
Runs List contains as many webs or sheetfed press runs as needed
to accommodate the run-list pages.
Multiple product support with Come and Go 95

The printed signature from one sheet is flipped and stacked on the
signature from the other sheet, resulting in two complete books
that are still adjoined. One book is "coming" and the other is
"going".
The two books are then perfect-bound on a common edge, cut
apart, and trimmed.
See also:
Binding styles on page 81

Multiple product support with Come and Go

You can now combine two products with Come & Go sections.
The following is an example of creating two products with Come and
Go sections.
● Product(A):

● Product(B)

Select Come and Go With in the property pane of Product(A). When

you set Come and Go With as Product(B), the Come and Go sections
from Product(A)-Part2 and Product(B)-Part2 are combined. After you
generate the press runs, A2 and B4 are combined into one impositon
layout, A3 and B3 are combined into another imposition layout, and A4
96 Chapter 4—Press runs

and B2 are also combined into the other imposition layout. A1, B1 are
on their own independent imposition layout.
Note: To combine two products correctly, when generating the press runs, the
software checks if Product(A)-Part2 and Product(B)-Part2 have the same binding
style, page count, and section count. The software also checks if sections A2 and
A3 have the same trim size, the same fold pattern, and so on.

Managing press runs

1. Working with layout sides
In the Press Runs view, edit or check both sides of a sheet or web
that uses a two-sided work style.
2. Manually adding press runs
You can create a new press run in the Press Runs List by inserting
an empty sheet or web before adding the layout, or by duplicating
or copying a press run after completing its layout.
3. Adding or replacing a press run’s stock or media
Add or change the sheet and media size for a press run at any
stage of a job.
4. Adding marks to a press-run layout
When you add a mark to a press run, it is anchored and positioned
automatically according to its defined properties.

Working with layout sides

In the Press Runs view, edit or check both sides of a sheet or web that
uses a two-sided work style.

Choose a task:
○ To preview a specific surface in the workspace, expand the
press run in the Press Runs List, and select the front or back of a
sheet, or the top or bottom of a web.
○ To view the next web in the current press run, select it in the
drop list at the top-right corner of the workspace.
○ To access the other side of the currently displayed layout for
editing, click the Flip tool.
Manually adding press runs 97

○ To check back-to-front layout alignment as if using a light table,

use the Transparency slider tool.
○ To auto-number the pages on the back of a press sheet or
bottom of a web, number the front pages.

Manually adding press runs

You can create a new press run in the Press Runs List by inserting an
empty sheet or web before adding the layout, or by duplicating or
copying a press run after completing its layout.
Choose a method:
○ To insert an empty press run that uses the default stock, select
Job > New Sheet, or press Alt+click the Duplicate Sheet tool in
the Press Runs List toolbar.
○ To insert a new press run that contains the same layout as the
currently selected press run, without content, click the
Duplicate Sheet tool in the Press Runs List toolbar, or select Job
> Duplicate Sheet.
○ To insert an exact copy of the currently selected press run, with
content, select Edit > Copy and then Edit > Paste. The new
press run contains copies of the layout’s content and template
pages.
○ To add a web that duplicates the currently selected web or
sheet, select Job > Web > Insert New Web, or right-click the
Duplicate Sheet tool in the Press Runs List toolbar. Adding a
web to a sheetfed press run converts it to a web press run.

A new press run is inserted in sequence after the selected press

run, and its first sheet side appears in the workspace.

Adding or replacing a press run’s stock or media

Add or change the sheet and media size for a press run at any stage of
a job.
Follow these steps to manually start up a new press run, or to change a
press run’s resources after creating a layout using any of the available
methods. New press runs appear with the default stock.
1. Select the press run in the Press Runs List, or insert a new press
run.
You can change the stock and add a media as needed.
2. In the Press Runs List, select the press run.
3. To specify the plate size, double-click an item in the Media list.
A scaled gray rectangle appears in the workspace.
98 Chapter 4—Press runs

Note: If you do not select a media now, you can select it when you print the
output.
4. To specify the press-sheet size, double-click an item in the Stock
list.
A scaled white rectangle appears in the workspace.
Note: If you add a media and a stock, the stock rectangle snaps onto the
media’s defined punch location.

See also:
About the lists in the Resources pane on page 55

Adding marks to a press-run layout

When you add a mark to a press run, it is anchored and positioned
automatically according to its defined properties.

In the Marks list, select and double-click marks to add them to the
currently selected press-run layout.
You can add individual marks, mark groups, and selected marks
from within a group to a press-run layout.

The job file references any mark files that it uses. However, if you edit
or move a placed mark so that its properties no longer match a stored
SMK file, the mark data is embedded and stored in the job file.

Ganging
A ganged layout consists of independently positioned pages on a press
sheet. You can rotate, scale, align, group, and step-and-repeat the
pages, and edit the margins and gaps directly in the workspace or in
the Properties pane. Ganged layouts can be manually generated, or
you can use the AutoGang feature.
1. Ganged flat-work layouts
You can arrange independent pages to create ganged layouts that
make effective use of the press runs.
2. Manually creating a ganged layout
Ganged pages have no dependency on adjacent pages, and you
have full control over their positioning.
3. Step-and-repeat layouts
Use step-and-repeat to quickly fill an area with copies of a page,
section, or placeholder. The objects are automatically grouped,
and function as a single object that can be ungrouped. You can
step-and-repeat a page or section by dragging it across an area.
The properties will be updated in the S&R Properties pane.
4. Working with ganged page groups
Ganged page groups are treated as single objects.
5. Setting gutters between ganged page rows
Ganged flat-work layouts 99

6. Removing a ganged page from a press run

Ganged flat-work layouts

You can arrange independent pages to create ganged layouts that
make effective use of the press runs.
Mixed-size, flat-work products can be ganged on the same press run:

You can step-and-repeat a page to fill a selected area on the press

sheet with duplicates, which is useful for jobs such as business cards.

For nested work, you overlap pages, typically for press sheets that are
being finished with die-cutting. The input files require transparent
backgrounds.
100 Chapter 4—Press runs

You can completely overlay independent pages, resulting in what is

traditionally called a double burn. The final imposed page combines
two or more images, depending on how many pages you overlay.
This technique is useful for products that use the same content on
each page plus additional or changing information.
Depending on the intended use, the input files of the overlaying pages
might require transparent backgrounds.

Manually creating a ganged layout

Ganged pages have no dependency on adjacent pages, and you have
full control over their positioning.
Requirements: On the General tab in the Preferences dialog box, select
a snap option for placing pages.
Note: For gang-only jobs, you add the PDF file pages to the Files list and then work
directly in the Press Runs view. You do not set up a Pages List.

1. Select the pages using any of these methods:

○ In the Files list, select a PDF file or file placeholder.
Note: If the content files are not yet available, select Job > Add File
Placeholder to add the required number of placeholder pages to the Files
list.
○ In the Files list, expand a multi-page file to view its list of pages.
Select a single page, or press Shift+click to select multiple pages.
○ Select a PDF file from an accessible folder in the file directory.

2. For manual ganging, drag the selected pages to a position on the

press sheet.
● If you drag the pages to an empty area, the pages cascade onto
the sheet, and you can arrange them.
● If you drag a page to a position near an existing page on the
sheet, it snaps into the default snap position that is defined in
the Preferences dialog box.
● If you drag the selected pages onto a template page, the first
page is assigned to the template page position, and any
additional new content pages flow through the available
template pages in sequence.
Note: Any existing content on the affected template pages is replaced.

3. In the Marks list, select and double-click marks to add to the

layouts.
4. Select File > Save to save the job.
Step-and-repeat layouts 101

Step-and-repeat layouts
Use step-and-repeat to quickly fill an area with copies of a page,
section, or placeholder. The objects are automatically grouped, and
function as a single object that can be ungrouped. You can step-and-
repeat a page or section by dragging it across an area. The properties
will be updated in the S&R Properties pane.
To create a step-and-repeat group, use the Step & Repeat tool, or
apply advanced settings in a dialog box. To create a new placeholder
element, click the down arrow next to the Step & Repeat tool. You can
save patterns to the step-and-repeat pattern folder that is accessible
from the Layout pane, and you can define placeholders and sections for
different step-and-repeat patterns for packaging label and flexible bag
printers.
● When you click the Step & Repeat tool, the Properties pane
appears. Artwork is assigned to a step-and-repeat pattern by
dragging a PDF file to different "hot corners" of the placeholder to
fill a single position, row, or column, or to fill the whole step-and-
repeat pattern.
● Use the Duplicate dialog box when you need to create a step-and-
repeat group with particular requirements.
For example, you can choose to fill the press sheet with as many
repeated objects that will fit, and whether to flow around existing
objects or marks.

You can define default values for Step-and-Repeat settings in

Preferences. Click the Step & Repeat tab, and enter default values for:
● Name
● Arrange Pages: trim to trim, bleed to bleed, gutters, distance
● Placeholder size and position

Step-and-repeat properties
When you select a step-and-repeat tool, the available properties to
define or edit your pattern are displayed in the Step & Repeat
Properties pane. As you make changes to the properties, the changes
are automatically applied to the Press Runs view.

Name
The default step-and-repeat name is displayed. You can rename
the step-and-repeat pattern.
102 Chapter 4—Press runs

Step & Repeat Element

The option that appears depends on the action you have taken.
You can select or update the element from the drop-down
menu:
● File—a list of the available files and their pages; <filename>,
<page number>, <pdf>
● Section—a list of the available intent sections; <product>,
<section number>
● Placeholder

Size
The size of the step-and-repeat element is shown in width and
height.
Repeat
The repeat of the step-and-repeat pattern, as defined by the
number of rows and columns
Arrange Pages

● Trim to trim—the pages are placed from trim edge to trim

edge
● Bleed to bleed—the pages are placed from bleed edge to
bleed edge
● Gutters—lets you define the horizontal and vertical gaps
between the pages
● Distance—lets you define the horizontal and vertical offset
parameters

Stagger Type

● None
● Staircase up
● Staircase down
● Castletop - 1st lane up
● Castletop - 1st lane down

Stagger Amount
You can define the offset (or stagger amount) by selecting a
fraction of the page height or by entering custom value.
Working with ganged page groups 103

● Default
● 1/4
● 1/3
● 1/2
● Custom—lets you define the required amount

Save As
An option that lets you save a pattern for reuse. Completing the
dialog will save the pattern to your Step & Repeat patterns in
Resources > Layout.

Working with ganged page groups

Ganged page groups are treated as single objects.
Requirements: Use these tasks to organize ganged pages into groups
after adding them to a press run.

Choose a task:
Group selected pages in their current position Drag a marquee to select the pages, and click the
Group tool.
Group selected pages and apply uniform gutters a. Select a reference page for the group.
b. Optional: Lock the page to its position on the
sheet, in the template page properties.
c. Drag a marquee to select the pages.
d. Edit the reference page gutter text boxes.
e. Click the Group tool.

The same gutters are applied throughout the group.

Break a group apart Select the group and click the Ungroup tool.
Step-and-repeat a selected page or group Choose a method:
● Basic: With the page selected, click the Step &
Repeat tool, select how the repeated pages are
to be separated, and drag the page to the
opposite corner or side of the area.
● Advanced: Select Edit > Duplicate, and set the
options that appear.
104 Chapter 4—Press runs

Replace a content page within a group Drag the new content page to the target page
position, and release the mouse when the recycle
symbol appears. All same-numbered template pages
are updated with the new content.
To replace one content page without updating all the
other same-numbered pages, use Option/Alt + drag.
Edit gutters in a selected group a. Click the Ungroup tool.
b. While the ungrouped pages remain selected, edit
one page’s gutter text boxes. The same gutters
are applied throughout the group.
c. Click the Group tool to regroup the pages.

Access the properties of all pages in a group Select the group, and in the Properties or
workspace, make any required edits. Unedited
settings for individual pages are not affected.
Rotate a page group Select the page and click Rotate. Rotating a group
rotates the entire group as if it were one object:

Rotate one page in a group a. Ungroup the pages.

b. Click elsewhere so that the pages are no longer
selected.
If you apply rotation while all the pages are
selected, page overlap will result:

c. Select the page, then click Rotate.

d. Edit the gutters if necessary.
e. Regroup the pages.

View the dimensions of a group Select View > Show Page Sizes, and select the
group.
View the page counts of groups Select View > Show Group Count.

A dashed line forms a blue rectangle around grouped pages.

Setting gutters between ganged page rows 105

Setting gutters between ganged page rows

1. Select a page to use as the reference for the pages for which you
want to set common gutters.
2. Optional: Lock the page into position.
3. Drag a marquee around all of the pages that you want to arrange in
a uniform layout, including the page that you will use as reference.
4. To set the vertical and horizontal gutters for all of the selected
pages, edit the reference page’s gutter text boxes.
For example, if you are using the lower-left page as the reference,
you will edit its top and right gutters.

See also:
Layout dimensions in the workspace on page 78

Removing a ganged page from a press run

○ To remove a content page with its template page, select the content
page and press Delete.
○ To remove a template page that has no content, select the template
page and press Delete.
○ To remove a content page without removing its template page, use
Command/Ctrl + Delete.

Note: Removing a template page that has content on the other side, also removes
both content pages from the layout.
106 Chapter 4—Press runs
5 Assembly

The Assembly view gives experienced prepress operators or planners a

visual and efficient way of planning a complex product’s sections before
creating the press runs. You can define or edit product intent, compare
your settings with any JDF-specified values, and use drag-and-drop or
manual editing to make adjustments.
1. Product intent and assembly planning
Start a product assembly by entering the available product intent
that describes the customer’s product requirements, or by opening
a JDF file that pre-populates this information.
2. Preparing a job assembly
You typically start planning a new product assembly when you
receive the job ticket from an estimator or the MIS.
3. Assembly view reference
As you define and edit an assembly’s properties in the Product
Intent dialog box, Assembly workspace, Properties pane, and
Products list, the corresponding settings are updated in all of these
areas.

Product intent and assembly planning

Start a product assembly by entering the available product intent that
describes the customer’s product requirements, or by opening a JDF file
that pre-populates this information.

The Assembly view provides access to all the information and settings
that you need for planning a job’s product assemblies:
Use this: To view or edit this:
Product Intent dialog box The job information and product intent
for the first product in a job
Assembly workspace The assembly of each product’s parts
and sections in graphic or list format,
with visual indicators for items that
require your input
Products list The basic structural components, with
visual indicators for items that need to
be added to a press run
108 Chapter 5—Assembly

Use this: To view or edit this:

Properties pane The detailed settings for a selected
item, with visual indicators for settings
that require your input. For JDF-based
jobs, you can expand this pane to
compare your settings with the original
JDF requirements.

You can also access product intent from other views:

● In all views, you can view the basic structural components in the
Products list.
● In the Press Runs view, you can edit any of the press-run section
properties that are linked to the corresponding product section’s
intent, such as the stock, fold pattern, or colors.

Notes:
● Other details that you add in the Press Runs view, such as marks and content
page adjustments, have no relationship with product intent.
● To make significant structural changes, such as increasing or decreasing a
product’s total page count, you must edit the product assembly.
● For basic jobs that do not consist of multiple products, parts, or binding styles,
you can ignore product intent and work entirely in the Press Runs view, using
Pages view when needed.
● If you reopen a job that was created in an older version of the software that did
not support multiple products and parts per job, then that entire job is treated
as a single product with a single part.

Product parts
You can plan the following part types for a product assembly:
● Cover: The outermost part of a bound product. You typically choose
a standard fold pattern for covers, depending on the binding type.
● Text: The body part of a bound product, consisting of sections that
will be perfect-bound or saddle-stitched along the spine
● Flat work: A single-section part that consists of only one front and
(for two-sided work) one back template page, with no anticipated
folding or binding.

Preparing a job assembly

You typically start planning a new product assembly when you receive
the job ticket from an estimator or the MIS.
1. Adding a product via the Products pane
Adding a product via the Products pane 109

From the Press Runs or Assembly view, you can use the Products
pane to quickly add products and parts for new jobs or in-progress
assembly jobs.
2. Starting an assembly job with product intent
Set up the assembly for the first product in a multi-product job by
entering the available intent details in a single dialog box.
3. Managing product assemblies
Based on the product intent and the bindery’s requirements for a
product, organize the product assembly in the Assembly
workspace.
4. Using drag and drop to edit an assembly
You can edit the binding styles and section sequence using your
drag and drop.
5. Generating an assembly’s press-run layouts
After defining a product assembly, you can trigger automatic
generation of the press-run layouts.

Note: Access to the Assembly view and the Products list is license-dependent.
This also applies to the corresponding ability to work with multiple products,
parts, and binding styles in a job.

Adding a product via the Products pane

From the Press Runs or Assembly view, you can use the Products pane
to quickly add products and parts for new jobs or in-progress assembly
jobs.
New jobs always contain one default product.

1. In the Products list, right-click a product, and select New Product.

2. Select the new product that appears in the list.
The Properties pane displays the settings for this item.
3. Switch to the Properties pane to define the details:
a. Rename the product, as needed.
b. Specify the Product Type: Commercial Print or Packaging.
c. Provide values for other properties, as required.
4. In the Products list, right-click the product and select New Part.
5. Select the new part that appears in the list.
The Properties pane displays the settings for this item.
6. In the Properties pane, define the details:
a. Rename the part (as needed).
b. Select its Part Type.
c. Specify the total Planned Page/Artwork Count.
110 Chapter 5—Assembly

d. Specify the number of pages that are to be in its Largest Section.

(The Largest Section will only appear in commercial print
products.)
e. Provide values for the other properties (as required).
The part name in the Products list is updated to show the page
count, and the part now contains its list of sections.
7. Repeat as needed, to add parts and products.

Starting an assembly job with product intent

Set up the assembly for the first product in a multi-product job by
entering the available intent details in a single dialog box.
Requirements: This procedure assumes that the necessary resources
are already configured.
Product intent information is shared between the Product Intent dialog
box, the Products pane, the Assembly workspace, and the Properties
pane for a selected product component.
Note: Only one job can be open at a time.

1. Select File > New Job With Product Intent.

2. In the Product Intent dialog box, provide the product details, and
select the Product Type: Commercial Print or Packaging. Make
selections, as needed, from the menus.
3. (Optional) In the Comments box, type a reminder that you (or
other operators) can review and edit in the Properties pane for this
item.
4. On the Parts Intent pane, define the part assembly requirements
for each part in this product:
a. To add a part, click [+].
A new expanded tab of blank properties appears, labeled with
the default name for the part.
b. Rename the part, select its Part Type, specify its Planned Page/
Artwork Count, and provide values for the other properties.
(After you close this dialog box, you can edit or provide missing
values using the Properties pane.)
c. Repeat as needed to define all the parts for the product.
You can click the tabs in the Parts Intent pane to toggle
between multiple parts.
5. When you finish defining the product parts, click OK to close the
dialog box.
6. If additional products are required for this job, select File > Add
New Product Intent, and repeat the steps above (as needed).
Managing product assemblies 111

7. If you need to define more parts after you close the Product Intent
dialog box, you can click [+] in the Parts area of the product’s
Properties pane.

The product structure appears in the Products list and workspace.

Next:
You can continue to refine the assembly, until you are ready to
generate the press runs.

Managing product assemblies

Based on the product intent and the bindery’s requirements for a
product, organize the product assembly in the Assembly workspace.
Requirements: You already defined the intent for one product and now
need to make changes.

Choose your tasks:

Note: Although there are typically multiple ways to perform a task, this table
describes only one way of performing each task. For example, you can
manipulate an object in the workspace or edit its settings in the Properties
pane to immediately update both.
112 Chapter 5—Assembly

Task Description

Edit product section properties In the workspace, select the product section, and in the Properties
pane, edit its settings as needed.
Edit part properties In the Products list, select the product, and in the Properties pane,
rename it and edit its settings as needed.
Rearrange and renumber sections In the workspace, drag the sections into the desired sequence.
Change a section’s binding style in In the workspace, drag a section to visually change its binding
relation to other sections in a part relationship to another section in the part.
● For perfect binding, drop one section directly under or above,
and left-align with another section so that they appear stacked.
● For saddle-stitched binding, drop one section at the right side of
another section, so that a connecting line indicates a nested
relationship.

Combine sections into a single In the workspace, drag one section directly onto another section.
section
Add sections and pages to a part In the Products list, click the part, and in the Properties pane, edit
its page count. The required number of additional sections appear
in the workspace and in the Products list, based on the part’s
default binding style and largest section size.
Edit a product’s page count In the Products list, click the product, and in the Properties pane,
edit its page count. Sections are automatically added or removed as
needed, that you can adjust as needed.
Add parts to a product In the Products list, click the product, and in the Properties pane in
the Parts area, click [+] to add parts to the list. Double-click a part
in the list to display its settings.
Split a section
a. In the workspace, select the section, and click the Split
Section tool.
b. Specify the number of sections to create from the selected
section, and click [+].
A list appears with the sections and page counts that can be
created to total the original page count.
When all pages are accounted for, a running tally indicates that
zero pages remain to be placed.
c. If you prefer to split the section differently, edit the results by
overtyping the page counts for each section. You can type a
page count into the extra placeholder to increase the number of
sections in the split.
d. When you are satisfied with the distribution of the pages, click
OK.
The new sections appear in the workspace, replacing the
original section.
Using drag and drop to edit an assembly 113

Task Description
e. Drag the sections as needed to define the sequence and binding
styles.

Delete a part or section In the Products list or workspace, click the part or section, and
press Delete. To avoid an error condition, also edit the product’s
page count.
Add a product Select File > Add New Product Intent, and provide the details.
Edit a product’s properties Edit a product's initial properties using the Product Intent dialog
box. This sets the default values for any parts and sections that you
might later add.
To edit an existing product, select the product in the Products list
to display its settings in the Properties pane.
After you close the Product Intent dialog box, you can edit only the
the product name, job ID, customer name, due date, and
comments, and you can add and delete parts. The remaining values
are read-only and reflect the sum total of the parts and sections.

The section properties and page ranges are automatically updated in

all applicable panes when you change the section binding styles, page
counts, and sequential position within the part.

Using drag and drop to edit an assembly

You can edit the binding styles and section sequence using your drag
and drop.
Requirements: Define the product intent, and view it in the Assembly
workspace.

In the Assembly view, choose a task:

● Change the section sequence or binding type.
As you drag, a guideline and wireframe section box indicates the
nearest drop point. For example, drag a saddle-stitched section
to the left to convert it to a perfect-bound section:

● Create a part with mixed binding styles.

In this example, one section is saddle-stitched to another, and
the resulting booklet is perfect bound to the third section.
114 Chapter 5—Assembly

The Binding Style in the Properties pane for section 1 will

display a value of Mixed, and the page range is dynamically
updated.
● Combine two sections and their page counts.
Dragging a section onto another section creates one merged
section—drop the dragged section when the target section
becomes highlighted:

The section properties and page ranges are automatically updated in

all applicable panes when you change the section binding styles, page
counts, and sequential position within the part.

Generating an assembly’s press-run layouts

After defining a product assembly, you can trigger automatic
generation of the press-run layouts.

1. In the Assembly view, ensure that the product is fully defined and
that the product sections have a fold pattern selected. (You can
also select the sections from the Products pane.)
Note: If it is only partially defined, do not use this procedure. Instead, you can
manually finish defining its parts and sections and creating the press-run
layouts in the Press Runs view.
2. Select the product in the workspace or Products list.
Note: In Preps software, version 7.0, you can set the Work Style, placement
position of the imposition, and the horizontal or vertical gaps before you click
Generate Press Runs.
3. Click Generate Press Runs.
If the press-run layouts are successfully generated, the view
switches to the Press Runs view. If they fail to be generated, you
can edit the settings and try again, or switch to Press Runs view
and manually complete the job.
Assembly view reference 115

Next: In the Press Runs view, check and adjust the generated press-run
layouts and trims as needed, and print the output.

Assembly view reference

As you define and edit an assembly’s properties in the Product Intent
dialog box, Assembly workspace, Properties pane, and Products list,
the corresponding settings are updated in all of these areas.
1. Products list
The Products list maintains a summary of the job’s products, parts,
and sections. You can select a component to display its settings in
the Properties pane. When manually building press runs, you can
drag the product sections from this pane to create press-run
sections.
2. Assembly workspace
In the Assembly workspace, you can toggle your view of each
product’s assembly between a graphical format and a compact list
format. You can drag sections to rearrange or merge them or to
change their binding styles.
3. Product properties (assembly intent)
4. Part properties (assembly intent)
5. Product section properties

Products list
The Products list maintains a summary of the job’s products, parts, and
sections. You can select a component to display its settings in the
Properties pane. When manually building press runs, you can drag the
product sections from this pane to create press-run sections.
Note: You can right-click any item in the Products list to access a context menu
for adding products and parts.

Product and part details

Collapse and expand your view of products as needed. The
following information about each product is displayed and
updated as you make changes:
● Product: Color-coding, name, planned page count
● Part: Color coding, name, page count
● Sections: Color coding, number, section page count

Assembly workspace
In the Assembly workspace, you can toggle your view of each
product’s assembly between a graphical format and a compact list
116 Chapter 5—Assembly

format. You can drag sections to rearrange or merge them or to change

their binding styles.

Split Section tool

This tool displays the Split dialog box. Specify the number
of sections to create from the selected section, and click [+].
Pan

Drag your view of the workspace.

Toggle product view

or Switch between viewing a product in a graphical

format or a compact list format.

Color coding
A unique color code identifies the corresponding products in
the Products list and the Assembly workspace.
Product and part details
Collapse and expand your view of products as needed. The
following information about each product is displayed and
updated as you make changes:
● Product: Color-coding, name, planned page count, page size
● Part: Color coding, name, page count, planned colors, page
range
● Sections: Color coding, number, part name, section page
count, planned colors, page range

Visual information
The arrangement of the sections indicates the binding type:

Saddle-stitched sections:

In list format, smaller icons are used:

Perfect-bound sections:
Product properties (assembly intent) 117

Generate Press Runs

The required number of press runs and impositions is
automatically generated, and the run-list pages flow into
position according to the template page numbering.

Product properties (assembly intent)

Product Name
Use or edit the default name.
Job ID
(Optional) Blank by default; accepts alphabetic characters and
numbers
Due Date
This information is currently for your reference only.
Planned Page Count
The product page count, which is initially specified in the
product intent, can be updated only by changing the part page
counts.
Binding Style
Determines the sequence in which content pages flow through
the template pages on the press-run layouts:
● Flat Work (no binding)
● Perfect Bound
● Saddle Stitched
● Come and Go
● Cut and Stack
● Mixed (more than one binding style)

Planned Colors
Select a predefined common color resource, or type a new
descriptor as a placeholder for the actual color.
Comments
Type a note that you or other operators can review and edit.

Parts
Click [+] to add as many parts as needed, which derive their
default properties from the product.
To display a part and its properties, double-click the part name.
118 Chapter 5—Assembly

Generate Press Runs

The required number of press runs and impositions is
automatically generated, and the run-list pages flow into
position according to the template page numbering.

Part properties (assembly intent)

Part Name
Use or edit the default name.
Part Type
Can be Cover, Text, or Flat Work
Planned Page Count
The number of pages that you expect this part to contain
Trim Size
The planned width and height of the printed product page, after
it is bound and trimmed. The default dimensions are defined on
the General tab in the Preferences dialog box.
Binding Style
Determines the sequence in which content pages flow through
the template pages on the press-run layouts:
● Flat Work (no binding)
● Perfect Bound
● Saddle Stitched
● Come and Go
● Cut and Stack
● Mixed (more than one binding style)

Largest Section
The highest number of pages that will be in the page grid of the
largest section. This value filters the fold pattern list and
determines the product sections that are created, based on the
part’s page count.
Planned Colors
Select a predefined common color resource, or type a new
descriptor as a placeholder for the actual color.
Product section properties 119

Stock
When you select a stock resource from this list, its defined
press-sheet dimensions are also displayed.

Product section properties

Select a section in the Products list or workspace to display its settings
in the Properties pane.
The Part Name, Part Type, and Binding Style are derived from the part
properties.
The ability to edit properties can also depend on whether you are
viewing a press-run section in the Press Runs view or a product section
in the Assembly view, and whether you create the imposition in the
section from a fold pattern or sheet-based imposition.
Part Name
Use or edit the default name.
Part Type
Can be Cover, Text, or Flat Work
Section
The number that determines the binding order of the product
sections. If the product sections are rearranged in the
workspace, the section numbers are automatically adjusted to
reflect the new sequence.
Lock
Select this check box to prevent this product section from being
rearranged within the assembly.
First Page Number
Determines the starting page and range of run-list pages that
will be printed in this section, based on its page count
Trim Size
The planned width and height of the printed product page, after
it is bound and trimmed. The default dimensions are defined on
the General tab in the Preferences dialog box.
Template Name
If a template was used to build this press run, displays the
template name. Otherwise, a default Untitled name is assigned,
with a number that increments for each existing Untitled
template in the Templates list. If you save the current job as a
template, the new name is displayed.
120 Chapter 5—Assembly

Page Count

The number of pages in this component

Fold Pattern
Select from the filtered list of fold patterns that match the
section page count, or click Browse for fold pattern to display
the Fold Pattern dialog box.
Binding Style
The style that determines the sequence in which the run-list
pages flow through the template pages on the press-run layouts
Reference Page
Applies only to sheet-based impositions that you create or add
from a template. Select the orientation of the section’s lower-
left page, which serves as the reference for the other pages in
this section.
Lay out additional page
Applies only to sheet-based impositions that you create or add
from a template. Select the orientation of the other pages in this
section, relative to each other, based on the reference page.

The following properties can be edited only in the Press Runs view:
Fold Flip
Select Yes to flip the fold pattern.
Fold Rotation

Set the degree of rotation relative to the sheet's grip edge.

Select one of the available rotations or select Optimize to allow
Preps to calculate the best fit.
Bind Edge
Experienced users can apply flip and rotate transformations to
change the orientation of the pages relative to the binding edge.
For more details, see the CIP4 Pagination Catalog, available at
http://www.cip4.org/.
Head Trim, Foot Trim, Face Trim, Spine, Front Lip, Back Lip
The applicable gutter or margin widths that will be trimmed
from the page edges. This applies only to impositions that are
based on a fold pattern and is editable after you select a Fold
Pattern.
In addition to setting individual trim margins, you can set a
spine width (for the backbone of a book cover) and lip widths
Assembly view reference 121

(for example, to create overfold edges on the front or back page

of the folded signature).
Planned Colors
Select or type the names of the colors that are planned for this
item.
Colors
Displays the actual content colors that are defined in the PDF
input files (not editable).
Note: Use the Pages view to check for discrepancies between planned
and actual colors.

Comments
Type a note that you or other operators can review and edit.
122 Chapter 5—Assembly
6 Output printing

When you print a job, you generate the output files that contain the
job's layout and imaging data, or you can print directly to a connected
device. A job’s output can target multiple media resources and can be
split by component type.
1. Basic steps for printing the output
When you print the output, you provide basic information, such as
the print range. You can also set up advanced options for color
mapping and web growth compensation.
2. Printing job layout reports
You can print layout mockups and press-run summaries in a report
to use as a reference, or provide to another operator.
3. Output Preferences
The output settings that are defined in the currently loaded profile
are applied by default when you print a job.
4. Common Print options
5. General Print options
Use the General tab in the Print dialog box to set up the basic
output requirements.
6. Color separations setup
After enabling color mapping on the Print General tab, define the
ink colors for each plate on the Color Separations tab. For example,
you can map a spot color to print on its process equivalent plates
or another spot color.
7. Web growth
Web growth occurs when large rolls of thin or lower quality paper,
such as newsprint, run through the color units of a web press. Use
the Print Web Growth tab to compensate by scaling the color
separations.

See also:
Creating and using tile sets on page 143

Basic steps for printing the output

When you print the output, you provide basic information, such as the
print range. You can also set up advanced options for color mapping
and web growth compensation.

1. (Optional) In the Preferences dialog box, load a suitable profile or

set options as needed on the Output tab.
You can set default values for:
124 Chapter 6—Output printing

● Output type (Printer, PDF, PS, JDF, PJTF, or PPF)

● CIP3/PPF (Generate multi-page cut blocks, CIP3 units)
● JDF (Include JDF folding data, Include HTML file with JDF
output for WST equipment setup)
● PDF (Split File Name)
● Display punch mark
● Print side center marks
● Ignore split file output errors
● Print crop marks for bleed bounds
● Auto rotate for best fit
● Center image on media
● Output PS marks flats for PJTF/JDF
● Scale shingled pages (Proportionally or Anamorphically)
● Shingle crop marks
● Remove crop marks when exceeding the center of gutters
● Skip device warning

2. Select File > Print.

3. In the Send to list in the Print dialog box, select the output file type
or Printer.
4. Accept or change the Media.
Any change that you make to the media selection applies to the
entire output.
5. Set up other print options on the dialog box tabs as needed.
6. Click Print.
7. If you are printing divided output and the Print File ID dialog box
appears, type an identifier to include in each file name, and click
OK.
8. If printing to file, specify a file name and folder location for the
output.
If you generate divided output for media configurations that are set
up with divided output paths, the files are placed in those folders
and you cannot redirect the output.
Printing job layout reports 125

Printing job layout reports

You can print layout mockups and press-run summaries in a report to
use as a reference, or provide to another operator.

1. Select File > Print Job Layout Report, or use the keyboard shortcut
SHIFT + CMD/CTRL + P.
Note: The sheet diagram shows the layout dimensions including gutters, such
as head trim, foot trim, face trim, spine, and lip values (as applicable).

2. In the Send to list, select the output type (typically PDF or Printer).
3. In the Job Report Media list, select the media size.
Note: Selecting Generic PostScript Printer applies the printer’s default page
size.
4. Click Print.

The report includes a mock-up of and details about each press run,
including press run ID and sheet or web number, sheet size and
utilization, run length, and color separation names.

See also:
Job Report Preferences on page 196

Output Preferences
The output settings that are defined in the currently loaded profile are
applied by default when you print a job.
Use a custom profile to store and load specific print settings that you
define on the Output tab in the Preferences dialog box.
In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences > Output.
In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences > Output.

Defaults
Default Output Type

● Printer: Prints to the printer that is selected in the

Connection dialog box. Divided output is not available.
● PDF: Generates one or more PDF output files
● PS: Generates one or more PostScript files
● JDF: Generates a Job Definition Format file
126 Chapter 6—Output printing

● PJTF: Generates an Adobe Job Ticket file for workflows that

require Portable Job Ticket Format job data
● PPF: Generates one Print Production Format cutting-data file
per press sheet

CIP3/PPF
Generate multipage cut blocks
Selecting this check box configures the cutting data in the PPF
output to correctly handle adjoining cut blocks for perfect-
bound and saddle-stitched impositions.

CIP3 units
Select the measurement unit that is required by the cutting
equipment.

Enable PPF Output

When a PPF output path is set in Preferences > Folders, the
Enable PPF Output setting enables automatic PPF output when
the imposition is printed.

JDF
Include JDF folding data
Forwards the CIP4 folding data that is received in a qualified
MIS JDF job file, for the setup of CIP4-compliant folding
equipment
Include HTML file with JDF output for WST equipment setup

For automation of Wafer Systems Technology (WST)

equipment only. Select this check box to add HTML postpress
information to a JDFMarksFlats subfolder in the output folder.
Notes:
● The job notes must include <JobID> and <JobName> values.
● The Output PS marks flats for PJTF/JDF preference must be
enabled.
● The press-run layouts must include WST bar code marks (PDF for
working on the layouts, PS for output).
Output Preferences 127

PDF
Split File Name
Generates divided output file names according to the format
that you specify. You can include literal text and file-name
variables.
● Use {} curly brackets to enclose the variable name followed by its
limits, which are enclosed in angle brackets (< >). The variable
names must not contain spaces, although any spaces that exist in
the substituted value or any literal text are maintained.
● Use angle brackets (< >) to indicate how many characters will
represent the value. For example, <3> uses 3 characters, so a value
of "2" will appear as 002.
● Use square brackets ([ ]) to enclose any text that is to appear “as
is”.

The following list of available variables shows the maximum number of

software characters (in the angle brackets) that you can edit.
● Up to the first 19 characters of the job’s identifier (including spaces)
can be used. Choose a variable:
○ {PrintID<19>} derives the value from the Print File ID dialog
box.
○ {JobName<19>} derives the value from the job’s file name and
includes the .job or .jdf extension, except when it is saved
without an extension in Mac OS.
○ {JobID<19>} derives the value from the job notes.
Note: If you include JobName instead of PrintID and are printing divided PDF
output to a network folder, ensure that the folder and contents are
correctly set up with read and write privileges for Group and Other.

● {Device<19>}, derived from the Media resource for the press run
● {Sig<3>}, derived from the Press Run ID in the job’s Press Runs
List
● {Side<2>}. The value will be:
○ All sides: the number 0
○ Separated sides: a letter incrementing from A to Z

● {XTile<1>}{YTile<1>}. The following numbers identify the tiles:

○ All tiles: Number 0
○ Selected X tiles: Numbers incrementing from 1 to 9
○ Selected Y tiles: Letters incrementing from A to Z
128 Chapter 6—Output printing

● [FileNameExtension]. Use literal text to specify the file type. For

multiple output types, [.m] is used.
● {ColorNum<2>}. The following numbers identify the separations:

○ Process colors: The numbers 00 to 04 (00=multiple colors,

01=cyan, 02=magenta, 03=yellow, 04=black)
○ Spot colors: The numbers 05 to 98, according to the list on the
Color Separations tab in the Print dialog box
○ Composite: The number 99

Note: Remember to reduce the size of the other variables if needed.

General
● Display punch mark
● Print side center marks
● Ignore split file output errors: Prevents an error from interrupting a
divided (split file) output operation. You can check the Status or Job
Log window for output error information.
● Print crop marks for bleed bounds
● Auto rotate for best fit
● Center image on media
● Output PS marks flats for PJTF/JDF: For advanced users. Select
this check box if you have special production marks that are written
in PostScript and must be included with PJTF or JDF output.
Note: A PDF version of each PostScript mark is required for building the
layouts and editing the SMK properties.

Scale shingled pages

Choose the default scaling type:
● Proportionally: Retains the vertical and horizontal aspect
ratio
● Anamorphically (Horizontally): Changes the vertical and
horizontal ratios

Shingle crop marks

Shifts the crop marks along with pages that are shingled for
creep
Remove crop marks when exceeding the center of gutters
Common Print options 129

● Skip device warning: Suppresses the message that appears when

the selected media is smaller than the stock, such as when tiling

Common Print options

Select File > Print. The following options appear on every tab of the
Print dialog box.
Send to

Lists all available output types, and displays the current output
type. You can select a different output type each time you print.
● Printer: Prints to the printer that is selected in the
Connection dialog box. Divided output is not available.
● PDF: Generates one or more PDF output files
● PS: Generates one or more PostScript files
● JDF: Generates a Job Definition Format file
● PJTF: Generates an Adobe Job Ticket file for workflows that
require Portable Job Ticket Format job data
● PPF: Generates one Print Production Format cutting-data file
per press sheet

The default type is defined on the Output tab in the Preferences

dialog box.
Copies
Specify the number of copies to be printed.
Comment text
Type text or text-mark variables to build the $Comment text
mark for this job.
Media

Lists all available media resources, including any tile sets that
you create, and displays the job’s media selection. The default
media is Press Sheet Size.
If Multiple appears, then the output targets more than one
media size and will be imaged by one or more devices:
● Changing this setting applies the selection to the entire
output.
● The lowest supported capabilities apply to the entire output.
130 Chapter 6—Output printing

● One JDF, PJTF, or PDF output file contains the separate

media information for each press sheet.
● JDF or PJTF output also includes a separate marks flat per
media.
● PDF output generates a single file that contains the different
media sizes, and only the applicable press runs are printed
by each device. (To send separate files, you can use divided
output.)
● PS output generates a separate file for each media.
Sequentially numbered press runs that target the same
media are output in a single file. Nonsequential press runs
are output as separate files in the correct sequence.

The output file names include the media name and a sequential
numeric identifier.
Note: To successfully generate PS output with multiple media to an AFP
share location, limit the file name to 31 characters.

Connection
Displays the connected printer that is currently selected in the
Connection dialog box for the target media. This option only
appears if Printer is selected in the Send to box. It is not
displayed for multiple media.
Print
Sends the output to the Send to selection. The default output
path is defined on the Folders tab in the Preferences dialog box.
If the Print ID dialog box appears, type an identifier that is
appended to the file name of each output file generated. The
maximum number of characters for the Split File Name is
defined on the Preferences Output tab.
If the Print ID dialog box does not appear, it indicates that the
split file name format in Preferences uses a different identifier.

General Print options

Use the General tab in the Print dialog box to set up the basic output
requirements.
Select File > Print > General.
Specify print range

Select this check box to print a partial job.

General Print options 131

Use a dash to indicate a range, and use a comma to separate

multiple values (1-4,9-12,21-24). Do not insert spaces.

Output Format, Divide by

For PS or PDF output, specify the components by which to

divide a job’s output. A separate file is generated for each
component of that type.
● Optionally, use this setting in conjunction with a print range.
● Set up to 999 divisions for a job, with multiple output files
generated per division.
● Without divided output, full jobs are printed by default, and
if a problem is encountered, printing stops.
● With divided output, printing skips a problem file and goes
to the next component file.
● Divided output files can be automatically placed into media-
specific target folders that you define in the Media
Configuration dialog box.
● Divided output is not available for JDF, PJTF, or PPF output.

The split file name format for divided output is defined on the
Output tab in the Preferences dialog box.
Color Handling

None: Passes any color information through “as-is”.

PDF Color mapping: Activates the Color Separations tab.
● If you print to PDF output, the RIP derives the color mapping
information from the composite PDF output files.
● You can set up PS or Printer color-mapped output and print
to PostScript devices that support in-RIP separations.
● Or, after setting up the mappings, switch the output type to
PDF and generate color-mapped composite PDF output files.

Emulsion side down

Prints the job with the emulsion side down. The media device
setting can override this setting.
Embed CIP3 cutting data
Adds the CIP3 cutting data to PJTF or JDF output files
132 Chapter 6—Output printing

Color separations setup

After enabling color mapping on the Print General tab, define the ink
colors for each plate on the Color Separations tab. For example, you
can map a spot color to print on its process equivalent plates or
another spot color.
1. Setting up the color separations
2. Defining a spot color’s process equivalent
To define the process build for a spot color, specify the required
CMYK color percentages.
3. Adding a spot color to a job’s color list
4. Color Separations Print options

Setting up the color separations

1. Select File > Print.
2. On the General tab in the Print dialog box, select PDF Color
Mapping to activate the options on the Color Separation tab.
3. Click the Color Separations tab.
4. In the Color column lists, select the colors that will print on their
own separations.
5. Ensure that all required spot colors are in the job’s color list and, if
needed, are defined with suitable process builds.
6. Specify how any spot colors are to print:
○ To print a spot color on its own separation, select the spot
color’s check box and its own color name in the color’s Output
As list. If the spot color is not yet on the list, you can add it.
○ To print a spot color with its process equivalents, select Process
Colors in the color’s Output As list and select the spot color’s
check box. The spot color is printed on CMYK separations
according to its defined process build.
○ To print a spot color with a specific separation, select the
process color separation in the spot color’s Output As list.
○ To print all spot colors as their process equivalents, click All
Spots as Process.
○ To reset all the spot colors to print separately when the output
settings for the spot colors are varied, click All Spots Separately.

7. Change the Overprint/Knockout settings, if needed for any

SSiCustomColor separations.
8. Change the Line Screen and Screen Angle settings, if needed.
Defining a spot color’s process equivalent 133

Defining a spot color’s process equivalent

To define the process build for a spot color, specify the required CMYK
color percentages.

1. On the Color Separations tab in the Print dialog box, click Build
next to the color that you want to define or redefine in a process
build.
The Defined build CMYK percentages are derived from the input
file and updated as you make changes.
2. In the Process Build dialog box, specify the New Build percentages.
The Use new build check box is automatically selected, and the
Defined build percentages are updated as soon as you type a new
value.
3. To save the build, ensure that the check box is selected before
closing the dialog box.
You can change the values as often as needed by clearing this
check box to revert to the previous build.
4. To map the spot color to the corresponding process color
separations in the output, on the Color Separations tab in the Print
dialog box, select Process Colors in the spot color’s Output As
column.

Adding a spot color to a job’s color list

1. On the Color Separations tab in the Print dialog box, click Add
Color.
2. Type the exact name of the color as identified in the originating
specification, with identical capitalization and spelling.
The new spot color appears in the Color list. If this color will print
on its own separation, skip step 3.
3. If you need to map the new spot color to process colors, click Build,
and specify the New Build percentages.

Color Separations Print options

Select File > Print, select a media and output type that support color
handling, select PDF color mapping, and click the Color Separations
tab.
134 Chapter 6—Output printing

Option Description
Lists all the colors in the output, including CMYK
process colors, spot colors, and mark
SSiCustomColors.
Color list and check boxes All process and spot colors print by default.
In JDF output, to prevent unexpected results with spot
colors that are set in the input files to overprint, turn
spot colors off.
Indicates the color separation on which to print all of
the page content that uses the selected color. Each
process color and each spot color maps by default to
Output As its own separation.
To map the color to another color separation, select
the color in the Output As list. To map a spot color to
its process equivalents, select Process Colors.
Derived from the PDF input files; cannot be changed.
SSiCustomColors in marks are set by default to pass
through as overprint.

Pass through
Retains the input file settings for the selected
color. By default, all colors are set to pass
through without overprinting or knocking out.
Overprint/Knockout Overprint
Use with care. Prints the selected color on top
of other colors, and can result in a totally
different color.
Knockout
Use with care. Knocks out a space for the
selected color on the other separations, and
retains its original color.

You can apply one line screen to each color separation.

Line Screen For mapped spot colors, the line screens for each of
the process colors apply.
When you use a line screen that is not defined in a
PPD or PPX file, screen angles of 15, 75, 90, and 45 are
assigned by default to cyan, magenta, yellow, and
Screen Angle
black, respectively. If you change the line screen for a
selected color, the screen angle remains the same
unless you change it.
Define a missing color when a spot color used in a job
Add Color
fails to appear in the color list.
Displays the Process Build dialog box for this spot
Build
color.
Click All Colors On to select all the color check boxes.
All Colors On/Off
Click All Colors Off to clear all the color check boxes.
Web growth 135

Option Description
To map spot colors simultaneously:
● Click All Spots as Process to change all spot colors
All Spots as Process / Separately to their process equivalents.
● Click All Spots Separately to change all spot colors
to “output as” their own separate plate.

Web growth
Web growth occurs when large rolls of thin or lower quality paper,
such as newsprint, run through the color units of a web press. Use the
Print Web Growth tab to compensate by scaling the color separations.
1. Scaling to compensate for web growth
Define reusable scaling sets that compensate for stretch at each of
the ink units on particular web presses. When printing jobs, you
can select and apply or edit a scaling set as needed.
2. Applying a scaling set to job output
3. Web Growth Print options
4. Creating and managing the scaling sets
When you define a scaling set, you need to know the press
orientation, the sequence of the ink units, and the percentage by
which the press will stretch the paper at each unit. You can define
as many different scaling sets as you need.
5. Web Growth Compensation Sets window
6. Scaling Set setup dialog boxes

Note: Web growth settings applied to a Preps job are ignored when the job is
brought into a Prinergy workflow.

Scaling to compensate for web growth

Define reusable scaling sets that compensate for stretch at each of the
ink units on particular web presses. When printing jobs, you can select
and apply or edit a scaling set as needed.
The amount by which the paper stretches varies for each ink unit,
depending on the water and ink that the paper absorbs, and the tension
that is applied to the paper as it runs through each ink unit.
A print shop typically knows what percentage of stretch occurs at each
unit. If they don't know the exact percentages, they can easily run a
test job through the press and measure the stretch percentage for each
unit.
To define web-growth compensation scaling sets, you must have an
advanced understanding of web-press concepts and behaviors. To
manage the scaling sets, you can:
136 Chapter 6—Output printing

● Add, edit, and store reusable scaling sets as needed

● Edit an existing scaling set for a specific job
● Duplicate and edit an existing set to create a new set

You can optionally set up a central folder for compensation scaling

sets, and set the path on the Folders tab in the Preferences dialog box
at each installation that uses this folder.
Note: Changes that a user makes at one installation are not reflected at another
installation until the other installation’s Web Growth Compensation Sets window
is closed and reopened.

Applying a scaling set to job output

1. Select File > Print > General.
2. Select PDF Color Mapping.
3. Set up the Color Separations tab.
4. On the Web Growth tab, select Compensate for Web Growth.
5. The first time that you use this feature, a message asks you to
locate (and create, if necessary) the scaling sets folder.
6. On the Web Growth tab, select a scaling set from the
Compensation Set list.
The number of ink units for the selected set appear below your
selection.
7. Select a scaling set to use, or select a set that is somewhat but not
completely correct for the job.
○ To create a new set from a copy of the selected set, click
Duplicate and Edit.
○ To edit the selected set, click Edit This Set.

8. Click Print to generate the output.

Your changes are applied to this job’s output. Sets that you create are
stored for reuse.

Web Growth Print options

Select File > Print > Web Growth.
Option Description
Compensate for Web Growth Select to activate the web-growth compensation options.
Compensation Set list Select a set from the alphabetical list of sets that are defined.
Creating and managing the scaling sets 137

Option Description
When you select a set from the list, the type (Scaling) and the number of
Set type, Ink Units
ink units that are defined for the set are shown.
Color to Ink Unit Mapping
All job colors are listed, including any spot colors that are printing
Printing Colors
separately.
A default ink unit identifier is listed for each color, where 1 is the first color
that will be printed, 2 is the second, and so on. If needed, you can edit
Ink Unit
these numbers to remap the colors to the actual ink units in the correct
sequence.

Creating and managing the scaling sets

When you define a scaling set, you need to know the press orientation,
the sequence of the ink units, and the percentage by which the press
will stretch the paper at each unit. You can define as many different
scaling sets as you need.
1. Select Resources > Web Growth Compensation Sets.
2. Locate and open the compensation sets file.
The first time that you use this feature, a message asks you to
locate the scaling sets folder (and create if necessary). The location
appears on the Folders tab in the Preferences dialog box after you
restart the software.
3. In the Web Growth Compensation Sets window, choose a task:
○ To add a new set, click Scaling Set.
Map the ink colors to the press units and apply a scaling
percentage to each ink color, which resizes the images
appropriately for each color.
○ To modify only the scaling percentages in a scaling set, select
the set and click Edit.
○ To create and edit a copy of a scaling set, select the set and click
Copy.
○ To delete a scaling set, select the set and click Delete.

4. If applicable, edit the options in the dialog box that appears:

○ If adding a new set, type a name for the scaling set, and specify
the Number of ink units, the Sheet width, and the Reference ink
unit, and click Create.
○ If editing a set, enter the scaling percentage to apply to each ink
unit, and click OK.

See also:
Sharing folders on page 200
138 Chapter 6—Output printing

Web Growth Compensation Sets window

Select Resources > Web Growth Compensation Sets.
Option Description
You can click a column header to
change the sort order. This does not
affect the alphabetical sort order of
Table of scaling sets scaling sets on the Web Growth tab in
the Print dialog box.
None is always the first item in the list.
Set type All types are Scaling.
Name Name of the scaling set
Number of units that you defined
Ink Units
when creating this scaling set
Press sheet width that you defined
Sheet Width
when creating this scaling set

Scaling Set setup dialog boxes

Select Resources > Web Growth Compensation Sets, and if prompted,
locate and open your compensation sets folder.

New
Click Scaling Set to add a new set.
Option Description
Maintain a clear, consistent approach
Name
to naming the scaling sets.
Type the number of ink units in the
Number of ink units
target press.
Type the number of the ink unit that
prints the reference ink against which
Reference ink unit all other units are scaled. In general,
the last ink unit on the press is the
reference unit.
Type the width of the web press sheet.
This value appears next to the scaling
Sheet width set name in the Web Growth
Compensation Sets dialog box, to
make it easier to select a suitable set.

Copy
Select an existing set, and click Copy.
Web growth 139

Option Description
Accept or edit the name of the scaling
Name
set copy.
Type the number of the ink unit that
prints the reference ink. In general, the
Reference ink unit
last ink unit on the press is the
reference unit.
Type the number of ink units in the
Number of ink units
target press.
Type the width of the web press sheet.
This value appears next to the scaling
Sheet width set name in the Web Growth
Compensation Sets dialog box, to
make it easier to select a suitable set.

Edit
Select an existing set, and click Edit.
Option Description
Displays the name of the scaling set
Name that you selected in the Web Growth
Compensation Sets dialog box
Displays the ink unit number of the
Reference ink unit
reference ink unit
Map the unit numbers (1 is the first
unit) to scaling percentages. At press
Ink unit time, you can map the units to the
colors in the job. The percentages
remain mapped to the unit numbers.
The reference ink unit is always scaled
at 100 percent; define scaling
Scaling
percentages for the other ink units
relative to the reference unit.
140 Chapter 6—Output printing
7 Media and devices

Each press run targets a media resource that represents a media

configuration for a specific output device, or a virtual press-sheet-size
media that allows the selection to be made downstream.
1. Media configurations
A media configuration associates a media size and type with the
device PPD file that determines the supported sizes.
2. Creating a new media resource
To add a resource to the Media list, prepare a media configuration
for a specific target device. You can set up a media configuration
for any valid size that is defined in the device-specific PostScript
Printer Description (PPD) files in the Printers folder.
3. Creating and using tile sets
Creating and storing a tile set for a specific media resource gives
you the choice of sending output to the full media size, or to tiles
that can be stripped together after imaging.
4. Media Configuration settings
Edit or define a new media resource in the Media Configuration
dialog box. In the Press Runs workspace, you can select the layout’s
media to view its settings in the Properties pane.
5. Media list in the Resources pane
The Media list contains the software’s pre-defined standard media
and the media resources that you configure to target specific
devices. You can also store tile sets for specific media resources.
Use this list to specify the media size and its target device for a
press run. You can also use the context menus to manage the
media resources.
6. Connecting a printer for direct printing
To print directly to a device such as a laser printer on your network,
define the connection in its media configuration.
7. Determining the punch location
To automatically position press sheets so that the image is
accurately centered on the center pin of a punch system, you
calculate and define the punch coordinates for the media
configuration.
8. Turning off punch marks in the output
Specify a location for the punch mark that is beyond the edge of the
press sheet.
9. Using custom media sizes
When none of the standard media sizes in a device PPD file fit a
job’s needs, you can use a custom size, if supported by the PPD.
10. Custom Size dialog box
In the Media Configuration dialog box, click Custom Size.
11. Moving the Printers folder
A software restart is required whenever you move the Printers
folder.
12. Media-related files
142 Chapter 7—Media and devices

To ensure that the software knows about the available media sizes
and device capabilities, you must add a PostScript Printer
Description (PPD) file for each device.
13. Editing a PPD file using PPD Browser
PPD Browser is standalone software that is automatically installed
with the Preps software.
14. Checking a media’s job log
Information about each job that is printed to a media configuration
is accumulated in its job log.

Media configurations
A media configuration associates a media size and type with the device
PPD file that determines the supported sizes.
The supported media dimensions for a particular device are defined in
the device’s PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file. When setting up
the software, add the PPD files for each output device type that you
will use, and then create the media configurations for each media size
that you use with a particular device. If supported by the device PPD,
you can also add custom media sizes.
When you add a new device PPD or create a new media configuration,
the information is stored in the Printers folder. You can share a
single Printers folder between multiple installations by setting the
same path on the Folders tab in the Preferences dialog box at each
installation.
Note: When printing to a file type, your computer does not need to be physically
connected to the target device.

Standard media resources

The software includes a few standard media resources that cannot be
deleted, with limited options for editing their properties.
● Use the default Generic PostScript Printer media resource to print
directly to a device that is connected to your computer’s operating
system, such as a laser printer on your local network.
● When the media choice will be made in a downstream system, you
can print to a virtual Press Sheet Size media that is equal to the
stock size. You can optionally add margins for marks that must print
off the sheet.

Creating a new media resource

To add a resource to the Media list, prepare a media configuration for a
specific target device. You can set up a media configuration for any
Creating and using tile sets 143

valid size that is defined in the device-specific PostScript Printer

Description (PPD) files in the Printers folder.
The Preps software DVD provides several PPD files, and you can obtain
the most current PPD files directly from the manufacturer of your
imaging device. If a device is already installed on your operating
system, you can use a copy of the system’s PPD file.
1. Copy the new device PPD file and paste it to the \Printers\ppd\
folder.
The name of the PPD file must end in .ppd, and contain no special
characters.
Note: You can skip this step if the PPD file is already installed.
2. Select Resources > New Media.
3. Select the Media Type.
The Media Type list displays all the media for which a device PPD
file exists in the \Printers\ppd\ folder.
Note: To create a virtual media configuration that is equal to or larger than the
stock size, select Press Sheet Size.
4. Provide a meaningful nickname for the new media configuration,
and click OK.
5. In the Media Configuration dialog box, select the size, and set any
other options that you need.
Note: For Press Sheet Size media configurations, you cannot change the Size
(PressSheetSize). However, you can optionally increase the size of the output
by specifying top, bottom, and side margins. You cannot set margins for other
media types.
6. Close the dialog box.
The new media resource appears in the Media list in the Resources
pane. The software stores the details for each media in a <MediaName>
\printer.ppd file in the Printers folder.
See also:
About the lists in the Resources pane on page 55

Creating and using tile sets

Creating and storing a tile set for a specific media resource gives you
the choice of sending output to the full media size, or to tiles that can
be stripped together after imaging.
Tiling breaks up the output so that it can be imaged onto a smaller
media size than the stock for which a layout is designed.
144 Chapter 7—Media and devices

1. Determine the media dimensions and any punch requirements of

the device that will image the tiles.
2. Plan how the tiles can be stripped to fit the final media and stock,
including the number of tiles needed, the grid arrangement, and any
overlap dimensions.

3. In the Media list, select the media for which you will create the tile
set.
4. Select Resources > New Tile Set.
5. Specify the following details for the tile set:
● The tile media and device information, including the punch
coordinates
● The tile grid’s horizontal and vertical page count
● The tile orientation and overlap
● The distance from the trim edge of the stripped tiles to the sheet
edge

The tile set appears in a sublist under the media resource in the
Media list.
6. Start a job and build the layout, including any marks that are
required for the final output.
7. In the Media list, select and add the media’s tile set to the layout.

8. Select Resources > Add Tile Mark to Sheet, and choose the Mark
Type that corresponds to the tile orientation.
9. Print the tiles.
Tip: To suppress a message that appears when printing to a media that is
smaller than the sheet, select the Skip device warning check box on the
Output tab in the Preferences dialog box.

a. Select File > Print.

b. In the Media list, select the tile set.
c. Set up the other print options as needed, and click Print.
The printed tiles are imaged according to the tile set, and the tile
marks appear in the overlapping area of adjacent tiles:
Creating and using tile sets 145

10. Overlap the printed tile sheets using the tile alignment marks,
based on matching numbers.
For example, the tile marks on adjacent overlapping tiles might be
x1y1 and x1y2.
● X indicates a vertical column position.
● Y indicates a horizontal row.

The colors on the paired marks are reversed, which helps you to
determine whether adjacent tiles are positioned correctly.
Adjacent tiles before stripping: Tiling marks correctly aligned:

The stripped tiles form a flat:

Note: Tile sets are saved only as a media resource; they are not saved with the job.
146 Chapter 7—Media and devices

Next:
If you used tiling for proofing, you can print the job again, sending the
output to the media resource instead of the tile set.

See also:
Basic steps for printing the output on page 10

Media Configuration settings

Edit or define a new media resource in the Media Configuration dialog
box. In the Press Runs workspace, you can select the layout’s media to
view its settings in the Properties pane.

Nickname
The name that you specified in the Add Media dialog box
Short name
Derived from the PPD. If the PPD does not provide a short name
for the device, the media nickname is displayed.
Media type
The type that you selected in the Add Media dialog box
Size
List of supported media sizes. The selected size is applied by
the media resource.
Margin
Optionally set top, bottom, and side margins to add an
allowance for marks that must print off the sheet.
Divided output path

The folder location that collects any divided output for this
media resource
● To set or change the path, click Select.
● To use the default output path that is specified on the
Folders tab in the Preferences dialog box, click Use default.

Note: You cannot type or copy a path into this box. Also, when printing
divided output, you cannot override the folder location. It can only be
changed here.
Media list in the Resources pane 147

Alignment, Horizontal, Vertical

If needed, specify offset amounts to keep the image within the

usable area of the media or to compensate for a small
mechanical misalignment in the device.
Note: This setting is effective only if the Center Image in Media check
box is cleared on the Output tab in the Preferences dialog box.

You can store different alignment information for each size that
is supported by a device.
Connection
Displays the Connection dialog box
Error Log
Available only if you received an error message while printing
output to this device; displays the error information
Job Log
Displays a Job Log of status messages that are generated by the
output device each time you print a job to that device
Punch
Displays the Punch Location dialog box
Custom Size
Displays the Edit Custom Size dialog box, from which you can
access the Custom Size dialog box
PPD Information
Available only if you already edited the PPD settings using the
PPD Browser; displays the PPD Information window, which lists
only those settings that are no longer at their default values
To change any of these or other PPD settings, use the PPD
Browser tool.

Media list in the Resources pane

The Media list contains the software’s pre-defined standard media and
the media resources that you configure to target specific devices. You
can also store tile sets for specific media resources. Use this list to
specify the media size and its target device for a press run. You can
also use the context menus to manage the media resources.

Nickname
The name that you specified in the Add Media dialog box
148 Chapter 7—Media and devices

Dimensions
Height and width of the media Size that is currently selected in
the Media Configuration dialog box
Punch

Vertical offset of the punch, derived from the Punch Location

settings in the Media Configuration dialog box. This offset
appears in the workspace as a dark gray area between the
defined punch center and the bottom edge of the media.
The media punch edge and stock punch grip edge are always
displayed at the bottom of the workspace, whether the punch
orientation is set to A, B, C, or D. For example, if the punch
orientation is B (right edge), then the media object in the
workspace rotates 90° to show the media punch at the bottom.
The stock that you add does not rotate.
Size
Names the area on which the layout will print; derived from the
PageSize value in the device PPD file

Context menus
Right-click a resource item to access a context menu.
Add
Displays the Add Media dialog box
Edit
Displays the Media Configuration dialog box for the selected
media resource
Delete
Deletes the media configuration from the Printers folder

Connecting a printer for direct printing

To print directly to a device such as a laser printer on your network,
define the connection in its media configuration.
Requirements:
The printer must already be installed and selectable on your computer.
Determining the punch location 149

1. In the Media list, right-click Generic PostScript Printer, and select

Edit.
2. In the Media Configuration dialog box, click Connection.
3. In the Connection dialog box, select the printer.
4. Click Test Print.
5. After the test page prints, click OK.
Tip: If a test page does not print, troubleshoot the printer and operating
system setup.

Determining the punch location

To automatically position press sheets so that the image is accurately
centered on the center pin of a punch system, you calculate and define
the punch coordinates for the media configuration.
1. In the Media Configuration dialog box, select the Media Size.
2. Click Punch.
3. In the Punch Location dialog box, click Punch Test to generate a
test page.
4. Position the imaged test page so that it is oriented to match the
diagram in the dialog box.
5. In the Punch Orientation area, select the letter that represents the
punch side of the media.
By default, a punch mark appears centered on the bottom edge of
the press sheet (A).
6. Measure the X axis:
a. Click the X Axis box to display arrows in the diagram that show
which measurement from the test to use.
b. On the test media, measure from the center of the test image to
the center of the punch system.
c. Type this measurement in the X Axis box.
7. Measure the Y axis:
a. Click the Y Axis box to display arrows in the diagram that show
which measurement from the test to use.
b. Measure from the center of the punch center hole to where the
center measurement line would extend off the media.
c. Type this measurement in the Y Axis box.
8. Click OK.
9. Print a placeholder layout to check the placement of the punch
mark.
150 Chapter 7—Media and devices

The punch coordinates remain at these settings until you edit them.

Turning off punch marks in the output

Specify a location for the punch mark that is beyond the edge of the
press sheet.
By default, a punch mark appears centered on the bottom edge of the
press sheet. Use this procedure if you do not want the punch mark to
appear on the press sheet, or to include an amount for setback or plate
bend.

1. In the Preferences dialog box, load the profile that you want to use
for printing without punch marks.
2. On the Output tab in the Preferences dialog box, clear the Display
punch mark check box.
The punch mark will not preview or print in job layouts while this
check box is cleared.
3. To permanently turn punch marks off in all press runs that you print
using this profile, save the currently loaded profile.

Using custom media sizes

When none of the standard media sizes in a device PPD file fit a job’s
needs, you can use a custom size, if supported by the PPD.
Note: In PPD files, the media size is referred to as the device PageSize.

1. In the Media list, right-click the media resource, and select Edit.
2. In the Media Configuration dialog box, click Custom Size.
This button is available only if the device PPD supports custom
media sizes.
3. Choose a task:
○ To add a new media size, click Add, give the new size a name,
and specify its dimensions and orientation.
○ To change an existing custom media size, select the size name,
click Edit, and edit the dimensions, name, and orientation, as
needed.
○ To delete an existing custom media size, select the size name,
and click Delete. You cannot delete a standard size.

Note: Standard sizes that are defined in the PPD files cannot be edited or
deleted.
Custom Size dialog box 151

4. Click OK as needed to apply your changes and return to the Media

Configuration dialog box.
The Size list contains your changes.
5. Choose one of the following steps:
○ Select the new size for this media resource, and close the dialog
box.
○ Do not select the new size. Close the dialog box, right-click the
same item in the Media list, and select Add. You can then create
a new media resource with a new nickname for your new
custom size.

You can now use the custom media for a press run. The grip edge
appears at the bottom of the workspace, according to the orientation
that you specified.

Custom Size dialog box

In the Media Configuration dialog box, click Custom Size.
Option Description
Type a descriptive name for this media
size. The name can be up to 40
characters long and must not include
Name
any special characters, spaces, slashes
( / or \ ), colons ( : ), tabs, or new line
characters.
Specify the dimensions of the custom
Width, Height
media.
The availability of orientations
depends on the capabilities of the
device and always includes 0, which is
the default device orientation as
defined in the PPD. The default can be
Orientation 0, 90, 180, or 270 degrees, depending
on what the RIP uses as the load edge.
Custom media orientation settings 1,
2, and 3, if available, rotate the
orientation in 90-degree increments.

Moving the Printers folder

A software restart is required whenever you move the Printers
folder.
You might want to set a single Printers folder to be shared by
multiple installations, or copy the device PPD files and media
152 Chapter 7—Media and devices

configurations from a previous installation to a new installation of the

software.

1. Create the new Printers folder, if it does not exist.

2. Move your existing device files to the new folder.
Be sure to include the printers.psm file.
3. On the Folders tab in the Preferences dialog box, set the new
location.
4. Restart the software to activate the new location.

See also:
Folders and files that you can move or share on page 199

Media-related files
To ensure that the software knows about the available media sizes and
device capabilities, you must add a PostScript Printer Description
(PPD) file for each device.
All files that are required to support media resources are stored in the
Printers folder. Information about a device’s media support can be
provided in any of the following files:
● PPX files: A PostScript printer extension (PPX) file can be used to
expand the PPD information to allow a device to take advantage of
capabilities such as custom media sizes, punch coordinates, and
page positioning. If there is conflict between a PPD and PPX, the
PPX is used. Not all devices need a PPX file.
● Device PPD files: When you add a media resource, a printer.ppd
file stores its information inside a new folder with the same name as
the nickname. If you change the configuration settings, the
printer.ppd file is automatically updated. If necessary, you can
edit additional settings using the PPD Browser tool that is installed
with the software.
Note: Although you can edit the supported settings, PPD files are copyrighted
and should not be modified.
● Default PPD file: If the software cannot find required information in
a PPD or PPX file, it uses the configuration defaults that are stored
in the defaults.ppd file in the /Printers/PPD/ folder.

The software looks for information in this sequence: printer.ppd file

> PPX file (if available) > device PPD file > defaults.ppd file.
Note: You can replace the pre-installed PPD files or add new PPD or PPX files. The
best source for an up-to-date PPD is the device manufacturer.
Editing a PPD file using PPD Browser 153

Editing a PPD file using PPD Browser

PPD Browser is standalone software that is automatically installed with
the Preps software.
Depending on the device, the PPD settings that you can change in PPD
Browser generally include settings that you cannot change in the
Media Configuration dialog box.

1. Start PPD Browser by double-clicking its icon in the installation

folder.
(On the Microsoft Windows operating system, select PPD Browser
from the Start menu.)
The Installed Devices list that appears contains all devices for
which you already added a PPD file.
Note: PPD Browser will be unable to find the printer.ppd file if a media
configuration nickname includes characters from the extended character set.
2. Select a device, and click OK.
If a message indicates that PPD Browser cannot read the file that
you selected, obtain an updated PPD file from the manufacturer.
Each device has one or two tabs of settings: one labelled with the
name of the device, and one, if available, for the installed options.
Icons indicate whether a default or edited value is currently applied
when you print to this device:
● A printer icon indicates a default value.
● A pointing hand icon indicates a non-default value that you can
edit.

3. On each available tab, edit the settings as needed.

Tip: To make a setting editable, click the icon to change it to a pointing hand.
Note: If an installed option is not set correctly for a particular device, related
settings on the other tab might be unable to accept your changes.
4. Select File > Save Settings.
After saving, you cannot choose Revert, but you can manually
restore the previous settings, if known, or you can delete the device
and add it back to restore the default settings.
5. To select another device to edit, select File > Open Device.

In the Media Configuration dialog box, the PPD Information button

becomes available only if the PPD file was edited. You can then view
the nondefault settings that were applied.
154 Chapter 7—Media and devices

Checking a media’s job log

Information about each job that is printed to a media configuration is
accumulated in its job log.

1. In the Media list, right-click the media that you want to check, and
select Edit.
2. In the Media Configuration dialog box, click Job Log.
3. Review the job log.

The log is updated with the job name, print time and the number of
pages, separations, and copies. Unsuccessful or canceled jobs are also
noted.
When you close the software, the job log is saved so you can go back
and look at logs from the past, if necessary. The log.txt files are
stored in the Printers folder.
8 Marks

All marks that you can create and add to press runs are based on the
Kodak SmartMarks software technology. Each mark is dynamically
placed and sized, based on the positioning rules that you configure and
store in its SMK file. You can create text, line, rectangle, crop, fold,
collation, and custom SmartMarks and groups, and you can also set
preferences for built-in side guide and center sheet marks. The Preps
7.0 software includes two new SmartMarks: bearer bars and micro
dots.
1. General mark tasks
You can add, edit, duplicate, copy, reposition, and delete
SmartMarks, set up mark groups, and add your own image files to
use for custom or duplicating marks.
2. Legacy static marks in older files
When you must reopen older jobs or templates in this newer
software version, any existing legacy static marks will be either
autoconverted to SmartMarks, retained, or deleted, depending on
various factors.
3. Marks Preferences settings
You can store default mark settings in a profile, including mark
dimensions and text-mark fonts.
4. Common settings for SmartMarks
Settings that you can edit for most SmartMark types include name,
anchor, and placement information, and options for saving,
creating, and duplicating marks.
5. Mark anchors
SmartMarks can be anchored to the points that you specify on
press sheets, pages, page bleeds, or media. You can set horizontal
and vertical offsets to allow space between the mark image and
component anchor points.
6. “Bring to Front” for overlapped marks
To ensure that the correct mark is printed on top of the others, you
need to know the default layer sequence that the software applies.
7. Mark Color dialog box
8. Custom and duplicating marks
Custom marks can be created from existing marks or by adding
your own image files. When creating a duplicating mark, you set up
an image file to repeat automatically to fill a specified area.
9. Text marks
10. Line Mark settings
Edit the mark length, line style, color, and placement details. You
can also set the default line width on the Marks tab in the
Preferences dialog box.
11. Rectangle Mark settings
156 Chapter 8—Marks

Edit the mark dimensions, line style, color, and placement details.
You can also set the default dimensions on the Marks tab in the
Preferences dialog box.
12. Crop Mark settings
Crop marks can be added and managed individually or as a set,
and are always anchored to pages. On the Output tab in the
Preferences dialog box, you can choose to shift the crop marks
with page shingling, and print additional crop marks for the bleed
margins. On the Marks tab, you can also set an optional white
knockout.
13. Fold Mark settings
Edit the mark length, line style, color, and gutter offset. In the
workspace, you can select and delete individual marks, as needed.
14. Collation Mark settings
Add collation marks to identify the planned sequence of the
sections in a product assembly, based on the binding style. If you
change the page count or renumber the pages, the collation marks
adjust automatically. You can place collation marks in the trim or
content areas, anchored to low, high, or mid folio pages of product
sections. The marks can be trimmed off after the collation is
checked at the bindery.
15. Bearer Bars settings
Use bearer bars marks to add two rectangular marks on the sides
of your press sheets. These marks extend along the entire length
of the press sheet; one bar is placed on the left side of the press
sheet, and the other is placed on the right side. Bearer bars marks
are of a single tone, and are placed on every plate in the job.
Typically, they are used for packaging jobs, but they can be used
as ink take-off bars for all job types. You can adjust the width of
these marks.

General mark tasks

You can add, edit, duplicate, copy, reposition, and delete SmartMarks,
set up mark groups, and add your own image files to use for custom or
duplicating marks.
1. Creating a new mark resource
To add a new resource to the Marks list, you define a mark that is
based on an existing SmartMarks (SMK) file. You can create, edit,
and duplicate individual marks or groups as needed.
2. Adding marks to a press-run layout
When you add a mark to a press run, it is anchored and positioned
automatically according to its defined properties.
3. Deleting a mark from the Marks list
4. Editing a placed mark
5. Dragging a mark to a new position
6. Copying marks between press sheets
7. Creating a mark group
You can create a group of marks that can be added and
automatically positioned at the same time.
Creating a new mark resource 157

8. Managing placed crop and fold marks

Creating a new mark resource

To add a new resource to the Marks list, you define a mark that is
based on an existing SmartMarks (SMK) file. You can create, edit, and
duplicate individual marks or groups as needed.

1. On the Folders tab in the Preferences dialog box, set the default
Templates, Marks, and Resources path for this installation.
2. Choose a method to create or modify a mark:
○ Select Resources > New SmartMark, choose a mark type, and
edit its name and properties.
○ In the Marks list, right-click a mark to use as the basis, select
Duplicate or Edit, edit its name and properties, and save the
mark or a copy of the mark with a new name.

3. Save the mark to a location in the /Marks/SmartMarks/ folder.

The mark’s positioning information is stored in its
<MarkName>.smk file.
Important: Only marks that are stored in this folder appear in the Marks list.
4. Optional: Create a group of marks that can be added and
automatically positioned simultaneously:
a. Create a new subfolder within the SmartMarks folder, with a
name to identify this mark group.
b. Drag or copy the SMK files for this group into the new folder.
An info.smg file stores the information about the group in the
same folder as the individual SMK files.

The marks and groups that you create appear in the Marks list in the
Resources pane.

See also:
About the lists in the Resources pane on page 55

Adding marks to a press-run layout

When you add a mark to a press run, it is anchored and positioned
automatically according to its defined properties.

In the Marks list, select and double-click marks to add them to the
currently selected press-run layout.
You can add individual marks, mark groups, and selected marks
from within a group to a press-run layout.
158 Chapter 8—Marks

The job file references any mark files that it uses. However, if you edit
or move a placed mark so that its properties no longer match a stored
SMK file, the mark data is embedded and stored in the job file.

Deleting a mark from the Marks list

Note: This action cannot be undone. It does not delete any instances of this mark
that were modified or moved after they were placed on the sheet.

1. In the Marks list, right-click a mark.

2. Select Delete to permanently remove the mark file from the Marks
folder and Marks list, including all placed instances of this mark.

Editing a placed mark

1. If the mark on the press run is an unedited instance of a mark
resource, locate and right-click the highlighted mark name in the
Marks list, and choose Select in Sheet.
This selects all placed instances of the mark and displays its
settings in the Properties pane.
2. If the placed mark does not exist in the Marks list, choose a
method.
○ Click a mark, or press and hold Shift while clicking multiple
marks.
○ If the mark is small, click the Zoom tool, and click or draw a
marquee around the area that contains the mark.

3. In the Properties pane, edit the properties as needed.

When you modify a placed mark, its name is no longer highlighted
in the Marks list, because it is no longer an exact instance of the
original mark file. The placed mark properties are stored with the
job.
Note: Editing a mark file by right-clicking it in the Marks list does not affect
instances of this mark that were previously added to a press sheet.
Dragging a mark to a new position 159

Dragging a mark to a new position

1. In the placed mark’s properties, clear the Lock mark to this position
check box.
2. Drag the mark to a new position.

The offset values are immediately updated in the placed mark’s

properties. When you save the job, the mark is automatically locked in
its new position.

Copying marks between press sheets

1. Select the mark or marks on the current press run.
2. From the Edit menu, select Copy.
3. Select another press sheet.
4. From the Edit menu, select Paste.

Creating a mark group

You can create a group of marks that can be added and automatically
positioned at the same time.
Requirements: Create all the mark resources that you want to place
into a group. For example, a mark group might contain a flat identifier
text mark, fold mark, crop marks, color bar, and custom registration
marks for your press.

1. Create a new subfolder in the SmartMarks folder, with a name to

identify this mark group.
2. Drag or copy the SMK files for this group into the new folder.
An info.smg file stores the information about the group in the
same folder as the individual SMK files, and the new group appears
in the Marks list.

Managing placed crop and fold marks

Choose a task:
○ To select a crop or fold mark: Press Option/Alt+click the mark.
○ To select multiple crop or fold marks: Hold Shift+Option/Alt and
click the marks one at a time.
○ To delete crop or fold marks: Select the marks (press Option/Alt
or Shift+Option/Alt), and press Delete.
○ To restore a partial set of crop marks to a full set: In the crop
mark properties, click the Place crop marks on outside of
160 Chapter 8—Marks

imposition check box until it is in a cleared state or selected

state with a white background, depending on your requirements.
○ To delete an entire crop mark set: Select one or more crop
marks, and press Delete.
○ You can optionally configure default white knockout under
marks on the Marks tab in the Preferences dialog box.

See also:
Crop Mark settings on page 181
Fold Mark settings on page 182

Legacy static marks in older files

When you must reopen older jobs or templates in this newer software
version, any existing legacy static marks will be either autoconverted to
SmartMarks, retained, or deleted, depending on various factors.
● Rectangle, line, and text marks can be retained as static marks in a
job, as long as you do not edit them. Otherwise, the mark will be
converted to a sheet-anchored SmartMark.
● All static crop marks on a sheet become page-anchored crop
SmartMarks.
● Static exposure marks are retained as static marks. They can be
edited and are included in the output. There is no corresponding
type of SmartMark for exposure bars.
● If you open a file that contains an unsupported type of static mark, a
message informs you that the mark will be deleted if you continue.
● Any converted or deleted static marks in a job are stored with the
job. The original template is not affected.

Marks Preferences settings

You can store default mark settings in a profile, including mark
dimensions and text-mark fonts.
In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences > Marks.
In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences > Marks.

Defaults
Specify the following default measurements:
Marks Preferences settings 161

● Rectangle Mark Width

● Rectangle Mark Height
● Crop Mark Distance
● Crop Mark Length
● Line Width
● Fold Mark Length

Marks Place Order

Specify the order in which SmartMarks are placed on the press sheet:
● First On Top
● Last On Top

Text Marks
View the currently installed and designated default font for each of the
following text-mark types:
● General Text Mark Font
● Roman Text Mark Font
● CJK Text Mark Font
● CJK Text Mark Font Preview
● CJK Text Mark Character Collection

Sheet Marks
Use sheet marks: If you do not want to specify default settings for side
guides and center marks, clear this check box. Selecting this check box
activates the following options.
Place side guides: [ ] From [ ]
On sheetfed presses, side guides are used to position the sheet
as it feeds into the press. Specify the distance that is needed
between the center of the side guides and the edge from which
you are measuring (this is the gripper edge).
Length of center marks
Specify the length of the center marks that indicate the top and
bottom centers of the press sheet. The top center mark begins
3 mm (1/8 in.) above the press sheet, and the bottom center
mark begins 3 mm (1/8 in.) below the press sheet. If you do not
want center marks, type 0.
162 Chapter 8—Marks

Other Marks
● Add white KO under crop marks: Select the check box to include
white knockout.
● Add white KO under fold marks: Select the check box to include
white knockout.
● Collation mark steps from head direction

Common settings for SmartMarks

Settings that you can edit for most SmartMark types include name,
anchor, and placement information, and options for saving, creating,
and duplicating marks.
Note: For information about settings that are unique to a specific mark type, see
the topic about the applicable mark settings.

Settings for identifying marks

Mark Type
Properties pane only—Displays the SmartMark type on which
the selected mark is based.
Name
The mark name can be edited only when creating a new
SmartMark or editing a selected mark in the Properties pane, or
you can use the Rename context-menu item for marks in the
Marks list.
The name that you specify for a new SmartMark becomes the
mark’s default SMG file name in the Save As dialog box when
you save the new or edited mark file.
In the Properties pane, if you edit the name of a selected placed
mark, no corresponding SMG file is created. The mark name
and settings are stored only in the JOB file and TPL file, if
applicable.

Settings for anchoring marks

Anchor to
Select the component to which the mark will be anchored, and,
on the diagram, click a reference point for the selected
component.
Mark Anchor
On the diagram, click a reference point for the mark image.
Common settings for SmartMarks 163

Margins or offsets (various labels)

Type the amounts of horizontal and vertical space to allow
between the mark and component anchor points.
Lock mark to this position
Clear this check box to temporarily allow the mark to be
dragged to a new position. The repositioned mark is
automatically locked in its new position, and any offset values
are updated.

Settings for placing marks on press runs

Front, Back, Both
Specify the side or sides on which to place the mark.
Range: When anchoring custom or crop marks to a page or
page bleed, you can specify a page range.
Use a dash to indicate a range, and use a comma to separate
multiple values (1-4,9-12,21-24). Do not insert spaces.
Bring to front
Select this check box to print the mark on top of any other
content.
Mirror on back
Select this check box to print the mark in the same relative
position on the back of the press sheet. If you flip the press
sheet in the workspace, you can see that the mark is in the
same place. Mirrored text in text marks is reversed. This option
does not apply to crop, collation, or fold marks.
Place on every
Specify the press runs on which the mark is to print.
For example, to place it on every second press run starting with
the second press run, type 2 in both boxes. To print the mark on
all press runs, accept the default values (1, 1).
Restrict to section
This option is available for custom, collation, and text marks. To
add this mark to only one section of a multiple-section press
run, select this check box, then select the section number on
which to place this mark.
Lock mark to this position
Clear this check box to temporarily allow the mark to be
dragged to a new position. The repositioned mark is
164 Chapter 8—Marks

automatically locked in its new position and any offset values

are updated.

Settings for saving your mark edits

Mark resources can be edited and saved via the Resources menu and
the context menus in the Marks list. On press-run layouts, you can edit
the properties of selected marks, and your edits are stored with the job
without affecting the mark resource files.
The available buttons depend on how you access the mark properties:
● Via the Properties pane: No buttons are provided, because this
pane applies only to the current press run.
● Via the Resources menu: The dialog box provides Cancel, Save, and
Apply & Save buttons.
Clicking Apply & Save places this mark on the current press run,
saves it as a SMK file, and adds it to the Marks list. A reference to
the SMK file is saved in the JOB file, unless you edit or move the
placed mark.
● Via the Edit context menu item in the Marks list: The dialog box
provides Cancel, Save, and Save a Copy As buttons.
● Via the Duplicate context menu in the Marks list: The dialog box
provides Cancel and Save buttons. The file is saved with the same
name, with the addition of Copy, then you can use the Rename
context menu item, as needed.

Mark types whose colors can be edited

The Mark Color dialog box can be accessed when configuring the
following mark types:
● Text
● Line
● Rectangle
● Crop
● Fold
● Collation
● Bearer Bars

See also:
Mark anchors on page 165
“Bring to Front” for overlapped marks on page 166
Mark Color dialog box on page 167
Mark anchors 165

Mark anchors
SmartMarks can be anchored to the points that you specify on press
sheets, pages, page bleeds, or media. You can set horizontal and
vertical offsets to allow space between the mark image and component
anchor points.
When adding most SmartMarks to a press-run layout, you choose the
layout component to which you are adding the mark, and then you
select two anchor points: on the rectangle that represents the mark
image and the rectangle that represents the component.

For example, selecting the upper-left anchor points:

Results in this mark position:

Anchor-to component Rectangle description
Press sheet Dimensions of the stock resource

Media Dimensions and position of the media resource

Note: To print marks that extend off the sheet when
the media is smaller than the sheet, use a Press
Sheet Size media resource that is configured with an
extra margin.

Page or page bleed Trim or bleed dimensions of a template page or

ganged page group
Note: A page-anchored mark is placed on all
instances of the page and shifts to match any page
orientation changes.

Imposition or Imposition Farthest extents of the trim boxes or the bleed boxes
with bleeds of all pages in an imposition
166 Chapter 8—Marks

Gutter (horizontal, Set of horizontal or vertical rectangles between trim

vertical) boxes of the pages of an imposition and between the
opposing edges of the imposition-with-bleeds
rectangle

Margin (top, bottom, Rectangle between the corresponding edges of the

left, right) imposition and press sheet, and between the
opposing edges of the imposition

Margin (top left, top Rectangle between the corresponding corners and
right, bottom left, edges of the imposition and press sheet
bottom right)

“Bring to Front” for overlapped marks

To ensure that the correct mark is printed on top of the others, you
need to know the default layer sequence that the software applies.
If you overlap marks on a press-run layout, the Bring to Front option
gives you some control over which mark is to print on top. However, if
you place a mark group, you are adding several SmartMarks at once, all
of which might be set to Bring to Front.
When you add individual SmartMarks that overlap:
● The first mark that you add to a press sheet becomes the topmost
mark.
● Each subsequent mark that you add will be on top of the previous
mark.

When you create and import a SmartMarks group:

● Marks in a group are added in ascending order, sorted by file name.
● The highest mark on the press sheet has the lowest file name, and
the rest of the marks are added in top-down order.

The easiest way to control the layering is by adding numbers to the

mark file names, giving the lowest number to the mark that you want
on top.
Mark Color dialog box 167

For example, in this SmartMarks group, the 1_Custom mark is the

highest mark and 4_Bottom_Rectangle is the lowest:
● 1_Custom
● 2_Registration_Custom
● 3_Yellow_Rectangle
● 4_Bottom_Rectangle

Note: If any individual SmartMarks are added after this group is placed, then they
are placed on top of it.

Mark Color dialog box

The Mark Color button is available for the following mark types:
● Text
● Line
● Rectangle
● Crop
● Fold
● Collation
● Bearer Bars
● Custom

All Separations: %Screen

Prints the mark on all separations. In the %Screen box, specify
the screening percentage.
Spot Color: %Screen, SSiCustomColor
Prints the mark on the separations that are mapped to the spot
color that you specify. In the %Screen box, specify the
screening percentage.
In the SSiCustomColor box, type an SSi custom color name and
number, such as SSiCustomColor101. The SSi custom color
number is a placeholder that can be mapped to any spot color
or process color equivalent when you set up the Print Color
Separations tab. You can prevent a mark from printing by
setting its color build to all zeroes.
Process Color: %Cyan, %Magenta, %Yellow, %Black
Prints the mark on process color separations. Type the CMYK
percentages to specify the process color build for the mark.
168 Chapter 8—Marks

Note: You can adjust the color and select Reverse for the Mark types listed above.

Custom and duplicating marks

Custom marks can be created from existing marks or by adding your
own image files. When creating a duplicating mark, you set up an
image file to repeat automatically to fill a specified area.
1. Mark image files
Custom marks that you create require an EPS and PDF version of
the image. You select the EPS image file when creating a custom
mark, and the corresponding PDF file is automatically included in
the output. EPS marks can optionally be included with PJTF or JDF
output.
2. Bar codes in custom marks
JDF or PJTF output can include PostScript marks flats that contain
custom bar codes for preventing collation and folding errors in
postpress equipment. The finishing equipment scans the coded
text-mark variables in each mark to check that all the signatures
belong to the same job and are in the correct sequence.
3. Micro dots
Micro dots are new SmartMarks that were added for flexographic
printing.
4. Adding a new custom mark
A custom mark consists of an image file and the SMK file that
stores its positioning rules.
5. Custom Mark settings
You can add a new custom mark for an existing mark or image file
that you create in your choice of software. Custom mark images
are also used to create duplicating marks.
6. Creating a new duplicating mark (color bar)
Create a duplicating mark that repeats a mark image file to
automatically fill a specified area.
7. Duplicating Mark settings
Use duplicating marks to add color bars to press sheets. The mark
image automatically duplicates within a specified area on a press
sheet, typically across its width or within a fixed area that you
specify.

Mark image files

Custom marks that you create require an EPS and PDF version of the
image. You select the EPS image file when creating a custom mark, and
the corresponding PDF file is automatically included in the output. EPS
marks can optionally be included with PJTF or JDF output.
Image files for the following custom mark types are included in the
Preps software:
Bar codes in custom marks 169

● Registration marks
● Short- and long-side guides
● Bender mark for NELA plate-bending system, to help ensure
accurate positioning on the cylinder
● Color bar duplicating marks (located in the Dupmarks folder)
● In-RIP color ID marks in various rotations
● Digital exposure test mark
● Device resolution text mark
● Collation marks (available as PostScript only)
● Bar code marks for WST and Müller Martini (MM) equipment
(available as PostScript only)
● Micro Dot and Micro Dot Double marks

To use PostScript-based marks such as the collation marks and bar

code marks, you must enable the Output PS marks flats for PJTF/JDF
option on the Output tab in the Preferences dialog box.

Bar codes in custom marks

JDF or PJTF output can include PostScript marks flats that contain
custom bar codes for preventing collation and folding errors in
postpress equipment. The finishing equipment scans the coded text-
mark variables in each mark to check that all the signatures belong to
the same job and are in the correct sequence.
Note: Before adding PostScript-coded marks such as bar codes to a job, you must
select the Output PS marks flats for PJTF/JDF check box on the Output tab in the
Preferences dialog box.

When deciding where to place a bar code mark, be sure to apply any
guidelines provided by the finishing equipment manufacturer. You
typically place the bar code in the spine or grip area, positioned so that
the bar code scanner will be able to read it.
The bar code that you select depends on the target equipment that the
mark was designed for, in accordance with the manufacturer's
requirements. The software includes bar code images that can be read
by Müller Martini and Wafer Systems Technologies (WST) optical
scanners during job finishing:
● The MM-barcode128c.eps bar code for Müller Martini’s automatic
signature detection (Asir3) or compliant equipment, contains the
job ID (0-4999), signature ID (0-99), and total number of signatures
in the output.
Note: This description explains how the information is defined in the bar code
mark. The Asir3 format is proprietary, and bar code readers other then Müller
170 Chapter 8—Marks

Martini’s may display the human-readable bar code in a format that does not
match this description.

● The WST-bar2of5.eps WST-compliant bar code contains the job

ID (0-99999) and signature ID (0-99), and the WST-bar2of5w-
text.eps mark also displays a human-readable version of the
numbers represented by the bar code symbols.

Each mark contains the job and signature ID text-mark variables, with a
defined number of digits allocated for each variable. Leading zeros
automatically fill the bar code when fewer digits are required.
Otherwise, the value is truncated from the front to the defined number
of digits:
● If a bar code allocates two digits for a signature ID, and the actual
job signature number is 5, 105, or 205, the bar code represents the
signature as number 05.
● If a job ID is allocated five digits, and the actual job ID is 123, the bar
code uses number 00123. If the actual job ID is 12345678, the
number 45678 is used.

Note: All ID numbers must contain digits only. The job will fail to preview or print
if an applicable ID contains any characters that are not numeric. If the job does not
contain a job ID and the bar code requires the job ID, the job will still print, but the
job ID portion of the bar code will be set to all zeros.

Bar code marks are cross-platform compatible. However, they can be

previewed only on the same platform (Microsoft Windows or Mac OS)
on which the press-run layout was created.
If you have a solid understanding of the PostScript language and bar
code technology, you can edit the number of digits for the signature
and job ID.

Micro dots
Micro dots are new SmartMarks that were added for flexographic
printing.

1. Select Resources > New SmartMark > Custom Mark.

2. Edit the properties:
a. Give the new mark file a suitable name.
b. In the image file options, select REG_Micro Dot.pdf or
REG_Micro Dot_Double.pdf.
Adding a new custom mark 171

c. Edit the anchor and placement details as needed.

d. Use the Duplicate fields to easily duplicate the mark. Enter the
number of times to duplicate the mark, select the direction of
the duplicates (horizontal or vertical), and enter the distance
(gap) between them.
3. Save the mark to the SmartMarks folder in the configured
Preferences folder location for marks.
Mark image files can reside anywhere in the Marks folder or
subfolders.

Adding a new custom mark

A custom mark consists of an image file and the SMK file that stores its
positioning rules.

1. Skip this step if your workflow does not require a TIFF mark in the
output. If your workflow requires TIFF marks, you must wrap the
image in both an EPS file and a PDF file.
a. Prepare the TIFF image in your source software.
b. Use Adobe Illustrator to create a new document with the exact
dimensions as the TIFF image.
c. Place the TIFF image into the document.

2. Save the image document as a PDF file.

3. Save your image document as an EPS file.
Set the preview as recommended for your software version, and
enable the option for including linked files.
4. Place the PDF and EPS image files into the Marks folder.
5. Select Resources > New SmartMark > Custom Mark.
6. Edit the properties:
a. Give the new mark file a suitable name.
b. Locate and select the mark image file.
c. Edit the anchor and placement details as needed.
d. Use the Duplicate fields to easily duplicate the mark. Enter the
number of times to duplicate the mark, select the direction of
the duplicates (horizontal or vertical), and enter the distance
(gap) between them.
7. Save the mark to the SmartMarks folder in the configured
Preferences folder location for marks.
Mark image files can reside anywhere in the Marks folder or
subfolders.
172 Chapter 8—Marks

Note: If you add a custom EPS mark image file with the same file name as an
existing mark image file, the original file is overwritten.

The new custom mark is added to the Marks list.

Next:
When you add the custom mark to a job, the SmartMark rules will
retrieve the correct image file for previewing and printing.
To use PostScript-based marks such as the collation marks and bar
code marks, you must enable the Output PS marks flats for PJTF/JDF
option on the Output tab in the Preferences dialog box.

See also:
Preparing suitable PDF input files on page 18

Custom Mark settings

You can add a new custom mark for an existing mark or image file that
you create in your choice of software. Custom mark images are also
used to create duplicating marks.

Image file
Select the image file (from the drop-down menu) to use in the
mark.
Rotation
Select the number of degrees to rotate the mark image
clockwise around the mark anchor point.

You can duplicate (or step-and-repeat) custom marks on press sheets.

Configure the duplicate pattern in the dialog box for the Custom Mark
settings, or in the Marks properties pane. Enter the number of times to
duplicate the custom mark vertically or horizontally on the sheet, and
specify the distance to repeat the mark.

See also:
Common settings for SmartMarks on page 162
Creating a new duplicating mark (color bar) 173

Creating a new duplicating mark (color bar)

Create a duplicating mark that repeats a mark image file to
automatically fill a specified area.

1. In the Marks folder, select the EPS and PDF version of an existing
custom mark image file.
2. Move the mark image file to the Dupmarks folder. Do not copy the
file.
A mark image file that is in the Dupmarks folder must not reside in
another location within the Marks folder.
3. Restart Preps software, so that it will recognize the mark file as a
duplicating mark.
4. Select Resources > New SmartMark > Duplicating.
5. Edit the properties:
a. Give the new mark a suitable name.
b. Locate and select the mark image file.
c. Specify the area that the mark is to fill.
d. In the Duplicate from list, select Left or Right to repeat the
image from one end of the mark length to the other, or select
Center to repeat it to either side from the center of the mark
area.
e. Edit the remaining mark properties, as needed.
6. Click Save to automatically add the new duplicating mark to the
Marks list.

The duplicating SMK file is stored in the SmartMarks folder and

references the custom mark image file in the Dupmarks folder. When
you add this mark to a press sheet, it will automatically repeat to fill the
area that you specify.

Duplicating Mark settings

Use duplicating marks to add color bars to press sheets. The mark
image automatically duplicates within a specified area on a press
sheet, typically across its width or within a fixed area that you specify.

Image file
Select the image file (from the drop-down menu) to use in the
mark.
174 Chapter 8—Marks

Rotation
Select the number of degrees to rotate the mark image
clockwise around the mark anchor point.
Size Type
Select a fixed or variable size type, and specify the fixed
dimension of the area that is to be automatically filled with
duplications of the color-bar mark image:
● To create a fixed-size mark, select Fixed, and specify the
Width and Height in the text boxes that appear.
● To create a vertical mark that automatically matches the
height of the component, select Variable height, and specify
the mark thickness in the Width text box that appears.
● To create a horizontal mark that automatically matches the
width of the component, select Variable width, and specify
the Height.

Duplicate from
From this list, select Left, Center, or Right to control where the
duplication mark originates from. If selecting Center, Preps will
automatically duplicate the image to either side of the center
until the area is filled.
Do not apply workflow color calibration

Note: This option applies only to JDF or PJTF output. It is ignored for all
other output types.

Select this check box to generate a pair of marks flats: one

containing the uncalibrated version of the marks, the other with
calibrated marks in case this is needed downstream.
Uncalibrated marks are not affected by color profiles or curves
applied to jobs.

Anchor to
Select the component to which the mark will be anchored.
On the diagram, click a reference point for the selected
component.
Text marks 175

● Fixed-size mark: Choose any of the nine points.

● Vertical mark (variable height): Choose one of the three
vertical anchor points to anchor the mark to the left edge,
center, or right edge of the component.
● Horizontal mark (variable width): Choose one of the three
horizontal anchor points to anchor the mark to the top edge,
center, or bottom edge of the component.

Offsets
Type the amounts of horizontal and vertical space to allow
between the mark and component anchor points, and between
the mark image and component edge.
● For a fixed-size mark: In the H Offset and V Offset text
boxes, specify the vertical and horizontal distances between
the mark and component anchor points.
● For a vertical mark (variable height): In the H Offset and V
Margin text boxes, specify the horizontal distance from the
component anchor point and a width for the vertical margin
between the mark and the component.
● For a horizontal mark (variable width): In the V Offset and H
Margin text boxes, specify a vertical distance from the
component anchor point and a width for the horizontal
margin between the mark and the component.

See also:
Common settings for SmartMarks on page 162

Text marks
1. Text-mark variables
When you add code words called variables to your text marks,
their values are derived from the job details and included in the
output.
2. Text Mark settings
When setting text mark properties, you can type plain text and
optionally include text-mark variables that derive their values from
a variety of sources. You can also set default font information on
the Marks tab in the Preferences dialog box.
3. Creating a CJK text mark
Create text marks using a Roman-style or CJK (Chinese, Japanese,
Korean) font, rotated as needed.
176 Chapter 8—Marks

Text-mark variables
When you add code words called variables to your text marks, their
values are derived from the job details and included in the output.
Notes:
● Text-mark variable names are not case-sensitive.
● Before Asian or other Unicode fonts can be rendered in text marks, the CJK
text-mark profile options must be correctly set on the Marks tab in the
Preferences dialog box.
● In a Prinergy prepress workflow, you can also specify a Prinergy-type variable
mark that will be populated by Prinergy in the final output. For example,
include the Prinergy variable mark $[impplanname] to print the Workshop-
specific imposition name. (For the most predictable results, avoid mixing these
variables types in the same text mark.)

This variable Prints this content

$binderysig or $bs Shows the bindery signature on the Press Run
$binderysigs or $bs.all Shows all the bindery signature numbers on the Press Run
$Comment Derived from the Comment that you type in the Print dialog box
$Color The colors on the side of the sheet where the text mark is placed
$ColorNum The numeric identifier for the color
● Process colors: 00=multiple colors, 01=cyan, 02=magenta,
03=yellow, 04=black
● Spot colors: The numbers 05 to 98
● Composite: The number 99

$Customer Customer ID number specified in the Job Notes dialog box

$Date Indicates when the job was last printed to file
$Device Derived from the Nickname in the Media Configuration dialog box
$folio When used in page-anchored text marks, $folio prints the folio that you
assigned to each page in the job's Pages List.
$JobDate, $JobTime Indicates when the job was last saved
$JobID The job ID number
$JobName The job file name (includes the .job extension)
$Job_Title The name that you give the saved job
$LocaleLongDate, Same as $Date and$JobDate, except that the format is applied based on
$LocaleJobDate the current international settings at the operating system level
$PressRunNumber The sequential number as it appears in the job’s Press Runs List
Text marks 177

This variable Prints this content

$PressSheetName The relative stock name. The stock can be specified by an MIS JDF file,
and the selected stock is included in JDF output.
$runlist The runlist page number when used in page-anchored text marks
$SheetHeight, $SheetWidth The stock dimensions, in the default measurement unit
$Side The press sheet side (A = front, B = back). For multiple-web press runs,
the additional sides are labeled C, D, and so on. If sides are printed
together, this variable is blank.
$Sig The section number
$SigName The name of the current press run
$Template The relative path and name of the signature’s template
Note : The relative path starts at the default Templates folder (as set in
Preferences). A colon [ : ] is used to delimit any subfolders in the path.
$Time The time the job was output, using the 24-hour clock
$Web The numeric identifier of the current press sheet
$XTile, $YTile The horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) tile identifiers. If all tiles are printed
together, this variable is blank.

Product Text variable Note

$ProdName Based on the Product Name box
$ProdJobID Based on the Product Job ID boxd
$ProdCustomer Based on the Product Customer box
$ProdPgCt Based on the total number of pages
associated with the defined product
$ProdBindStyle Based on the binding style associated
with the defined product
$ProdComments Based on the comment field
associated with the defined product

Part Text variable Note

$PartName Based on the Part Name box
$PartType Based on the selection you make in the
Part Type menu
$PartTrim Based on the width (W) and height
(H) defined in the Trim Size boxes
$PartBindStyle Based on the selection you make in the
Part Binding Style menu
$PartTotalSec Calculated based on the total number
of sections associated with the part
178 Chapter 8—Marks

Text Mark settings

When setting text mark properties, you can type plain text and
optionally include text-mark variables that derive their values from a
variety of sources. You can also set default font information on the
Marks tab in the Preferences dialog box.
Note: Set the default text-mark font properties on the Marks tab in the
Preferences dialog box.

Text
Type the mark text, which can include text-mark variables such
as $Job_Title.
Text Size
Type the text height in points.
Script
Select Roman or CJK to set the corresponding text-mark font
that is defined on the Marks tab in the Preferences dialog box.
Rotation
Select the number of degrees to rotate the mark image
clockwise around the mark anchor point.
Vertical Text
Select this check box if vertical characters will be used in the
marks. The appearance of vertical characters depends on the
mark rotation.
Rotation when Vertical Text is selected:

Rotation when Vertical Text is not selected:

Creating a CJK text mark 179

Flat Identifier Text

Select this check box to place the text mark in the same place
on each press-sheet side. For example, you might use this mark
to identify the color separation per plate, using the $Color or
$ColorNum text-mark variable.

Text Anchor
Click a reference point on the diagram, which represents the left
edge of the first text-mark character.

See also:
Common settings for SmartMarks on page 162

Creating a CJK text mark

Create text marks using a Roman-style or CJK (Chinese, Japanese,
Korean) font, rotated as needed.

1. In the text mark’s properties, select CJK from the Script list.
2. To create a vertical text mark, select the Vertical Text check box,
and specify the text orientation.
3. Edit the properties, as needed, for the new mark, then click Save.
180 Chapter 8—Marks

Line Mark settings

Edit the mark length, line style, color, and placement details. You can
also set the default line width on the Marks tab in the Preferences
dialog box.
Note: Set the default line width on the Marks tab in the Preferences dialog box.

Size

● If you select Fixed Length, specify the Length of the line

mark and the Angle (number of degrees) by which it should
be rotated.
● Select Vertically centered or Horizontally centered if you
require a straight, centered line mark of variable length that
is automatically sized to fit the Anchor to selection.

Style
Select the line type (solid, dotted, or dashed).

Anchor
For fixed-length line marks, you can select any of the nine points in the
Anchor to diagram, and then specify any vertical and horizontal offsets
to be applied to the selected anchor point.
For variable-length marks, the anchor points are selectable vertical or
horizontal lines, corresponding to the selected Size centered option.
● For vertically centered marks, you can apply a horizontal offset, and
specify how much vertical margin to allow. (Applying a vertical
margin shortens the line mark.)
● For horizontally centered marks, the opposite applies.

Horizontal, Vertical
Type the amounts of horizontal and vertical space to allow
between the mark and component anchor points.

See also:
Common settings for SmartMarks on page 162
Rectangle Mark settings 181

Rectangle Mark settings

Edit the mark dimensions, line style, color, and placement details. You
can also set the default dimensions on the Marks tab in the
Preferences dialog box.

Size
Select a size type, and specify the mark’s fixed or variable
dimensions.
● If you select Fixed, specify the mark’s Width and Height.
● If you select Height is variable, specify the fixed Width for a
vertical rectangle.
● If you select Width is variable, specify the fixed Height for a
horizontal rectangle.

Note: Set the default dimensions on the Marks tab in the Preferences
dialog box.

Style
Select the line type (solid, dotted, or dashed).

Anchor
For fixed-size marks, you can choose any of the nine points in the
Anchor to diagram, and then specify any vertical and horizontal offsets
to be applied to the selected anchor point.
For variable-sized marks, the anchor points are selectable vertical or
horizontal lines, corresponding to the selected Size centered option.
● For variable height marks, you can apply a horizontal offset and
specify how much vertical margin to allow. (Applying a vertical
margin shortens the mark’s height.)
● For variable width marks, the opposite applies.

Horizontal, Vertical
Type the amounts of horizontal and vertical space to allow
between the mark and component anchor points.

See also:
Common settings for SmartMarks on page 162

Crop Mark settings

Crop marks can be added and managed individually or as a set, and are
always anchored to pages. On the Output tab in the Preferences dialog
182 Chapter 8—Marks

box, you can choose to shift the crop marks with page shingling, and
print additional crop marks for the bleed margins. On the Marks tab,
you can also set an optional white knockout.

Length
Type a length for the crop marks.
Note: Set the default length on the Marks tab in the Preferences dialog
box.

Offset from page

Type the distance from the page trim corners to place the crop
marks. This number can be negative.
Note: Set the default distance on the Marks tab in the Preferences dialog
box.

Style
Select the line type (solid, dotted, or dashed).
Place crop marks on outside of imposition
Select this check box to automatically prevent placement of any
crop marks that would be inside the imposition, such as in the
gutters between the pages.

Bring to Front
Prints the mark on top of any other content
● If Bring to Front is selected or cleared in the same way for
both marks, then the crop mark will print over a color bar.
● If only one of the two overlapping marks is selected, then
that mark will print on top.

Note: Except for JDF and PJTF output types, all output types support
printing crop marks on top of duplicating marks.

See also:
Managing placed crop and fold marks on page 159
Common settings for SmartMarks on page 162

Fold Mark settings

Edit the mark length, line style, color, and gutter offset. In the
workspace, you can select and delete individual marks, as needed.

Length
Type a length for the fold mark.
Collation Mark settings 183

Note: Set the default length on the Marks tab in the Preferences dialog
box.

Offset
This number can be negative.
Style
Select the line type (solid, dotted, or dashed).

See also:
Managing placed crop and fold marks on page 159
Common settings for SmartMarks on page 162

Collation Mark settings

Add collation marks to identify the planned sequence of the sections in
a product assembly, based on the binding style. If you change the page
count or renumber the pages, the collation marks adjust automatically.
You can place collation marks in the trim or content areas, anchored to
low, high, or mid folio pages of product sections. The marks can be
trimmed off after the collation is checked at the bindery.
You can also create static collation marks.
Binding

Select the binding style, which determines the placement of the

marks. Select None to define collation marks without binding
style restrictions, based solely on the position with respect to
the page, on all sides of page 1 in the press run.
Note: A collation mark whose binding style does not match that of the
section will not image.

Type

Select a mark type that provides the desired character rotation

and text-mark font.
Collation Mark A: Numeric collation indicator inside the mark,
rotated 90 degrees
Collation Mark B: Numeric collation indicator inside the mark,
no rotation
Collation Mark C: No collation indicator inside the mark
Collation Mark A-123: Numeric indicator that shows the
signature number stacked in a column, when the value is two
184 Chapter 8—Marks

digits or higher; available when creating a new smart collation

mark
JA, ZH, ABC: Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Roman characters.
Your selection applies the corresponding text-mark font that is
defined on the Marks tab in the Preferences dialog box.
Collation Mark A-JA (rotated 90 Collation Mark B-ZH (no
degrees): rotation):

Origin
Select the edge from which to offset the collation mark. The
available options are determined by the binding style.
Note: You can also set a Step collation mark from offset origin option on
the Marks tab in the Preferences dialog box.

Width
Specify how wide each mark will be.
Length
Specify the distance from the starting point that can be used by
the stepped collation marks, after which the next mark is placed
at the starting point again.

Step distance
Specify the distance between the optional text and collation
mark, which can be positive or negative, but not zero.
Optional Text
Type any text that is to trail the mark, and print in the same
color as the mark. You can use regular text and text-mark
variables.
Note: The font used in the optional text is not affected by the type of
collation mark.

Script
Select Roman or CJK to set the corresponding text-mark font
that is defined on the Marks tab in the Preferences dialog box.
Collation Mark settings 185

Vertical Text
Select this check box if vertical characters will be used in the
marks. The appearance of vertical characters depends on the
mark rotation.
Rotation when Vertical Text is selected:

Rotation when Vertical Text is not selected:

Step optional text with mark

Select this check box if you want the trailing text to step along
with the mark. Clear this check box if you want the text to
appear at the same position on all job signatures, such as for
multi-section impositions.

Static collation marks

You can also add static collation marks to Preps jobs or templates.
These marks can only be added through the Resources > New Mark >
Static Collation Mark menu item and they cannot be saved as a
resource—they can only be saved in a template or a job. They cannot
be used in mark rules. You will need to specify the following
parameters:
Type
Same information as described for collation marks above.
186 Chapter 8—Marks

Mark Position
Select the Center mark on point check box to center the mark
on an X and Y access position on the sheet. Clear the check box
to position the mark from the Left and Bottom of the sheet.

Left or X Ctr
Enter the distance that you would like the mark to start from the
left edge of the sheet or the X Ctr value to center the mark on a
point.

Bottom or Y Ctr
Enter the distance that you would like the mark to start from the
bottom edge of the sheet or the Y Ctr value to center the mark
on a point.

Width
Specify how wide each mark will be.

Length
Specify the distance from the starting point that can be used by
the stepped collation marks, after which the next mark is placed
at the starting point again.

Step distance
Specify the distance between the optional text and collation
mark, which can be positive or negative, but not zero.

See also:
Common settings for SmartMarks on page 162

Bearer Bars settings

Use bearer bars marks to add two rectangular marks on the sides of
your press sheets. These marks extend along the entire length of the
press sheet; one bar is placed on the left side of the press sheet, and
the other is placed on the right side. Bearer bars marks are of a single
tone, and are placed on every plate in the job. Typically, they are used
for packaging jobs, but they can be used as ink take-off bars for all job
types. You can adjust the width of these marks.
Note: The two bars behave as a unit, but you can select each bar individually. Use
ALT-opt to select and update an individual bar.

Width
Type a length for the width of the bearer bars mark.
Bearer Bars settings 187

Note: Set the default width on the Marks tab in the Preferences dialog
box.

See also:
Common settings for SmartMarks on page 162
188 Chapter 8—Marks
9 Administration

1. Profiles and preferences

Configure preference settings that suit your most typical
requirements, and store them in reusable custom profiles.
2. Files and folders
You work with various job and setup file types, and you must
configure certain folder paths for Preps software.
3. Managing job notes
Set up the job notes to provide the content for text-mark variables.
The default note types are defined in the media PPD files, and the
content can be provided manually or derived from JDF data. You
can also define new text-mark variables and content for a specific
job.
4. Licensing Control dialog box
To activate a software-based license, you provide the serial
number in the Licensing Control dialog box that appears when you
first start the new software. If the installation is licensed by a
workflow server, you can set the default floating-license type, and
view who is currently using each license.
5. Checking the current session’s status messages
Review status information about your job activities.

See also:
Printing job layout reports on page 125
Checking a media’s job log on page 154

Profiles and preferences

Configure preference settings that suit your most typical requirements,
and store them in reusable custom profiles.

Profiles for storing default settings

Many default settings are stored in the default profile of Preps software.
You can store customized settings in additional profiles to reuse for
your most common job types.
You might switch between custom profiles for:
● Jobs that have similar custom requirements
● Jobs that you run regularly
● Settings for printing proofs
● Settings for final output
● Settings for individual prepress operators
190 Chapter 9—Administration

The settings in profiles are stored in corresponding text files that have
a CFG file name extension. The Profiles/default folder contains
the default profile (default.cfg), and a new subfolder is
automatically created to store each new profile that you create.
Configuration subfolders and files are portable and can be copied into
any other installation’s Profiles folder. Each CFG file must be in its
own subfolder with the same name.
In a configuration file, each line represents one option that can be
turned on or off, or set to a specific value. Most of these options are
controlled by a dialog box. Advanced users can edit technical options
that are not exposed in a dialog box, as needed.
Note: You must start and close Preps software at least once after installation,
before you can see the default profile contents in a text editor. The Profiles
folder that contains the configuration files for the default profile and your custom
profiles, cannot be shared. Each installation uses only its own Profiles folder.

Setting your preferences

You can set default values for various settings in the Preps software.
Define your preferences for the current session, and store the settings
in a profile.
1. Open the Preferences dialog box:
○ In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences.
○ In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences.

2. Set preferred values on each tab as needed.

The default values appear in various areas of the software where they
are typically editable for a specific purpose, without Preferences
changing the stored default values. You can only change the default
values in the Preferences dialog box.
Next: You can store different combinations of settings in custom
profiles.
See also:
Output Preferences on page 125
Marks Preferences settings on page 160
General Preferences on page 191
Common Preferences on page 194
Stock Preferences on page 194
Step-and-Repeat Preferences on page 195
Job Report Preferences on page 196
Folders Preferences on page 201
JDF Preferences on page 213
AutoGang Preferences on page 219
Using custom profiles 191

Using custom profiles

Store collections of preference settings in custom profiles, and edit or
switch profiles for specific purposes in a job or between jobs.
You can follow these steps as part of a job or without a job open. If you
want to include print settings, a job must be open.

1. Open the Preferences dialog box:

○ In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences.
○ In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences.

2. In the Profile Name list, select a profile, and close the dialog box.
Chose a profile that you want to edit and save, or a profile on which
you want to base a new profile.
The settings in the Preferences dialog box change to match the
stored settings.
3. Edit the settings, as needed.
4. In the common area on the Preferences dialog box, click Save
Profile.
5. Choose a task:
○ To save your edits to the currently loaded profile, accept the
displayed name and click OK.
○ To save the settings to a new profile, type a name for the profile,
then click OK.

If you saved a new profile, it is added to the Profile Name list, and
its CFG file is placed into a new folder with the same name, within
the Profiles folder.
6. Repeat these steps, as needed, to create or edit additional profiles.

A profile’s settings remain in effect until the next time you change
them in the Preferences dialog box.

General Preferences
Specify your preferred values for commonly used settings.
In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences > General.
In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences > General.
192 Chapter 9—Administration

Defaults
Units
The unit type that you select is immediately applied to all
displayed measurement values.
Notes:
● The default measurement unit for all non-English installations is
Millimeter.
● Other selectable units are Centimeter, Inch (English default), Point,
and Pica.
● Picas and points are based on the PostScript standard of 72 points to
one inch, not the traditional 72.31 points to one inch.
● Whenever you type a measurement without including a unit type, the
next time that you view this property, the default unit will also be
displayed.
● If you type a measurement number and follow it with a unit that is
different from the default unit, then the next time that you view this
property, you will see that it was converted to the default unit. For
example, if you type 215.9 mm when the default is inches, it is
converted to 8.5 in.

Specify the values that will be presented as defaults for these items:
● Default Work Style for press runs
● Default Binding Style for sections
● Default Stock for press sheets
● Default Product Type for Commercial Print or Packaging
● Page Width, Page Height for template pages
● Default Bleed Limit for maximum size of bleed margins
Notes:
○ When an input file specifies bleed margins that are wider than this limit,
the margins are automatically reduced to the limit that you specify here.
○ If no bleed is specified, the default bleed limit is applied to the placed
pages. (The input file is not affected.)
○ The bleeds of adjacent pages are automatically adjusted so that they meet
in the middle between the pages, up to the maximum that you specify here.

● Press Sheet Edge to Punch Center for press runs

● Perfect Bound and Saddle-Stitched trim, lip, and spine widths. For
example, you can set a default lip width for saddle-stitchers to use
for pulling the signatures. For perfect-bound work, you can set a
default width to allow for grind-off and gluing along the spine edge.
Profiles and preferences 193

Input Options
Report modified input files
Select this check box to see a message when an input file has
changed since the last time that you saved the job, so that you
can update the run list, as needed.
Autocenter run list pages
Select this check box to automatically center all run-list pages.
You can override this on a per-page basis.

Show dimensions
Select how you prefer to see distance measurements in the workspace
when the Show Dimensions view option is turned on.
● Center to center
● Trim edge to trim edge

Snap
Choose the type of snapping to apply for draggging and dropping
pages:
● Trim to trim (default): The trim edges touch, and any inner bleed
margins are automatically removed.
● Bleed to bleed: The inner bleed margins are automatically adjusted
to half their original width.
● Gutters: When you specify the horizontal and vertical distances,
any overlapping bleed margins are automatically adjusted to split
the width equally.

Display
Show Units
Select this check box if you want to see the units in all
measurement boxes in the workspace. Clear this check box if
you want to see only the numeric values.
Anti-alias Lines
Select this check box to diminish the appearance of jagged
edges in the display. This does not affect the output.
194 Chapter 9—Administration

Common Preferences
You can load or save a profile from any tab in the Preferences dialog
box.
In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences.
In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences.

Profile Name
Lists the profiles that currently exist in a folder in the Profiles
folder
Save Profile
Saves your current settings to a profile. In the dialog box that
appears, you can select a profile from the Profile Name list, or
type a name for the new profile that is then automatically added
to the Profiles folder.
Language (Windows only)
Displays all the user interface options in the selected language.
Note: This setting does not change the measurement unit, which you can
set separately.

Stock Preferences
You can configure and set preferences for controlling stock, sections
placement, and PDF files that appear in the stock.
In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences > Stock.
In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences > Stock.

Sections Position in Stock

Allows you to control the placement of your sections when you
build press runs. When you select one of the nine control
points, combined with the Top, Right, Bottom, and Left options,
you can define where you want the sections placed on the
stock.
Note: The values entered in the control point fields Top, Right, Bottom,
and Left options are absolute.

Auto Divide and PDF Trim Size

Auto Divide Stock as Fold Patterns are added
Enables you to define how a new stock resource Variable Sheet
Size reacts. You can drag a fold pattern to the Press Run
Step-and-Repeat Preferences 195

workspace where the variable sheet auto sizes to the new fold
pattern. When you add another fold pattern of the same (or
different) configuration, the variable sheet grows and splits
horizontally or vertically according to the selected placement.
Note: This split is displaced with a horizontal or vertical rule. If the rule is
not visible, make sure that Rulers are activate (Command/Control+R).
Auto Divide is only able to divide the stock into logical, equal sections.
You cannot combine or remove divided sections. For example, a Dutch
cut layout that has two fold patterns on the bottom and one centered
across the top, is 90° of the first two positions.

Auto Apply PDF TrimSize

Let you add a PDF file to the Press Run workspace. You can
drag it on top of an existing fold pattern to have the PDF's
TrimSize become the defining value for the width and height of
the Fold Pattern.
Note: This is a similar feature that is available with step-and-repeat of
ganging workflows where the auto adjustment makes it easier to go from
a planned solution to a print solution.

Step-and-Repeat Preferences
You can configure and set default values for step-and-repeat patterns.
(The software defaults are shown.)
In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences > Step & Repeat.
In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences > Step & Repeat.

Step & Repeat Name

Use to define a step-and-repeat naming convention. The default value
is SnR_<n> (for example, SnR_1, SnR_2, and so on).

Arrange Pages
Use to define a default value for arranging pages:
● Trim to trim
● Bleed to bleed (default value)
● Gutters: Define horizontal and vertical gaps between the pages. The
default value is 0, 0.
● Distance: Define horizontal and vertical offset parameters. The
default value is 0, 0.

New Step & Repeat Placeholder

Placeholder size: The size of a placeholder element. The default value
is 8.5 in. x 11 in.
196 Chapter 9—Administration

Default Placeholder position: The position of a new placeholder

element in the Press Runs view.The default value is center.

Job Report Preferences

Use these preferences to customize your reports.
In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences > Report.
In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences > Report.

General
You can select the type of report to generate:
● Intent Based Report (default value)
● Legacy Report

Company Logo
You can include your company logo on reports. Click Select, and
browse to the location of the image file for your logo.

Files and folders

You work with various job and setup file types, and you must configure
certain folder paths for Preps software.
1. File types and folder locations
As a job is processed, a variety of files are used, referenced,
created, stored, output, or destroyed. Other software-support files
store the configurations and resources that you define.
2. Folders and files that you can move or share
Instead of storing resource configurations on each computer in a
networked environment, you can store one set of shared files
where multiple users can access them.
3. Sharing folders
You can set up central folders, and configure multiple installations
to share the files.
4. Folders Preferences

File types and folder locations

As a job is processed, a variety of files are used, referenced, created,
stored, output, or destroyed. Other software-support files store the
configurations and resources that you define.
Tip: For ease of retrieval, be sure to establish and maintain a clear, consistent
approach to file naming and storing.
Files and folders 197

Job files
● New job files (.job) that you create and save.
● Input files that provide the customer content (.pdf)
● Customer source-document files that you may need to convert to
Adobe Acrobat PDF input files
● Existing job files (.job) that you can reopen, edit, and save
● Job files (.job) that are generated by Kodak UpFront software
● JDF files (.jdf) that are generated by an MIS or other system
● Job output files (.jdf, .pjtf, .ps, .ppf, .pdf)

Software-support file types

● SmartMark files (individual .smk files and group info.smg files)
● Mark image files (.eps, .tif, .pdf)
● Template files (.tpl)
● Profile configuration files (.cfg)
● Media configuration and device files (.ppd, .ppx)
● Resource list files (.xml)
● Other file types that are only accessed by Preps software

Standard file locations

● Whenever the software is unable to find a folder or file that is
needed, a message prompts you to locate it.
● Customer input files, job files, and output files can be stored in any
accessible folder. Network servers can be Mac OS, Microsoft
Windows, or UNIX-based.
● You can use the Job File Collector utility to collect and store all the
files associated with a job.
● The files that store templates, marks, media, stock, common color,
folios, fold patterns, and web-growth compensation sets must be
stored in the locations that you define on the Folders tab in the
Preferences dialog box.
● You can use the Migration utility to move software configuration
and resource files from one installation to another.
● The software installation folder structure includes files that are
needed for processing. Do not move or alter these folders unless
instructed to do so.
198 Chapter 9—Administration

The difference between a job file and template file

Each job contains and stores its own layout information in its JOB file,
and you can optionally save a frequently repeated job as a template in
a separate TPL file, for quick reuse.
● Template information that is stored in TPL files
A template can be used to set up pre-defined press-run layouts for
a job, but it has no permanent association with a JOB file or any
content files. The exception is jobs that were created using earlier
versions of Preps software, which derive their layouts from specific,
referenced TPL files. If you open and edit a legacy job, the
referenced template is updated only if you select Save As
Template.
● Template information that is stored in JOB files
When you save a job, its press-run layout details and content
references are all stored in the JOB file. The job can be reopened
and reprinted with the assurance that nothing has changed since
you last saved it.

Note: When you apply a template resource to a job, the layouts are added to the
JOB file, and the original template is no longer referenced. If you separately edit
and resave the template that you used for this job, the changes are not
automatically applied when you reopen the job. To apply the changes, you must
reapply the template.

File compatibility between software versions

● You can use the Preps 7.x software to open jobs or templates that
were created in any version of the software up to the version of the
software you have installed.
● When you use the Preps 7.x software to reopen and save a legacy
job (for example, from Preps 6 or earlier), it becomes a Preps 7.x
job.
● You cannot use versions earlier than Preps 7.x to open Preps 7.x
jobs.
● You can use any version of the Preps software to open templates
that were created in any version of the software. Any unsupported
features are typically ignored.
● Static marks in a legacy file will be converted to SmartMarks or
deleted, depending on the mark type.
● You can open a previously output JDF file to reprint or revise the
original job.

For the most up-to-date information about compatibility with Kodak

Prinergy workflows, see the applicable release notes.
Folders and files that you can move or share 199

Note: The Prinergy Workshop Signature Selection and Prinergy Evo Create
Imposition features do not currently support templates that you create or edit in
Preps 6.

See also:
Reopening an existing job on page 12
Input files on page 16
Saving a job as a template on page 63
Media-related files on page 152
Legacy static marks in older files on page 160

Folders and files that you can move or share

Instead of storing resource configurations on each computer in a
networked environment, you can store one set of shared files where
multiple users can access them.
The same paths can be set on the Folders tab in the Preferences dialog
box of each installation that will share folders.
The following folders can be shared as a single group.
Important: These folders must be named as shown, and must all be within the
same parent folder. Do not change the name of any of these folders.
● Templates folder: Contains your templates subfolders and files
(TPL).
● Marks folder: Contains your mark image files (PDF, EPS).
● Resources folder: Contains the XML files that store your common
colors, folios, and fold patterns.

The Marks folder has additional structural requirements:

● Marks\Dupmarks: Contains your duplicating mark image files. Do
not change this folder's name or path.
● Marks\SmartMarks: Contains your SmartMark files (SMK),
including any subfolders that you add. Do not change this folder's
name or path.
● Marks\SmartMarks\<MarkGroupName> folders: Contain your
group member SMK files and group info.smg file. These
subfolders, which you can define as needed to create mark groups,
must be in the Marks\SmartMarks folder.

Each of the following folders can be shared from any accessible

location on your network:
● Printers folder: Contains the configuration files and list that
define your media, stock, tile sets, and devices. Do not change the
name of this folder.
200 Chapter 9—Administration

Note: If you move this folder, you must restart the software.
● <Your compensation sets> folder: Contains your web growth
scaling sets. You can give this folder a name of your choice.

Notes:
● These files are protected against more than one user applying edits
simultaneously, although multiple copies of a shared file can be open for
viewing. However, this does not protect against someone deleting or moving a
shared file at the operating system level while the file is being edited.
● You can create additional subfolders and move files around inside the standard
folder structure without closing the software.
● Shared items are available immediately from their new locations.
● You can edit, add, or delete files in these folders from any installation of the
software.
● Instead of sharing folders, you can copy the contents of folders between
installations.

Sharing folders
You can set up central folders, and configure multiple installations to
share the files.
Using a central Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, or UNIX-based server
ensures that everyone is using the latest revision of a particular file.
Depending on your requirements, you can choose which of the
following steps to implement.

1. Set up shared Templates, Marks, and Resources folders.

Note: These folders are interdependent and cannot be shared individually. The
software must be able to find these folders when it starts.

a. Choose the software installation folder that will share its

templates, marks, and other resources (common colors, folios,
fold patterns).
b. Prepare the central resource lists by adding any items that need
to be shared, deleting any items that are not needed, and
moving any desired files from other installations to their
respective folders at the central installation.
Note: The correct folder names and structure are important.
c. On the Folders tab in the Preferences dialog box at each
installation that will use these folders, set the new Folder
Containing Template, Marks, and Resources Folders path.
Folders Preferences 201

2. Set up a shared Printers folder, and/or move the files from one
installation to another.
a. Create the new Printers folder at any accessible location on
your network, or choose an existing software installation’s
Printers folder.

b. At one of the installations, add any required media, stock, tile

sets, and device PPD files that you want to share or move.
c. Use the Migration tool, or manually move the contents of the
Printers folder that contains the prepared media resources to
the new folder.
Note: If you manually move the files, be sure to include all the subfolders
and all the files that are at the root of the Printers folder, including the
output resource list files: printers.psm (media), tileset.psm (tile
sets), and sheet.xml (stock).

d. On the Folders tab in the Preferences dialog box at each

installation that will use this folder, set the new Printers Folder
path.
e. Restart the software to activate the new location.
Note: The software must be able to find this folder when it starts.
3. Set up a shared compensation sets folder.
a. At one of the installations, prepare the scaling sets that you
want to share.
b. Move the folder that contains the sets to any accessible location
on your network, or share the folder that you prepared.
c. On the Folders tab in the Preferences dialog box at each
installation that will use this folder, set the new Web Growth
Compensation Sets Path.
4. Optional: Manage the Templates, Marks, Resources, Printers,
and compensation sets folders by deleting any files that will not be
used by the installations.

You can edit, add, or delete files in these folders from any installation
of the software.

See also:
Moving the Printers folder on page 151

Folders Preferences
In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences > Folders.
In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences > Folders.
202 Chapter 9—Administration

Option Description
Temporary Displays the folder that the software uses while processing
Folder files
Templates, Specify the parent folder that contains the Templates,
Marks, and Marks, and Resources folders. You can specify a central
Resources Folder folder for multiple installations.
Printers Folder Specify the folder that stores all the media configuration
and PPD files. You can specify a central folder for multiple
installations.
Output Path Select the default location for output files. This path is
presented by default when you print to a file type.
To retain the last-used output folder as the default for the
next time you print, select the Use last location check box.
The Output Path displays Use last location instead of an
actual path. To cancel, click Select, and set the path to a
fixed location.
PDF Output Path Select the default location for your PDF output files.
Compensation Specify the folder that stores the web-growth
Sets Path compensation sets for this installation.

Managing job notes

Set up the job notes to provide the content for text-mark variables. The
default note types are defined in the media PPD files, and the content
can be provided manually or derived from JDF data. You can also
define new text-mark variables and content for a specific job.
Note: If a job uses multiple media, then the job notes contain the default notes for
each media.

1. Select Job > Job Notes, or use the keyboard shortcut CTRL/CMD +
J.
2. To add a custom note to the list:
○ In Mac OS: Click New Note, and provide the new Type and
Content.
○ In Microsoft Windows: Provide the new values in the Type and
Content boxes, and click Add/Modify Note.

You can use literal text and text-mark variables to build a job note.
To define a new variable to use in text marks for this job, when
specifying the type, use the format $<VariableName>.
Note: Do not insert spaces.
Licensing Control dialog box 203

3. To delete a custom job note, select the note, then click Delete
Note.
Note: You cannot delete default note types, but you can edit their content.
4. To edit a note, select the note, and edit the Content.
In Windows, click Add/Modify Note.

Any custom note types and content that you create are stored with
that job only.

See also:
Text-mark variables on page 176
JDF jobs on page 209

Licensing Control dialog box

To activate a software-based license, you provide the serial number in
the Licensing Control dialog box that appears when you first start the
new software. If the installation is licensed by a workflow server, you
can set the default floating-license type, and view who is currently
using each license.
When the software is running, you can use Command/Ctrl+U to
access the Licensing Control dialog box, or select Preps/Edit >
License.
Software License
Select for dongle-based licensing.
Licensed to, Company
Provide the names.
Serial Number
Provide the serial number for your license that you received
from Kodak, either in an e-mail message or on Partner Place at
https://partnerplace.kodak.com/ under Service & Support >
Product Registration and License Activation > View registered
products. The serial number contains a combination of capital
letters and numbers and is not case-sensitive.
License Key
After you perform the procedure to retrieve your license
described in the release notes, your new license key appears in
this box.

Prinergy Floating License

Select for installations in workflow systems that use server-
based licensing.
204 Chapter 9—Administration

License Server
Select or specify the host name or IP address of the workflow
server that manages the floating licenses.
Licenses
Select the default license type, if more than one license type is
available in your system.
Type
Lists the available license types.
Available
Lists the number of floating licenses that are currently available
for each type.
Total
Lists the number of installed floating licenses.

Checking the current session’s status messages

Review status information about your job activities.
You might need this for JDF import diagnostics, or to review software
messages for details such as missing marks.

1. Select Windows > Show Status Window.

2. Optional: Copy the contents to a text file.
10 Automation support

1. Mark rules for JDF automation and AutoGang

Mark rules define the criteria that determine which SmartMarks
are added when press-run layouts are generated by AutoGang and
JDF automation. Use the Mark Rules Editor tool to configure the
criteria for each rule that you create, and select the marks and
mark groups that are added by that rule.
2. JDF automation
The open-standard job definition format (JDF) is used by JDF-
compliant systems to communicate data and automatically trigger
specific job tasks. Experienced users with JDF training can set up
profiles for varying degrees of job automation, and they can
manually intervene in automation jobs, as needed.
3. AutoGang
The AutoGang feature makes intelligent decisions to determine
which PDF pages constitute a complete flat-work product. It
chooses the best positions for pages on the press sheets, based on
the settings and priorities that you assign. You can review and
adjust the results as needed.
4. AutoGang hot folders for Prinergy systems
The AutoGang feature includes a hot folder capability to fully
automate job ganging for a Prinergy workflow system. You can set
up as many AutoGang presets as needed to associate with the hot
folders that you create.

Mark rules for JDF automation and AutoGang

Mark rules define the criteria that determine which SmartMarks are
added when press-run layouts are generated by AutoGang and JDF
automation. Use the Mark Rules Editor tool to configure the criteria for
each rule that you create, and select the marks and mark groups that
are added by that rule.
1. Creating a mark rule
Use the Mark Rules Editor to create the rules for adding marks to
autocreated and autoganged layouts.
2. Criteria for mark rules

See also:
JDF automation on page 209
AutoGang on page 216
206 Chapter 10—Automation support

Creating a mark rule

Use the Mark Rules Editor to create the rules for adding marks to
autocreated and autoganged layouts.

1. Perform one of the following actions:

○ Select Resources > Mark Rules Editor.
○ In the Utilities folder, double-click the
PrepsMarkRulesEditor file to start the software.

2. In Mark Rules Editor:

○ In Mac OS: Select PrepsMarkRulesEditor > Preferences.
○ In Microsoft Windows: Select Tools > Options.

3. In the Preferences dialog box, load the profile to be used and set the
Unit for specifying dimensions in the criteria settings.
4. Click [+] to add a new rule.
5. Configure the criteria in the rule settings.
It is not necessary to provide a value for each setting. For example,
a generic rule to apply crop marks to all auto-created signatures
might contain only the rule name.
6. In the SmartMarks list, choose the marks to be applied by this rule,
and drag them to the Marks to be added list.
7. Click Save Rules.
8. Repeat as needed to set up additional rules.
9. To activate the rules for JDF auto signature creation, enable the
Add SmartMarks based on mark rules option on the JDF tab of the
Preferences dialog box.
● The mark rules are added to the markrules.xml file in the
Printers folder.
● For JDF auto signature creation, rules are applied based on the JDF
data’s work style, binding type, front and back colors, and sheet size
(or size range).
● For AutoGang, rules are applied based on the flat work binding style
and specified sheet size in the AutoGang Preset.
● When more than one rule matches a press run, all matching rules
are applied.
Criteria for mark rules 207

Criteria for mark rules

Rule Parameters
Use the following settings as criteria for AutoGang and JDF
automation.
Rule Name
Give the rule a descriptive name.
Product Type
Select an option to identify the product type: commercial print
or packaging.
Part Type
Select an option to identify the part type:
● Cover
● Text
● Flat Work
● Folding Carton
● Labels
● Tags
● Bags

Workstyle

● Not specified (Any binding style qualifies as a match.)

● Sheetwise
● Work and Turn
● Work and Tumble
● Single-Sided
● Perfector

Binding Type

● Not specified
● Flat Work (This is the only binding type that the AutoGang
feature uses.)
● Perfect Bound
208 Chapter 10—Automation support

● Saddle-Stitched
● Come and Go
● Cut and Stack
● Mixed

[Device] Name
Use to define a Device ID, so Preps software can look for the
device specified:
● Press Name
● Output Device Name
● Page Proof Device Name
● Imposition Proof Device Name
● Folder Name
● Cutter Name
● Bindery Name

Stock Name
Use to identify a paper type.
Number of Sections
Use to idenfity the number of sections on a sheet.
Number of Webs
Use to identify the number of web uints; can be taken from the
REM press setting in Prinergy workflow.
Sheet Size (Min) W and H
The dimensions of the smallest press sheet to which this rule
applies
Sheet Size (Max) W and H
The dimensions of the largest press sheet to which this rule
applies
JDF automation 209

Criteria for auto signature creation

The following settings are specific to the auto signature creation (ASC)
feature.
Press Device ID
Device ID that the MIS software assigns to this device. If no
device is specified, then all devices are considered.
Front Colors
Number of colors on the front side of the job that are described
in the JDF file
Back Colors
Number of colors on the back side of the job that are described
in the JDF file

JDF automation
The open-standard job definition format (JDF) is used by JDF-
compliant systems to communicate data and automatically trigger
specific job tasks. Experienced users with JDF training can set up
profiles for varying degrees of job automation, and they can manually
intervene in automation jobs, as needed.
1. JDF jobs
In a JDF workflow, the management information system (MIS)
sends you a JDF file that represents the job ticket and specifies the
imposition requirements in its stripping data. Incoming JDF files
can contain enough product intent to autogenerate the Press Runs
List via template-signature matching or creation, and you can add
or edit details as needed.
2. Completing a JDF job
After opening a JDF file, you can check the autogenerated layouts,
compare the current settings with the source JDF values, and
make any necessary adjustments before you print the output.
3. JDF Preferences
Use the JDF tab in the Preferences dialog box to define how the
software automates JDF-based jobs, and optionally save the
settings in a custom profile.
4. JDF output
You can print JDF output from any job, including jobs that were
not based on MIS JDF data. You can save a JDF-based job as a
regular JOB file, and you can also print it to any of the supported
output types.

JDF jobs
In a JDF workflow, the management information system (MIS) sends
you a JDF file that represents the job ticket and specifies the imposition
210 Chapter 10—Automation support

requirements in its stripping data. Incoming JDF files can contain

enough product intent to autogenerate the Press Runs List via
template-signature matching or creation, and you can add or edit
details as needed.
The currently loaded profile determines the type of automation that is
applied when a JDF file is opened, based on the JDF tab settings in the
Preferences dialog box.
When you open an MIS JDF file, the software immediately examines
the JDF data (stripping parameters) and attempts to resolve the
requirements using a specific sequence, depending on the profile.

Manually matching the source JDF values

You can manually edit the product intent to match the JDF values
when:
● The profile is configured for matching only, and no suitable template
is found.
● The profile is configured for signature matching or creation, and the
JDF data is not complete.
● The original intent needs to be updated with last-minute change
requests.

When the product intent is fully defined, you can generate the Press
Runs List.

When structural changes are needed

When necessary, you can make structural changes, such as to
accommodate an increased page count. Before proceeding, determine
whether the customer service representative will send you new or
updated JDF data to replace this job, or whether you will change the
job manually. The Preps software can manage stock introduced by a
JDF without having it added to the stock list. You can edit the on-the-
fly stock property, and have it written back to the JDF.
You can manually specify the new product intent in the Assembly
view, and create the additional press-run layout in the Press Runs view.
Although the printed result might be correct, the new press run will
have no association with the original JDF stripping parameters, and the
JDF output will contain an unrequested press run.

Tips for optimal results

The JDF data that you receive can vary in structure and content
between MIS systems and jobs. Even when the data is very
comprehensive, mismatched properties can result if the profile
requires several mandatory criteria with a low tolerance for differences.
Completing a JDF job 211

And even if the JDF data and the profile have minimal requirements
and the press-run layouts are easily autogenerated, the impositions
might not be suitable. In that case, you might need to compare the JDF
values of nonmandatory settings with the autoselected values, and
then manually edit the settings to match more of the JDF values.
Here are some suggestions for achieving better results:
● Store suitable JDF settings in custom profiles, so that the generated
impositions will be compliant with downstream systems.
● Configure additional profiles, and switch between them as needed.
● For auto signature matching, maintain a well-organized collection of
layout resources (templates).
● For more accurate matching, create a profile that uses all or most of
the Matching Criteria and a fairly strict Match Tolerance.
● For easier matching (with the risk of unsuitable results), use fewer
Matching Criteria and a more lenient Match Tolerance.

Completing a JDF job

After opening a JDF file, you can check the autogenerated layouts,
compare the current settings with the source JDF values, and make any
necessary adjustments before you print the output.
Note: For auto signature creation, define the mark rules that will add the correct
marks to the autogenerated layouts.

Use any of these steps that apply to your situation, based on your
awareness of the type of JDF data that you receive from your MIS.
For example, if the JDF data is consistently well defined, you might
proceed to print the generated press-run layouts, with or without first
checking the results.
212 Chapter 10—Automation support

1. In the Preferences dialog box, load a suitable profile or set options

as needed on the JDF tab.
a. Choose the automation type:
● For auto signature creation (ASC) only, select Create Only.
● For auto signature matching (ASM) only, select Match only.
● For the most flexible automation, select Match then create
(ASM/C).

b. Select the matching criteria that are mandatory, and set the
Match Tolerance level.

2. Select File > Open, then locate and open the JDF file.
The job notes are updated with the JDF file name, descriptive name,
and MIS job ID, if provided. The run list is populated with PDF
pages if the JDF includes a reference to the input files; otherwise,
blank pages fill the specified page count.
The results and your next actions depend on the JDF data contents
and the profile settings.
Depending on the configured auto generation type, the software
tries to resolve the requirements in the following sequence:
If the JDF data For: The software: Typical next steps
contains:
A reference to a valid ASM, ASC, Ignores the profile settings, and Check the generated
template that is in the ASM/C generates the assembly and press runs press runs in the Press
Templates folder based on the referenced template Runs view, and make any
necessary adjustments
before printing.
Sufficient stripping data, ASM Based on the Matching Criteria, tries Check the generated
no template reference to match the mandatory JDF values to press runs in the Press
the values in an existing template Runs view, compare the
(within the profile’s Match Tolerance JDF values and settings
limit) and if successful, generates the in the Properties pane,
assembly and press runs based on the and make any necessary
template adjustments before
printing.
ASM/C Based on the Matching Criteria, tries If ASM was
to match the mandatory JDF values to unsuccessful, you can
the values in an existing template manually complete the
(within the profile’s Match Tolerance job.
limit) and if unsuccessful, generates
the assembly and press runs based on
the JDF values
ASC Applies the JDF values to the intent
properties, and generates the
assembly and press runs
JDF Preferences 213

If the JDF data For: The software: Typical next steps

contains:
Insufficient stripping ASM, ASC, Highlights the missing properties and Obtain the missing
data ASM/C generates a minimal assembly or no customer requirements
assembly for the product intent,
update the properties,
and generate and check
the press runs before
printing.

3. In the Assembly view, check the generated product assembly and

intent settings:
a. In the workspace, review the product structure that was derived
from the JDF data.
b. In the Properties pane, expand the Source JDF Values column.
c. For each product, part, and section, individually compare the
current property settings with the source JDF values, and edit or
complete the settings as needed.
The Properties pane highlights any mandatory settings that are
not within the profile's defined JDF Match Tolerance level for its
Matching Criteria selections. You can edit or specify values for
mandatory and non-mandatory settings.
Note: Skip the next step if the press runs were already autogenerated and
no edits are required.
4. Click Generate Press Runs.
If the press-run layouts are successfully generated, the view
switches to the Press Runs view. If they fail to be generated, you
can edit the settings and try again, or switch to Press Runs view
and manually complete the job.
5. In the Press Runs view, check the autogenerated press-run layouts
and make any changes needed for production, such as to change
the stock selection.
6. Print the output.

See also:
Press Runs view reference on page 66

JDF Preferences
Use the JDF tab in the Preferences dialog box to define how the
software automates JDF-based jobs, and optionally save the settings in
a custom profile.
In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences > JDF.
In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences > JDF.
214 Chapter 10—Automation support

Signature Creation
Choose the automation method used to build the Press Runs List:
Match only
Always attempt to build the Press Runs List by matching the
requirements to existing template signatures, and never
automatically create press-run layouts. This is also known as
auto signature matching (ASM).
Create only
Always build the Press Runs List by autocreating the layouts;
ignore any templates that are in the Templates folder. This is
also known as auto signature creation (ASC).
Match then create
Always build the Press Runs List by first mtaching the
requirements to existing template signatures (ASC), and create
a press-run layout only when unable to find a match (ASC).

Matching Criteria
Choose the characteristics that will be used as criteria for matching the
source JDF values to the automatically selected or generated template
signatures:
Check sheet size
Matches only to template signatures that use the same press
sheet size (stock) as specified in the source JDF
Check work style
Matches only to template signatures that use the same work
style as specified in the source JDF
Match finishing properties to fold pattern templates
If the source JDF specifies finishing property values such as
trims, matches only to a template signature that uses a fold
pattern, and ignores any gutter-based impositions
Check head and foot trim
Available only if Match finishing properties to fold pattern
templates is selected. Matches only to a template signature
that uses the same head and foot trim values as specified in the
source JDF.
Check fold pattern
Matches only to a template signature that uses the same fold
pattern as specified in the source JDF
JDF automation 215

Check fold orientation

Available only if Check fold orientation is selected. Matches
only to a template signature that uses the same fold pattern
with the same rotate and flip coordinates as specified in the
source JDF. The bindery uses this information to transform the
production signature as it comes off the press to its final
product orientation.
Match Tolerance
Decrease this tolerance to a stricter level for more precise
matching, or increase it to a more lenient level to increase the
likelihood of successful matching.

Signature Creation Marks

Add SmartMarks based on mark rules
Select this check box when you are ready to activate your mark
rules.
Add JDF error marks
Clear this check box to suppress error messages in text marks,
which can appear when the JDF geometry specifications include
incomplete or inconsistent information. If this check box is
selected, you can manually delete the error marks.
Error Mark Tolerance
If Add JDF error marks is selected, set the tolerance level to
"allow" before adding the error mark.

JDF Output
Format the output based on this specification

● JDF version 1.2 (software default)

● JDF version 1.3
● JDF version 1.4

Use relative paths for marks

If selected, formats the URL for the location of the marks as a
path that is relative to the location of the JDF output file.
Use relative paths for input files
If selected, formats the URL for the location of the content input
files as a path that is relative to the current location of the JDF
file.
216 Chapter 10—Automation support

JDF output
You can print JDF output from any job, including jobs that were not
based on MIS JDF data. You can save a JDF-based job as a regular JOB
file, and you can also print it to any of the supported output types.
JDF output files contain all the information needed to re-open and
automatically reconstruct the job, for example, if a job needs to be re-
plated. This is referred to as JDF roundtripping.
JDF output can be generated from any job, including jobs that were not
started from JDF data. Other features of JDF output include:
● If fold patterns are used, fold information is included in JDF output
for use by JDF-enabled bindery equipment.
● Color mapping and web-growth compensation are supported and
can be configured in the Print dialog box.
● In the Print dialog box, you can export CIP3 cutting data by
embedding it inside the JDF output file or by printing the job twice:
once to JDF, and once to PPF. Your method depends on the
postpress system capabilities.
● If the MIS JDF includes CIP4 folding data for setting up CIP4-
compliant folding equipment, it is passed through in the JDF output.
● Any Run Length values that you specify in a job's Press Runs List
are included in the JDF output, in the Layout/Signature/
@SSi:RunLength attribute.

AutoGang
The AutoGang feature makes intelligent decisions to determine which
PDF pages constitute a complete flat-work product. It chooses the best
positions for pages on the press sheets, based on the settings and
priorities that you assign. You can review and adjust the results as
needed.
1. Creating an AutoGang preset
AutoGang presets apply specific settings and optimization
priorities.
2. Generating autoganged press runs
3. AutoGang Preferences
Creating an AutoGang preset 217

Creating an AutoGang preset

AutoGang presets apply specific settings and optimization priorities.
Note: The default profile and any custom profiles share the same AutoGang
presets, which are stored in a special configuration file called Autoganging.cfg.

1. Select Resources > AutoGang Presets.

2. Select a preset and choose a task:
○ To add a new AutoGang preset based on the currently selected
preset, click [+].
○ To modify the currently selected preset, click Edit.

3. Specify a name, and choose the media and stock that this preset
will apply .
4. Specify the margins that will determine the dimensions of the
imageable area on the sheet.
5. Choose the work style.
If you select a two-sided work style, products will be autoganged in
front-and-back content page pairs.
6. Set the default gap limit between pages.
Any bleed margins that are wider than this limit will be adjusted to
fit this space.
7. Choose whether AutoGang should optimize for digital printing
(zero makeready), offset printing (default makeready), or print cost
(actual calculated make ready).
If you choose to optimize for cost, you must enter the total costs for
press runs for quantities of 1000 sheets and 2000 sheets
(including all costs that you want considered in the calculations).
Note: The default offset printing option adds 200 sheets to the run length
quantity as an approximation of makeready time and materials, or waste per
press run.
8. Specify the step direction for the autoganged layout of multiple-up
products on a press run.
Note: This can depend on whether an automatic or manual cutter is used.
○ Choose a specific direction if the items must be adjacent, to
form blocks with horizontal or vertical cut lines.
○ If a specific direction is not required, allow the software to
calculate the layouts based on cut efficiency.
This can result in horizontal or vertical cut lines (or both) on a
layout.
218 Chapter 10—Automation support

9. If you choose cut efficiency, use the slider to indicate whether the
autocalculation should make a quick decision or take more time to
create a more efficient layout.
10. If products or cut blocks can be rotated for the best fit, select the
Allow Rotation check box, or clear it to prevent rotation.
11. Choose if files will be autoganged on a first-in, first-out basis.
If selected, the file that was in the hot folder for the longest time is
included in the autoganged layout. Other files might also be
included, depending on your optimization and step direction
choices.
Note: Skip this step if you are not using AutoGang hot folders in a Prinergy
workflow.
12. To create a new preset based on these settings, click Save as
Preset.

Generating autoganged press runs

1. Set up the AutoGang tab in the Preferences dialog box.
2. Use the Mark Rules Editor to configure rules for automatically
adding marks to the generated press runs.
3. Set up the Files list.
4. Click the AutoGang tool to generate the job’s AutoGang list.
All Files list pages are automatically added to the job’s AutoGang
list. Each single-sided page or two-sided page pair is considered to
be one flat-work product, and each row displays information about
one flat-work product.
AutoGang Preferences 219

5. Review and adjust the list as needed:

What you can do Description

Select the AutoGang preset Accept, change, or edit the AutoGang

Preset selection as needed for this job.
Check front and back page When the selected preset uses a two-
pairs sided work style, the pages are autopaired
in front and back page positions. Each
even-numbered page is assigned to the
back of its preceding odd-numbered page.
Tip: You can change the way a product is
paired by dragging a product row to
anywhere else in the list to create two new
products with content on the front only.
Dragging one of these rows onto another
blank-backed product replaces its blank
back with the dragged content.
Select products for ganging Select the check boxes to include the
products in this ganging session. Products
with cleared check boxes will be ignored.
Set the quantities Use one of these methods:
Note: It does not matter if the check box is
selected or cleared.
● Double-click in the Quantity column,
type a new value, and tab to the next
row.
● Select multiple products that require
the same quantity by clicking on the
front page names (not the check
boxes), then click Set Quantity, and
type the value.

6. To generate the layouts for the selected products, click Gang.

7. Review and adjust the results as needed.
The number of generated press runs depends on the job size and
the settings in the Preferences dialog box. The generated press run
names are appended with the press run lengths.
8. Save the job and print the output.

AutoGang Preferences
In Mac OS: Select Preps > Preferences > AutoGang.
In Microsoft Windows: Select Edit > Preferences > AutoGang.
220 Chapter 10—Automation support

Replace current sheet(s)

Select or clear the check box, depending on whether existing
press-run layouts are to be replaced or retained.
Note: If this check box is cleared, the default press run that is available in
every new job must be manually deleted.

Press Sheet Generation

Use the check boxes to specify whether to generate all the
layouts for the entire AutoGang list.
Tip: Clear the Replace current sheet(s) check box, generate first best
sheets for different combinations of settings, and compare the results
before generating all the layouts with the Create multiple sheets option.

Create multiple sheets (for selected products)

Generates press runs to lay out all the AutoGang products
Create first best sheet
Autoselects products and generates only the best possible
ganged layout, based on the current settings. Any products that
do not fit are not placed.

AutoGang hot folders for Prinergy systems

The AutoGang feature includes a hot folder capability to fully automate
job ganging for a Prinergy workflow system. You can set up as many
AutoGang presets as needed to associate with the hot folders that you
create.
1. Setting the root hot folder
After you specify a root hot folder location locally or on a server,
Preps software watches the hot folders for input files, generates
layouts based on a hot folder’s associated AutoGang presets, and
places the output files in the specified folder locations.
2. Setting up an AutoGang hot folder
You can set up as many AutoGang hot folders as needed for your
operations, with one or more quantity-based folders per hot folder.
3. Autoganging a job for Prinergy

See also:
Ganging on page 98

Setting the root hot folder

After you specify a root hot folder location locally or on a server, Preps
software watches the hot folders for input files, generates layouts
Setting up an AutoGang hot folder 221

based on a hot folder’s associated AutoGang presets, and places the

output files in the specified folder locations.
All AutoGang hot folders must reside within the same root folder
location, which is used by all profiles.

On the AutoGang tab in the Preferences dialog box, click Select,

and locate the root hot folder that will contain all the individual hot
folders that you create on your computer or a server on your
network.
Click New Folder, as needed, if the folder does not exist.
Tip: For network locations, use the SMB protocol to connect to the server.

Setting up an AutoGang hot folder

You can set up as many AutoGang hot folders as needed for your
operations, with one or more quantity-based folders per hot folder.
Adding PDF input files to a quantity-based folder automatically sets
the number of copies to be printed. Each hot folder scans and prints the
contents of its quantity folders according to the schedule that you set
up. You also specify the AutoGang preset to be used by each hot
folder, as well as the output file type and the folders where the job,
product, and output files are automatically placed when the job is
finished.
New hot folders that you set up following this procedure are
automatically created inside the Root Hot Folder path that you define
in the Preferences dialog box.

1. From within Prinergy Workshop software, open Preps software.

2. Expand the AutoGang resource pane to display the categorized hot
folders that are currently defined in the AutoGang resource list.
This list initially contains no hot folders. As you configure and add
hot folders to the AutoGang resource list, they are automatically
listed under the Manual print or Automatic print category,
depending on your hot folder settings.
3. To create and configure a new hot folder, click [+].
4. At the top of the settings dialog box that appears, give your new
hot folder a descriptive name.
Tip: Keep in mind that Mac OS file names are limited to a total of 32
characters. The date and time of printing are automatically added to
AutoGang output file names, which leaves only up to 13 characters for the hot
folder name portion, depending on the file name extension.
5. Choose the AutoGang Preset that this hot folder uses.
6. In the Scan every box, specify how frequently (number of minutes)
the software should scan the hot folder for new files.
222 Chapter 10—Automation support

7. In the Quantity Folders area, type a value for each quantity-based

subfolder that this hot folder requires.
Click [+] to add more quantity folders, as needed.
8. In the Print Options area, select the Output Type that this hot
folder generates: JDF, PJTF, or PDF.
9. Specify where this hot folder places each type of generated file
when it completes a job.
This folder location: Collects these files types:

Output ganged layout to The generated JDF, PJTF, or PDF

output files
Move product files to The PDF input files that have been
ganged
Output Preps .job files to The automatically saved Preps job
files
Output PPF to check box Select this check box if Print
Production Format (PPF) output
files will also be generated.
You can then locate the folder
where PPF files are to be placed.

You can add new folders to collect these files in any accessible
location or various locations in the network. Give the folders names
that are meaningful for your purposes.
10. Choose a print option, depending on whether you want to preview
the layouts.
Choose this option: To do this:

Manual Print Preview each generated layout,

and make any adjustments
needed. When you are satisfied
with the layouts, manually print
the output.
For manual printing, there are no
further settings to specify.
Automatic Print Save the job and generate the
autoganged layouts automatically,
with no manual intervention.
Selecting this option activates
additional options.

Your choice determines the category under which this hot folder
appears in the AutoGang resource list.
Note: Jobs created via hot folder cannot be manually saved, to be consistent
with the automated hot-folder file management.
Autoganging a job for Prinergy 223

11. For automatic printing only, set the schedule for automatically
generating the output when sheet utilization is above the minimum
percentage that you specify.
You can choose to print the output immediately, every specified
number of hours, at a specific time each weekday (Monday to
Friday), or at a specific time every day (Monday to Sunday).
Printing takes place when your specified sheet utilization
percentage is reached. The files are then placed in the folders that
you defined.
12. Click OK, and verify that the new hot folder appears in the
AutoGang resource list.
13. To refresh the hot folder AutoGang list, click Rescan.
Tip: Double-clicking a hot folder in the AutoGang list pauses the hot folder
and changes the appearance of the icon.Double-clicking it again reactivates it.

Autoganging a job for Prinergy

1. Place the PDF input files into a suitable quantity-based folder within
an AutoGang hot folder.
Note: Input files must be single-page PDF files (for single-sided work style) or
two-page PDF files (for two-sided work style). Files with more than two pages
(or more than one in a single-sided hot folder) are moved to the error folder,
because parts of a file cannot be ganged independently.
2. If this is a manual print job, open Preps software from within
Prinergy Workshop software, and check the generated layouts
before saving and printing the job.
3. For the first few autogang jobs that you run, verify that the output
files were generated and placed in the configured folder locations.
The output file names automatically include date, time, and hot
folder name, in this format:
<YYMMDDHHmm_nn_HotFolderName>, where <nn> represents the
incremented file ID number.
Note: You cannot currently change the way that output files are named.

For information about processing the final output in Prinergy, see

the documentation for Prinergy.
224 Chapter 10—Automation support
11 Shortcuts

1. User interface viewing tools

Click the triangles and stretch the dividers to fit the window panes
to your needs.
2. Menu shortcuts – Windows OS-based computers
3. Menu shortcuts – Mac OS
4. Other shortcuts

User interface viewing tools

Click the triangles and stretch the dividers to fit the window panes to
your needs.

1 Click a triangle to expand or collapse a list tree

2 Drag a divider to stretch or shrink a pane
3 Expand a pane to hide the adjacent panes
4 Click a tab to switch views
5 Click the triangle to reverse a column's sort order
6 Drag the column edges to adjust their widths
7 Drag the column headers to rearrange the columns
8 Click a triangle to stretch or shrink a column
226 Chapter 11—Shortcuts

Menu shortcuts – Windows OS-based computers

To do this: First: Then press these keys:
Select all same-type Select an object Ctrl A
objects
Select all Ctrl A
Locate and add files Open or start a job Alt+Ctrl A
Generate the job’s Set up the Files list Shift+Ctrl A
AutoGang list
Copy Select an object Ctrl C
Duplicate or step and Select an object Ctrl D
repeat
Auto-center a page in the Shift+Ctrl D
width and height of a
stock
Flip the sheet in the Display the press run Ctrl F
workspace
Group Select pages Ctrl G
Ungroup Select a page group Shift+Ctrl U
Generate press runs Define the product intent Shift+Ctrl G
(part and section
properties)
Access Layout Details Ctrl I
Access Job Notes Ctrl J
Open the Preferences Ctrl K
dialog box
Lock Select an object Ctrl L
Unlock Select a locked object Shift+Ctrl L
Open the Create Ctrl M
imposition dialog box
Start a new job Ctrl N
Locate and open a job Ctrl O
Open the Print dialog box Ctrl P
Open the Print Job Layout Shift+Ctrl P
Report dialog box
Close the software Ctrl Q
Save this job Ctrl S
Save this job as... Shift+Ctrl S
Menu shortcuts – Windows OS-based computers 227

To do this: First: Then press these keys:

Add a new empty press Ctrl T
run (sheetfed)
Duplicate this press run Select a press run Shift+Ctrl T
(sheetfed or web type)
Open the Licensing Ctrl U
Control dialog box
Ungroup Select a page group Shift+Ctrl U
Paste Select an object Ctrl V
Close this job Save current job Ctrl W
Cut Select an object Ctrl X
Undo (if action is Ctrl Z
undoable)
Align selected objects:
Align left Shift

Align top Shift

Align right Shift

Align bottom Shift

Redo Shift+Ctrl Z
Expand a resource pane:
Expand the Media list Ctrl 1
Expand the Stock list Ctrl 2
Expand the Marks list Ctrl 3
Expand the Layouts pane Ctrl 4
Expand the AutoGang Ctrl 5
pane
Zoom:
Zoom in/out Optional: Select an object Ctrl + (plus) / – (minus)
Fit in window Ctrl 0
View at actual Select an object Alt+Ctrl 0
dimensions
Other keyboard shortcuts
Help (user guide and other information) Ctrl ?
Display next press run Shift+Ctrl >
Display previous press run Shift+Ctrl <
228 Chapter 11—Shortcuts

Show or hide a user interface region:

Show or hide the lists of job assets at the left side. Ctrl

Show or hide the workspace and list areas of the

Ctrl
center region.
Show or hide the properties of selected job elements
Ctrl
at the right side.

Menu shortcuts – Mac OS

Keyboard symbols:
● Command
● Shift
● Option
● Control

To do this: First: Then press these keys:

Select all same-type
Select an object A
objects
Select all A
Locate and add files Open or start a job Control+ A
Generate the job’s
Set up the Files list Option+ A
AutoGang list
Copy Select an object C
Duplicate or step and
Select an object D
repeat
Auto-center a page in the
width and height of a Control+ D
stock
Flip the sheet in the
Display the press run F
workspace
Group Select pages G
Ungroup Select a page group Shift+ G
Define the product intent
Generate press runs (part and section Option+ G
properties)
Access Layout Details I
Access Job Notes J
Lock Select an object L
Menu shortcuts – Mac OS 229

To do this: First: Then press these keys:

Unlock Select a locked object Shift+ L
Start a new job N
Locate and open a job O
Open the Print dialog box P
Open the Print Job Layout
Shift+ P
Report dialog box
Close the software Q
Save this job S
Save this job as... Shift+ S
Add a new empty press
T
run (sheetfed)
Select a press run
Duplicate this press run Shift+ T
(sheetfed or web type)
Open the Licensing
U
Control dialog box
Paste V
Close this job Save current job W
Cut Select an object X
Undo (if action is
Z
undoable)
Redo Shift+ Z
Align selected objects:

Align left Shift

Align top Shift

Align right Shift

Align bottom Shift

Expand a resource pane:

Expand the Media list 1
Expand the Stock list 2
Expand the Marks list 3
Expand the Layouts pane 4
Expand the AutoGang
5
pane
Zoom:
230 Chapter 11—Shortcuts

Zoom in/out Optional: Select an object + (plus) / – (minus)

Fit in window 0
View at actual
Select an object Option+ 0
dimensions
Other keyboard shortcuts
Open the Preferences dialog box , (comma)
Help (user guide and other information) ?
Display next press run Shift+ >
Display previous press run Shift+ <
Show or hide a user interface region:

Show or hide the lists of job assets at the left side.

Show or hide the workspace and list areas of the

center region.
Show or hide the properties of selected job elements
at the right side.

Other shortcuts
This table summarizes other shortcuts that use the keyboard, mouse,
or both.
Note: In these shortcuts, a + (plus sign) is used to mean and—it does not mean to
press the + (plus) key.

To achieve this: Use this shortcut: Description

Viewing and selecting items
Select an imposition page within a Use the Page Select tool, and click
page grid the page
Select multiple pages, sections, or Press Shift + click the items, or drag
marks a marquee around them
Select all odd, even, or ranges of In the Pages List, right-click the Use a dash to indicate a range, and
pages in a run list product or part, and select an use a comma to separate multiple
option values (1-4,9-12,21-24). Do not
insert spaces.
Select a fold mark Mac OS: + Shift + click Allows you to view and edit the fold
mark properties
Windows: Alt + click
Zoom in and out Roll the mouse wheel Increases or decreases the zoom as
you roll the mouse wheel
Pan your current view Press the space bar + drag an Moves the press sheet in the same
object in the workspace way as the Pan tool
Other shortcuts 231

Editing
Edit a layout’s page properties Select a page in the workspace Activates the editable text boxes in
the workspace, depending on the
current View menu selections, and
displays the Content Page and
Template Page settings in the
Properties pane
Edit a layout’s mark Double-click a mark in the Displays the selected mark’s
workspace settings in the Properties pane
Edit a reusable media, stock, or Right-click the item in the Displays a context menu from
mark resource corresponding list in the Resources which you can choose Edit
pane
Edit a press-run section’s trims In the workspace, select the section Activates the editable text boxes in
the workspace, depending on the
current View menu selections, and
displays its settings in the
Properties pane
Edit a product section From any view, select the section in Displays its settings in the
the Products list. Properties pane
Edit an imposition on a layout Double-click the imposition Displays the Edit Imposition dialog
box
Edit a product or product part From any view, select the product Displays its settings in the
or part in the Products list. Properties pane. Structural edits of
multi-part products can be made
only in the Assembly view, such as
changing the page count
Edit content trim boxes Select the page in the Pages List Displays the page and trim boxes in
the Preview pane (depending on
View menu settings) and its run-list
page settings in the Properties
pane
Edit a press run’s settings Select the press run in the Press Displays its settings in the
Runs List Properties pane. You can also edit
certain settings directly in the list
row.
Edit gutters in a layout In the workspace, select the press- Displays its editable gutter or trim
run section text boxes in the workspace and
Properties pane
Edit a media’s punch location In the Media list, right-click the Displays the Punch Location dialog
media, select Edit, and in the Media box
Configuration dialog box, click
Punch Location.
Edit a layout’s distance between In the workspace, select the stock. Displays its settings in the
the sheet edge and the media Properties pane, including the
punch editable Punch Distance
232 Chapter 11—Shortcuts

Moving items
Move a page along its axis Press Shift + drag a page Moves a page to a position that is
on the X or Y axis of its original
position. If you move the page
diagonally, it snaps to its nearest
original axis.
Nudge an item Select the item and use the arrow Moves the selected, unlocked page
keys or mark in the direction of the
arrow
Override the snap behavior Mac OS: + drag Drags the selected page without
regard to snap settings. When you
Windows: Ctrl + drag
release the mouse, the page
remains exactly where it is instead
of snapping to the nearest available
grid line.
Replacing items
Replace a content page in a layout Drag the new page over the old Replaces that page and any other
page until the recycle symbol page on the press sheet that has
appears, then drop. the same template number. Retains
the original template page
properties for each replaced page.
Replace content on only one of Mac OS: + drag Replaces only the page with a
multiple same-numbered template recycling symbol on it, even if it is
Windows: Alt + drag
pages in a group. Does not affect any
other pages with the same
template page number. Assigns the
next available template page
number to the new page. Works
only for pages dragged from the file
list.
Replace a stock or media in a layout Double-click the new item in the Replaces a stock or media without
Stock or Media list removing any placed pages
Replace a press-run layout Double-click the new template Removes any placed pages and
signature in the Templates list replaces the existing layout
resources in the workspace
Replace selected file list Job > Replace File Placeholder Replaces the file placeholder with
placeholder with content content. If the new file is larger or
smaller than the placeholder, a
message asks you what to do with
the extra pages in the larger file.
Creating duplicates
Duplicate a selected page once Mac OS: + drag Places a copy of the original page,
with content, where you release the
Windows: Alt + drag
mouse
Duplicate a selected page via step Mac OS: +D Displays a dialog box with the step-
and repeat and-repeat options
Windows: Ctrl + D
Other shortcuts 233

Creating duplicates
Duplicate a selected press run Mac OS: +D Adds and selects the duplicated
press-run layout, without content
Windows: Ctrl + D
Copy a selected press run or Mac OS: + C, +V Inserts a copy of the press run or
ganged page places a copy of the page where
Windows: Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V
you release the mouse, with
content
Deleting pages
Delete the entire selected page Press Delete. Deletes the selected template page
from a layout and its content. This does not affect
the Files list.
Remove only the content from a Mac OS: + Delete Removes only the selected content
selected page on a layout page and not its template page. If
Windows: Alt + Delete
used on a page group, removes all
the content pages and retains the
template pages.
234 Chapter 11—Shortcuts
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