English - Dynagram

Transcription

English - Dynagram

Version 7.5
User’s Guide
Copyright 2000-2013 Dynagram. All rights reserved.
Printed in Canada.
DynaStrip is a registered trademark of Dynagram.
Other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective owners.
©
DynaStrip is available for Mac OS X and Windows in the following editions:
DynaStrip
(Compact)
DynaStrip
(Full Size)
DynaStrip
Automation
DynaStrip
Fusion
DynaStrip
JDF Import
Max. 32 x 32”
(810 x 810 mm)
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Standard





+LZW
Option
Option
Option
Option
Option
Output Format
TIFF + PDF
Preview
(Raster Mode)

DynaStream Module

Versioning Module

JDF Import Module
Advanced Template
Export Module for Agfa
OEM
DynaStrip FLOW
(Job Ticket Flow Module)
Network Licensing
Release: April 24, 2013
OEM
OEM
OEM
OEM
Not available
Not available
Not available
OEM
Available
Available
Note
DynaStrip imposition software has been developed for imposition
professionals. It is very flexible and easy to use. However, we recommend that the user be familiar with the Macintosh OS X or Windows
operating system before using this guide.
DynaStrip’s user interface is almost identical on all platforms. However, some functions may slightly differ depending on the environment. In this User’s Guide, each occurence is preceeded with the
operating system logo. The Command key on the Macintosh system is
replaced by the Ctrl key on the Windows system.
This User’s Guide is included in DynaStrip’s help menu and on our
web site www.dynagram.com. All updates are posted on our web site.
A complete Tutorial is also available.
Technical Support
If you are a registered customer and require assistance concerning
DynaStrip, please fill out the Support Form at www.dynagram.com/
support. It is the fastest and most efficient way to diagnose and
resolve your issue.
For immediate assistance, you may contact:
United States & Canada
Tel.: 418-266-1275
Fax: 418-694-2048
E-mail: support@dynagram.com
www.dynagram.com/support/
Other Countries
Contact your distributor or reseller.
For additional information concerning customer support and the
Annual Support Agreement, see the Support section on our web site
www.dynagram.com.
Table of
contents
1st Chapter.........................................
1
1.1 DynaStrip’s Interface ...................................
1
1.1.1
1.1.2
1.1.3
1.1.4
1.1.5
1.1.6
1.1.7
1.1.8
1.1.9
1.1.10
Main Window ................................................................
Toolbars........................................................................
Object Modes ................................................................
Zoom and Selection of Objects .......................................
Cursor Position Menu.....................................................
Units of Measure ...........................................................
Preferences...................................................................
Default Parameters and Object Libraries .........................
Assistant & Help............................................................
DynaStrip Options and Dongle Activation.........................
1
3
4
5
5
6
6
9
10
10
1.2 Basic Functions ..........................................
11
1.2.1
1.2.2
1.2.3
1.2.4
1.2.5
New Job: Job Definition .................................................
Open Job .......................................................................
Save Job and File Formats ..............................................
Export and Import a Job Layout .......................................
JDF Data & Job Description .............................................
11
12
13
14
14
1.3 Steps to Follow with DynaStrip.....................
16
1.3.1
1.3.2
1.3.3
Using DynaMo ..............................................................
Using Standard Method..................................................
Using JDF Import............................................................
17
19
20
1.4 Principles for Placing Objects......................
21
1.4.1
1.4.2
Anchor Points................................................................
Place an Object with Absolute X and Y Coordinates .........
21
21
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User’s Guide
1.4.3
1.4.4
Place an Object with Relative Distance Coordinates........
Place an Object Outside of the Sheet..............................
22
23
2nd Chapter.........................................
25
2.1 Sheets........................................................
25
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.1.3
2.1.4
2.1.5
2.1.6
2.1.7
2.1.8
2.1.9
2.1.10
2.1.11
2.1.12
Sheet Definition ..........................................................
Add a Sheet ..................................................................
Insert a Sheet ...............................................................
Edit a Sheet ..................................................................
Remove a Sheet ............................................................
Rotate a Sheet ..............................................................
Copy a Sheet ................................................................
Prevent Output .............................................................
Save a Sheet Template ..................................................
Load a Sheet Template ..................................................
Importing Sheet Templates from Other Platforms .............
Exporting DynaStrip templates to .tpl format ...................
25
29
30
30
30
31
31
33
33
34
36
38
2.2 Signatures..................................................
42
2.2.1
2.2.2
2.2.3
2.2.4
2.2.5
2.2.6
2.2.7
Signature Definition ......................................................
Add and Place a Signature ...........................................
Edit a Signature ............................................................
Remove a Signature ......................................................
Move a Signature .........................................................
Rotate a Signature ........................................................
Modify a Gutter .............................................................
42
44
45
46
47
47
48
2.3 Pages.........................................................
50
2.3.1
2.3.2
2.3.3
2.3.4
2.3.5
2.3.6
2.3.7
2.3.8
2.3.9
2.3.10
Page Definition .............................................................
Add and Place a Page ...................................................
Edit a Page ...................................................................
Remove a Page .............................................................
Move a Page.................................................................
Move a Page with its Marks (Move icon)........................
Move a Page without Marks (Move Offset icon) ..............
Rotate a Page ...............................................................
Rotate a Page with its Marks (Rotate or Move icons) ......
Rotate a Page without its Marks (Rotate Offset icon) .......
50
51
52
53
53
53
54
55
56
56
•
3rd Chapter.........................................
59
3.1 JDF Import...................................................
59
3.1.1
3.1.2
How it works .................................................................
Known limitations ..........................................................
59
60
3.2 Pagination ..................................................
61
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.3
3.2.4
3.2.5
3.2.6
3.2.7
Create a Folding Template..............................................
Create and Apply a Pagination Sequence ........................
Apply the Pagination to the Entire Job .............................
Applying a Pagination Sequence from a File....................
Apply Pagination Sequence Linkage ...............................
Layout Reflow................................................................
Dynamic Templates........................................................
61
63
66
67
68
69
70
3.3 Source Documents & Index..........................
71
3.3.1
3.3.2
3.3.3
3.3.4
3.3.5
3.3.6
Understanding Document Files and Application Filters .....
Source Document List ....................................................
Imposition Index (Run List).............................................
Imposition Index Mode...................................................
Multiple Document Lists.................................................
Automation of document list ...........................................
72
73
77
80
81
81
3.4 Raster Mode ...............................................
84
3.4.1
3.4.2
EPS Files.......................................................................
PDF Files.......................................................................
85
85
3.5 Versioning ..................................................
86
3.5.1
3.5.2
3.5.3
About Versioning module ...............................................
Versioning concepts in DynaStrip ...................................
Version Manager window ...............................................
86
87
89
4th Chapter.........................................
93
4.1 Page Marks ................................................
93
4.1.1
4.1.2
4.1.3
4.1.4
xi
Page Mark Definition .....................................................
Add Page Marks ............................................................
Edit Page Marks ............................................................
Remove Page Marks ......................................................
93
94
95
95
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4.2 Linear Mark ...............................................
4.2.1
4.2.2
4.2.3
4.2.4
4.2.5
4.2.6
Linear Mark Definition...................................................
Add and Place a Linear Mark.........................................
Edit a Linear Mark.........................................................
Remove a Linear Mark...................................................
Move a Linear Mark ......................................................
Rotate a Linear Mark.....................................................
96
97
98
98
98
99
4.3 Register Mark.............................................
100
4.3.1
4.3.2
4.3.3
4.3.4
4.3.5
Register Mark Definition................................................
Add and Place a Register Mark......................................
Edit a Register Mark......................................................
Remove a Register Mark................................................
Move a Register Mark ...................................................
100
101
102
102
102
4.4 Collating Mark............................................
103
4.4.1
4.4.2
4.4.3
4.4.4
4.4.5
4.4.6
4.4.7
Collating Mark Definition...............................................
Add and Place a Collating Mark.....................................
Edit a Collating Mark.....................................................
Remove a Collating Mark...............................................
Move a Collating Mark ..................................................
Rotate a Collating Mark.................................................
Assign Collating Index...................................................
104
106
107
107
107
107
108
4.5 Imported Mark ............................................
108
4.5.1
4.5.2
4.5.3
4.5.4
4.5.5
4.5.6
Imported Mark Definition ...............................................
Add and Place an Imported Mark ..................................
Edit an Imported Mark ..................................................
Remove an Imported Mark ............................................
Move an Imported Mark ................................................
Rotate an Imported Mark ..............................................
109
112
112
112
113
113
4.6 Density Bar.................................................
113
4.6.1
4.6.2
4.6.3
4.6.4
4.6.5
Density Bar Definition....................................................
Add a Density Bar .........................................................
Edit a Density Bar .........................................................
Remove a Density Bar ...................................................
Move a Density Bar ......................................................
114
115
116
116
116
4.7 Text Tag .....................................................
116
4.7.1
4.7.2
95
Text Tag Definition ........................................................
Text Tag for Sheet Identification (Slug Lines)..................
117
118
•
4.7.3
4.7.4
4.7.5
4.7.6
4.7.7
4.7.8
xiii
Add and Place a Text Tag ...............................................
Edit a Text Tag...............................................................
Remove a Text Tag.........................................................
Move a Text Tag ............................................................
Rotate a Text Tag ...........................................................
Description of Variables .................................................
118
119
120
120
120
121
4.8 Barcodes ....................................................
122
4.8.1
4.8.2
4.8.3
4.8.4
4.8.5
4.8.6
4.8.7
4.8.8
Barcodes definition........................................................
Add and place a barcodes..............................................
Edit a barcode ...............................................................
Remove a barcode .........................................................
Move a barcode.............................................................
Rotate a barcode ...........................................................
Description of variables .................................................
Known Limitations .........................................................
123
124
125
125
125
125
126
126
4.9 Distance Tag...............................................
126
4.9.1
4.9.2
4.9.3
4.9.4
4.9.5
4.9.6
Distance Tag Definition ..................................................
Add and Place a Distance Tag ........................................
Edit a Distance Tag ........................................................
Remove a Distance Tag ..................................................
Move a Distance Tag......................................................
Rotate a Distance Tag ....................................................
127
128
128
128
129
129
4.10 Tiling Break ................................................
129
4.10.1
4.10.2
4.10.3
Add a Tiling Break .........................................................
Remove a Tiling Break ...................................................
Move a Tiling Break.......................................................
130
130
130
4.11 Mark Sets...................................................
130
4.11.1
4.11.2
4.11.3
Creating a Mark Set.......................................................
Adding a Mark Set .........................................................
Removing Marks............................................................
131
138
139
5th Chapter......................................... 141
5.1 Sheet Layers...............................................
5.1.1
5.1.2
Place Objects on Sheet Layers .......................................
View Sheet Layers .........................................................
141
141
142
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User’s Guide
5.1.3
Print Sheet Layers.........................................................
142
5.2 Color Table.................................................
143
5.2.1
5.2.2
5.2.3
5.2.4
5.2.5
5.2.6
5.2.7
Color Table Preparation.................................................
Color Match..................................................................
Send different colors onto the same film or plate ...........
Order and name of Colors .............................................
Colors in Imported Marks ..............................................
Color match in PDF files ................................................
Automatic Color Matching .............................................
144
146
147
148
149
150
151
5.3 Color Layers ...............................................
153
5.3.1
5.3.2
5.3.3
5.3.4
Place Objects on Color Layers .......................................
Duplicate Objects for Other Color Layers.........................
View Color Layers .........................................................
Print Color Layers .........................................................
153
154
154
155
6th Chapter......................................... 157
6.1 Output .......................................................
6.1.1
6.1.2
6.1.3
6.1.4
6.1.5
6.1.6
6.1.7
Output Parameters Window............................................
Output Device Definition ................................................
Plate Setups ................................................................
Plate Definition ............................................................
Output File Names .........................................................
JDF Options ...................................................................
HTTP Options ................................................................
157
162
170
172
174
180
182
6.2 Page Adjustments .......................................
183
6.2.1
6.2.2
6.2.3
6.2.4
Automatic Page/Mark Adjustment (Center image)............
Manual Page Adjustment ...............................................
Imported Mark Adjustment.............................................
Small pages..................................................................
184
184
186
186
6.3 Other Adjustments.......................................
187
6.3.1
6.3.2
6.3.3
6.3.4
157
Creep Adjustment for a Signature...................................
Prevent Creep Adjustment for a Page .............................
Bottling and Fanning Templates .....................................
Automatic Offset Reading from a File..............................
187
191
192
192
•
6.4 Troubleshooting ..........................................
xv
194
7th Chapter......................................... 199
7.1 Imposition Styles ........................................
7.1.1
7.1.2
7.1.3
7.1.4
199
Step & Repeat Signatures ..............................................
Ganging of Jobs .............................................................
Nesting of Pages ...........................................................
Multi-Web Printing ........................................................
199
200
201
202
7.2 Workflow Integration...................................
207
7.2.1
7.2.2
7.2.3
Generic PS workflow......................................................
Generic PDF workflow ....................................................
Typical Composite EPS Workflow:
Rampage® ROOM by Rampage Systems210
Typical Separated EPS Workflow:
PageFlow® / Nexus® by Artwork Systems212
Typical PJTF Workflow:
Prinergy® by Creo213
Typical JDF Workflow ....................................................
Typical ICF Workflow:
Brisque® by Creo216
Typical Workflow Using Job Ticket Flow Module:
Odystar® by Artwork Systems218
208
208
7.3 Job Ticket Flow ...........................................
218
7.2.4
7.2.5
7.2.6
7.2.7
7.2.8
7.3.1
7.3.2
Overview .......................................................................
Job Ticket Flow Manager interface..................................
215
218
219
8th Chapter: DynaStream ............. 221
8.1 About DynaStream.......................................
221
8.2 Job Preparation...........................................
222
8.2.1
8.2.2
General configurations...................................................
Specific configurations ..................................................
222
224
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User’s Guide
8.3 DynaStream Configuration ...........................
225
8.4 Naming convention method .........................
227
8.4.1
DynaStream Status ........................................................
230
8.5 List in text file method.................................
231
8.5.1
8.5.2
Creation of List File .......................................................
DynaStream Status ........................................................
231
232
1st Chapter
DynaStrip’s Interface,
Basic Functions,
Steps to Follow with DynaStrip,
Principles for Placing Objects
1.1 DynaStrip’s Interface
1.1.1 Main Window
DynaStrip’s design window represents your light table. Objects (press
sheets, pages, marks) will appear on your light table as you create
them.
Functions toolbar
Sheet list
Light table
Front of the sheet
Back of the sheet
Objects palette
Actions toolbar
Object Position menu
Assistant window
Cursor Position window
On the left side of the screen is the Sheet List showing all the sheets
in the job. Any sheet or group of sheets selected in this list will
be displayed on your light table. You can display up to 30 sheets
simultaneously. (To select or unselect multiple sheets one by one,
hold the Command key down while clicking on the sheet numbers of
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User’s Guide
your choice. It is possible to select several consecutive sheets in the
list at once by holding down the Shift key.)
All sheets are numbered and identified according to their side: F for
front and B for back. The front and the back can be displayed simultaneously or separately (View menu).
For fast recognition, the front is gray and the back is blue.
Front of sheet 1
Back of sheet 1
Below are the maximum numbers of objects that can be loaded at
the same time in memory for screen viewing. These numbers depend
on system memory.
Sheets (front and back)
Text tags
60
400
Imported marks
1000
Signatures
100
Pages (front and back)
2000
Collating marks
800
Page marks
1600
Distance tags
400
Linear marks
800
Density bars
400
Register marks
800
Tiling breakpoints
60
Below are the maximum numbers of objects that can be placed per
sheet side. These numbers also depend on system memory.
Text tags
100
Signatures
50
40
Pages
1200
Collating marks
Page marks
4800
Distance tags
100
1st Chapter — DynaStrip’s Interface
Linear marks
400
Density bars
Register marks
100
Tiling breakpoints
Imported marks
100
•
3
50
3
1.1.2 Toolbars
DynaStrip’s tools are divided into three logical toolbars:
Objects palette (appears when clicking on the upper-right large icon
or Command + M): each icon gives access to an object mode (i.e.:
sheet, signature, page, marks, etc.); once an icon has been selected,
the object mode becomes activated and subsequent actions will
apply to this particular object. You can also press Enter to close the
palette.
Actions toolbar (right-vertical bar): each icon performs a specific
action (i.e.: add, remove, edit, etc.) related to the active object
mode. Icons appearing in the Actions toolbar depend on the selected
object mode.
A red triangle in the lower-right corner of an icon means that you
can also apply this action to several selected objects (highlighted in
red).
The red triangle means the action
can apply to a selection of objects
Functions toolbar (top-horizontal bar): this toolbar includes basic
function icons and gives access to special features (i.e.: layers, documents, pagination, etc.).
For all toolbars, tool tips appear when the mouse cursor is placed on
an icon for about one second. This function provides the icon definition.
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User’s Guide
Job Definition ~ Section 1.2.1
Save Current Sheet(s)~ Section 1.2.3
Source Documents ~ Section 3.3
Plate Setups ~ Section 6.1.3
Versioning ~ Section 3.5
Apply Pagination Sequence ~ Section 3.2.3
Layout Reflow ~ Section 3.2.6
Zoom In ~ Section 1.1.4
Zoom Out ~ Section 1.1.4
Cancel Zoom ~ Section 1.1.4
Color Table ~ Section 5.2
Color Layers ~ Section 5.3.3
Sheet Layers ~ Section 5.1.2
Imposition Index Mode ~ Section 3.3.4
Raster Mode ~ Section 3.4
Preferences ~ Section 1.1.7
Output ~ Section 6.1
DynaStream ~ Section 8.1
Job Ticket Flow ~ Section 7.3
Guide ~ Section 1.1.9
1.1.3 Object Modes
For any action in DynaStrip, you must first choose the correct
Object Mode in the Objects palette. Object Modes can also be activated with the F1 to F12 shortcuts on the keyboard.
The selected mode determines which icons will appear in the Actions
toolbar, and which contextual dialogs will open.
For example, in order to access a specific parameter window, you
must first select the appropriate object mode in the Objects palette
and then click on the Definition icon.
•
5
It is faster to define parameters before placing an object on your
light table. In DynaStrip, all objects can be defined using the Definition icon, in the Actions toolbar.
Example: If you want to create a Register Mark, first choose the
Register Mark mode. Click on Definition to define its parameters.
Then, select the Add action and click on the sheet. Press Enter to
apply the mark.
+
+
All object parameters can also be saved in a shared library. The Definition icon offers convenient pull down menus for quick access to
object libraries (see section 1.1.8).
Actions only apply to the objects you have selected.
All actions performed on the light table can be undone and redone.
To undo an action, select File > Undo or click Ctrl + Z. To redo an
action, select File > Redo or click Shift + Ctrl + Z.
DynaStrip supports a maximum of 10 consecutive Undo or Redo.
1.1.4 Zoom and Selection of Objects
You can zoom in and out for better viewing. Using the Zoom In icon,
drag around the area you want to enlarge. You can zoom in many
times. Clicking on the Zoom Out icon takes you back to the previous
enlargement, while Cancel Zoom will make you return to normal
viewing. You can also use the Command + 0 keyboard shortcut.
You can select any number of objects by holding the Command key
and dragging around them with your mouse (first choose the correct
object mode). The selection is made when the box is dragged over at
least one of the nine anchor points of the object. Selected objects
are highlighted in red.
To unselect the objects, drag over the selection again. You can add
or eliminate objects the same way. To unselect all objects at once,
simply drag a small box around any blank area, or press Esc.
1.1.5 Cursor Position Menu
The Cursor Position menu (lower-left side of the screen) shows the
exact position of the cursor: sheet, side, and coordinates. The Origin,
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User’s Guide
or point zero, is the lower-left corner of the front sheet and the
lower-right corner of the back sheet (see section 1.4.2).
1.1.6 Units of Measure
You can define a default unit of measure for all future DynaStrip jobs
in the Preferences menu. This new preference can be applied to the
current job (see section 1.1.7).
When creating a new job with the Dynamo QuickLayout, you may
select a default unit of measure (see section 1.3.1). However, it can
be overridden by other units of measure during job creation.
All measurements can be given in inches (in or "), points (pt), picas
(pc), centimeters (cm) or millimeters (mm).
Note: 1 inch is equal to 72 points.
1.1.7 Preferences
You can modify the Preferences at any time by clicking on the Preferences icon in the functions toolbar.
If you make changes to your preferences while no job is open, these
preferences will be used for all new jobs. However, existing jobs that
already contain preferences will keep them as is.
First panel
•
7
• The Grid unit is the distance between vertical and horizontal lines
of the invisible sheet grid. The grid aligns the objects when using
the mouse.
• The Rotation increments can be positive (counterclockwise on the
front of the sheet) or negative (clockwise on the front of the
sheet).
• If selected, Paginate back will automatically enter the page number for the back of the page, when paginating manually.
• If selected, Show fractions will display decimal values in fractions
on the screen. You can enter both fractions or decimals in any
field.
• Default unit will set the default unit of measure for all future jobs.
If you click on Apply now, the selected unit will also apply to the
current job (see section 1.1.6).
• PDF module memory can be set for PDF decompression, both for
editable and static PDF output. The value must be a whole number
between 1 and 32 Mb. This memory is reserved to decompress a
single object on a single page. It has no effect and takes no space
before or after the decompression. The default value is 32 Mb.
• Use plate setups is an advanced option that allows for plate definition (in addition to the output device definition) and for up to
200 simultaneous device/plate combinations for output (see section 6.1.3).
• Automatic Color Match: this feature allows the user to automatically map the colors in the job onto the colors in the imported
mark(see section 5.2.7). It can also be used with the Job Ticket
Flow tool (see section 7.3.2).
• Show all messages: Some messages that appear in DynaStrip have
the option “Don’t show this message again”. When this option is
checked on a message, it will not appear again and this preference
option will be automatically unchecked. To see all the messages
again click on that option and all messages will reappear again
when appropriate.
• Add all colors automatically to the color table: When this option is
checked, all colors detected in the source documents will be added
to the color table without having the Color Table Alert window
popping up. This option should be used with care, when the user
is certain that source documents will not contain unexpected colors. Since this is an application preference, it is also important to
realize that all current and future jobs will be affected.
• Color recipe for outline trim box: DSOutline color definition can be
customized using CMYK colors. The default color is red (100%
Magenta + 100% Yellow). The DSOutline color is used for layout
printing (see section 6.1).
• Color recipe for sheet corners: Ink density values can be set for the
6 first color layers of the sheet corner marks.
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User’s Guide
Second panel
• PressWise® layout folder and PressWise® mark folder must be identified if you want to import sheet templates from PressWise® imposition software (see section 2.1.10). Click on Browse and select the
appropriate folders.
• Brisque® mark folder must be identified if you want to send impositions to Brisque® system (see section 7.2.7). Click on Browse and
select the appropriate folder on the DFE.
• Imported mark folder: DynaStrip’s imported mark files are saved by
default in DynaStrip:Marks folder. A new location can be identified
if you want to share marks between workstations (see section 4.5).
Click on Browse and select the marks folder on the server. You can
revert to the default folder by clicking on Default.
• Mark sets folder: DynaStrip’s Mark Sets are saved by default in
DynaStrip:MarksSets folder (see section 4.11). A new location can
be identified if you want to share sets between workstations. Click
on Browse and select the folder on the server. You can revert to
the default folder by clicking on Default.
• Folding templates folder: DynaStrip’s Folding templates are saved
by default in DynaStrip:Folding Templates folder (see section
3.2.1). A new location can be identified if you want to share sets
between workstations. Click on Browse and select the folder on the
server. You can revert to the default folder by clicking on Default.
• Libraries folder: All object parameters files are saved by default in
DynaStrip:Libraries folder (see section 1.1.8). A new location can
be identified if you want to share parameters between workstations. Click on Browse and select the folder on the server. You can
revert to the default folder by clicking on Default.
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1.1.8 Default Parameters and Object Libraries
There are many parameters for which you can set a default value:
• Output parameters
• Object definitions for all DynaStrip objects:
- Sheets
- Signatures
- Pages
- Page marks
- Linear marks
- Register marks
- Collating marks
- Imported marks
- Density bars
- Text tags
- Distance tags
Each of the definition dialogue windows for these parameters has a
Save as default button. Clicking on this button will save the current
parameters as default for new jobs. The file storing the data is placed
in DynaStrip's Default folder. If it does not exist when a job is created, DynaStrip will set its own default parameter values.
DynaStrip also offers object libraries and convenient pull down
menus for quick access to all objects.
To create an object file, define the object parameters in the Definition dialogue. Click on Save to library button and save the file in the
default Libraries folder.
When working on the light table, clicking on the Definition icon of
the object displays the list of all saved files for this object. Simply
select one in the list and click on the light table to add it.
A quick access menu is also available for Sheet templates, in the
Load template action icon of the Sheet Mode.
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User’s Guide
All object files must be gathered in a central desktop or network
folder that can be defined in the Preferences dialogue (see section
1.1.7).
1.1.9 Assistant & Help
The Assistant window (lower-right side of the screen) helps the operator to remember which actions are possible within the design area
at any time.
For more information on DynaStrip, you can access the User’s Guide
through the Help menu or by clicking on the Guide icon, in the
Functions toolbar.
The Help menu also offers the following options:
• PDF Docs provides links to the following .pdf documents:
- Getting Started
- First-Time Experience
- Tutorial
• Dynagram web site provides links to:
- www.dynagram.com
- www.dynagram.com/downloads
- www.dynagram.com/support
- www.dynagram.com/workflow
1.1.10 DynaStrip Options and Dongle Activation
DynaStrip registered versions are dongle protected.
When you install the DynaStrip application or any registered component (optional module or upgrade), you have to contact Dynagram
with your dongle serial number to get your activation code. The
details are given on screen. This activation code will unlock or
upgrade the application or the optional feature in the dongle.
1st Chapter — Basic Functions
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To activate a dongle, select Feature Passwords from the Tools menu.
Enter your activation code and click on Validate. The corresponding
feature will display in the list. Close the window. Some options
require that you re-start DynaStrip in order to be activated. In such a
case, a message will advise you.
1.2 Basic Functions
Most of DynaStrip's basic functions are based on the operating system's (Macintosh or Windows). We recommend that the user be
familiar with the OS interface before learning DynaStrip.
1.2.1 New Job: Job Definition
DynaStrip offers three different ways to create a new job: using the
standard method (see section 1.3.2), importing a JDF file (see section
1.3.3)or using the Quick Layout interface (see section 1.3.1).
When creating a new job using the standard method, the Job Definition menu appears allowing you to enter a complete identification.
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User’s Guide
You can identify the job with the following two parameters:
Name is the name of the job itself. This field is mandatory since it is
used to link all parts of the job together. It is also important to note
that it can not be subsequently edited.
Notes is an optional field you can use to enter more information
concerning the job. When opening a job, the Job Definition appears,
and the Notes field can provide a warning or a quick reference to the
job’s content. The description can be modified when you open the
job or anytime when you click on the Definition icon.
You must choose the Color environment for composite or color separated (or one color) document files. The default environment is Separations or One Color. (A Composite color environment will force
DynaStrip to print marks, text tags and any other objects as composite objects. This is necessary if you impose composite pages that will
be separated by the RIP.)
You must also choose the Pagination Sequences (see section 3.2.2)
needed in the job.
You can also enter JDF information by clicking on the JDF Data button (see section 1.2.5).
When you click on Close, it is recommended that you create a new
folder to keep your job and all its components.
When a job is open in the design window, its definition can be
accessed at any time by clicking on the Job Definition icon.
1.2.2 Open Job
You can open jobs the usual way with the Open option of the File
menu or by clicking on the job’s icon. When a job opens, the Job Definition window is displayed for a quick review. Click on OK.
Several jobs can be opened simultaneously.
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13
Two users can not open the same job at the same time. If a computer
is shut down while a job is open on it, the job becomes automatically unlocked.
Demo version
A job that was created with a demo version of DynaStrip (with watermarks) can not be re-opened with a registered version.
Cross-platform
compatibility
You can import job layouts or any type of template (sheet, folding,
object parameter, etc.) across platforms (Macintosh or Windows).
However the document and image files will have to be reindexed. It
is therefore recommended that current production jobs be completed
on the platform on which they were created.
1.2.3 Save Job and File Formats
DynaStrip saves jobs in .dsz file format.
DynaStrip temporarily saves all job components in the DynaSrip:TemporaryJobs folder. The saving in the real job folder must be
done the usual way (File/Save or Command+S). Should a problem
occur, temporary job files could be accessed from DynaStrip:RescuedJobs folder after DynaStrip is restarted.
Note: When creating a new job, after pressing OK, DynaStrip will
prompt the user to choose the directory where the file will be saved.
However, the job is not saved at this point. To save, use File/Save or
Command-S. If the job isn't saved, it will simply not exist.
When closing a job, DynaStrip prompts you to save the last modifications you made.
You can also use the Save As option in the File menu to save a copy
of the job under a different name.
You cannot copy a job over an existing one.
A Revert option is also available. This allows you to abandon all new
changes and revert to the job as it was when it was last saved.
Extension Description
.bcp
barcode parameter template
.jbf
Quick Layout job profile
.bft
bottling/fanning template file
.lmp
linear mark parameter template
.cmp
collating mark parameter template
.mrk
imported mark definition file
.daf
DynaStrip application filter
.odv
output device file
.dat
option file
.ofm
output format definition
.db
data base file
.pgp
page parameter template
.dbp
density bar parameter template
.pgt
folding template
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User’s Guide
.dll
application filter
.pmp
page mark parameter template
.dly
DynaStrip job layout
.psq
pagination sequence parameter
template
.ds[1-9]
filter extension file
.pst
plate definition file
.dsf
DynaStrip file
.rmp
register mark parameter template
.dsh
DynaStrip sheet template
.sdg
side guide file
.dsj
DynaStrip main job file
.sgp
signature parameter template
.dsz
DynaStrip job (single file)
.shp
press sheet parameter template
.dtp
distance tag parameter template
.ttp
text tag parameter template
.idx
data base file
.vrs
version parameter template
.imp
imported mark parameter template
1.2.4 Export and Import a Job Layout
The Export Job Layout option of the File menu saves a copy of the
job layout with the extension .dly.
The Import Job Layout option allows to load a previously saved job
layout. After selecting the layout to import, DynaStrip will ask you
to supply a name for the new job.
A job layout includes:
- all sheets,
- color environment,
- pagination sequences,
- output parameters,
- DynaStream parameters, if applicable.
It excludes all information pertaining to document files:
- document list,
- imposition index,
- color table data,
- page adjustments
You can also use Save A Copy in the File menu to save a job in its
entirety (see section 1.2.3) or Save and Load a Sheet Template separately (see section 2.1.9 and 2.1.10).
1.2.5 JDF Data & Job Description
The JDF Data button is located in the top right corner of the Job Definition window.
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15
The Layout Information field assigns a JDF template name to the job
being created. It can therefore be used for subsequent jobs.
The Print Production Data (Job Defaults) fields determine the Printing Type, Paper Profile and Press Device respectively.
Printing Type allows you to select a type of printing press from the
following list:
- Continuous fed
- Sheet fed
- Web fed
Paper Profile allows you to select a profile from a list of profiles. The
paper profile selected here will be the job default. However, in the
Sheet Definition window (see section 2.1.1), you may assign a new
profile which will override the default.
To create a profile, click on the New button. This will open the Paper
Profile Definition window (see below).
To edit an existing profile, select it in the scroll-down menu and
click on the Edit button.
Press Device defines the name of the press device used. To create a
device, click on the New button. This will open the Press Device Definition window. Simply type the name of the device in the field and
press OK.
To edit an existing device, select it in the scroll-down menu and
click on the Edit button.
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User’s Guide
Paper Profile Definition
Clicking on the New button opens the following dialogue box.
A profile consists in defining the Name, Page Size, Paper brand, Paper
thickness (in microns) and Paper weight (in grams/meter²).
You can also import JDF data from a JDF stripping file (see section
1.3.3).
1.3 Steps to Follow with DynaStrip
There are three main steps for the building of any job in DynaStrip:
• Layout creation (or use of a template),
• Source documents & Imposition index,
• Output
DynaStrip offers three different ways to create a new job: using the
standard method (see section 1.3.2), using the DynaMo Quick Layout
interface (see section 1.3.1), or using JDF Import to extract data
from a JDF file (see section 1.3.3).
Note: Due to its object-oriented architecture, all objects (marks,
pages, etc.) are totally independent from each other and from the
1st Chapter — Steps to Follow with DynaStrip
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17
input files. This means that you can build a complete job layout to
scale without using document files or placeholders.
Contrary to some other imposition applications, in DynaStrip, a page
is a clipping path. It acts as a "window" or a "picture box" where the
document page is pasted and usually centered. Thus, a document
page will be cropped by the "window" if it's too large. If the document page is smaller than the "window", it's own page marks may
become visible. Of course, you can scale both of them.
1.3.1 Using DynaMo
The Quick Layout is a fast and easy way to build one-signature jobs.
This interface gathers the necessary steps for the creation of a basic
imposition job.
All user-defined defaults for sheet, signature, page, page marks, and
collating mark are pre-selected. If there are no user-defined defaults,
DynaStrip will use its own. You can access the definition windows to
change those parameters for more flexibility and gradual learning of
DynaStrip.
To access the module, select File/New (or Command + N), and click
on the QuickLayout button. The Quick Layout window will open.
The upper part, Job, is a summary of the Job Definition window (see
section 1.2.1).
• Name is the job name.
• Apply default unit allows you to choose a default unit of measure
for the job.
• The Color environment is Separations or One Color. You can also
choose Composite if you work with composite files.
• The Definition button gives access to the Pagination Sequence Definition window (see section 3.2.2).
The Sheet button gives access to the Sheet Definition window (see
section 2.1.1).
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The Signature button gives access to the Signature Definition window
(see section 2.2.1).
The Pagination button opens a window called Folding.
This window summarizes different functions:
• Click on Pagination template to import a pagination template. You
can also paginate manually, page by page, and then choose the
orientation of a page row (the T indicates the top of the pages).
• If a Work & Turn is necessary to complete the entire job, you can
choose on which sheet it will be placed. This is part of the Copy
Sheet function (see section 2.1.7).
An existing Mark Set can then be selected in the drop menu and
applied to the layout. The Mark Sets button gives access to the Mark
Sets dialogue where sets of printer’s marks can be defined (see section 4.10).
The Create full job button will create the entire job at once.
1st Chapter — Steps to Follow with DynaStrip
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The Create first template only button will create the first sheet only.
You can modify this template, then use the Copy Sheet function to
complete the job (see section 2.1.7).
You can Save a Quick Layout profile and Load it into any subsequent
job. The Quick Layout profile will be saved with its own file extension (.jbf).
Cancel will exit the Quick Layout module without creating a job.
Once the layout is completed (complete job or first sheet template),
the Quick Layout module can not be re-entered. However, you can
add, remove, or edit any object on the light table using the standard
method.
The next step is to complete the Source Documents & Imposition
Index window, which icon is now highlighted in blue (see section
3.3).
Finally, click on the Print icon, which is now highlighted in blue, to
output the job (see section 6.1.1).
1.3.2 Using Standard Method
The table on page 20 outlines the steps to be followed with DynaStrip when creating an imposition job from A to Z, as well as the section in this guide where the function can be found.
Keep in mind that the fastest possible method to build an imposition
job in DynaStrip is certainly by loading customized job layouts or
sheet templates from your own library and using Layout Reflow function.
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User’s Guide
A. Single signature job
B. Step & Repeat job
C. Ganging of jobs
Create a new job, define its
color environment and
pagination sequence
Create a new job and define its
color environment
(no pagination sequence)
Create a new job, define its
color environment and all
necessary pagination
sequences
Choose the sheet parameters (see section 2.1.1) and add a press sheet (see section 2.1.2).
Define the signature and
assign the 1st pagination
sequence (default) and place a
signature on the sheet
(see section 2.2).
Define and place a
Step & Repeat signature
by choosing repeated page
numbers (see section 2.2).
Import a folding template or
paginate manually
Define and place signatures on
the sheet (according to A or B)
and/or
Define page parameters and
add independent pages if
necessary
Import folding templates or
paginate manually.
Paginate manually independent
pages, specifying the document
list if necessary
Define any necessary marks and place them on the sheet (see chapter 4).
Import a color bar or any other image if necessary (see section 4.5).
Copy the sheet with all objects (see section 2.1.7).
Paginate the entire job (see section 3.2.3).
Link document files using the source document list and imposition index (see section 3.3).
Merge colors if necessary (see section 5.2.2).
Choose output parameters (see section 6.1.1).
Adjust the pages if necessary (see section 6.2).
Send the job to the output device.
1.3.3 Using JDF Import
To access the module, select File/New (or Command + N). Click on
the JDF Import button and browse to your JDF file. DynaStrip will
1st Chapter — Principles for Placing Objects
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21
extract layout, binding and other imposition-related data and display it on the light table.
You can also import a JDF Stripping file throught the File > Import
JDF file main menu.
Notice that the availability of this feature depends on your product
license. Please contact Dynagram Sales for more details.
For more information on JDF Import, see section 3.1.
1.4 Principles for Placing Objects
Most objects (signatures, pages, marks, etc.) can be placed and
moved on the sheet using the green distance line. This section
explains the principles.
1.4.1 Anchor Points
Most objects have nine anchor points, unless specified otherwise.
Sheet, Signature and Page
anchor points
Anchor points serve as reference points when selecting, placing or
moving an object. The green distance line that appears when placing
or moving an object is always traced between a mobile point (any
anchor point of the object to be placed) and a fixed point (any
anchor point of another object used as a reference).
1.4.2 Place an Object with Absolute X and Y Coordinates
An object can be positioned using one of its anchor points and the
zero point of the sheet. The zero point is at the lower-left corner of
the front sheet, or at the lower-right corner of the back sheet
(because of the mirror position).
You can observe the sheet’s X (horizontal) and Y (vertical) absolute
coordinates (based on the zero point) in the Cursor Position menu at
the bottom of the screen, when moving the cursor over the front of a
sheet, then over the back.
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User’s Guide
(30" x 40" sheet)
FRONT
BACK
30
30
(30",20")
Y coordinates
(30", 20")
15
(10", 5")
15
(10", 5")
0
0
0
20
X coordinates
40
40
20
X coordinates
0
When placing an object on the sheet, the coordinates given in the
Cursor Position menu are always the coordinates of the cursor, which
is attached to one of the object’s anchor points.
FRONT
Placing an object, based
on the position coordinates
of the sheet
Y coordinates
30
(30", 20")
15
0
0
20
X coordinates
40
To change the anchor point of an object when it is positioned over
the sheet, press on the space bar and click on a new anchor point.
Then, press on the space bar again to remove the green distance line
and place the object freely with the mouse. The cursor is now
attached to this new anchor point.
1.4.3 Place an Object with Relative Distance Coordinates
You can also place an object by giving a distance value between one
of its anchor points and any anchor point of another fixed object
(sheet, page, mark, etc.). This fixed reference point becomes the
zero point for the placement of the object. Horizontal and vertical
distance values, in the Object Position menu at the bottom of the
screen, are given based on this zero point.
When a new value is entered, press Enter to apply it. Clicking in a
new field box also applies the last entered value. The Tab key applies
1st Chapter — Principles for Placing Objects
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the new value and moves to the next field. The Esc. key cancels the
current measurement and leaves the edit box.
A positive horizontal value places the anchor point of the object to
the right of the fixed reference point, and a negative value places it
to the left. The value indicates the distance at which it is placed. A
positive vertical value places the anchor point of the object above
the fixed reference point, and a negative value places it below. The
value indicates the distance at which it is placed.
If you work on the back of the sheet, remember that horizontal distance values are in mirror position.
FRONT
Placing an object
using distance coordinates
0
-6.25"
4.50"
1.4.4 Place an Object Outside of the Sheet
It is possible to place any object (marks, imported marks, text tag,
etc.) outside of the sheet in the plate area or, if you don’t use plates,
by giving them a distance from the sheet’s border.*
Using plates
If the Use plate setups option is selected in the Preferences menu and
a plate size is chosen, the plate area will be visible on the light
table. You can then place objects on the plate with the mouse or the
green distance line, in relation to the sheet’s anchor points. Objects
will always be attached to the sheet and saved with the sheet template (see section 6.1.3).
Not using plates
If you don’t use plates, you can still give the object a distance from
the outside of the sheet provided that at least one of its anchor
points touches the sheet.
First place the object inside of the sheet. Before the object is
attached to the sheet, press on the space bar of your keyboard to get
the green distance line. Give the distance of zero between the edge
of the object and the edge of the sheet, then press Enter.
* However, keep in mind that the image is restricted to the maximum output size
of the version you have purchased.
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Note that when the object is positioned outside of the sheet, you can
not click on it for editing. However, you can select the object by dragging a box around it, so it is highlighted in red, then apply your
change.
2nd Chapter
Sheets,
Signatures,
Pages
2.1 Sheets
Note: Depending on which version you have purchased, the output
might be limited to a maximum size. DynaStrip will advise you if you
create, import, or print a sheet that is beyond your maximum
allowed format. If you use plates, the maximum output size will be
based on the plate size.
2.1.1 Sheet Definition
To access the Sheet Mode, click on the Sheet icon in the Object Modes
toolbar (upper-right large button). The Sheet Mode is the default
mode.
The Sheet Definition window is then accessed by clicking on the Definition icon, in the Actions toolbar.
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User’s Guide
Parameters include:
• The height
• The width
• The side guides (guides for the alignment of sheet fed presses) can
be placed at any one of the eight available locations around the
sheet, depending on the gripper position. Click on the buttons to
access the various shapes. The shape orientation will be properly
shown on the button. A distance from the corners of the sheet can
be entered, using a single field.
Cycling through the preset images will bring the “...” on the button. At the same time, the Side Guide Image field will be activated, with the Edit button to its right.
- To import images to use as side guides, click the Edit button and
the Side Guide Definition dialog will appear.
- Similar to the Imported Marks Definition dialog, the Side Guide
Definition dialog allows to create an imported image or edit the
properties of the selected image. When the New or the Edit buttons are clicked, the Image Linker dialog opens. This dialog is
explained in the Imported Marks Definition section, see sub-section "Image Linker window". The supported image formats are
pdf, eps or ps.
- Apply work style to side guides can be disabled to keep the side
guides at the same position on the Front and on the Back. Side
guides can follow or not the flip axis on Back to adapt to various perfecting presses.
• The work style. Work styles are chosen according to how the press
can handle the job. DynaStrip offers the five following work
styles: Sheetwise, Perfecting, Simplex, Work & Turn and
Work & Tumble.
About Work Styles
The following four parameters help describe work styles.
Axis of symmetry (horizontal or vertical):
During the printing process, the press sheet will generally be flipped
about an axis in order to print the back of the sheet. The axis of
symmetry has an impact on how pagination will be calculated as
well as how marks and other objects will be "reflected" on the back
of the sheet.
Number of forms (plates) (1 or 2):
Some printing processes will use only one image carrying form to
print both sides of a sheet; others will use one for the front and
another for the back. The number of forms determines if the image is
repeated or not, since one form reproduces two times the same content, and two forms, one time the content.
Gripper position:
The gripper is what holds the sheet during the printing process, particularly for the flipping operation. According to the flipping axis,
the sheet may need to be dropped and gripped on another part to
complete its pass in the press, or the gripper may not have to be
2nd Chapter — Sheets
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27
released. The impact is that gripper area (non-inkable zone) for the
front and back may not be the same.
Side guide position:
Side guides are devices used in presses that prevent the lateral
movement of sheets being processed. Their printed counterparts are
side guide marks indicating where the sheet will be aligned along
the press’ side guides. Some processes use the same side guides position to control the sheet, others will require that the side guides be
moved at the opposite edge of the sheet when it is flipped.
The following table summarizes the particulars of each work style
according to the DynaStrip layout perspective:
Criteria/
Work Style
Axis of
Symmetry
Forms
Gripper
area on
back
Side Guide
position on
back
None
1
n/a
n/a
Sheetwise
Vertical
2
Same
Same
Perfecting
Horizontal
2
Moved
Moved
Vertical
1
Same
Same
Horizontal
1
Moved
Moved
Simplex
Work & Turn
Work & Tumble
According to these facts about work styles, DynaStrip will display
each work style with its particulars (see the following illustrations).
For double sided jobs with 2 forms, the front (in grey) and the back
(in blue) are shown side by side.
The Work & Turn and Work & Tumble signatures are displayed on the
light table as a one sided sheet with a solid line representing the flip
axis. On the Work & Turn style, the front is represented by the left
half of the sheet. On the Work & Tumble style, the front is represented by the lower half of the sheet.
These styles also share a common behavior: because only one form is
used, only a half-signature needs to be defined and paginated, the
second half will be automatically paginated.
Sheetwise
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User’s Guide
Perfecting
Simplex
Work & Turn
Work & Tumble
Advanced options:
Advanced options include:
• The name of the source sheet template (see section 2.1.4).
• A descriptive name of the source template.
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• The Plate Setup scroll-down menu allows you to assign another
plate setup to the sheet (see section 6.1.3). By default, the plate
setup 1 is selected. Note that this menu is available only if Use
plate setups is selected in the Preferences (see section 1.1.7).
- The Use different plate setup on back checkbox will provide even
more flexibility if you need a different processing for the sheet’s
back.
• The JDF Print Production Data options allows you to override the
default settings for the Printing Type, Paper Profile and Paper Size
Once the parameters are defined, click on OK. Future sheets added
on the light table will be based on these parameters.
Note that you can have any number of sheet formats in the same
job.
You can also save a template of your sheet and load it into any subsequent job. Simply define the parameters, then click on the Save to
library button. The sheet is saved with its own file extension (.shp)
and default path.
To load a template, click on the Load from library button and open
the previously saved file. All the settings will be entered in the Definition window.
2.1.2 Add a Sheet
You must be in Sheet Mode before adding a sheet. To add a sheet, simply select the Add icon, in the Actions toolbar, then click on the light
table.
The new sheet is always added at the end of the job and will appear
in the Sheet List. However, you can also insert a sheet anywhere in
the list using the Insert function (see section 2.1.3).
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2.1.3 Insert a Sheet
In Sheet Mode, click on the Insert icon, in the Actions toolbar. A dialogue box will open enabling you to choose where the new sheet will
be inserted.
The inserted blank sheet will have the same parameters previously
defined in the Sheet Definition window (see section 2.1.1).
The new sheet will then appear in the Sheet List. You can also add a
sheet at the end of the job using the Add action (see section 2.1.2).
2.1.4 Edit a Sheet
While in Sheet Mode, select the Edit icon, then click on the sheet.
The Sheet Definition window will open for editing (see section 2.1.1).
If the sheet was loaded as a template with the Load from Library
icon (see section 2.1.10), the name of the source sheet template will
be displayed in the upper field for your information. This field can
not be edited.
Any changes made to the sheet parameters will be applied to the
selected sheet only and will not affect the position of the objects
already placed on it. Objects will retain the same position coordinates, based on point of origin of the sheet (see section 1.4.2).
2.1.5 Remove a Sheet
In Sheet Mode, select the Remove icon in the Actions toolbar. A menu
will open.
DynaStrip allows you to:
• remove a range of sheets,
• remove all sheets except the first one,
• remove all sheets in the job
• remove the selected sheets (available only if sheets are selected).
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31
Click on OK.
The Remove icon has a red triangle, which means that you can also
apply this action to a selection of sheets.
Choose these sheets in the Sheet List in order to view them on the
screen.
Command + drag over the sheets you want to delete. Selected sheets
will be highlighted in red. You can add sheets to your selection by
dragging your mouse over new sheets, or unselect sheets by dragging
your mouse over them a second time, while holding down the Command key.
The back of the sheet is always linked to the front.
When your selection is complete (sheets to be removed are highlighted in red), click on the Remove icon or hit the Delete key. In the
menu, choose the last option (Selection) and click on OK.
Sheets chosen in the Sheet List
are displayed on the screen
(sheets 1, 3, 4, and 7)
Sheets selected on the screen
(front and back)
are highlighted in red
(sheets 3 and 4)
2.1.6 Rotate a Sheet
In Sheet Mode, select the Rotate icon and click on the sheet. The
sheet and all the objects contained in the sheet will rotate on the
screen in 90 degree increments, counterclockwise.
The Rotate icon has a red triangle, which means that you can also
apply this action to a selection of sheets.
2.1.7 Copy a Sheet
While in Sheet Mode, select the Copy icon in the Actions toolbar and
click on the sheet that you want to copy. The Copy Sheet dialogue
box will open.
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User’s Guide
Copy a number of times
Enter the number of times the sheet will be copied. By default, the
sheets will be added at the end of the job, but you can choose to
insert them before a specific sheet number.
The page numbers can be incremented or decremented when copying
one or many sheets.
• Increment all pages by: The page numbers will be incremented by
the value entered in this field. This value normally corresponds to
the total number of pages in the section that is copied. Negative
numbers can be used to decrement all pages.
• Increment lower half by: The lower page numbers will be incremented by the value entered in this field. This value normally corresponds to half the number of pages in the section that is copied.
This option must be used with Decrement upper half by.
• Decrement upper half by: The upper page numbers will be decremented by the value entered in this field. This value normally corresponds to half the number of pages in the section that is copied.
This option must be used with Increment lower half by.
This function is only useful for None or Creep Only pagination
sequences (see section 3.2.2) although it does not affect other bindings (page numbers will revert to their correct value as soon as pagination is applied) unless the increment is a negative number.
You can also apply the Copy action to a selection of sheets. Select
the sheets to be copied so they are highlighted in red and click on
the Copy button. The sheets will be added or inserted in the same
order as the sheet selection.
The page increment/decrement options will also apply to the selection of many sheets, so you can paginate imposition jobs with custom or irregular folding patterns that are based on many sheets,
such as multi-web jobs.
Note: When you copy sheets a number of times, the increment/decrement options totally ignore the page quantity given in the pagination sequence (although that value may still be useful for some
workflows).
Copy based on the
pagination sequence
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33
You can also choose a more automatic way to copy sheets, based on
the pagination sequence. This option is available provided that:
• There is only one sheet in the job.
• There is only one signature on the sheet.
• The signature has page numbers.
• A pagination sequence is linked to the signature and its definition
includes the total number of pages.
• The number of columns of the signature must be even.
If a work & turn is needed to complete the pagination, you can
choose its placement:
- on the first signature
- on the second signature
- on the before-last signature
- on the last signature.
If the pagination sequence is set to None or Creep Only, you can also
use the increment/decrement options (see above). The sheets will be
copied based on the number of pages given in the pagination
sequence.
When you click on OK, DynaStrip will add the sheets, apply the pagination for the entire job, and, if a work & turn is necessary, create a
work & turn (see section 2.1.8).
2.1.8 Prevent Output
You may want to prevent the output of one particular sheet side. In
Sheet Mode, select the Prevent Output icon in the Actions toolbar and
click on the sheet side that you do not want to output. The sheet
side will display in black.
To remove the Prevent Output status, click again on the sheet side,
using the same Prevent Output tool.
It is possible to prevent the printing of any number of sheet sides,
on the front or on the back.
The Prevent Output status will be kept with the saving of a sheet
template.
2.1.9 Save a Sheet Template
You can save a sheet template with all its pages, marks, and other
objects, and import it later into any other job.
While in Sheet Mode, select the Save to Library icon in the Actions
toolbar. To save a multi-sheet template, hold down the Command key
and drag the mouse cursor over the sheets you wish to select. When
all the desired sheets are high-lighted in red, save them as a template.
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User’s Guide
Give a name to the template and choose the directory in which you
want it to be saved. DynaStrip will remember the location of the
selected directory the next time you save a template, so you can
build your own template library.
For easier identification, we recommend that you use a file name
that perfectly describes the contents of the sheet template. The .dsh
extension is automatically given by DynaStrip.
You can also use Export and Import Job Layout in the File menu to
save and load an entire job layout (see section 1.2.4).
2.1.10 Load a Sheet Template
While in Sheet Mode, click on the Load from Library icon.
The Import Sheet window will open. Click on Add and choose the
directory and the file name of the sheet template that you want to
load. Sheet template files bear the extension .dsh. You can import
many sheet templates at the same time.
The Remove button cancels the selection, and the Clear button clears
the list.
The page numbers can be incremented/decremented when importing
the sheet(s). These functions are explained in the Copy Sheet section
When the settings are entered, click on OK. The sheets are now
added with all their pages, marks, etc., and appear in the Sheet List.
The name of the source sheet template will be displayed in the Sheet
Definition window, when using the Edit icon.
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35
Note: A sheet template that was created with a demo version of DynaStrip (with watermark) can not be loaded into a registered version.
Importing Once
When importing a sheet template or many templates only once
(Import that many times = 1), pressing OK will open the Pagination
Sequence Attribution dialogue. This menu allows the user to attribute
a pagination sequence to the sheet immediately.
The Pagination Sequence Attribution dialogue offers 3 choices.
Read from template(s) uses the template as is. When clicking OK, the
template(s) will be displayed on the light table.
Link all signatures to pagination sequence links all imported signatures, at once, to the selected pagination sequence (from 1 to 80 in
the menu), and displays the template(s) on the light table.
Link signatures to different sequences parses each template to detect
the number of sheets and signatures to be imported. The following
dialogue opens for each detected signature.
On the first line is displayed the template name, the sheet number
and the signature number as detected in the DynaStrip file.
The user can then link the signature to a pagination sequence using
the scroll-down menu.
Activating the Same sequence for all signatures in the template
option will link all remaining signatures from the same template to
the same sequence.
Note: If the option IS NOT checked, the next dialogue will display
the next signature found in the same template. If the option IS
checked, the next dialogue will display the first signature found in
the next template (if any).
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User’s Guide
Importing More Than Once
To import a sheet template or many templates more than once, simply enter the number of times in the corresponding field. Then fill
out the remaining fields accordingly.
2.1.11 Importing Sheet Templates from Other Platforms
You can also import sheet templates from:
• DynaStrip for DOS,
• DynaStrip for Windows,
• Preps® imposition software,
• PressWise® imposition software*.
Templates from
DynaStrip for DOS
Dynagram’s long-standing customers can import DynaStrip for DOS
template files (.sht).
Templates from
DynaStrip 2.2 or less
You can import DynaStrip template files (.dsh) from Windows version.
The sheet template will import as a sheet with all objects on it.
The default pagination sequence 1 is given to all signatures. Should
the pagination sequence for a signature be different, the new
sequence must be linked to the signature using the Edit icon.
The pages to which an image was assigned in DynaStrip for Windows
(color bars, etc.) will be converted into an imported mark object
once the template is loaded. Custom images should be linked beforehand in DynaStrip’s Image Linker window with the same name as the
image file (without the extension), so the template can import correctly at once. If an image found in the Windows template was not
previously defined, DynaStrip will offer you to add it to the library
after the template has been imported (see section 4.5.1).
An imported mark cannot have a different image on its front and on
its back. Should this happen, the front image will be used for both
sides.
Cross-platform
DynaStrip templates
You can seamlessly import DynaStrip sheet templates across Windows
and Macintosh platforms. For more information concerning crossplatform compatibility, see section 1.2.2.
Templates
from Preps®
You can import Preps® template files (.tpl) from both Windows and
Macintosh platforms.
The template will import as a sheet with all objects placed on it. If
the template has many sheets, all of them will be imported at once.
The default pagination sequence 1 is given to all signatures.
* Preps® and PressWise® are products of Creo (ScenicSoft).
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37
Custom images used in Preps® templates (color bars, etc.) should be
linked beforehand in DynaStrip’s Image Linker window with the same
name as the image file (without the extension), so the template can
import correctly at once. If an image found in the Preps® template
was not previously defined, DynaStrip will offer you to add it to the
library after the template has been imported (see section 4.5.1).
When imported files contain more than 16 characters (Macintosh)
and/or special characters (Macintosh and Windows), DynaStrip will
give you the option of renaming the file or removing them from the
template to be imported.
EPS images with a TIFF preview can be displayed directly in the layout, using the Raster Mode option (see section 3.4).
Note: There are restrictions about importing and printing some of
Preps® proprietary dynamic EPS marks (such as bar codes, color bars,
and collating marks).
Here are the supported parameters:
1- All signature types : work&turn, work&tumble, single-sided, perfector and sheet-wise
2- Independent pages which are not part of a signature
3- Templates with up to 30 sheets
4- Page bleed and trim marks
5- Imported marks present in the source document
6- Preps® objects: exposure bars, collating marks, register marks
(opencircle), line marks, text marks, side guides, flat ID strings,
rectangle marks, and fold marks.
Note: All collating marks in DynaStrip are positioned in the gutter of
the page with the lowest number in the signature. Moreover, collating marks that are not numbered will be assigned a number by DynaStrip.
Templates from
PressWise®
Before importing job templates from PressWise®, you must first
define the layout and the mark default folders in the Preferences
menu (see section 1.1.7).
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User’s Guide
PressWise® Layout and
Layouts
Mark folders are
linked in Preferences
menu
Layouts
Layouts
Layouts
PressWise® Jobs or Job Templates
loaded in DynaStrip as Sheet templates
The job template will import as one or many sheets with all objects.
The default pagination sequence 1 is given to all signatures.
Custom images used in PressWise® templates (color bars, etc.) should
be linked beforehand in DynaStrip’s Image Linker window with the
same name as the image file (without the extension), so the template can import correctly at once. If an image found in the template was not previously defined, DynaStrip will offer to add it to the
library after the template has been imported (see section 4.5.1).
2.1.12 Exporting DynaStrip templates to .tpl format
DynaStrip sheet templates can be exported in .tpl format to be used
by Agfa Apogee Prepress imposition template manager. This functionnality is offered as an option in specialized editions only.
The function works with the usual template export method (see section 2.1.9). In the Save As window, simply select the .tpl file type in
the drop down menu.
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39
The Export Template dialogue will open allowing to verify the parameters of each signature before proceeding to the export.
The Binding style of the template must first be verified. Then, for
each individual signature found in the drop menu, the following
parameters must be validated:
• Name of the signature (the default descriptive name can be
edited)
• Work Style,
• Position of side guides as well as their offset,
• Length of center marks,
• Press sheet edge to punch center value.
Click OK to export the template.
Among all DynaStrip job elements, the following objects will be
exported:
- Binding types
- All work styles including tumble (perfecting), work and turn,
multi-web, etc.
- Sheet (it is possible to export more than one at the time to create a template with many signatures)
- Signatures (one or many on the same sheet)
- Pages (independent or part of a page group)
- Page numbers and page orientation
- Fold Mark and Gutters
- Side Guides
- Trim Marks
- Linear Marks
- Register Marks
- Center Marks
- Collating Marks
- Imported Marks
- Density Bars
- Text Tags
The following elements are not supported for the .tpl template
export:
- Creep adjustment at the page level
- Bleed marks (do not exist in .tpl specifications)
- Distance tags
- Tiling break marks
- Color environment and color layers
- Sheet layers
Limitations
Some objects in DynaStrip are not supported in .tpl format. This section explains the behavior of exported elements after the conversion.
It is possible to re-import .tpl templates in DynaStrip, but some data
might be lost during the conversion.
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User’s Guide
It is not possible to export the template to .tpl if the pagination
sequence differs between some of the signatures. If this case were to
occur, an error message would be displayed.
Signatures
DynaStrip
.tpl template
1 sheet, 1 signature
1 signature, 1 sheet
1 sheet, 2 signatures with same 1 signature, 1 sheet, 2 sections
pagination sequence
2 sheets, 2 signatures with
One pagination sequence must be
different pagination sequences selected for the creation of the
template
1 sheet, 2 signatures with dif- Impossible to export
ferent pagination sequences
2 sheets or more, 1 signature
per sheet, same pagination
sequence, no multi-web
2 signatures or more, 1 sheet for
each signature
2 sheets or more, 1 signature
1 signature, 2 sheets or more, to
per sheet, same pagination
be assembled as a whole
sequence, multi-web (2 webs or
more)
Pages
All page parameters are supported except source file scaling.
Page numbers
The pagination is exported as is.
The template should contain only the basic pagination pattern. It is
important not to increment the pagination in DynaStrip before the
export of the template, since the total number of pages in the signature will be based on the higher page number in the template.
Side guides
Only the side guides that are specified in the export dialogue will be
supported.
Linear marks
Linear marks with a continuous line percentage between 0% and
50% will be exported as dotted lines. In this case, the thickness of
the line will always be equal to 0.25 pts.
Linear marks with a continuous line percentage between 50% and
100% will be exported as lines of dashes with a fixed length. In this
case, the thickness of the line will always be equal to 0.25 pts.
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41
Linear marks with a thickness between 0 and 0.5 pts will be
exported as continuous lines with a thickness of 0.25 pts.
Register marks
All register marks are mapped to the external file "opencirc.pdf",
thus the size of the mark is always the same.
Register marks parameters (cross length, cross thickness, radius, circle thickness) are not exported. Vertical and horizontal mirror
options are not exported.
Collating marks
The following parameters are not exported: Header, Display, Index
number, and Distance beween marks.
Imported marks
All options for image size, image repetition and crop or repeat are
supported.
The scaling of source files is not exported.
Density bars
The following parameters are not exported: Basic format (thickness,
offset, center line and target), Color management and Marks
between bars.
Text tags
The following parameters are not exported: rotation angle of the
text box (other than vertical or horizontal positions), character
style (bold, italic), alignment (left, center, right).
The following variables are exported:
DynaStrip variable
Variable in .tpl format
<color>
$COLOR
<compcolor>
$COLOR
<compcolorlist>
$COLOR
<jobdesc>
$COMMENT
<jobname>
$JOBNAME
outputdate>
$DATE
outputdatedmy>
$DATE
<outputdateymd>
$DATE
<outputtime>
$TIME
<side>
$SIDE
<surface>
$SIDE
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User’s Guide
DynaStrip variable
Variable in .tpl format
<sig>
$SIG
<web>
$WEB
2.2 Signatures
2.2.1 Signature Definition
To access the Signature Mode, click on the Signature icon in the
Object Modes toolbar (upper-right large button).
The Signature Definition window is then accessed by clicking on the
Definition icon, in the Actions toolbar.
The Signature Definition window is complete, since it contains
parameters for most of the objects appearing in a normal signature.
The main window thus gives access to the Page and to the Page Mark
Definition windows.
Main Signature
Definition window
Access to
Page Definition
Access to
Page Marks Definition
A signature preview is displayed directly in the Signature Definition
window when editing its parameters.
The main window defines:
• The page format.
2nd Chapter — Signatures
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43
- Height and width of pages.
- Bleed for four sides.
- The Details button gives access to the Page Definition window
(see below).
• The signature format.
- The number of columns and rows in the signature.
- Rotation options (0, 90, 180 and 270 degres).
- The Maximum format button automatically calculates the number of columns and rows, based on the first sheet placed on the
light table (or on the sheet definition, if no sheet is placed),
and based on the page format. The gutters are included in the
calculation. If any value is modified, click again on the Maximum format button to refresh.
• Side visibility (one or both sides).
• Page Marks.
- Trim and bleed marks
- The Details button gives access to the Page Mark Definition window (see below).
• Options.
- The default width of vertical and horizontal gutters (Space
between columns and Space between rows). If the pagination
sequence linked to the signature is saddle-stitched, the space
between columns will not be applied in the spine. Each gutter
can be customized later on the light table (see section 2.2.7).
- The pagination sequence number (1st sequence by default) (see
section 3.2.2).
- Folding Template: select and apply a folding template from this
list. The values appearing in the list are gathered from the Folding Template Folder as set in DynaStrip’s Preferences menu (see
section 1.1.7). The preview area will show the selected pagination.
• Step & Repeat (see section 7.1.1).
- The pagination numbers for the front and back.
- Display page marks in all gutters check box.
- Page cache to use forms for ripping Step & Repeat pages.
You can save a template of your signature parameters and load it
into any subsequent job. Simply define the parameters, then click on
the Save to library button. The signature parameter template is
saved with its own file extension (.sgp) and default path.
the previously saved file. All the settings will be entered in the Definition window. A signature parameter template includes only the
parameters found in the main Signature Definition window. (You
can also save and load Page or Page Mark parameter templates
within their own respective window.)
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User’s Guide
Signature Page Definition
The upper Details button gives access to the Page Definition window,
where you can more precisely define the page parameters (see section 2.3.1).
Page Mark Definition
The lower Details button of the main Signature Definition window
gives access to the Page Mark Definition window (see section 4.1.1).
2.2.2 Add and Place a Signature
A sheet must first be placed on the light table. In Signature Mode,
select the Add icon in the Actions toolbar and click on the sheet.
There are three ways to position a newly created signature on the
sheet:
• Center it automatically on the sheet (the lower margin can be
adjusted for the gripper).
• Place it using a distance line between an anchor point on the signature and another reference point.
• Place it based on the sheet’s horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) coordinates using the mouse.
The space bar of the keyboard switches from the second placement
method to the third, while the centering of the signature can be
done at any time. You can exit this procedure and start over by
pressing the Esc. key.
Center a Signature
A sheet must first be placed on the light table. In Signature Mode,
select the Add icon in the Actions toolbar and click on the sheet.
When the signature is positioned over the sheet, press Option and
click. A menu will open, indicating the bottom margin width. You
can change this value for the gripper, if necessary.
Click on OK. If the value is not modified, the signature will be perfectly centered on the sheet. If the value is changed, it will be centered horizontally but will keep the value given for the bottom
margin.
Place signature using a
distance line
While the signature is positioned over the sheet, press space bar. A
green distance line will appear between the center of the signature
and the lower-left corner of the sheet.
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45
Distance line
Anchor point on
the signature (mobile)
Reference point
on the sheet (fixed)
Vertical distance
Horizontal distance
The horizontal and vertical position of the signature can be modified
based on this type of distance line.
Place signature using the
sheet’s coordinates
If you want to position the signature with the sheet coordinates,
press space bar and move the signature using the mouse. The grid
unit can be defined in the Preferences (see section 1.1.7).
The position coordinates of the cursor appear in the Cursor Position
menu at the bottom of the screen, the lower-left corner of the front
sheet being the origin. The cursor is anchored to the central point of
the signature by default.
To change the anchor point on the signature, press the space bar (to
make the green distance line reappear), click on a new anchor point
in the signature, press the space bar again and continue using the
mouse.
For more complete information concerning anchor points and sheet
coordinates for the placement of objects, see section 1.4.
2.2.3 Edit a Signature
In Signature Mode, select the Edit icon, then click on the signature.
Only general properties of the Signature Definition window (see section 2.2.1) can be modified within this menu, because pages become
independent once they have been created, ensuring the greatest
flexibility.
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You can edit other page parameters in Page Mode (see section 2.3.1).
You can also edit a selection of signatures. In Signature Mode, hold
down Command and drag around the signatures that you want to
select. The selected signatures will be highlighted in red. Click on
the Edit icon to open the Signature Definition window.
You can change in one click all vertical or horizontal gutter widths
by editing Space between columns or rows. Checking the As is box
will keep the previous values. Alternatively, to change the gutter
width in a signature, you can use the Gutters icon or move the pages
on one or both sides of the gutter (see section 2.2.7).
Note that it is sometimes faster to remove the entire signature, edit
the Signature Definition and add a new signature, instead of modifying each individual page.
2.2.4 Remove a Signature
In Signature Mode, select the Remove icon, in the Actions toolbar,
and click on the signature.
The Remove icon has a red triangle, which means that you can also
apply this action to a selection of signatures. (Note that the selection can be made on different sheets. Simply choose in the Sheet List
the sheets to be viewed on the screen [see section 1.1.1].)
Drag your mouse over the signatures that you want to delete.
Selected signatures will be highlighted in red. You can add signatures to your selection by dragging your mouse over new signatures,
or unselect signatures by dragging your mouse over them a second
time.
When your selection is complete (signatures to be removed are highlighted in red), click on the Remove icon or hit the Delete key.
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47
2.2.5 Move a Signature
In Signature Mode, select the Move icon, then click on the signature.
The distance line appears between the center of the signature and
the lower-left corner of the sheet.
To change the anchor point of the signature or the reference point
on the sheet, simply click on the new anchor point. In the Object
Position menu at the bottom of the screen, enter vertical and horizontal distance values and press Enter.
You can also place the signature freely with the mouse. The space
bar of the keyboard switches from one method to the other.
When placing the signature freely with the mouse, Option + click will
automatically center it. A menu will open, indicating the bottom
margin width. You can change this value for the gripper, if necessary.
Click on OK. If the value is not modified, the signature will be perfectly centered on the sheet. If the value is changed, it will be centered horizontally but will keep the value given for the bottom
margin .
2.2.6 Rotate a Signature
In Signature Mode, select the Rotate icon and click on the signature.
Each click of the mouse rotates the signature 90 degrees counterclockwise.
Signatures rotate with 90 degree increments only, but you can give
any angle to any pages within the signature (see section 2.3.8).
You can also apply the Rotate action to a selection of signatures.
(Note that the selection can be made on different sheets. Simply
choose in the Sheet List the sheets to be viewed on the screen [see
section 1.1.1].) In Signature Mode, hold down Command and drag
around the signatures that you want to select. The selected signatures are highlighted in red. Click on the Rotate icon. Each click of
the mouse rotates the signatures 90 degrees counterclockwise.
During the placement of a signature, when the signature is not yet
attached to the sheet, Command + click will modify its spine orientation (vertical or horizontal).
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User’s Guide
2.2.7 Modify a Gutter
Using Gutter dialogue
In Page Mode or in Signature Mode, select the Gutters icon and click
in the horizontal or vertical gutter that you want to modify. The
respective dialogue box will appear.
First, determine whether you will be creating a symmetric or asymmetric fold. To make a symmetric fold, simply activate the Symmetric
fold radio button. The value appearing in the Total gutter width window will be the same value as defined in the Signature. Simply click
on it to change the value.
To make an asymmetric fold, simply activate the Asymmetric fold
radio button. You can then define different values for both halves.
Checking Fold Marks checkbox allows edition of the marks length
and thickness values for the selected gutter. The Mark Length has
0.5” as default value).
By clicking on the Colors button, the Color Layers dialogue opens.
Marks can be placed onto any selected layer and the ink density can
be set for each layer to ensure optimal ink coverage on the paper
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49
The bleed on adjacent pages will adapt to the position of the fold
marks (see figure below).
bleed
bleed
bleed
page
page
bleed
bleed
bleed
gutter 1/2 + 1/2
bleed
bleed
bleed
bleed
page
bleed
bleed
page
bleed
bleed
bleed
fold mark
bleed
fold mark
gutter 1/3 + 2/3
Click on OK to confirm your selections.
The vertical gutter menu is identical to the horizontal gutter menu
except that it modifies the left and right halves.
By moving pages
A gutter width can also be changed with more precision by moving
rows or columns of pages in the signature. For example, you might
want to move the upper row only in order to keep the same gripper
at the bottom of the sheet.
To make this gutter wider,
simply increase the distance
between the two opposing pages
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User’s Guide
In Page Mode, select the Move icon, then click on any page next to
the gutter you wish to modify.
The selected page will be highlighted with green borders and a distance line will appear. (It is important to select a page in the part
of the signature that you want to move on the sheet.)
Click to place the distance line between the edge of the selected
page and the edge of the page on the opposite side of the gutter, in
order to measure the distance between the pages.
In the Object Position menu, modify the distance value and press
Enter. All the pages from the row(s) or column(s) will move with the
selected page, since DynaStrip correctly interprets that you want to
change the gutter between all the pages. Press Enter.
Modify a gutter
Enter the value
and press Enter.
All pages are independent and it is also possible to move a single
page freely within a signature (see section 2.3.5).
2.3 Pages
2.3.1 Page Definition
In order to access the Page Definition window, first select the Page
icon, in the Objects palette.
Then click on the Definition icon, in the Actions toolbar. The Page
Definition window will open. You can define:
• Height and width of pages.
• Bleed for each side, based on odd or even page numbers (left and
right are mirror). You can give a negative bleed value but this will
modify the trim mark position.
The Advanced check box allows for more options:
• Side Visibility (one side or both).
• Invert back 180 degrees to flip the heading of back pages.
• Layer Visibility
- Sheet Layer (see section 5.1).
- Color Layers (see section 5.3).
2nd Chapter — Pages
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51
• Source Scaling (in percentage) for horizontal and vertical scaling
of the page (different scalings can be applied).
Note: A negative value in the vertical source scaling (-100%)
would print the PS, PDF or EPS page mirror (wrong reading). To
modify the scaling on one page side only, use the Edit icon (see
section 2.3.3).
The Apply Modification To option is available only when editing a
page (see section 2.3.3).
.
The Page Definition edited in Page Mode does not interfere with the
Page Definition accessed through the Signature Definition window. If
you intend to create a signature, the page parameters must therefore
be defined in the Signature Definition window (see section 2.2.1).
Once all the settings are entered for the page, click on OK. All future
single pages created in Page Mode will be based on these parameters.
You can also save a template of your page and load it into any subsequent job. Simply define the parameters, then click on the Save to
library button. The page parameter template is saved with its own
file extension (.pgp) and default path.
2.3.2 Add and Place a Page
In Page Mode, select the Add icon in the Actions toolbar and click on
the sheet. Place the page with your mouse and press Enter.
To place the page more precisely, press the space bar of the keyboard
while the page is over the sheet, in order to make the green distance
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line appear. In the Object Position menu at the bottom of the screen,
give the page a horizontal and vertical distance, based on a given
reference point and press Enter.
Command + click will rotate the page 90 degrees.
Command + Shift + click will rotate the page by any amount. A dialogue box will appear allowing you to enter any rotation angle. A
positive value will rotate the page counterclockwise. A negative
value will rotate the page clockwise.
When the page is positioned, press Enter.
(For more information about the object placement, see section 1.4.)
2.3.3 Edit a Page
You can edit any page independently, even if it is part of a signature.
In Page Mode, select the Edit icon and click on the page. The Page
Definition window will open (see section 2.3.1).
Edit the page parameters, then click on OK.
Some settings (ex. bleed, scaling, color layers) can differ from front
to back.
Example: If you want to edit the bleed for the back of a page only,
in Page Mode, select the Edit icon and click on the page. In the Page
Definition window, change the values for the bleed and unselect
Apply Modifications To Front option. Then click on OK.
When editing in the Page Definition window, if a page has different
front and back bleed, scale or color layer values, the modifications
will apply only to that specific side.
It is important to note that the page size can not be modified on one
side only. However, you can edit a one-sided page, then replace the
missing back or front by a new one-sided page.
You can also edit a selection of pages. In Page Mode, hold down Command and drag around the pages that you want to select. The
selected pages are highlighted in red. Click on the Edit icon to open
the Page Definition window.
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Blank or As is parameters mean that these settings are different
within the page selection. These parameters will not be affected by
the modification (unless you edit them).
2.3.4 Remove a Page
In Page Mode, select the Remove icon and click on the page.
You can apply the Remove action to a selection of pages. In Page
Mode, hold down Command and drag around the pages that you want
to select. (Note that the selection can be made on different sheets.
Simply choose in the Sheet List the sheets to be viewed on the
screen (see section 1.1.1). The selected pages will be highlighted in
red. Cick on the Remove icon or hit the Delete key.
If you remove a row or a column of pages from a signature, the signature is automatically updated to reflect its new structure. If you
remove all pages from a signature, that signature is deleted.
2.3.5 Move a Page
Each page is independent in DynaStrip and can be moved freely, even
if it is part of a signature, as long as one of its edges remains within
its normal row or column position.
DynaStrip offers two different ways to move a page. You can move it
with all its attached page marks (see section 2.3.6) or move it alone
The Move icon (without a shadow) moves the page with all its marks,
while the Move Offset icon (with a shadow) only moves the page
itself. Both icons can be used for fanning.
2.3.6 Move a Page with its Marks (Move icon)
Pages can be placed and moved with a distance line, like signatures
and other objects (see section 1.4).
In Page Mode, select the Move icon and click on the page that you
want to move. The green distance line will appear.
Holding the Option key while clicking on the object will automatically select its center anchor point for placement.
To move a page independently from other pages in the signature,
use the horizontal and vertical distance fields to break the symmetry of the row or column. Otherwise, the entire row or column
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will move, since DynaStrip will interpret that you want to change the
gutter width in the signature (see section 2.2.7).
Example: To move a single page up within a signature, choose a
reference point in its own row (horizontal distance line), then give
the page a vertical distance value (with the vertical double arrow).
To move it to the right, choose a reference point in its own column
(vertical distance line), then give the page a horizontal distance
value (with the horizontal double arrow).
In the following example, note that a negative vertical offset (40 pt) is given to an horizontal distance line so that the symmetry
of the row is broken and the page can move independently down.
2.3.7 Move a Page without Marks (Move Offset icon)
In Page Mode, select the Move Offset icon (icon with a shadow) and
click on the page that you want to move.
Give horizontal or vertical offset values. (If you apply the Move Offset action on the back of the sheet, remember that the horizontal
values are reversed because of the mirror position.)
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If the page is part of a signature, when you click on OK, the next
page of the signature will be selected. You can thus define the offset
for all the pages in the signature in a consecutive way. To exit, click
on Cancel.
The page is displayed on the screen with a shadow representing the
exact position of its image. Trim and bleed marks for this page will
remain at their initial position.
You can also apply the Move Offset action to a selection of pages. In
Page Mode, hold down Command and drag around the pages that you
want to select. The selected pages are highlighted in red. Click on
the Move Offset icon and enter the offset values.
Move Offset templates (fanning) can be saved and loaded (see section
6.3.3).
2.3.8 Rotate a Page
DynaStrip offers two different ways to rotate a page, by any angle.
You can rotate it with all its attached page marks (see section 2.3.9)
or rotate it alone (see section 2.3.10).
The Rotate icon (without a shadow) moves the page with all its
marks, while the Rotate Offset icon (with a shadow) moves the page
alone. Both icons can be used for bottling (see section 6.3.3).
The bleed values for each side of the page always rotate with the
page itself.
The back of the sheet always rotates with the front, but you can give
a 180 degree rotation to the back only by selecting the Invert Back
option in the Page Definition window (see section 2.3.1). If you need
a different angle for the back, you will have to edit the page so it
appears on the front only, and then create a new page for the back
only with the required rotation.
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2.3.9 Rotate a Page with its Marks (Rotate or Move icons)
In Page Mode, select the Rotate icon and click on the page. Each
click of the mouse rotates the page according to the rotation increments given in the Preferences (see section 1.1.7).
You can also apply the Rotate action to a selection of pages. In Page
Mode, hold down Command and drag around the pages that you want
to select. The selected pages are highlighted in red. Click on the
Rotate icon. Each click of the mouse rotates the page according to
the rotation increments given in the Preferences (see section 1.1.7).
Another way to easily rotate the page is to adjust its rotation value
in the Object Position menu, using the Move icon.
Select the Move icon and click on the page you want to rotate.
Choose one of the nine reference points on the page. The selected
point will become the anchor around which the page will rotate. The
second reference point does not interfere with the rotation so any
point can be chosen.
Change the rotation value in the Object Position menu at the bottom
of the screen and press Enter. The page rotates on the screen along
with all of its attached marks. Press Enter.
Choose one of
9 anchor points
for the rotation
Angle value
+ = counterclockwise
– = clockwise
2.3.10 Rotate a Page without its Marks (Rotate Offset icon)
In Page Mode, select the Rotate Offset icon (icon with a shadow),
then click on one of the nine anchor points of the page from which
you want the rotation to be made. A dialogue box will open.
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Enter a rotation value. A positive value will rotate counterclockwise
and a negative value will rotate clockwise. Click on OK.
You can also select any number of pages before clicking on the
Rotate Offset icon. A different dialogue box will open.
Choose one of the 9 anchor points in the page from which you want
the rotation to be made and enter a rotation value. A positive value
will rotate counterclockwise and a negative value will rotate clockwise. Click on OK.
If some of the selected pages already had different rotation anchor
points or offset values, As is will be selected instead of the default
rotation anchor point, and the value field will be blank. You can
keep or override these settings, then click OK.
Note the shadow behind the page. This shadow shows the real position the page will have during output. However, the trim and bleed
marks of the page will remain in their initial position. The gray dot
on the page indicates the anchor point used as the rotation axis.
Rotate Offset templates (bottling) can be saved and loaded (see section 6.3.3).
3rd Chapter
JDF Import,
Pagination,
Source Documents & Index,
Raster Mode,
Versioning
3.1 JDF Import
DynaStrip can use JDF 1.2 stripping parameters generated by MIS or
estimation software to initiate the creation of imposition layouts.*
DynaStrip's JDF import feature ensures that the job will be imposed
as specified in the quote, avoiding costly mistakes and reducing
turnaround times.
DynaStrip's support for JDF Stripping is in line with the Interoperability Conformance Specifications (ICS) defined by CIP4 for MIS to
prepress processes. For more information visit www.cip4.org.
3.1.1 How it works
When creating a new job in DynaStrip, choose JDF Import and then
browse to your JDF file. DynaStrip will extract relevant information
from the JDF file and display it on the light table.
You can validate and complete the missing layout information, for
example a more precise positioning of the signature, page bleed control, creep adjustment, addition of marks, etc.
DynaStrip extracts JDF 1.2 parameters that are directly related to
the layout creation such as:
• StrippingParams
- BinderySignature: FoldCatalog, NumberUp
- StripCellParams: TrimSize, BleedFace, BleedSpine, BleedHead,
BleedFoot
• WorkStyle
* This optional import module must be activated by the product license. Please
contact Dynagram Sales for details.
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- Position: RelativeBox, Rotate
References to Device and Media
Multiple BinderySignatures
Multiple job parts
RunList: NPage
Assembly: Binding type
The following JDF data is not loaded from the JDF files and must be
set in DynaStrip if required:
• document runlist
• color table
• bottling and creep adjustments
• customized booklet configuration
• parameters set only for a given page cell
• choice of binding side set in the assembly (loaded only for booklets)
• specifications for marks in stripping parameters
• comments and special instructions
The resulting imposition can be outputted in any format including
PDF and JDF. If the JDF format is selected, the imposition information is forwarded, along with a PDF marks file, to be executed by the
next JDF process (RIP or workflow).
• When working in a “linear” type of JDF workflow, the JDF imposition output file is created for the JDF-enable RIP.
• When working in a “circular” type of JDF workflow, the layout
information is added to the original JDF file and sent back to the
MIS or to the pre-press controller (see section 6.1.2).
3.1.2 Known limitations
DynaStrip’s JDF import module does not support:
• files without stripping parameters (having only product and layout intents)
• jobs using versioning
• job ganging
• jobs using multi-web, come & go, and other multi-section techniques
• jobs mixing multiple binding types within the same job part
• bound jobs using custom fold catalogs (other than JDF standard
catalogs)
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3.2 Pagination
In DynaStrip, you can paginate one or several signatures with different pagination styles in the same job. The general steps are as follows:
• Create a folding template (by importing a previously saved template, or manually).
• Define one or many pagination sequences and link a pagination
sequence to the signature(s).
• Copy the sheets according to the total number of pages needed
and apply the pagination for the entire job.
3.2.1 Create a Folding Template
The folding template is a pattern for calculating the final pagination, which is applied when the Apply Pagination function is used.
The final pagination is also based on the parameters chosen in the
Pagination Sequence Definition window (binding, total number of
pages, number of webs, etc.).
There are many ways to apply a folding template to your signature.
You can:
• paginate the signature manually,
• import a manual pagination template previously saved.
Any page or signature without a page number will not be paginated
when clicking on the Apply Pagination function.
Manual pagination
page by page
Manual pagination can be used for both independent pages and
pages within a signature. This way of paginating assumes that you
already know which page numbers you want to apply.
In Signature or Page Mode, select the Page numbers icon and click on
a page. The Manual Pagination window will appear.
Enter a page number and Click on Apply.
If necessary, select a document list in the scroll-down menu (see section 3.3.5).
If the page is part of a signature, the next page is automatically
selected. You can paginate the entire signature this way. Click Close
or press on Esc. to exit.
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If Paginate back is selected in the Preferences menu, the corresponding page number will be applied to the back of the page.
To remove the pagination, enter 0 in the page number field.
Manual pagination
on a selection of pages
You can apply the same page number to a selection of pages. In Page
Mode, Command + drag to select the pages, then click on the Page
numbers icon. Enter the page number for the front and for the back
and click on OK.
You also can change the document list number of a signature by
selecting all the pages and choosing only the document list number
in the drop down menu. The page numbers will remain unchanged
but will be displayed in the color of the new document list (see section 3.3.5).
By this mean, it is possible to link the signature to a document list
before applying the folding template.
Save & import a manual
folding template
The pagination must first be entered manually. To save the template,
switch to Signature Mode.
Select the Save Folding Template icon and click on the signature.
Browse and choose the directory in which you want to save the folding template. The file will be saved with the extension name .pgt.
To import a manual folding template, in Signature Mode, select the
Fold icon and click on the signature.
The Folding Templates window will open. Click on the Select Template
button.
Select the folding template that you want to import (extension
name .pgt) and click on Open.
The folding template and the orientation of the pages (the T indicates the top of the pages) now appear in your signature.
If the selected folding template could fit more than once in the signature (for example in a multi-web job), DynaStrip allows you to
choose how to paginate the remaining pages.
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3.2.2 Create and Apply a Pagination Sequence
The pagination sequence defines different parameters which are necessary to ensure the correct pagination of the job (type of binding,
total number of pages, multi-web, etc.). It is also necessary for collating marks.
You must define and apply different pagination sequences if you
have different jobs on your sheet. All signatures sharing the same
pagination sequence will be linked together when applying the pagination for the entire job. You can have up to 80 pagination
sequences in a job.
Pagination sequences can be entered first hand in the Job Definition
window, when creating a new imposition job. They can also be
defined or modified at any time by clicking on the Definition icon in
the Functions horizontal toolbar.
In the Job Definition window, select the More sequences option to
display a list of 8 possible pagination sequences. Previous sequences
and Next sequences buttons allows you to navigate through the
sequences. Eight sequences are displayed simultaneously.
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Pagination sequences can be linked automatically to imported signatures by rank number (1st, 2nd, etc.). You can rename a pagination
sequence but its rank in the job will remain the same.
Example: A sheet template containing two signatures that were
respectively linked to the 1st and 2nd pagination sequences in the
initial job will automatically be linked to the 1st and 2nd pagination
sequences in the new job where the template is loaded, even if the
pagination sequences have different names or different definitions.
Click on the first Definition button. The Pagination Sequence Definition window will open.
You must select one of the following bindings: None, Perfect Bound,
Saddle-Stitched, Come & Go, Cut & Stack, or Creep Only. (For information about Use pagination file binding, see section 3.2.4.)
• If the binding None is chosen, the signature will not be paginated
automatically with the Apply Pagination function.
• If Creep Only is selected, the following pagination options will be
available:
- Leave pagination as is (default),
- Increment using "First page" number,
- Continue numbering from previous sequence (see section 3.2.5).
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Collating marks indexes and text tag variables are also supported
and will be affected by the number of webs.
For both None and Creep Only bindings, the pagination can be incremented using the Copy Sheet menu (see section 2.1.7).
Depending on the selected type of binding, some of the following
options will be required or irrelevant:
• Multi-web: choose a multi-web mode or enter any number of webs.
You can click on the Play icon for a simulation of the selected
multi-web mode (see section 7.1.4).
• First page: number of first page in the signature.
• Number of pages: number of pages in the signature. Zero means
unlimited (the number of pages will be calculated based on the
number of sheets in the job).
• Creep: Creep adjustments section.
- Maximum creep value or Paper thickness values can be used,
along with a Start value.
- Push in and Push out radio buttons determine the direction of
the creep.
- Creep can be horizontal or vertical.
- When checked, the option Static Page Marks lets the position of
the page marks unchanged in presence of creep. For more information about creep, see section 6.3.1.
The red arrows represent the flow of page numbers
Come & Go
Perfect Bound
Saddle-stitched
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Cut & Stack
You can also save a template of your Pagination Sequence and load it
into any subsequent job. Simply define the parameters, then click on
the Save button. The Pagination Sequence parameter template is
saved with the file extension .psq.
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To load a template, click on the Load button and open the previously
saved file. All the settings will be entered in the Pagination Sequence
Definition window.
When all the parameters are defined, click on OK. A summary of the
pagination sequence will appear in the Job Definition window.
The pagination sequence must be linked to the signature. By
default, the 1st pagination sequence is selected in the Signature Definition window. If necessary, choose another one in the Pagination
Sequence drop down menu of the Signature Definition window before
adding the signature on the sheet.
If no pagination sequence is defined in the job, the default pagination sequence will have no effect.
If the signature has already been placed on the sheet, you can link
another pagination sequence using the Edit icon, while in Signature
Mode.
Edit Signature
Definition window
Pagination sequence
drop down menu
3.2.3 Apply the Pagination to the Entire Job
For None and Creep Only bindings, the pagination can be incremented when importing a sheet template (see section 2.1.10) or
when copying a sheet (see section 2.1.7).
For other binding types, the pagination can be calculated based on
the pagination sequence when copying a sheet (see section 2.1.7).
You can also recalculate the pagination for the entire job based on
the pagination sequences and on the folding templates, provided
that your job contains the correct number of sheets and that all the
pages have a number.
To do so, simply click on the Apply Pagination function. The pagination for all signatures will be calculated and applied at once.
If the number of pages found in a signature exceeds the number of
pages given in its Pagination Sequence window, the excess pages will
not be paginated.
Any page without a page number will not be repaginated when clicking on the Apply Pagination function.
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If the binding None or Creep Only has been chosen in the Pagination
Sequence window, the signature will not be repaginated.
The Apply Pagination function is not cumulative. If you click on the
Apply Pagination icon more than once without changing other
parameters, the resulting pagination will not be altered.
3.2.4 Applying a Pagination Sequence from a File
Signatures with custom foldings can be paginated by loading a text
file. The signatures to be paginated must share the same pagination
sequence and must already bear page numbers (a repeated page
number would be correct).
In the Pagination Sequence Definition window, select Use Pagination
File in the Binding drop menu. Then click on the Pagination File button, browse and choose the text file.
In the text file, every page number must be separated by commas
(,). Line breaks and spaces are allowed but have no effect.
To paginate the signatures, click on Apply Pagination icon. DynaStrip
will also apply the pagination before printing, just like most other
binding modes.
Paginating Fronts Only
The signatures are paginated in their layout structure order, starting
with sheet 1, from the lower left to the lower right page, then up,
always from left to right. Once the pages on sheet 1 are filled, the
page numbers flow to the pages on sheet 2, etc. The back is automatically paginated.
Example: The text
8,1,8,1,5,4,5,4,9,9,12,12,20,13,20,13,17,16,17,16 would paginate
signatures like this:
Pagination
Order
2nd
1st row
4th
3rd
6th
5th
5 4 5 4
3 6 3 6
8 1 8 1
2 7 2 7
12 12
11 11
9 9
10 10
17 16 17 16
15 18 15 18
20 13 20 13
14 19 14 19
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Note: This binding mode only paginates an existing layout. It does
not affect the page orientation and does not automatically copy
sheets to use all page numbers included in the text file.
Paginating Fronts and
Backs
It is also possible to create custom pagination sequences using the
letters F, B, f, b to denote the side of the sheet and commas (,) to
separate each page number.
It is important to note that the pagination order on the back of the
sheet is the mirror image of the front. That is, right to left starting
at the lower right-hand corner.
Example: Front-Then-Back
F 8,1,8,1,5,4,5,4,9,9,12,12,20,13,20,13,17,16,17,16
B 7,2,7,2,6,3,6,3,10,10,11,11,19,14,19,14,18,15,18,15
Front-And-Back :
f 8,1,8,1,5,4,5,4 b 7,2,7,2,6,3,6,3 f 9,9,12,12 b 10,10,11,11...
Once the file has been created, simply open the Pagination Sequence
Definition window and select Use Pagination File in the Binding drop
menu. Then click on the Pagination File button, browse and choose
the text file.
3.2.5 Apply Pagination Sequence Linkage
When Creep Only binding is selected, three radio buttons become
unlocked.
Leave pagination as is is the default setting.
When this option is selected, applying a pagination will have no
effect on the page numbers.
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Increment using "First page" number is used to set the lowest page
number in the sequence and all subsequent pages will be incremented accordingly.
Continue numbering from previous sequence ensures that the folding
pattern will be respected but that the pagination will be incremented based on the last page number of the previous sequence.
This is the same behavior as the Increment using “First Page” Number option, except that the first page number is a variable and
depends on the previous pagination sequence.
All the sequences in the job can be serialized using this option.
Example:If the last page number of sequence 1 is 32, the sequence 2
will start at 33. If sequence 2 ends at 148, sequence 3 will start at
149, etc.
3.2.6 Layout Reflow
The Layout Reflow function is a shortcut to accomplish a sequence
of existing DynaStrip actions. Its goal is to improve productivity.
Layout Reflow will apply to the entire layout changes made on the
first sheet or adjust the number of sheets to meet the number of
document pages found in the imposition index or the pagination
sequence (the index has precedence by default). Moreover, if the
number of pages does not fill the signatures completely, a Work and
Turn of the sheet will be offered to the user.
This function only requires that the first sheet has a paginated signature and a selected binding style set in the pagination sequence
definition.
In typical cases, Reflow Layout performs up to four basic commands
in one click: Erase All sheets but First, Copy Sheet (based on imposition index or number of pages set in the pagination sequence definition), Apply Pagination Sequence and confirm Work and Turn
preferences.
Example 1: A user creates a new job with 1 sheet containing a
paginated 4x2 signature. The pagination sequence is set to Perfect
Bound, 0 pages. Now, 64 pages are added in the imposition index.
When Reflow Layout action icon is clicked, a copy sheet will be
performed to meet the number of pages in the imposition index.
Three sheets are thus added.
If the number of pages in the imposition index does not match the
signatures’, the application will prompt the user to select a Work &
Turn position (None, First Signature, Second Signature, One before
Last Signature, and Last Signature).
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Example 2: A user creates a new job with 1 sheet 25"x38" containing a paginated 4x2 signature. The pagination sequence is set to
Saddle-Stitched, 64 pages. An imported mark is added.
The Layout Reflow action icon is clicked to do a copy sheet with
the number of pages. All the necessary sheets are added, for a total
of 4 sheets.
On the first sheet, the user removes the signature and the
imported mark, resizes the sheet to 25"x19", and adds a paginated
2x2 signature and another imported mark.
The Layout Reflow action icon is clicked again to apply the modifications to all other sheets.
Now the job contains 8 sheets with the new sheet size, the 2x2 signature and the new imported mark.
Layout Reflow also detects if the source document’s page (trim box)
size is different from the actual template’s page size and offer to
dynamically adapt the template’s page size to the source document’s
page (trim box) size. Upon user’s confirmation, the pages will be
resized on the layout.
The sheet size can be modified at will while keeping the same relative signature position, in the center of the sheet, or snapped to the
gripper. The position of all marks attached to the sheet will also
adapt and color bars may resize to fit the new sheet format.
When using Layout Reflow, all marks keep their intended position by
detecting and memorizing anchor points relative to the object to
which they are attached: sheet, signature or page. When the object
is moved or resized, the marks follow in all circumstances.
To learn more about dynamic templates, see next section (3.2.7).
Limitations
The Layout Reflow will use only the first pagination sequence of the
first sheet. Additionally, it will apply only to the document list
linked to the signature of the first sheet. Limitations pertaining to
the Copy Sheet function called by Reflow Layout will also apply, see
section 2.1.7. Therefore, if more than one signature, pagination
sequence or document list are found on the first sheet, an error message will be displayed.
3.2.7 Dynamic Templates
DynaSrip’s dynamic templates help users to save time and minimize
the size of their template collection. Dynamic templates can be
applied when a template and a source documents differ only by their
page format.
How it works : A user creates a new job from an existing template
with a sheet 25"x 38" containing a paginated 4 x 2, letter sized (11"
x 8.5") pages signature. She then loads a 32 A4 (11,69" x 8,27")
3rd Chapter — Source Documents & Index
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71
pages source document in the source document list and adds it to
the imposition index. She then clicks the Reflow Layout button. The
following message appears :
After clicking YES, the layout was rearranged with a 4 X 2 A4 pages,
just as if you had created a new template. The position of the signature will stay relative to the center of the sheet, or snapped to the
gripper, depending of your settings.
Some conditions must be met in order to have the Dynamic Template
to work:
• The source document must be a PDF with pages using trim box containers. You can check if your document’s pages have trim boxes
by double clicking it in the source document window. In the document info panel, the Page size (Trimbox) field will show the size of
the detected trim box. If there is no trim box, Undefined will be
displayed (see sub-section "Document Info").
• The conditions needed to Reflow layout as well:
- the signatures must be paginated
- the signatures share the same doc list
- the signatures have the same pagination sequence.
In the example mentionned above, the new dimensions could fit on
the sheet. Since it might not always be the case, a warning messsage
will alert the user if the sheet size is exceeded. A similar warning
will also be displayed if the new formats conflict with objects
belonging to the sheet.
Note : The detection rules for exceeded sheet limits or conflicts
between objects are as follows:
• Exceeding page objects such as page marks and page text tags are
excluded from detection.
• Conflicts between pages and marks are detected if the marks are
sheet marks or signature marks.
3.3 Source Documents & Index
To create or edit a source document list, click on the Source Documents icon, in the Functions toolbar. The Source Documents & Imposition Index window will open.
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This window is divided into two sections.
In the Document List section (upper part), you will:
• List the current job’s document files.
• Assign the correct application filter to each file.
• Detect the number of pages and colors in each file.
The Document List section is described in more details in section
3.3.2.
In the Imposition Index section (lower part), you will:
• Add the document pages from the Document List window.
• Build the index of all pages (in order of pagination) to be linked
to your imposition layout.
• Add blank pages, if necessary.
The Imposition Index section is described in more details in section
3.3.3.
3.3.1 Understanding Document Files and Application Filters
PostScript files are text files generated by the printer driver. They
contain the complete job including imported images, fonts, and
color space. These files can be created differently depending on the
platform, the application, and the printer driver.
PDF files are produced by converting valid PostScript files with Adobe
Acrobat Distiller®. Therefore, PostScript files can be tested by distilling them with Acrobat Distiller®.
DynaStrip does not interfere with PostScript files. You can thus count
on code, comment, and dictionary integrity (including fonts, OPI,
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CIP4, etc.). DynaStrip simply uses application filters to detect colors,
page numbers and sizes.
Application filters are small programs that identify and index document files. A filter must be created for every application in conjunction with the version, the platform and the printer driver used. An
application running on two platforms may easily require a dozen filters.
3.3.2 Source Document List
To create or edit a source document list, click on the Source Documents icon, in the Functions toolbar. The Source Documents & Imposition Index window will open.
In the Document List upper section, you will prepare your file list
(PS, DCS, PDF, etc.), assign application filters and parse the files to
find the number of pages and colors.
First you have to select the list number in the List Number drop
down menu. The default document list is number 1 (see section 3.3.5
for multiple document list).
Add
Click on the Add button (upper-right corner) and select one or more
document files in the folder in which they have been placed and
then click on Open.
You can also drag and drop the source document icons into the list.
(To select more than one file, hold down the Command + Shift keys.)
You can drag single documents within the list, to change their rank.
On Macintosh, Select All in the Edit menu or Command + A will select
all the files in the list (on Window, use Ctrl + A).
On Macintosh, press on Esc to unselect the files (on Windows simply
click on one of the files in the list).
Add group
The Add group button allows for automatic recognition of document
pages in a folder, based on a naming convention or on a descriptive
text file. More details are given in section 3.3.6.
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Remove
To remove one or several files from the list, select them so their
names are highlighted, then click on the Remove button. Any page
from these documents referenced in the imposition index (see section 3.3.3) will also be removed.
The Delete All button will remove all the files in the list (no selection
needed). DynaStrip will ask you to confirm.
Application
Application filters are usually assigned automatically when the
source document is added. These filters look through the source document files to search for keywords in order to place the pages and
the colors correctly in the imposition layout. However, there are situations where this detection will fail. For instance, if the user has
documents files created with a more recent version than the current
filters, they may not be recognized. An error code would then be
generated and displayed in the Page column.
If the application fails to find the right filter, there are two (2)
actions that can be taken:
1. Manually select an older filter to filter the document,
2. Download the appropriate filter and install it in on your computer.
To manually assign a filter to a document, select that document file
and click on the Application button. The Application Filters window
will open.
Choose the filter in the list that most closely fit your requirements
and click OK to close the Application Filters window. The chosen filter name is displayed in the Application column, next to the selected
document files. You can make another filter selection at any time.
The parsing will not be performed automatically in this case. You
will have to click on the Update button to activate this action. If the
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error code does not disappear, you’ll probably need to download a
new filter for this type of file.
Since document files can be created in many different ways, several
filters may exist for the same application. The easiest way to find
the proper filters is to consult the Download section of Dynagram’s
web site at www.dynagram.com.
You can mix PostScript pages from various applications, no matter
what platform they come from.
Update
In order to be usable by DynaStrip, the Source Document list must be
updated each time you add, move, or replace a file. Click on the
Update button. DynaStrip will then parse any new or modified document, using the chosen application filter, to check the number of
pages and the colors found in each file. The result will appear in the
Pages and Colors columns in the list.
Whether a document is added automatically or manually, there must
be decisions made regarding the colors that are detected in the document during parsing. If a new color is found in a file, DynaStrip
allows you to add it to the color table, to replace an existing color
with the new one, or to match the new color to a color that already
exists in the table. If you know there is no need to have a human
intervention, this choice can be done automatically with proper configuration. You can either prepare the color table beforehand, (see
section 5.2) which resolves most of the cases, or you may choose to
add all colors automatically by activating the Add all colors automatically to the color table option in the Preferences window (see section
1.1.7).
If new files are subsequently added in the list, clicking again on the
Update button will parse only the newly added documents or any
documents which date has changed. An updated filter will also cause
documents that were parsed before its update to be parsed again.
If a previously indexed file is not found in its folder, a message will
advise you and you will be able to re-link the file without having to
re-index it.
If no filter is assigned to one or more files in the list, DynaStrip will
try anyway to suggest a filter when clicking on the Update button. If
at least one document cannot be assigned a filter, DynaStrip will
generate an error message and will not perform the index update at
all.
To speed up the detection process, DynaStrip builds a small database
file of the most recent detected filters and tests them in priority
when browsing the document files.
If DynaStrip encounters an error during the update, one of the following codes will be displayed.
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Code
Description
NPF
No Page Found.
COD
Cannot Open Document (the requested file does not exist
in the specified path or is locked).
COI
Cannot Open Index (the index is not accessible).
UBP
Unbalanced Pages (the number of page beginnings and
page endings is not the same, usually meaning that the
selected filter is not the right one).
CWI
Cannot Write to Index (the index file has suddenly
become inaccessible or there is no more space on the
disk).
TMC
Too Many Colors in file (there are more than twenty different colors found in the current document).
SEC
Secure or encrypted PDF file
URE
Unreferenced Error (any error that is not one of the
above). This is usually caused by an error in the filter
itself.
For convenience, the Error codes button opens a window that contains a brief description of the codes.
Document Info
Double-click on a source document to display more information. A
window will open giving the complete file name and path, the application, the number of pages, the last date of modification, the
detected page (trim box) size (or undefined if there is none) and the
colors found. This window can not be edited.
If the file is not found in its folder, a message will be displayed in
the first field. You will have to click Update to re-link the file.
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3.3.3 Imposition Index (Run List)
The lower Imposition Index section is used to build an index of the
pages really needed in the job and to assign them to the imposed
layout. It acts as a directory of pages and can be modified without
modifying anything in the Source Documents window or cause documents to be parsed again by an application filter.
The order of the pages in the index is very important because they
will be matched with the pagination of your imposition layout. You
can, however, change the order in the imposition list by dragging
items to the desired position.
(Note that the document folios generated by the application never
interfere with DynaStrip’s pagination process.)
Add
To add pages to the imposition index, select one or more files from
the Document List section and click on Add. (To select more than one
file, hold down the Command + Shift keys.) The pages will be added
in the same order as the selection. To unselect the files, press on Esc.
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If an index entry is previously selected in the lower part of the
screen, a menu suggests you to insert the pages before the selection.
This default page can be modified.
Add with options
If you choose to click on the Add with options button, the following
window will allow for more options.
You can:
• add only some of the pages from the source document (provided
that only one document is selected),
• add pages in reversed order (for example, if the pages were printed
from last to first in the file),
• add documents in reversed order (since source documents are
inserted into the document list in alphabetical order, this option
allows the user to add them to the imposition index in the opposite order),
• insert the pages with a precise position in the index (this will
reassign any subsequent pages in the index), and
• add the pages a number of times.
If the option Destination is static is checked (default), the added
page(s) will keep static page number(s) in the imposition index.
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These pages will not be updated to a higher number if other pages
are inserted before them.
Example: If page 42 is added as a static page and you add 50 pages
starting at page 1, the new pages will be added as 1-41 and 43-51.
Page 42 will remain as is. (If you had added page 42 without the Destination is static option, it would have become page 51 instead.)
Finally, the Replace existing pages option will replace pages already
in the imposition index with pages from the document being added,
according to the values entered in the source and destination fields.
Click on OK. The document pages will appear in the Imposition Index
section, along with the insertion position, as the case may be.
Note: The source document must be indexed first. Adding a document with no page found (NPF code) into the Imposition Index window will have no effect.
Remove pages
Click on the Remove pages button. DynaStrip will ask you to enter
the first and the last page numbers from the index that you want to
remove (by default, all the index pages will be displayed in the
menu). Click on OK. The pages will be removed in the Imposition
Index section. Note that the Source Documents will not be affected
in any way.
If you first select a range in the list, then click on the Remove pages
button, the corresponding imposition pages will be displayed in the
menu. Modify this range if necessary, then click on OK.
You can use this function for last minute corrections. Remove the
pages to be replaced (using the Remove pages button) and add the
new document file into the index to insert the replacement pages
(using the Add with options button).
Add blank pages
You can add blank pages anywhere in the index. Click on the Add
Blank Pages button. DynaStrip will ask you where you want to insert
the blank page, and how many of them you want to insert (by
default, the next index page will be displayed in the menu). Enter
the data and click OK. A *** BLANK *** range will be displayed in
the Imposition Index window.
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If you first select a range in the list, then click on the Add Blank
Pages button, the corresponding insertion page will be displayed in
the menu. Modify this number if necessary, then click on OK.
Display details
Double-click on a range to display more information. A window will
open giving the index range, the complete file name and path, and
the pages from the source document.
This window can not be edited.
3.3.4 Imposition Index Mode
Once document pages have been assigned to the imposition, (within
the Imposition Index window), you can switch to Imposition Index
Mode to display the page information on the light table.
You can view pages in Imposition Index Mode by clicking on the
Imposition Index icon in the Functions toolbar.
The assigned pages are displayed in yellow and the name of the
source file appears below the pagination number.
The Imposition Index Mode display is always current; if you change a
page number or affect the imposition index, it will be reflected automatically in the layout.
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Since the index has to be checked every time such changes take
place, the Imposition Index Mode could slow DynaStrip a little.
Information about the document pages can be obtained directly in
the layout. In Page or Signature Mode, select the Information icon in
the Actions toolbar and click on a yellow page (to which a document
page has been assigned). A window will display the name of the
source document file.
3.3.5 Multiple Document Lists
You can have up to 400 document lists. Each list starts with page 1.
In the imposition layout, the pagination numbers are displayed with
the list’s own specific color. (Pagination numbers for document lists
11 and up will display in black.)
The multiple document lists feature can be very helpful for the
ganging of different jobs in the same sheet layout.
Page 1 of Document List 1
Page 1 of Document List 2
The document list number is assigned in Page Mode, using the Page
numbers icon (see section 3.2.1).
3.3.6 Automation of document list
In the Source Documents & Imposition Index window, the Add group
button allows for automatic completion of the selected document
list and imposition index.
Using this function, DynaStrip will automatically:
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• recognize the document pages in a folder, based on a naming convention or on a descriptive text file
• parse the files to find the number of pages and colors
• fill in the imposition index and assign the pages.
The folder containing the document files must first be selected. Click
on the Document folder button and browse to choose the folder. All
the pages must already be placed in the folder.
Choose the default application filter in the pop-up menu.
If you select Look for valid filter when default fails, DynaStrip will
first try to index the files with the chosen application filter. If a file
is not recognized, DynaStrip will automatically identify and assign
the application in which the file was created (see section 3.3.2).
If you select no default application filter and leave DETECT, a filter
will be automatically detected.
Select and define one page assignment method:
• Naming Convention
• Listed in text file
Naming convention
The filling of the document list using naming convention requires
that the page numbers appear in the file names, according to the
defined convention and the following syntax.
You can use the -, & and R characters. For example:
• 1 = page 1 only
• 5-10 = pages 5 to 10
• 3&7&11 = pages 3, 7, and 11
• R1-8 = the page(s) found in the document will be repeated to fill
in pages 1 to 8 in the signature (if there are only 4 pages in the
document, they will be repeated twice in the signature). The R
character can be placed before or after the page numbers.
You must then define the naming convention, using three parameters: a reference, an offset, and a length (Characters read). This convention defines the place, in the file names, where the page numbers
are inserted so they can be read by DynaStrip and matched to the
imposition layout.
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• The Reference is a marker or a flag in the name. You can choose to
put the reference:
- From the beginning of file name.
- Before the first period found in the name.
- After the last period (instead of the PS, PRN or PDF extensions).
This is the default convention.
- Before the end of file.
• The Character offset is the number of characters that the marker
will be moved from his starting point. If the marker is placed From
the beginning or After the last period, the offset will be made to
the right. If the marker is placed Before the first period or From the
end, the offset will be made to the left. If the offset is made to the
left, it is important to ensure that the page numbers have the
same number of characters (by inserting zeros before, if necessary).
• Characters read is the number of characters (length) in the name
that will be used for the page numbers. In all cases, DynaStrip will
stop reading when it reaches the end of the name.
Example 1: You choose a reference (flag) After the last period, with
an Offset of three (3) characters and with the maximum possible
Length.
Reference = After the last period
Offset = 3
Chapter.One.ps-12-102
Chapter.Two.ps-130-198
Chapter.Three.ps-199-235
Length = 256
Example 2: You choose a reference Before the first period, with an
Offset of seven (7) characters and a Length of four (4) characters.
Reference = Before the first period
Offset = 7
BRT0099A34.ps
BRT0100F57.ps
BRT0101R90.ps
Length = 4
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Listed in text file
The page-assignment from list method can be used when the number
of pages and the document names are known. The files can have any
name.
In the Add Group window, select Listed in text file as the document
page assignment method. Click on the File button and browse to
select the file.
The list file is a simple text file (ASCII) which follows a specific format. It can be saved in any folder and have any name.
The format of a typical line in the list file must be as follows:
• Document list,File,Page(s),Application filter
Document list: the document list's number where the document
must be applied (usually document list 1). You can also fill in other
document lists using the same text file, provided that the document
pages are placed in the same folder.
File: The full name and extension of the document.
Page(s): The page number(s) to be assigned. You can use the -, &
and R characters. For example:
• 1 = page 1 only
• 5-10 = pages 5 to 10
• 3&7&11 = pages 3, 7, and 11
document, they will be repeated twice in the signature).
Application filter: (Optional) The filter's file name without the .daf
extension. This file name can be found in DynaStrip:Filters folder.
The application filter name can be omitted in the list file if the Look
for valid filter option is selected.
The following image is a typical example of a list file:
3.4 Raster Mode
If you are imposing files with a preview (for example in certain
workflow systems), you can use the low resolution images to display
your pages directly within DynaStrip layout.
3rd Chapter — Raster Mode
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To access the Raster Mode, simply click on the Raster Mode icon in
the Functions toolbar. The low resolution images will be displayed in
the layout.
To exit the Raster Mode and clear the memory, click again on the
Raster Mode icon.
You can display up to a maximum of 1000 pages simultaneously on
screen.
If your computer memory is full and some of the pages can not be
displayed, an exclamation mark will appear in the pages instead of
the images. You can try to clear the memory and reload images by
clicking on the sheet in the sheet list on the left side of the screen.
3.4.1 EPS Files
The preview images must be in plain TIFF or in PackBit compressed
TIFF formats. A Raster Mode option with LZW decompression is also
available.*
The files must first be indexed in the Document List as usual. The
special application filter will detect and index the low-resolution
images.
3.4.2 PDF Files
The Raster Mode function can also be used to display PDF pages
directly in DynaStrip design window.
When clicking on the Raster Mode icon, high resolution PDF pages
(not thumbnails) show up in the imposition layout, allowing for
accurate proofing even when zooming at any percentage.
* The Raster Mode with LZW decompression option is sold separately.
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The PDF preview offers the ability to customize the imposition layout based on page contents (example: bleed, crossover images,
superimpositon of pages, etc.).
Note: The rotation of a page with any angle other than 90° increments will prevent the PDF page preview if the page is rotated using
the Rotate action tool. However, the image will appear if the rotation
is done using the Rotate Offset action tool (icon with a shadow).
Windows*
Adobe Acrobat® (version 4.0 or higher) must be installed on the same
workstation. When activating the Raster Mode, DynaStrip uses Acrobat API in the background to get PDF pages. There is no need to
launch the application. Notice that the PDF preview function uses
Windows clipboard for data transfer. User’s data previously saved in
the clipboard will be lost.
Mac OS X
The installation of Adobe Acrobat® is not required as the Quartz display engine understands PDF natively. Should a PDF file contain features that are not supported by Quartz, the preview may be affected
but the file will not be harmed.
3.5 Versioning
3.5.1 About Versioning module
While the sheet layering tools and multiple document lists allow
DynaStrip operators some versioning support, the process can be
more difficult for larger jobs. The Versioning solution is specifically
designed for multiple version imposition jobs.**
The Versioning module uses the document lists and not the sheet
layers (layers are still allowed but not required). Each page on the
layout becomes a target position for pages coming from various document lists. For each version, the operator decides which document
lists will be used. Pages from higher document lists replace pages
from lower lists.
When applied to a color-separated job, the operator can decide
whether the entire page or only the colors found in higher document
lists are effectively replaced.
* The PDF preview is not supported on Windows 98, 98 and Millenium.
** The Versioning module is only available in DynaStrip fusion package.
3rd Chapter — Versioning
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The pages from different document lists can also be merged, provided that the page backgrounds are transparent.
At the time of output, the complete version can be sent, or only the
flats containing replacement pages.
In DynaStrip, each job can have up to 400 document lists and 200
versions. Each version can use up to 4 different document lists.
3.5.2 Versioning concepts in DynaStrip
In a versioning imposition job, versions can have totally different
pages: they are simply different jobs using the same layout.
But most of the time, versions gather shared basic pages and version-specific pages. They can also gather shared colors and versionspecific colors. And these version-specific colors can exist for all
pages or for a few replacement pages only. Moreover, versions could
require the color merging of basic pages and version-specific pages
onto the same plate.
DynaStrip versioning module can deal with all these occurrences. A
few concepts must first be understood.
Basic pages
When working with versioning, the basic page documents usually
comprise pictures and graphic elements that will be used in all versions. The pages must be placed at the bottom level and should all
be part of the same document list. Therefore, the first document
list should be preferred for the basic pages, if there are any.
By default, the layout pages are attached to the document list 1
(black page numbers). Therefore, the basic pages are usually the
ones displayed on the layout.
Simply add the basic document pages in the document list 1 as
usual. You can benefit from the Add Group feature to automate these
tasks (see section 3.3.6).
Replacement pages
Replacement pages, or version-specific pages, are mostly used for
different languages, regional advertisements, or to meet other distribution requirements. Replacement pages or colors placed in higher
document lists will have priority over the pages and colors placed in
the lower lists.
Add the replacement pages in document lists 2, 3, 4, etc., as usual.
In most cases, there are fewer replacement pages than the number of
pages in the job. To assign the pages to their correct position in the
layout, add pages to the imposition index with the Add with options
button, and use the Destination is static option (see section 3.3.3).
Versions
Each version may contain:
• Basic pages in the lowest list number (usually document list 1)
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• Replacement pages or colors, placed in one (or many) higher document list(s). You can add up to four document lists in the same
version.
When printing a specific version, DynaStrip takes into account only
the document lists that are identified in this version’s window.
The complete version (including basic pages) can be sent, or only
the flats where there are replacement pages.
There is no need to create a special version for basic pages. If they
are part of the document list that is attached to the layout (usually
list 1), the basic pages can simply be printed by the selection of
None in the Version drop down menu.
Note: It is not mandatory to use document list 1 for basic pages. You
can use another list. However, if you expect to output replacement
pages separately for a version, the basic pages must be properly
identified in the layout, with color-coded page numbers (see section
3.3.5). As a matter of fact, DynaStrip always considers that the version basic pages are the ones that are linked to the layout. If there
is more than one document list on the layout (different color page
numbers), DynaStrip will consider the lowest document list as holding the basic pages. All other lists will be considered as holding
replacement pages. The output will be made accordingly.
Example 1: The layout is linked to the document list 1 (black page
numbers). A version ABC contains its “basic” pages in document list
2 and only 1 replacement page in document list 3. Since the version
bottom pages are not linked to the layout pages DynaStrip will consider the pages in both document lists as replacement pages and will
print all flats, even if the Skip flats without replacement pages option
has been selected.
Example 2: The layout is linked to the document list 2 (red page
numbers). A version XYZ contains its “basic” pages in document list
2 and only 1 replacement page in document list 3. Since the version
bottom pages are linked to the layout pages DynaStrip will consider
only the page in document list 3 as a replacement page and, if the
Skip flats without replacement pages option has been selected, it will
print only the flat(s) containing this replacement page.
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3.5.3 Version Manager window
To access the Version Manager window, click on the Versions icon in
the Functions toolbar.
Enter a name for the new version. This name is mandatory. It will
appear in the Output Parameter window for output selection, as well
as in text tags when using the <version> variable (see section 4.7.8).
Out Code is a two digit field that will be used to identify the version
in the output file names. Note: The <version> variable must be part
of the output name definiton (see section 6.1.5).
• Replace is the default mode. Provided that the page backgrounds
are transparent, the Merge option allows for superimposing of the
page colors of all the document lists and their merging onto the
same color plate. For example, this can be useful to superimpose
black text over the black plate of a four-process color background.
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ome
c
l
e
W
Doc List 1
Doc List 2
o
Welc
me
 Merge option
Click on Add to add a document list in the version.
Enter the document list number.
If the Replace default mode is selected for the version, the following
options are available to customize the behavior of the files:
• Replace pages completely. Pages in the selected document list will
have priority and replace the same pages in all lower lists (the
higher the document list, the higher its priority). If a color does
not exist in a page of the selected document list, this page will be
blank on the color plate.
(When DynaStrip reads the files for final output, it begins with the
highest document list. If no page is found, it reads the list below,
etc., until a page is found. Pages of the remaining lists, if any, will
not be sent.)
• Replace only color(s) of page. Colors in the selected document list
will have priority and replace the same colors in all lower lists (the
higher the document list, the higher its priority). If a color does
not exist for a page in the selected document list, the page of the
next lower list in which the color exists will be printed on the
color plate.
(When DynaStrip reads the files for final output, it begins with the
highest document list. If no color is found for a page, it reads the
list below, etc., until the color is found. Colors of the remaining
lists, if any, will not be sent). The background transparency in
input files* is mandatory for replacement pages but it is not
* Many desktop publishing applications produce PS files with opaque white background.
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required for basic pages, since DynaStrip will overlay and merge
the pages by document list order (i.e.: the highest document list
being the topmost layer).
The following picture illustrates the output behavior of a four-page
version using two document lists.
This version...
Doc List 2
A
If list 2 replaces
pages completely
B
A
B
B
B
A
If list 2 only replaces
colors found
B
B
A
B
B
B
B
B
B
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
B
A
A
A
A
A B
A B
A B
B
A
A
A
A
A
A B
A
A
A
A
A
B
B
A
B
B
A B
A B
A B
B
A
A
 Merge option
A B
B
A
Page 4
Page 3
Page 2
Page 1
Doc List 1
(basic)
... will output this way:
A
A
A
A
You can also use the Edit and Remove buttons to delete or change a
document list behavior in the version. At least one entry must be
selected first.
To completely remove a version, simply erase its name.
Previous five versions and Next five versions buttons allows you to
navigate through the 200 versions. Five versions are displayed
simultaneously. If the last page is reached and you click on Next, the
first page is displayed. If the first page is reached and you click on
Previous, the last page is displayed.
You can also save a template of your versions and load it into any
subsequent job. Simply define the versions, then click on the Save to
library button. The version template is saved with its own file extension (.vrs) and default path.
the previously saved file. All the settings will be entered in the Version Manager window.
4th Chapter
Page Marks,
Linear Mark,
Register Mark,
Collating Mark,
Imported Mark,
Density Bar,
Text Tag,
Barcodes
Distance Tag,
Tiling Break
4.1 Page Marks
Page Marks (Trim and Bleed Marks) can be placed automatically with
the creation of a signature, and their parameters can be accessed
through the Signature Definition window (see section 2.2.1).
They can also be added to individual pages, and even edited on each
corner of any page on the sheet. You must then go to Page Mark
Mode.
4.1.1 Page Mark Definition
Choose Page Mark Mode and click on Definition in the Actions toolbar.
• For Trim Marks, you can define:
- The length
- The thickness
- The gap between the trim mark and the bleed
• For Bleed Marks, you can define:
- The length
- The thickness
• For both marks, you can define the segments : in the Marks Segments section, check the segment, Vertical or Horizontal you wish
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to use. Preventing the use of one segment direction may prevent
overlapping with other marks.
By clicking on the Colors button, the Color Layers dialogue opens.
Marks can be placed onto any selected layer and the ink density can
be set for each layer to ensure optimal ink coverage on the paper
You can also save a template of your Marks and load it into any subsequent job. Simply define the parameters, then click on the Save to
library button. The Page Mark parameter template will be saved with
the file extension .pmp.
the previously saved file. All the settings will be automatically
entered in the Definition window.
4.1.2 Add Page Marks
In Page Mark Mode, click on the Add icon and click on the corner of
the page where you want to add the mark.
Marks can be added to the four corners by clicking in the center of
the page.
You can also add Page Marks to the entire signature (if not already
done through the Signature Definition window). In Page Mark Mode,
click on the Surround Signature icon, then simply click anywhere in
the signature.
This will remove all existing Trim or Bleed Marks currently around
that signature before adding new ones. You can now edit or remove
any mark individually.
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4.1.3 Edit Page Marks
In Page Mark Mode, select the Edit icon and click on the mark (you
can use the Zoom). The Page Mark Definition window will open (see
section 4.1.1).
Edit the page mark parameters, then click on OK.
You can also edit a selection of page marks. In Page Mark Mode, hold
down Command (Windows: Crtl+click) and drag around the marks
that you want to select. The selected marks are highlighted in red.
Click on the Edit icon to open the Page Mark Definition window.
Selected marks
You can edit the vertical and horizontal segments independently for
the selected trim marks or bleed marks. In conjunction with the As
is check boxes, their display is accurately controlled. (Blank values
or As is mean to keep values as they were.
4.1.4 Remove Page Marks
In Page Mark Mode, select the Remove icon and click on the mark.
You can apply the Remove action to a selection of marks. In Page
Mark Mode, hold down Command and drag around the marks that
you want to select. The marks will be highlighted in red. Click on
the Remove icon or hit the Delete key.
Note that this last method might be easier when you work with
small marks. You can also use the Zoom In function.
4.2 Linear Mark
DynaStrip allows you to easily create any kind of linear mark or bar
directly within the application. These marks are adaptable and can
be used for different purposes. They can be positioned and viewed
on the screen.
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A Linear Mark can be placed on a sheet or attached to a signature. In
the latter case, the mark will adapt to the placement of the signature.
4.2.1 Linear Mark Definition
Choose Linear Mark Mode and click on Definition. The Linear Mark
Definition window will open.
For each segment, you can modify:
- Its length
- Its thickness (ruler width)
- Its pattern, which is defined with a percentage value:
100% = a solid line
50% = a dashed line
25% = a dotted line, etc.
- Its gray level (color density).
You can also determine:
- Its visibility (on one side only or both sides)
- Its sheet layer
- Its color layers (default: all colors)
- The ink density for each color (see section 5.3.1). This value will
be combined with the Gray level percentage of each segment.
To draw a solid bar, select only one segment and set its width value
to the height of the bar.
Linear Mark Definition
Segment length
Thickness (ruler weight)
Continuous line
100% = a solid line
50% = a dashed line
25% = a dotted line, etc.
Gray level (color density)
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Linear Marks can adapt to the placement of the signature by selecting Attach to a signature. It can also be placed freely on the sheet
(by default).
Linear Marks are made with a maximum of four segments. Click on
any segment of the mark to select or unselect it. The fields related
to this segment of the mark will become active or inactive.
When all the parameters are set, click on OK. The future Linear
Marks will be created with these parameters.
You can also save a template of your Linear Mark and load it into
any subsequent job. Simply define the parameters, then click on the
Save to library button. The Linear Mark parameter template is saved
with its own file extension (.lmp) and default path.
4.2.2 Add and Place a Linear Mark
On the sheet
In Linear Mark Mode, select the Add icon, click on the sheet, drag
and place the mark, then click again or press Enter. The Escape key
will abort the process.
Command + click will rotate a newly created mark when it is positioned over the sheet.
To place the mark more precisely, press the space bar of the keyboard while the mark is over the sheet, in order to make the green
distance line appear. In the Object Position menu at the bottom of
the screen, give the mark a horizontal and vertical distance, based
on a given reference point and press Enter.
(For more information about the placement of objects, see section
1.4).
A Linear Mark can have up to 17 anchor points for its placement,
which is useful for the placement of wide bars.
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Linear Mark
anchor points
Attach to a signature
In the Definition window, choose Attach to a signature. The mark will
automatically be linked and will adapt to the placement of the signature.
Choose the Add icon and click in a gutter, or on any corner of the
signature. DynaStrip positions the center of the linear mark in the
center of the gutter or on the edge of the signature to which it is
attached. You can give an offset to the mark using the Move Offset
icon (see section 4.2.5).
Note: A one branch mark will be placed differently depending on the
segment selected for its creation. To place a vertical or horizontal
line mark equally at the outer and inner edges of the signature, simply design a mark with two opposite branches so its center will be
automatically placed on the edge of the signature.
4.2.3 Edit a Linear Mark
In Linear Mark Mode, select the Edit icon and click on the mark (you
can use the Zoom). The Linear Mark Definition window will open (see
section 4.2.1).
Edit the mark parameters, then click on OK.
4.2.4 Remove a Linear Mark
In Linear Mark Mode, select the Remove icon and click on the mark.
The Linear Mark will be deleted.
You can apply the Remove action to a selection of marks. In Linear
4.2.5 Move a Linear Mark
On the sheet
If you want to reposition a linear mark which is attached to a
sheet, you must be in Linear Mark Mode, then select the Move
icon and click on the mark.
The green distance line will appear between the selected anchor
point of the mark and the lower-left corner of the sheet. In the
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Object Position menu at the bottom of the screen, give the mark a
horizontal and vertical distance, based on any given reference point,
and press Enter.
1.4).
Attached to a signature
You can also reposition a mark attached to a signature. In this case,
the position will be given by a horizontal or vertical offset from the
mark’s normal position in the signature.
In Linear Mark Mode, select the Move Offset icon and click on the
mark.
A dialogue box will open permitting to enter horizontal and a vertical offset values. Positive values move right and up, and negative
values move left and down (remember that the back of the sheet is
in mirror position).
You can also apply the offset to a selection of marks. In Linear Mark
Mode, hold down Command and drag around the marks to select
them. The selected marks will be highlighted in red. Click on the
Move Offset icon and enter the horizontal and vertical values, then
click on OK.
4.2.6 Rotate a Linear Mark
When placing a newly created mark attached to a sheet, you can
rotate it with 90-degree increments by holding the Command key
and clicking when the mark is positioned over the sheet. This type
of rotation will be reflected by a rotation of the segments in the Linear Mark Definition window (when using the Edit icon).
If the mark is already placed on the sheet or attached to a signature,
select the Rotate icon, then click on the mark. Each click of the
mouse will rotate the mark 90 degrees counterclockwise.
You can also apply the rotation to a selection of marks. In Linear
Mark Mode, hold down Command and drag around the marks to select
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Rotate icon. Each click will rotate the mark 90 degrees counterclockwise.
Using the Move icon, you can rotate a linear mark by any degree
angle, provided that the mark is not attached to a signature. Select
the Move icon, click on the mark so the green distance line appears,
and enter a rotation value in the Object Position menu. A negative
value will rotate the mark clockwise, whereas a positive value will
rotate it counterclockwise. Press Enter to apply the change.
4.3 Register Mark
Register marks, made with crossed lines and a circle, are used for
alignment in color separation overlays.
4.3.1 Register Mark Definition
Click on the Register Mark Mode icon, then on the Definition icon.
The Register Mark Definition window will open.
The following values can be modified:
- The length and thickness of its segments
- The radius and thickness of its circle
- The automatic placement of a mirror mark in the horizontal,
vertical or both axes
- The visibility (on one side only or on both sides)
- The sheet layer
- The color layers (default: all colors)
- The ink density for each color (see section 5.3.1).
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When all the parameters have been chosen, click on OK. Future register marks will be based on these parameters.
You can also save a template of your Register Mark and load it into
Save to library button. The Register Mark parameter template is
saved with its own file extension (.rmp) and default path.
4.3.2 Add and Place a Register Mark
In Register Mark Mode, select the Add icon, click on the sheet, drag
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A register mark has nine anchor points, one at the end of each segment, and one at each intersection.
Register Mark
anchor points
The second reference point can be chosen on the edge of the sheet
or on any other object.
1.4).
Mirror marks are displayed in a lighter blue on the sheet and cannot be selected or modified. The horizontal or vertical mirror mark
placement is always calculated by giving the same distance as the
mark itself but from the opposite edge of the sheet.
4.3.3 Edit a Register Mark
In Register Mark Mode, select the Edit icon and click on the original
mark (and not on a light blue mirror mark). You can use the Zoom.
The Register Mark Definition window will open (see section 4.3.1).
4.3.4 Remove a Register Mark
In Register Mark Mode, select the Remove icon and click on the original mark (and not on a light blue mirror mark). The mark itself and
all the attached mirror marks will be removed.
You can apply the Remove action to a selection of marks. In Register
4.3.5 Move a Register Mark
In Register Mark Mode, select the Move icon, then click on the original mark (and not on a light blue mirror mark). The green distance
line will appear between the selected anchor point of the mark and
the lower-left corner of the sheet. In the Object Position menu at the
bottom of the screen, give the mark a horizontal and vertical distance, based on any given reference point, and press Enter.
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You can also move a mark freely with your mouse. Press on the
spacebar of your keyboard in order to remove the green distance
line, place the mark, and click on the sheet or press Enter.
The horizontal or vertical mirror marks, if any, will move symmetrically according to the new position values.
1.4).
4.4 Collating Mark
Collating Marks appear as a thumb index on the first page of each
section to facilitate the final assembly. The first individual mark
always appear at the top position and subsequent marks are placed
below. When the lowest position is reached, the pattern starts again
with the top position.
Collating Marks as thumb
index on 6 sections
Collating Marks are always attached to a signature and the signature
must be part of a pagination sequence (see section 3.3.2). If the
sequence is a multiweb, you need to place only one collating per signature or section.
Collating Marks are placed on one side of the sheet only.
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4.4.1 Collating Mark Definition
In Collating Mark Mode, click on the Definition icon. The Collating
Mark Definition window will open.
The following parameters can be edited:
• Size of an individual mark
- The length
- The thickness (if the mark thickness is set to zero, only the
number of the collating will be printed).
• Header allows you to place a mark header or not. This collating
mark header will be the same size as other individual marks. It
will appear on all sections as a black rectangle without index
number.
• Display permits you to choose the shape of the marks. You can
choose between displaying only the individual mark or also the
other positions, which will appear as empty rectangles.
• Index Number options are related to the format of the index numbers. These numbers are calculated by DynaStrip, unless you select
Custom as the number format. They will be displayed in white
inside the black collating marks. You can choose:
- The character size (in points).
- The format: no text, arabic, roman, arabic in reversed order, or
roman in reversed order. You can also choose a Custom value
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If the pagination sequence has a Come & Go algorithm, you may
want to place two collating marks on the signature, one in normal index order and the second in reversed index order. The
index numbers will be respectively incremented and decremented when copying the sheets.
Come & Go signature
using 2 Collating Marks
Index number format
in reversed order (...4, 3, 2, 1)
1
Index number format
in normal order (1, 2, 3, 4...)
- When the index numbers have more than one digit, you can also
choose to display them vertically of horizontally.
• Extent options are related to the size of the entire pattern that is
formed when the booklets are gathered. The pattern is always
based on the length of each individual mark and the distance
between marks.
- Respect extent of page will start a new sequence only when the
extent of the smallest page has been reached. The collating
header is included in the length if present.
.
Respect extent of page
- Repeat this number of times sets the number of individual marks
in the pattern. The collating header, if any, is not included in
this number.
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.
Repeat 3 times
- Continue up to this length tells DynaStrip to start another pattern when the given length is reached. The collating header is
included in the length if present.
.
6 in
Continue up
to 6 inches
- Distance between marks applies a gap between each individual
mark. It can be used with all of the above options.
The following values can also be modified:
- The sheet layer
When all the parameters have been entered, click on OK. Future collating marks will be based on these parameters.
By combining the collating marks with linear marks and text tags,
you can virtually build any format of collating mark.
You can also save a template of your Collating Mark and load it into
Save to library button. The Collating Mark parameter template is
saved with its own file extension (.cmp) and default path.
4.4.2 Add and Place a Collating Mark
In Collating Mark Mode, select the Add icon and click on the sheet. A
green rectangle representing the mark will appear. If you have a
mark header, it will also be displayed.
By default, the collating mark is placed up side up, the cursor
being attached to the top of the mark. If the page on which it will
be placed is up side down, you should place the mark with a 90
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degree rotation. To rotate the collating mark with 90 degree increments, hold the Command key and click twice.
Place the mark on the border of the page and click or press on Enter.
The entire pattern will be displayed on screen.
Collating marks can only be placed on one side of the sheet at a
time.
4.4.3 Edit a Collating Mark
In Collating Mark Mode, select the Edit icon and click on the mark.
The Collating Mark Definition window will open (see section 4.4.1).
4.4.4 Remove a Collating Mark
In Collating Mark Mode, select the Remove icon and click on the
mark. The Collating Mark will be deleted.
You can apply the Remove action to a selection of marks. In Collating
4.4.5 Move a Collating Mark
If you want to give an offset to a collating mark, you must be in
Collating Mark Mode, then select the Move Offset icon and click on
the mark. The Move Offset dialogue box will open.
By default, collating marks are placed on the exact border of the
page. You can give them a horizontal or vertical offset by entering a
positive or a negative value. (On the back of the sheet, the horizontal values are reversed because of the mirror position.)
The Move Offset action can also be applied to a selection of marks.
Hold down Command and drag around the marks, so they are highlighted in red, and click on the Move Offset icon to open the Move
Offset dialogue box. Enter the values and click on OK.
4.4.6 Rotate a Collating Mark
Collating marks rotate only with 90 degree increments.
Command + click will rotate a newly created mark when it is positioned over the sheet.
If the mark is already attached to the signature, in Collating Mark
Mode, select the Rotate icon, then click on the mark. Each click of
the mouse will move the mark 90 degrees counterclockwise.
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The Rotate action can also be applied to a selection of marks. Hold
down Command and drag around the marks, so they are highlighted
in red, and click on the Rotate icon. Each click of the mouse will
move the mark 90 degrees counterclockwise.
4.4.7 Assign Collating Index
You can assign a custom collating index value directly on the layout.
The custom values are static and will not be affected by pagination
or sheet order.
However, if the custom value starts with an Arabic number, the mark
will adopt the corresponding position. For example, an index value
starting with number 3 (3, 3.1, 3A, etc.) will force the mark to print
at the third position along the spine.
A custom value starting with a character other than an Arabic number will keep the default position (for example, if the custom index
is placed on the second sheet, the mark will print at the second
position).
In Collating Mark Mode, select the Assign Collating Index icon and
click on the mark you wish to affect. If the Custom index format was
previously chosen in the Collating Mark Definition window, a dialogue box will open where you can enter a custom index. If you click
on a mark that is not in the Custom format, you are offered the possibility of making it Custom.
.
4.5 Imported Mark
You can import your own color bar, CCR mark, logo, or any other
PostScript or PDF image very easily with DynaStrip. Images are
defined once and can be used in every job without having to adjust
the image every time. (To avoid image adjustments, we recommend
the DCS format for your images.)
Imported mark definition and adjustment files are saved in the
DynaStrip:Marks folder by default. You can also define a new folder
in the Preferences dialogue box (see section 1.1.7). For easier sharing
between workstations, it is recommended to define a location on a
server and to place image files (EPS, PDF, etc.) in this same folder.
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4.5.1 Imported Mark Definition
In Imported Mark Mode, click on the Definition icon in the Actions
toolbar. The Imported Mark Definition window will open.
Choose a previously linked image in the drop down menu.
A New image can be linked using the Image Linker window (see
below).
You can go to the Image Linker window and edit the selected image
by clicking on Edit.
Clicking on the Delete button will permanently remove the selected
image definition from DynaStrip.
The image can be repeated by modifying the size of the mark. For
example, a 6 inch color bar can be repeated 3 times to fill an 18 inch
area. Notice that these size values will apply to the current job only;
the image files will not be affected. The size of the image to be
placed is defined using one of four options:
• Same as image (default) will use the image size as defined in the
Image Linker window (see below).
• Repeat that many times will repeat the image according to a number of columns and rows.
• Use this size (crop or repeat image to fill) will crop or repeat the
image to automatically fill up the entire defined area (either on
the width or the height, or both). The image can be centered or
left-aligned on the sheet.
• Adapt size dynamically to attached object (crop or repeat image to
fill) will crop or repeat the image to automatically adapt to the
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sheet or signature format, depending on which object it is
attached. The image can be centered or left-aligned on the sheet
and an additional trim value can be applied. Using this option,
the size and position of imported mark are automatically adapted
in all working situations: when manually placed on the light
table, when used in mark sets and when using Layout Reflow.
In the three last options, the PostScript or PDF code is not recurrent,
which means that if the mark is repeated 10 times, the code for the
mark is written only once in the file. If the image is left-aligned, the
lower-left corner of the image will be aligned with the lower-left corner of the defined area, while if it is centered, it will be aligned with
its center (the image size must be defined properly in the Image
Linker window).
Note that in Raster Mode, the mark’s placeholder may not display
the alignment correctly. It will however be placed as defined in the
output.
An image that is not cropped in the Image Linker window (size field)
... will be repeated this way:
The Attach To Object Type option allows you to select to which type
of object the imported mark will be attached: sheet or signature.
The Apply work style option allows double-sided imported marks to
follow or not the flip axis on Back in order to adapt to different perfecting press requirements.
You can also save a template of your Imported Mark and load it into
Save to library button. The Imported Mark parameter template is
saved with its own file extension (.imp) and default path.
Advanced options include:
• Side Visibility (one side or both sides of the sheet).
• Layer Visibility
- Sheet Layer (see section 5.1).
- Color Layers (see section 5.3).
• Source Scaling (in percentage) for horizontal and vertical scaling
of the image (different scalings can be applied).
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Image Linker window
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Click on the New button to link an image file that will be available
for all future jobs. The Image Linker window will open.
Enter a name for the new image to be added in DynaStrip.
Browse and select the file to be imported as a mark.
The general procedures concerning the use of the application filters
are the same as for the Source Documents (see section 3.3.2).
Click on the Update button. When the pages are found in the document, you must select one document page to be assigned to the
image. This page number must appear in the Use page field (in most
of the cases, there will be only one page in the document).
Enter the image Size (width and height). Detect from source document will look for the image bounding box size, if available, and
enter the values in the size fields. This size can be over-ridden at
any time by entering new values.
Warning: Any change made to an image from the Image Linker dialogue box will affect all jobs using that image. An image size can be
modified for a specific job from the Imported Mark Definition window.
When the file has been indexed, the colors found in the image are
displayed in the Colors section at the bottom of the window. You can
select a color in the list and click on Apply to color table to add this
color into the color table or to match it to another existing color
Colors from imported marks can also be matched automatically if the
preference Automatic Color Match is selected (see section 5.2.7).
Image adjustments for a newly added image can be made through
the Output Parameters window (see section 6.2.3).
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When clicking on Close, the image definition is saved for all future
jobs.
Image not found
If the image called by an imported mark is not found when opening
a job or importing a template, DynaStrip will allow you to re-link it.
Simply browse for the file, select a filter and update the index. If the
name of the file and its creation date and time are the same as
before, the file will not be indexed again. Only the path will be
updated.
If you choose not to re-link the file, a red X will display over the
image, meaning that it is not available in the library. The name of
the image will be listed with an asterisk in the Image drop down
menu and will be available for creation (not for edition).
4.5.2 Add and Place an Imported Mark
In Imported Mark Mode, select the Add icon, click on the sheet, drag
When placing the mark, Command + click will rotate it according to
the rotation increment value given in the Preferences.
Command + Shift + click offers you to rotate the mark with any
angle.
It is possible to place an image slightly outside of the sheet (see section 1.4.4).
4.5.3 Edit an Imported Mark
In Imported Mark Mode, select the Edit icon and click on the mark.
The Imported Mark Definition window will open (see section 4.5.1).
4.5.4 Remove an Imported Mark
In Imported Mark Mode, select the Remove icon and click on the
mark. The Imported Mark will be deleted.
You can apply the Remove action to a selection of marks. In
Imported Mark Mode, hold down Command and drag around the
marks that you want to select. The marks will be highlighted in red.
Click on the Remove icon or hit the Delete key.
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4.5.5 Move an Imported Mark
In Imported Mark Mode, select the Move icon, then click on the
mark. The green distance line will appear between the mark and the
lower-left corner of the sheet. Give the mark horizontal and vertical
distance values, based on a given reference point, and press Enter.
You can also press on the space bar of the keyboard to place the
mark with your mouse.
1.4).
See also Add and Place an Imported Mark (see section 4.5.2).
4.5.6 Rotate an Imported Mark
When placing the mark, Command + click will rotate it according to
the rotation increment value given in the Preferences.
If the Imported Mark is already placed on the sheet, in Imported
Mark Mode, select the Rotate icon, then click on the mark. Each click
of the mouse will rotate the mark by the rotation increments defined
in the Preferences menu.
You can also apply the rotation to a selection of marks. In Imported
Mark Mode, hold down Command and drag around the marks to select
Rotate icon. Each click of the mouse will rotate the mark by the
rotation increments defined in the Preferences menu.
4.6 Density Bar
A Density Bar is an object designed for exposure and density control.
Its use varies greatly from one customer to another and many
options are available to modify its behavior.
The density bar is always attached to a signature. It can be placed
vertically or horizontally on the edge of the signature or in a gutter.
The density bar is made of one rectangular shape for each page
found in the adjacent row or column. The bar is thus affected by the
page size. Different designs can be made using a combination of
options.
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4.6.1 Density Bar Definition
Select Density Bar Mode and click on Definition. The Density Bar Definition window will open.
.
• In the Basic Format menu you can define:
- A) The Thickness of the bar.
- B) The Trim size (gap between the bar and the corner of the
page).
- C) Center line (white line running across the entire length of
the bar).
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- D) Center target (solid square framed in white and split by a
white cross, which is always in line with the center of the page
it applies to).
- E) If a Center target is selected, you can enter its width value.
• In the Color Management menu you can choose:
- Solid in all colors (the bar will be printed as a long solid rectangle in each color).
- Break down by color (the bar will be broken into squares which
will be distributed among the different colors of the job). The
width of the squares is the same as the thickness of the bar,
with a minimum width of 0.25 inches.
• In the Marks between bars menu you can choose to print cross
marks between the pages and at each end of the bar. The marks
will be 0.5 pt in thickness and will appear only at output, not on
the screen. You can choose:
- None (no mark will be printed).
- Single (a single cross will be printed).
- Triple (a triple cross will be printed).
- The mark’s width.
- Its offset (positive or negative value) from the density bar.
• You can also choose:
- The Side Visibility of the bar.
- The Sheet layers.
- The Color layers.
When all the parameters are set, click on OK. The future Density Bars
will be based on these parameters.
You can also save a template of your Density Bars and load it into
Save to library button. The Density Bar parameter template is saved
with its own file extension (.dbp) and default path.
4.6.2 Add a Density Bar
In Density Bar Mode, select the Add icon, click on the sheet, place
the bar over a signature edge or over a gutter, then click again or
press Enter.
The entire pattern (except for the marks between bars) will be displayed on the screen.
When placing the density bar, Command + click will rotate it with
90 degree increments.
The Density Bar has a total of nine anchor points.
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4.6.3 Edit a Density Bar
In Density Bar Mode, select the Edit icon and click on the bar. The
Density Bar Definition window will open (see section 4.6.1).
Edit the bar parameters, then click on OK.
4.6.4 Remove a Density Bar
In Density Bar Mode, select the Remove icon and click on the bar. The
Density Bar will be deleted.
You can apply the Remove action to a selection of bars. In Density
Bar Mode, hold down Command and drag around the bars that you
want to select. The bars will be highlighted in red. Click on the
Remove icon or hit the Delete key.
4.6.5 Move a Density Bar
In Density Bar Mode, select the Move Offset icon and click on the bar.
A dialogue box will open permitting to enter a horizontal or a vertical offset value, depending on the bar orientation. A positive value
moves right or up, and a negative value moves left or down.
You can also apply the offset to a selection of bars. In Density Bar
Mode, hold down Command and drag around the bars to select them.
The selected bars will be highlighted in red. Click on the Move Offset
icon and enter the horizontal or vertical value, then click on OK.
If a Linear Mark (see section 4.2) attached to the signature is already
placed in the same column or row, the Density Bar’s marks would be
affected by an offset of the Linear Mark.
4.7 Text Tag
Text tags are printable text lines containing a combination of predefined variables and normal text. You can place them and view
them directly on the sheet like any other mark.
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You can use any number of text tags to identify any object (sheet,
signature or page). They are especially useful when you want to
identify multi-web signatures.
4.7.1 Text Tag Definition
Click on the Text Tag icon, then on the Definition icon. The Text Tag
You can choose the following parameters:
- The text and variables (see section 4.7.8)
- The character size (in points)
- The character style (regular, italic, bold, or bold italic)
- The maximum width of text box
- The alignment of text within its box (left, center, or right)
- The sheet layer
- The color layers
- To which type of object it will be attached: (sheet, signature, or
page). The object to which the text mark is attached will be the
object type referred to in the variables.
Text Tag Definition
window
Variables menu
When all the parameters have been entered, click on OK.
You can also save a template of your Text Tag and load it into any
subsequent job. Simply define the parameters, then click on the Save
to library button. The Text Tag parameter template is saved with its
own file extension (.ttp) and default path.
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4.7.2 Text Tag for Sheet Identification (Slug Lines)
The text tag can be used to compose a slug line for sheet identification.
You can edit the text directly in the text field or insert variables
from the Variable List. Simply click on the Variables button, select
the variable and click on Add. The variable will appear in the text
field.
Example 1: A text tag could read as follows (text strings are in
bold face and variables are displayed between < and > characters):
Job: <jobname>, Sheet <sheetrank> of <sheetqty>, <side>, <color>,
(<outputdate>, <outputtime>).
The printed slug line for this text tag could be, for example:
Job: Sample, Sheet 1 of 4, Front, Yellow, (01-01-2001, 9:27:45).
Example 2: For a double-web job, a typical tag could be:
Sheet <sheetrank>, Sig <sig>, Web <web>, <side>, <surface>
The printed slug lines would display as:
Sheet 1, Sig 1, Web 1, Front, A
Sheet 1, Sig 1, Web 1, Back, B
Sheet 2, Sig 1, Web 2, Front, C
Sheet 2, Sig 1, Web 2, Back, D
You can Zoom In to view the text tag on the sheet. Some variables
will be converted into values only during output.
A complete description of the variables is given at the end of this
section (see section 4.7.8).
4.7.3 Add and Place a Text Tag
Text Tags cannot be placed on both sides of the sheet at the same
time, because the mirror position is not possible for text.
Text Tags can be attached to a sheet, to a signature, or to a page.
Attach to a sheet
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The Attached to “Sheet” Object Type must first be chosen in the Text
Tag Definition window.
In Text Tag Mode, select the Add icon and click on the sheet. The
sheet will become highlighted in green, indicating that the text tag
will be linked to it. The text box will also appear. Drag the box to
any blank space on the sheet.
Command + click will rotate the text tag by 90 degree increments.
Command + Shift + click will rotate the text tag with any angle. A
dialogue box will prompt you to enter a rotation value in degrees. A
positive value will rotate the tag counter-clockwise. A negative
value will rotate it clockwise.
You can also press on the space bar of your keyboard to place the
mark using the green distance line and the Object Position menu at
the bottom of the screen (see section 1.4). When the text tag has
been positioned, press Enter.
It is also possible to place a text tag outside of the sheet (see section
1.4.4).
Attach to a signature
or to a page
The Attached to “Signature” or to “Page” Object Type must first be
chosen in the Text Tag Definition window. A text tag linked to a signature or to a page will keep the same relative position if the signature or the page is subsequently moved.
In Text Tag Mode, select the Add icon and click on the signature or
on the page. The object is highlighted in green, indicating that the
text tag will be linked to it, and a text box will appear. Drag the box
in a gutter or around the object.
Command + click will rotate the text tag with 90 degree increments.
Command + Shift + click will rotate the text tag with any angle. A
dialogue box will prompt you to enter a rotation value in degrees. A
positive value will rotate the tag counter-clockwise. A negative
the bottom of the screen (see section 1.4). The distance line can be
placed only between the text box and the object to which it is
attached.
When the text tag has been positioned, press Enter.
4.7.4 Edit a Text Tag
In Text Tag Mode, select the Edit icon and click on the text tag (you
can use the Zoom). The Text Tag Definition window will open (see section 4.7.1).
Once the parameters are modified, click on OK.
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Text Tags cannot be linked to a different object using the Edit menu.
If you want to attach a Text Tag to another object, you will have to
delete it, modify the Text Tag Definition window and add a new one.
4.7.5 Remove a Text Tag
In Text Tag Mode, select the Remove icon and click on the text tag.
You can apply the Remove action to a selection of marks. In Text Tag
mode, hold down Command and drag around the marks that you
want to select. The marks will be highlighted in red. Click on the
small tags. You can also use the Zoom In function.
4.7.6 Move a Text Tag
In Text Tag Mode, select the Move icon, then click on the text tag.
The green distance line will appear between the text box and the
object to which it is attached. Give the tag a horizontal and vertical
distance value, based on a given reference point and press Enter.
1.4).
See also Add and Place a Text Tag (see section 4.7.3).
4.7.7 Rotate a Text Tag
When placing a newly created text tag, Command + click will rotate
it according to the rotation increments chosen in the Preferences
menu. Command + Shift + click will rotate the mark with any angle.
Simply enter the rotation value in the pop-up menu and click on OK.
If the Text Tag is already placed, in Text Tag Mode, select the Rotate
icon, then click on the text tag. Each click of the mouse will move
the tag according to the rotation increments chosen in the Preferences menu.
You can also apply the rotation to a selection of marks. In Text Tag
Mode, hold down Command and drag around the text tags to select
them. The selected tags will be highlighted in red. Click on the
Rotate icon.
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4.7.8 Description of Variables
Below you will find the description of all available variables for the
text tag function.
Variables
Description
<aqext>
Displays the plate extension (ArtQuest workflow only).
<color>
Displays the color of the current sheet when it is sent separately to
the output device (for example, BLACK).
<compcolor>
Displays the composite color components of the current sheet on top
of each other using their own color space. This variable works only if
the color environment is composite (see section 1.2.1).
<compcolorlist>
Displays the composite color components of the current sheet one
after the other, using their own color space. This variable works only
if the color environment is composite (see section 1.2.1).
<doclistnb>
Displays the number of the source document list called by the
attached page.
<docname>
Displays the source document name of the attached page.
<foldername>
Displays the folder name of the attached page.
<jobdesc>
Displays the job’s description.
<jobname>
Displays the job’s name.
<outputdate>
Displays the date (mm-dd-yyyy) when the tag is sent to an output
device.
<outputdatedmy>
Displays the date (dd-mm-yyyy) when the tag is sent to an output
device.
<outputdateymd>
Displays the date (yyyy-mm-dd) when the tag is sent to an output
device.
<outputtime>
Displays the time (hh:mm:ss) when the tag is sent to an output
device.
<pagenb>
Displays the number of the attached page.
<paginseq>
Displays the name of the signature’s pagination sequence.
<scale>
Displays the current scale factor (%).
<sheetqty>
Displays the total number of sheets in the job.
<sheetrank>
Displays the rank of the attached sheet in the job.
<showalways>
Cancels <showiftile> and <showifnotile>.
<showifnotile>
Displays the following text if there is no tiling, up to <showalways>,
<showiftile> or the end of text.
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Variables
Description
<showiftile>
Displays the following text if there is tiling, up to <showalways>,
<showifnotile> or the end of text.
<side>
Displays the side of the current sheet (FRONT or BACK).
<sig>
Displays the signature number. Mostly used in multi-web jobs (see
example 2, in section 4.7.2).
<surface>
Displays the surface letter. Used in multi-web jobs (see example 2, in
section 4.7.2).
<tileqty>
Displays the total number of tiles the sheet is broken into.
<tilerank>
Displays the rank of the current tile.
<version>
Displays the name of the current version (used only for versioning).
<web>
Displays the web number (in multi-web jobs) (see example 2, in section 4.7.2).
4.8 Barcodes
The barcodes are used in the post press sector of the commercial
printing workflow. Barcode recognition increases reliability, because
production can be stopped if an incorrect product make-up is
noticed during the binding process. The following faults can be
detected:
• Missing sheets in the product,
• Sheets with an incorrect product number, for example from
another job,
• Incorrect sequence of sheets,
• Incorrect orientation of sheets in the feeder.
The positioning of barcodes is single sided and similar to the text tag
positioning. Like all marks, the Barcode Definition dialog contains a
color layers option to select the colors. By default, black is always
used when available and the color selection is deactivated. When
black is not available, the default is to use all colors. In this case,
color selection is activated and the user has the option of choosing
the desired color.
The barcode types include:
• Code 128c and 2/5 interleaved read by Muller Martini Asir system,
• 2/5 interleaved standard used by WST Systemtechnik.
Only numeric characters are supported in all three (3) barcode types.
The application is able to print barcodes in the following formats:
PDF, PS, EPS, PJTF and JDF.
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4.8.1 Barcodes definition
Click on the Barcodes icon, then on the Definition icon. The Barcode
This window offers some basic options for creating a barcode:
• Content: This field is used to define the barcode content. It is activated when the type allows for text edition. When an Asir code is
selected, the field is deactivated and contains three (3) variables:
<jobid>, <sig> and <sigqty> which are described in section 4.8.7.
• Type: This is a drop list allowing the user to choose the type of
barcode to use.
• Height of the bars: This field allows the user to enter the desired
height of the bars.
• Width of the narrowest bar: This field defines the width of the narrowest bar. Other bars will be adjusted accordingly.
• Quiet Zone: this field allows the user to determine a non printable
area at each end of the barcode. This white area is required for the
correct scanning of the barcode.
• Layers section: These options allow the user to select the Sheet
layer where the Barcode will be printed. A click on the Colors button opens the Color Layer window where you can set one or many
colors (Black only, by default) and the ink density for each color
When a non Asir code is used, the Variables button is activated to
add variables. Clicking on that button opens the barcode Variables
List window:
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This window has a Variable drop list where the user may choose
among the variables available. Once a variable is selected, a description of that variable is displayed in the Description field. Click on
Add to close this window and add the variable to the Content field of
the Barcode Definition window or click on Cancel to close the window
without adding anything. This process must be repeated for each
variable that needs to be added.
At the bottom of the Barcode Definition window there are three (3)
command buttons that can be used once a barcode has been defined:
• Save as default: Allows the user to save the current barcode definition to be used as a default barcode in the future.
• Save to library: Allows the user to save the current barcode definition in a library so it is available to load as required. The barcode
parameter template is saved with its own extension (.bcp) and
default path.
• Load from library: Once a barcode definition has been saved, it can
be loaded again by clicking on this button.
To close the Barcode Definition window, the user may click on OK or
Cancel.
• OK: Closes the window while keeping the current settings active.
• Cancel: Closes the window without keeping any of the data
entered.
4.8.2 Add and place a barcodes
In Barcode Mode, select the Add icon and click on the signature or
on the page. The object is highlighted in green. Drag the object outline in a gutter or around the object.
Command + click will rotate the barcode tag with 90 degree increments.
Command + Shift + click will rotate the barcode tag with any angle.
A dialogue box will prompt you to enter a rotation value in degrees.
A positive value will rotate the tag counter-clockwise. A negative
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the bottom of the screen (see section 1.4). The distance line can be
placed only between the outline box and the object to which it is
attached.
When the barcode tag has been positioned, press Enter.
4.8.3 Edit a barcode
In Barcode Mode, select the Edit icon and click on the barcode (you
can use the Zoom). The Barcode Definition window will open (see section 4.8.1).
Once the parameters are modified, click on OK.
4.8.4 Remove a barcode
In Barcode Mode, select the Remove icon and click on the barcode
tag.
You can apply the Remove action to a selection of marks. In Barcode
mode, hold down Command and drag around the marks that you
want to select. The marks will be highlighted in red. Click on the
4.8.5 Move a barcode
In Barcode Mode, select the Move icon, then click on the barcode tag.
The green distance line will appear between the outline box and the
object to which it is attached. Give the tag a horizontal and vertical
distance value, based on a given reference point and press Enter.
1.4).
4.8.6 Rotate a barcode
When placing a newly created barcode tag, Command + click will
rotate it according to the rotation increments chosen in the Preferences menu. Command + Shift + click will rotate the mark with any
angle. Simply enter the rotation value in the pop-up menu and click
on OK.
If the Barcode Tag is already placed, in Barcode Mode, select the
Rotate icon, then click on the barcode tag. Each click of the mouse
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will move the tag according to the rotation increments chosen in the
Preferences menu.
You can also apply the rotation to a selection of marks. In Barcode
Mode, hold down Command and drag around the barcode tags to
select them. The selected tags will be highlighted in red. Click on
the Rotate icon.
4.8.7 Description of variables
Below you will find the description of all available variables for the
Barcode object.
Variables
Description
<jobid>
The Job ID is a unique job identifier randomly generated and it is
not editable. With Asir system, the length of Job ID is 4 digits for
type Code 128c, and 3 digits for type 2/5 interleaved. With WST the
length of Job ID is 5 digits.
<sig>
This is the Signature number, which has exactly 2 digits (so the
maximum number of booklets is 99). It's the same as the variable
"sig" in the text tag variables list. This number varies depending on
which booklet it is found in.
<sigqty>
The maximum number of the signatures has exactly 2 digits. This
number is the same on every booklet, indicating how many booklets
are needed for completion.
4.8.8 Known Limitations
If there is a flat scaling in the output (see section 6.1.1), the barcode is also scaled. Therefore, in this case the output could generate
a scanning error.
4.9 Distance Tag
Distance Tags are mostly used for mocks (printout of the sheet layout with outlined pages, marks, etc.). They indicate the distance
between any objects.
The distance value always corresponds to the length of the arrow
that is displayed between the anchor point of an object and a second
reference point.
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The arrow will always be horizontal or vertical, except when you
measure a distance between two anchor points of the same rotated
object.
The Distance Tag will be placed on one side or on both sides of the
sheet, depending on the selected objects.
4.9.1 Distance Tag Definition
In Distance Tag Mode, click on the Definition icon. The Distance Tag
The following values can be edited:
- The text size of the distance tag values (in points)
- The unit of measure (point, pica, inch, centimeter, millimeter)
- The decimal precision (the maximum number of decimals to be
displayed)
- The round value (in any unit of measure)
- The use of a fraction bar (to get values like 2 1/2 instead of 2.5)
- The alignment of the value and the arrow
- The offset of the value from the arrow
- The sheet layer
When all the parameters have been entered, click on OK. Future distance tags will be based on these parameters.
You can also save a template of your Distance Tag and load it into
Save to library button. The Distance Tag parameter template is saved
with its own file extension (.dtp) and default path.
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4.9.2 Add and Place a Distance Tag
In Distance Tag Mode, select the Add icon and click on the tag’s origin. It can be any object except a trim mark or another distance tag.
Move your cursor to the second object. A magenta arrow will appear
on your layout. Command + click will toggle from vertical to horizontal tags. Once the arrow is drawn between the two objects, click
again or press Enter. The distance value will be calculated during the
output process.
Note that if you want to use the sheet’s border, it is easier to click
slightly outside of the sheet.
4.9.3 Edit a Distance Tag
In Distance Tag Mode, select the Edit icon and click on the tag. The
Distance Tag Definition window will open (see section 4.9.1).
Edit the tag, then click on OK.
4.9.4 Remove a Distance Tag
In Distance Tag Mode, select the Remove icon and click on the tag.
The Distance Tag will be deleted.
You can apply the Remove action to a selection of tags. In Distance
Tag Mode, hold down Command and drag around the tags you want
to select. The tags will be highlighted in red. Click on the Remove
icon or hit the Delete key.
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4.9.5 Move a Distance Tag
In Distance Tag Mode, select the Move Offset icon and click on the
tag.
A dialogue box will open allowing you to enter a horizontal or a vertical offset value, depending on the tag’s orientation. A positive
value moves right or up, and a negative value moves left or down.
(On the back of the sheet, the horizontal values are reversed because
of the mirror position.) Click on OK.
You can also apply the Move Offset action to a selection of tags. In
Distance Tag Mode, hold down Command and drag around the tags
you want to select. The tags will be highlighted in red. Click on the
Move Offset icon, change the offset values, then click on OK.
4.9.6 Rotate a Distance Tag
In Distance Tag Mode, click on the Rotate icon and click on the tag.
A 90 degrees rotation will be applied to the tag.
You can also apply the Rotate action to a selection of tags. In Distance Tag Mode, hold down Command and drag around the tags you
want to rotate. The tags will be highlighted in red. Click on the
Rotate icon. A 90 degrees rotation will be applied to the tags.
4.10 Tiling Break
Tiling allows you partial impression of your press sheet when your
imaging device is of a smaller format than your press.
You can break up a sheet into a maximum of four tiles by placing up
to three tiling breaks anywhere on the sheet. DynaStrip tiles from
left to right of the sheet and then from bottom to top.
4
1
2
3
3
4
2
1
3
4
1
2
DynaStrip will use a tiling break only if needed and if tiling has been
selected in the Output Parameters window.
The amount of overlapping is defined in the Output Device Definition
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4.10.1 Add a Tiling Break
In Tiling Break Mode, select the Add icon and click on the sheet. You
can place the break freely with the mouse. Command + click will toggle from vertical to horizontal breaks. When the break is placed,
click again or press Enter.
break using the green distance line and the Object Position menu at
the bottom of the screen (see section 1.4). When the break has been
positioned, press Enter.
Note that tiling breaks cross the entire sheet, thus a vertical tiling
break can only be given a horizontal distance value, and a horizontal tiling break can only be placed vertically.
4.10.2 Remove a Tiling Break
In Tiling Break Mode, select the Remove icon and click on the break
to delete it.
You can apply the Remove action to a selection of breaks. In Tiling
Break Mode, hold down Command and drag around the breaks you
want to select. The breaks will be highlighted in red. Click on the
4.10.3 Move a Tiling Break
In Tiling Break Mode, select the Move icon, then click on the break.
The green distance line will appear between the break and the lowerleft corner of the sheet. In the Object Position menu, give the break
a horizontal or a vertical distance value, then press Enter.
Note that tiling breaks cross the entire sheet, thus a vertical tiling
break can only be given a horizontal distance value, and a horizontal tiling break can only be moved vertically.
1.4).
4.11 Mark Sets
The Mark Sets dialogue allows creating groups of several customized
mark types which will be saved in the Mark Sets folder of DynaStrip.
Those sets may then be used at any time. New mark parameters may
be entered and saved, or existing mark parameters may be used to
form a Mark Set.
Previously defined marks may be used and integrated to Mark Sets
when they are saved into the Mark Sets folder. Several Mark Sets may
also be applied to a same layout. Mark Sets may also be saved on the
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network, allowing all DynaStrip users to use them. To specify the
location of the Mark Sets folder, go to DynaStrip Preferences (see section 1.1.7).
Marks sets may be created and applied:
• From the main light table window.
• From the Dynamo QuickLayout dialogue.
Mark Sets are especially useful to complete JDF Stripping parameters
received by a MIS (see section 3.1).
4.11.1 Creating a Mark Set
Go to the Mark Sets dialogue, either directly from the Dynamo or by
going to the Objects menu, Mark Sets.
In the first drop-menu an existing Mark Set can be selected. To create a new Mark Set, define parameters for each type of mark that
will be included in the set.
Under each tab, it is possible to define new marks or to use or edit a
mark previously saved in the Mark Set folder. Mark parameters saved
as default are also available. Enter the appropriate parameters and
click on OK to return to the Mark Set dialogue.
Click on Save, or on Save as, to save the Mark Set in the Mark Sets
folder defined in the Preferences (see section 1.1.7).
Register Mark
Under the Register Mark tab, select the appropriate mark from the
Preset drop-menu or click on Edit to access the Register Mark Definition dialogue (see section 4.3.1).
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The Position drop-list allows positioning the register mark in the
four corners or center edges of the sheet.
• In the Offset fields, enter an offset value as required
Please note that positioning of the register mark is done in reference
with the center anchor point of the mark, as shown in the following
illustration. Therefore, a positive offset value must be entered if the
whole register mark is to be printed on the sheet of paper.
Position = Corner
Position = Center
Sheet
Sheet
This offset value is the distance from the sheet edge(s) that is (are)
closest to each register mark and is applied to all four marks at the
same time. The illustration below shows the origin and direction of a
positive offset on corner register marks and center register marks.
Notice that applying a horizontal offset will move the 4 corner
marks, while with center marks, only 2 marks will be moved. The
same applies for vertical offset.
Position = Corner
Position = Center
Sheet
Sheet
Offset = Positive (+)
Although it is possible to add a negative offset value, this would not
be useful in this case since it would push the register mark even further away outside the sheet.
Collating Mark
Under the Collating Mark tab, select the appropriate mark from the
Preset drop-menu or click on Edit to access the Collating Mark Definition dialogue (see section 4.4.1).
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A collating mark is always positioned in the gutter of the last fold,
which is to the left of page 1 in most foldings. When the offset has a
zero (0) value, the mark is centered in the gutter where it is placed.
A positive (+) offset will move the collating mark towards the page
which has the smallest page number, as show in the examples below.
Offset Value
0 degrees
90º cw
270º cw
180º cw
• In the Offset field, enter an offset value if required.
Imported Mark
Under the Imported Mark tab, select the appropriate mark from the
Preset drop-menu or click on Edit to access the Imported Mark Definition dialogue (see section 4.5.1).
• In the Position drop-menu, select whether the imported mark
should be positioned at the Sheet's Top, Sheet's Bottom, Sheet's
Left, Sheet's Right, Sheet's Center Horizontally or Sheet's Center
Vertically.
The illustration below shows the possible positions of an imported
mark when the offset is zero while the red arrows show the direction
of the movement when the offset is positive or negative.
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Notice that the movement of a positive offset goes inward and a negative offset goes outward when the imported mark is positioned on
one of the sides. When the imported mark is positioned in the gutters, a positive offset moves the imported mark either up or to the
right and a negative offset moves the imported mark either down or
to the left.
Density Bar
Under the Density Bar tab, select the appropriate mark from the Preset drop-menu or click on Edit to access the Density Mark Definition
dialogue (see section 4.6.1)
• In the Position drop-menu, select whether the density bar should
be positioned in the Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Center of all signatures, Horizontally or vertically.
The illustration below shows the possible positions of the density bar
when the offset has a value of zero while the red arrows show the
direction of the movement when the offset is positive or negative.
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All density bars in a horizontal position move up when the offset is
positive and down when the offset is negative. All density bars in a
vertical position move right when the offset is positive and left
when the offset is negative.
Text Tag
Under the Text Tag tab, select the appropriate mark from the Preset
drop-menu or click on Edit to access the Text Tag Definition dialogue
The positioning is done in relation to the invisible text tag container
which is only visible when the text tag is being moved. In the illustration below, the text tag is shown in its normal state, and right
underneath, it is shown in the same position when the object is
being moved.
Notice that the tag outline is much longer than the test itself. Thus,
if this text tag had been defined with a center or right text position
the normal view would be displaced according to those choices even
if the outline remained the same. Therefore, in the illustrations we
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are using for the text tag, we are going to show the position in reference to the object outline.
It is also important to know that a text tag can be defined as
attached to a Sheet, a Signature or a Page. Some aspect of the positioning will differ depending on that selection and it is necessary to
treat each of those separately.
When attached to a sheet, the text tag reacts as follows:
• In the Position drop-menu, select whether the text tag should be
positioned in the Top left, Top right, Bottom left or Bottom right
sheet corners.
• In the Orientation drop-menu, select the orientation of the text
tag: Horizontal or Vertical.
• In the Facing drop-menu, choose whether the text tag should read
Inward or Outward sheet.
• In the Offset field, enter an offset value if required. A positive
value will move the text tag towards the center of the sheet and a
negative value will place it outside of the sheet. The latter option
can be used to place text tags directly on the plate.
• If the option Flip on Back is disabled, the text tag will be placed at
the same position on the back of the sheet.
If the option Flip on Back is enabled, the text tag will be placed at
the opposite position on the back of the sheet. The text box will
use the opposite anchor point for the back and the text alignement within its box will also be reversed (a left alignement on the
front would become a right alignment on the back).
The following illustration shows all the possibilities for the positioning of a text tag attached to a sheet. To the left, the sheet (in blue)
shows all four possible text tag positions with a horizontal orientation while the sheet to the right shows all four possible text tag
position with a vertical orientation. In all cases, the text Facing is
Inward. If Outward had been selected, all the text would be in the
opposite direction.
Orientation = Horizontal
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Orientation = Vertical
Note: By default, the text line is positioned a half inch away from
the sheet side closest to it. This cannot be changed in the mark sets
options, but once a mark has been applied, it can be moved on the
light table.
When attached to a signature or a page, the text tags react as follows:
The position of the text tags are similar to the ones attached to the
sheet, except that they are now referenced to the signature instead
of the sheet. The illustration below shows the text tags positions
when the offset is equal to zero (0). When a text tag is attached to a
page, its position will be referenced relative to the page.
Orientation = Horizontal
Orientation = Vertical
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Notice also that a positive offset moves the text tag outward and a
negative offset moves it inward. This is in the opposite direction
from what we had when the text tag was attached to the sheet.
Everything else is the same as with the sheet.
Linear Mark
Under the Linear Mark tab, activate the checkbox of each linear
mark that is required in the set.
• The Signature Marks section offers the option of adding Fold Marks
in Gutters, and Center cross marks.
• The Page Marks section offers the option of adding Trim Marks,
Bleed Marks and to Display Page Marks in all gutters.
• The Sheet Marks section offers the option to add Top and bottom
center Marks and Left and Right center marks.
Side Guides
Under the Side Guides tab, select the appropriate mark from the Preset drop-menu or click on Edit to access a limited view of the Sheet
Definition dialogue (see section 2.1.1).
Barcode
Under the Barcode tab, select the appropriate mark from the Preset
drop-menu or click on Edit to access the Barcode Definition dialogue
• In the Position drop-list, select whether the Barcode should be
positioned in the Top, Bottom, Left or Right corners.
If the position is Top or Bottom:
- If the vertical offset is 0, the barcode is placed borderline outside of the signature.
- A positive vertical offset moves the barcode away from the signature.
- If the horizontal offset is 0, the barcode is centered horizontally
with the signature.
- A positive horizontal offset moves the barcode to the right.
If the position is Left or Right:
- If the horizontal offset is 0, the barcode is placed borderline
outside of the signature.
- A positive horizontal offset moves the barcode away from the
signature.
- If the vertical offset is 0, the barcode is centered vertically with
the signature.
- A positive vertical offset moves the barcode to the top.
• In the Facing drop-list, choose whether the barcode tag should
read Inward or Outward.
• In the Offset fields, enter an offset value if required.
4.11.2 Adding a Mark Set
To apply a Mark Set to a layout, go to the Actions menu and select
Add Mark Set.
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In the Mark Sets drop-menu, select the appropriate pre-defined set
(see section 4.11.1). The Mark Sets available in the drop-menu are
the ones that have been saved to the Mark Sets folder as defined in
the Preferences.
Click on Edit to access the main Mark Set dialogue and to modify any
required parameter.
The Mark Set can be applied onto:
• The active sheets (sheets that are visible on the light table)
• Sheets that are part of a specific pagination sequence (the
sequence must be selected in the drop menu). If no pagination
sequences were assigned to the signatures, only the first sequence
will appear in the drop list.
• All sheets in the job
• Only sheets that are selected on the light table (highlighted in
red).
You can apply the selected mark set by clicking the Apply button.
Cumulative Mark Sets
Once you have applied a mark set, the dialog remains open and you
can keep applying other sets on the sheet. Click the Close button to
exit the dialog or the Cancel button to remove the sets applied from
the dialog.
4.11.3 Removing Marks
To remove all printer’s marks (individual marks as well as Mark Sets)
from a sheet, go to the Actions menu and select Remove All Marks.
The marks can be removed from:
• The active sheets (sheets that are visible on the light table)
• Sheets that are part of a specific pagination sequence (the
sequence must be selected in the drop menu)
• All sheets in the job
• Only sheets that are selected on the light table (highlighted in
red).
Click on OK to proceed to the marks removal.
5th Chapter
Sheet Layers,
Color Table,
Color Layers
5.1 Sheet Layers
Sheet layering is a 3-D function that almost transforms your electronic imposition software into a desktop publishing application.
With this feature, you can get rid of your Exacto once and for all.
With this function, you can superimpose pages or other objects with
total independence from all other objects. And they can be positioned, viewed and printed layer by layer, even if they are part of a
same signature.
Example: You can superimpose a smaller page to place a last-minute advertisement in a magazine, or even superimpose two different
ads on layers 2 and 3 and select which layers you want to print during output. There is no limit to this function.
5.1.1 Place Objects on Sheet Layers
All objects can be placed independently on a particular layer of the
sheet (except Trim and Bleed Marks which are always linked to the
page). An object can be placed only on one sheet layer at a time. By
default, objects are placed on layer 1. There are a maximum of ten
sheet layers.
A sheet layer menu is accessible through the Definition window of
each object.
For signatures, the sheet layer menu is displayed in the Page Definition window, because all pages become independent when placed on
the sheet and thus can be moved from one layer to another.
To place a new object on another layer, simply click on its Definition
icon and choose the new layer from the sheet layers drop down
menu. Click on OK. All future objects added on the sheet will be
placed on the new layer.
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If you want to move an object already placed on the sheet, select the
Edit icon an click on the object. In the Definition window, choose
the new sheet layer from the sheet layers drop down menu and click
on OK. The object will be moved to its new layer.
5.1.2 View Sheet Layers
You can select which sheet layer objects will be displayed on the
screen. This viewing option can be used for selecting superposed
objects within different layers. It does not interfere with the printing of the layers.
Simply click on the Sheet Layers icon and choose the levels that you
want to view.
You can select all or clear all layers at once by clicking on the corresponding button. You can also give each layer any name.
The Sheet Layer palette can remain open while you work on your
imposition layout.
5.1.3 Print Sheet Layers
You can select any sheet layer individually for printing. The selection is made in the Output Parameters window (see section 6.1.1).
If many sheet layers are selected for printing, the objects on the
highest layer will always have the priority for printing and the
underlayers will be masked (provided that the document pages are
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not transparent). If your files have a transparent background,
objects on underlayers will appear through the higher layers.
Layout
Page on
sheet layer 2
Page on
sheet layer 1
Output (both sheet layers selected)
If opaque
background
If transparent
background
Sheet layering does not interfere at any time with the color layers.
Colors from different Sheet Layers will be merged onto the same
plate (like desktop publishing applications do).
Layout
Small page on
sheet layer 2
Output (both sheet layers selected)
Color layer C
Color layer M
Large page on
sheet layer 1
Color layer Y
Color layer K
5.2 Color Table
First, it is important to ensure that the appropriate color environment (composite or separations) has been selected in the Job Definition window (see section 1.2.1).
The number of colors and their names may be different from one job
to the next and are only recognized by DynaStrip once the document
files are indexed.
You can prepare your job before indexing the documents files, using
the Color Table.
If the Color Table is not prepared, DynaStrip will build it during the
document file indexation process. When a new color is found, DynaStrip will allow you to:
• add it to the color table,
• replace an existing color with the new one, or
• match the new color to a color that already exists in the table.
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If the color table is prepared, you may still have a Color Table Alert if
there is a color in the document that was not expected. If you want
to be certain that the whole process is done automatically, you may
select the option Add all colors automatically to the color table in the
Preferences window (see section 1.1.7).
5.2.1 Color Table Preparation
Click on the Color Table icon in the Functions horizontal toolbar. The
Color Table window will open.
The Colors list on the left side of the window is the list of the color
layers in the job.
When working in Composite color environment with EPS files or certain PS files with in-RIP separation settings, the Edit color information button allows the user to set screen frequency and screen angle
for each selected spot color. This feature can also be used to add
screen settings to CMYK colors in printing files that were created
with non-professional desktop publishing applications.
Note: The screen parameters will be activated only if the option
Apply user-defined screening for composite PostScript output is
selected at output in the Special Features window (see section 6.1.2).
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• You can edit the Screen Frequency by choosing between:
- Default: will keep the RIP’s default frequency
- Use other color’s value: will use the selected color’s frequency
- Use this value: will use the entered value in lpi (lines per inch)
• You can edit the Screen Angle by choosing between:
- Default: will keep the RIP’s default angle
- Use other color’s value: will use the selected color’s angle
- Use this value: will use the entered angle value (in degrees)
If the document files are indexed, the name of the colors added during the indexation will appear in the Colors list. You can select a
color in the list and click on the List pages using selected color button to get a list of the pages (and document list number) using this
color.
If the document files are not indexed, the list will be empty. You can
add 4-process colors at once by clicking on the Add process button at
the lower-left corner of the window.
Other colors can be added by clicking on the Add button. In the
Color Definition pop-up menu, enter the exact name of the color (not
case sensitive), and click on OK. The color will be added in the list.
The new color can also be inserted before any selected range in the
list in order to respect a specific color layer order (see section 5.2.4).
To delete a color, select it in the list and click on the Remove button.
Changing the color environment of a job that already has a color
table clears that table and fills it with colors from updated source
documents.
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The right side of the window is dedicated to Color Match (see section
5.2.2).
5.2.2 Color Match
The Color Match function allows DynaStrip to place different colors
onto the same film or plate.
Note: DynaStrip does not separate colors. It is therefore impossible
to print a Pantone color as a four-process color.
Click on the Color Table icon in the Functions horizontal toolbar. The
Color Table window will open.
Colors can be redirected using the Match list on the right side of the
window.
If a color must be redirected, select it in the color list, and click on
the Add button under the Match list. The selected color will appear
in the Name field. In the drop down menu, choose to which existing
color it will be matched. Click on OK. The color will appear in the
Match list. You can also match a color that does not exist yet in the
color table by entering its exact name in the Name field.
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If you activate Keep color in table, the matched color will remain
available in the Color Layers menu of all object definition windows.
This can be useful when placing different colors onto the same plate
for media saving (see section 5.2.3).
To undo the match, select it in the Match list and click on the
Remove button.
The Display Automatic Color Matching button matches job colors onto
imported marks (see section 5.2.7).
If a file is not color separated (composite file), DynaStrip will display
No Color in the Color Match window. In the case of a one-color file,
you will probably have to match No Color to Black, if the Black color
also exists in the job.
If the Color Match was not previously prepared in the Color Table,
DynaStrip will alert you, during the indexation process, that a color
not appearing in the color table was found, and will ask you if this
color is part of the job or if it must be matched to another one.
Note: A color that is matched to another one is no longer available
for printing in the Output Parameters.
PS Files
In a color-separated PostScript environment, the colors to be
matched must be in different files (and thus on different pages). For
example, printing the Pantone 324 CVC found in file 2 on the same
plate as the Pantone 324 CV found in file 1. Or, matching the 5th
color of a color bar to the Pantone color used in a job.
Under certain circumstances, it is possible to match different colors
within the same PostScript file provided that the matched colors concern different pages and that there is no color overlap. The limitation is due to the fact that PostScript files normally have a white
background, so one of the colors would hide the other matching
color in the resulting PostScript file.
PDF Files
In a color-separated PDF environment, colors can be matched within
the same file for merging provided that the file was created with a
transparent background.
For information on color matching in composite PDF files, see section
5.2.6.
5.2.3 Send different colors onto the same film or plate
You can output different colors on the same film or plate for media
saving. The procedure is different whether each color has its own
PostScript file or all colors are found in the same PostScript file. In
both cases, you should keep the screen angles defined in the application.
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One PS file per color
It is easy to send different colors onto the same film or plate when
each color is in a different PostScript file. Simply create a 4-page signature with page numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 for Black, Cyan, Magenta,
and Yellow. In the Color Table, match all other colors to Black. In the
Output Parameters window, only the Black color layer will be available for printing since all four colors will be imaged on the Black
plate.
Example: You have an 11" x 17" four-color process poster. You
want to put all four colors on a 28" x 40" film to save time and material. The four colors become pages 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. In this
example, each color has its own PostScript file.
All colors in the
same PS file
It is also possible to image a 4-color job onto one piece of film if all
colors are in the same PostScript file.
To do this, create a 4-page Step & Repeat signature with the same
page number, then edit each page to place it on a different color
layer, Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow (see section 5.3.1). In the
Color Table, match all other colors to Black and make sure that you
check Keep color in table in the Color Match window, so the colors
remain available in the Color Layers menu (Page Definition window).
In the Output Parameters window, only the Black color layer will be
available for printing since all four colors will be imaged on the
Black plate.
Example: You have an 11" x 17" four-color process poster. You
want to put all four colors on a 28" x 40" film to save time and material. A Step & Repeat signature bearing page number 1 is placed on
the sheet and each page is edited to be isolated on a specific color
layer (1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively). In this example, all colors are part
of the same PostScript file.
Color layer 1 = C
1
1
Color layer 2 = M
Color layer 3 = Y
1
1
Color layer 4 = K
5.2.4 Order and name of Colors
The Color Table allows you to place the colors in any order, according
to your needs, so you can prepare color layer layouts before the PostScript files are indexed (see section 5.3). Meanwhile, colors are
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tagged with rank numbers: 1st, 2nd, etc. You can have up to twenty
color layers in the same job.
By default, the four process colors are placed in alphabetical order,
so the Black is the first color.
In this example, the color layer tags (1st, 2nd, etc.) used prior to the
indexation of the files will be replaced with the name of the colors
in the following order:
- Black (1st)
- Cyan (2nd)
- Magenta (3rd)
- Yellow (4th)
Colors will print in the same order as defined in the Color Table. (For
example, some proofing devices need the colors to be sent in the
CMYK order, some not.) However, this default order can be changed
later in the Output Parameters window (see section 6.1.1).
The color information is included in the output file names (see section 6.1.5).
5.2.5 Colors in Imported Marks
The colors found in imported marks will print only if they exist in
the color table.
Example: If only CMYK colors exist in a job color table, an imported
color bar containing six colors (CMYK plus two spot colors) will automatically output on CMYK flats. The two additional colors will not
print.
If necessary, the colors found in imported marks can be matched or
added to the color table from the Image Linker window (see section
4.5.1). This may also be done automatically by activating the Automatic Color Match option in the Preferences window (see section
1.1.7).
When the imported mark file has been indexed, the colors found in
the image are displayed in the Colors section at the bottom of the
window.
Select a color in the list and click on Apply to color table. DynaStrip
will allow you to:
• add it to the color table,
• replace an existing color with the new one,
• match the new color to a color that already exists in the table, or
• ignore this color.
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You can remove a color or undo a color match only through the Color
Table window.
Warning: If a color found in an imported image is added to the color
table, it will be printed even if the same color is not found elsewhere
on the sheet.
5.2.6 Color match in PDF files
DynaStrip can match colors between composite PDF files, provided
that they are in compatible PDF color environments.
In PDF files, there are many possible color environments but the
more frequent are DeviceCMYK (used for CMYK), Separation (used for
spot colors) and DeviceN (used in special color treatments such as
duotones, Hexachrome, etc.).
The table below explains which color matching is possible, in PDF
composite jobs, for document pages and imported mark images.
Color matching can be done within the same file or across documents.
When dealing with colors in PDF composite files, the following limitations must be kept in mind:
• In DynaStrip, color matching is done by renaming the colors. Color
matching must be distinguished from color mapping, which
implies a separation into CMYK components. DynaStrip does not
separate or map the colors.
• In composite mode, the CMYK color information is always part of
the PDF files, and the four colors will be detected by DynaStrip
even if they don’t actually exist in the pages.
• A composite PDF imported mark (i.e.: color bar, etc.) should not
have more colors than needed in the job, so empty plates are not
produced during in-RIP separation.
Spot color —
DeviceN environment
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Spot color —
Separation environment
•
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow,
Black —
DeviceCMYK environment
...TO
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow,
Black a —
DeviceCMYK environment
no
no
no
Spot color —
Separation environment
yes b
yes
yes c
Spot color —
DeviceN environment
no
no
no
MATCH FROM...
a. CMYK colors are always listed in PDF files, even if they are not actually in
the pages.
b. Not color separation but renaming to a specific color (i.e.: Pantone Black
to Black).
c. Provided that the color recipe is included in the PDF file (standard).
5.2.7 Automatic Color Matching
DynaStrip offers an automatic function to match the colors actually
found in the job to the colors in imported marks. To activate this
function, the Automatic Color Match option must be selected in the
Preferences dialogue (see section 1.1.7).
In the Color Table, the DisplayAutomatic Color Matching button
allows the user to preview the resulting color match that will be
done automatically at output.
The automatic color match can be overriden by manually matching
colors.
Important: The Automatic Color Match offers full support for separated PS and PDF but that there is no support for 2- and 3-color jobs
in composite-PDF mode. The composite-PDF imported mark files used
(color bars, etc.) must contain CMYK and spot colors. The CMYK in
the source documents will automatically match the CMYK in the
color bar and all other colors will match the 5th, 6th and subsequent
spot colors in the color bar. Extra colors found in the color bar will
not be matched and remain empty at output.
The following table details how automatic color matching works in
composite-PDF mode.
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Creating an imported mark
for automatic
color match
Mark Colors
Job Colors
Color Match
Result
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
Black
Spot 1
Spot 2
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
Black
Pantone A
Pantone B
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
Black
Spot 1 = Pantone A
Spot 2 = Pantone B
Correct
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
Black
Spot 1
Spot 2
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
Black
Pantone A
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
Black
Spot 1 = Pantone A
Spot 2 = None
Correct
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
Black
Spot 1
Spot 2
Pantone A
Pantone B
Cyan
Magenta
Incorrect
Spot 1
Spot 2
Pantone A
Pantone B
Cyan
Magenta
Incorrect
Imported mark images (color bars, etc.) must be created or edited
with CMYK and enough spot colors to ensure that they will match all
job occurrences, whether source documents contain process colors,
spot colors, duotones, etc.
In a separated color environment, color bars can be created with
process and spot colors or spot colors only.
The imported marks used must be compatible with the color environment. When working in a composite-PDF color environment, a
composite-PDF imported mark must be used. The same is true for
other environments such as separated PostScript and separated PDF.
The automatic color match function reads spot color names to be
matched in alpha-numeric order. By creating color bars that respect
the CMYK-spot color order, the bars will have a more predictable
behavior.
C M Y K 1 2 ... n
For information about imported marks, see section 4.5.1.
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5.3 Color Layers
For any object, DynaStrip allows you to give an offset, a scaling, or a
rotation on a particular color, independently from other colors and
objects. Such adjustments can be given to compensate for press discrepancies or web growth (see section 6.1.1).
Example: Apply a different rotation (bottling) to any page on the
back of a sheet for the Cyan color only. This may compensate for a
problem with the perfecting press.
DynaStrip does not interfere with the PostScript files. It only gives a
different position, scaling, or rotation to an object for a particular
color during the output.
5.3.1 Place Objects on Color Layers
As for Sheet Layers, a Color Layers menu appears in the Definition
window for most objects, which can also be accessed with the Edit
icon.
For signatures, the Color Layers menu appears in the Page Definition
window, because all pages are independent.
In the Definition window, click on the Colors button.
The Color Layers window will open. If the job has been indexed, the
name of all colors found in the job will be displayed. If not, colors
are named from 1st to 40th.
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DynaStrip distributes newly created objects on successive color layers.
To move an object onto a specific color, click on the Clear All button,
then select the name of the color you want to place the object on. If
the job is not indexed yet, you can choose a temporary color name
(1st, 2nd, etc.) that will be replaced later with the real color name
according DynaStrip’s predefined order (see section 5.2.4).
The Color Layers dialogue also allows to set the ink density for each
layer, from 0 to 100%. Multiple layers at 100% ink density may yield
to unwanted effects like ink setoff. Applying 100% divided by the
number of checked layers should print a mark without excessing
100% of inking density.
Click on OK to close the Color Layers dialogue.
Click on OK in the Definition window. The object is now isolated on
the specified Color. It is completely independent and can have its
own adjustment (scaling, rotation, or offset).
5.3.2 Duplicate Objects for Other Color Layers
If you have isolated an object on a specific color, you might have to
duplicate this object which is now missing on other color layers. In
the Definition window for the new object, click on Color Layers, then
select all colors except the one on which you have isolated your
object.
Add the object and place it at an exact position.
5.3.3 View Color Layers
You can select the viewing of objects of any specific color layers.
Click on the Color Layers icon of the Functions toolbar. In the palette, select the colors you want to view. Note that any objects isolated on other color layers will not be displayed on the screen. The
viewing of the color layers on the light table does not interfere with
the printing.
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The Select All button resets the viewing of all colors. The Clear All
button clears all the colors.
5.3.4 Print Color Layers
You can select any color layer individually for printing.
The ability to select a color layer for printing allows you to do special adjustments for this particular color plate. The color layer selection is made in the Output Parameters window (see section 6.1.1).
A special function also allows you to set a different horizontal and
vertical scaling on each color for web growth compensation (see section 6.1.1).
6th Chapter
Output,
Page Adjustments,
Other Adjustments,
Troubleshooting
6.1 Output
In DynaStrip, the independency of objects and of all parts of the
sheet (back, front, color layers, sheet layers, tiles, etc.) enables you
to select them individually for printing and to give them their own
adjustments.
6.1.1 Output Parameters Window
The Output Parameters menu is accessed by clicking on the Output
icon in the Functions toolbar.
Replaces Output Device if
Use plate setups is selected
in the Preferences.
Available only if PDF format
is selected in the Output
Device Definition window.
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You can select any part of your job for printing.
- Range of sheets.
- Front, back or both sides of the sheets.
- A version can be selected for printing. None will not take versions into account and will print the document pages that are
attached to the layout, as usual. This menu is available only
with the Versioning module (see section 3.5).
- Selection of sheet layers.
- Selection of colors. By default, the order of the colors appearing
in this menu follows the order of the color layers, as displayed
in the color table (see section 5.2.4). This default order can be
changed to meet the requirements of certain output devices.
Select one or many colors and click on Move up or Move down.
This will not modify the distribution of the colors among the
layers, but only the priority in which the colors are sent to the
output file.
To prevent the output of a specific color, select the color and
place it in the right part of the window (inactive colors), using
the arrow. Colors that are redirected are always inactive for
printing (even if they have been kept in the color table).
Note: The color order and activation affects separated PS files
and may affect certain composite PS files. Additionally, nonprocess colors can be deactivated on composite PDF impositions.
- Selection of tiles (has no effect if there is no tiling).
Special Selection Options
You can choose between Normal output and Layout only.
Normal output will send the document pages.
If Layout only is selected, only the layout of the job with outlined
pages and source document names will be printed, without the
source documents. This layout is sometimes called a mock. When you
click on Print, the Color Layers dialogue box will appear to confirm
which color will be sent. The default color is Black. If no color exists
yet in the color table, DynaStrip will offer you to add the Black to
the color table before printing.
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Each mode has its own profile. If you toggle between the modes,
each one will keep its own settings, which will be saved with the
job.
• Print page numbers is available in both modes. If selected with
Normal output, page numbers will print over the document pages.
Page numbers use a special color layer called DSOutline that can be
customized in the Preferences dialogue box (see section 1.1.7).
Page numbers do not print on other color plates. Therefore, output
files created for proofing can also be used for final imaging
(ROOM).
• Allow page overlap in same signature is available in both modes. If
Allow page overlap is selected, partial or total overlapping of pages
within a signature will be printed. In most jobs, Allow page overlap should NOT be selected. If there is a bleed overlap in the signature but the function is not selected, a normal cropping of the
pages will occur at the intersection line. The cropping occurs even
if a Rotate or a Rotate Offset action has been applied to the pages.
If the pages have been applied a Rotate action (rotation with all
its marks), the vertical or horizontal intersection line is drawn
between the middle anchor points of the two adjacent pages.
Note that this function applies only to the overlap of pages within
the same signature. It has no effect on the overlap of individual
pages created in Page Mode.
• Outline page trims option is available in Normal output mode only
(page trims are always printed in layouts). If selected, the outline
of the pages will print over the document pages.
Outline page trims use a special color layer called DSOutline that
can be customized in the Preferences dialogue box (see section
1.1.7). Outlines do not print on other color plates. Therefore, output files created for proofing can also be used for final imaging
(ROOM).
Normal output for proofing
Output in DynaStrip using
DSOutline special color layer
• Skip blank flats (without pages) is available in Normal output
mode only (pages are never printed in layouts). If selected, DynaS-
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trip will not send plate colors on which no page is found (even if
the color is found in an imported mark).
• Skip flats without replacement pages (versions) is available only
with Versioning module, in Normal output mode. If selected, DynaStrip will send only the plate colors containing at least one
replacement page. It will not output plates containing exclusively
pages from the basic document list (see section 3.5.2).
By clicking on the other buttons, you can access all of the settings
for printing, such as output device, scaling, tiling, objects to be
printed, etc. A summary of the selected options is displayed in the
main window.
Output Device
This button opens the Output Device Definition window where you
can set all the options related to a particular output device (see section 6.1.2).
If Use plate setups is selected in Preferences menu, the Plate Setups
button will be displayed instead (see section 6.1.3).
Printable Objects
You can select any of these layout objects for printing:
-
Sheet corners.
Side guides.
Pages (document files).
Density bars.
Linear marks.
Register marks.
Page marks (trim and bleed marks).
Collating marks.
Text tags.
Distance tags.
Tiling marks.
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- Imported marks (document files).
- Fold marks
- Barcodes
Page/Mark Adjustment
Scaling
This button opens the Page and Imported Mark Adjustment window
(see section 6.2).
This option allows you to modify the size of the press sheet.
None will print without scaling.
To fit will print with an automatic scaling, taking into account the
imaging area of the output device. (The selection of this option will
prevent the use of tiling, if any.)
To values allows you to give a specific scaling percentage. You can
give different values for horizontal and vertical scaling. The scaling
factors are relative to the orientation of the sheet, not the output
device’s (i.e.: if the sheet is rotated 90 degrees, the scaling factors
are also rotated).
By default, the scaling is defined for all colors. You can also select
any specific color in the menu and give a different horizontal and
vertical scaling factor. This advanced feature can be used for web
growth compensation. The imaging area must be large enough to
stand the scaling percentage.
Print
This button will send the job to the output device or the selected
folder, taking into account all the settings. You can click on Cancel
to abort the process.
Preview
If you work with PDF files and use the PDF output format (see section 6.1.2), a Preview button is available beside the Print button.
Clicking on this button will launch Acrobat® application to preview
your plates. Temporary PDF files are saved in the Preview folder and
are trashed automatically at DynaStrip startup to prevent built-up.
Customize output name
You can use a definition interface to customize how imposition files
are named when sent to a hot folder or to a print queue (see section
6.1.5).
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Save as default
Clicking on this button saves the current output parameters as
default for new jobs. The file storing the data is placed in DynaStrip's
main folder and is called OutParamsDefault.dsf. If it does not exist
when a job is created, DynaStrip will set its own default values for
output parameters. Note: the saved default parameters will not
enforce the use of plate setups, which must be activated in the Preferences window (see section 1.1.7).
6.1.2 Output Device Definition
The Output Device Definition window can be accessed by clicking on
the Output Device button of the Output Parameters menu, or, if
plates are used, on the Output Device Definitions button of the Plate
Setups menu.
You can output your impositions to any type of output device (platesetter, imagesetter, digital press, or laser printer).
For each output device, you must create at least one format in order
to define the necessary parameters. Your printer or imaging device
does not have to be connected to your system in order to define its
parameters, and there is no need for PPD’s (PostScript Printer
Descriptions). You just have to enter a few output device parameters
once and use them for all your jobs.
All Output Device Definitions are automatically saved with the extension .odv in the Output Devices sub-directory.
Identification
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The first drop down menu is a name list of the Output Devices
already available. You can choose one from the list.
You can also Delete any selected output device.
To add a new one, click on the New button. Enter a name for the
format and click on OK.
You can then choose the output file format for your imposition.
• PS will produce the usual PostScript output imposition files.
• EPS will create encapsulated PostScript files (EPS) instead of PostScript files. These files can be imported in another application or
used with pre ripping solutions. EPS files use the default imaging area of the imagesetter. They do not enforce an imaging
area on the output device.
• The Rampage® option will create appropriate file formats for Rampage workflow (see section 7.2.3).
• The PJTF option will create one JT plus one PDF mark file for PJTF
workflow systems. JT imposition plans can be populated with
source files. The user simply has to index PDF files in the Document List & Imposition Index dialogue, and output in PJTF mode as
usual (see section 7.2.5).
• PDF will produce PDF files (for PDF in & out imposition) (see section 7.2.2).
• The PageFlow®/Nexus® profile will enforce appropriate settings for
PageFlow® and Nexus® workflow systems (see section 7.2.4).
• The ICF (Brisque®) option will create appropriate file format for
Brisque® workflow and allow for the folder selection in the Document List (see section 7.2.7).
• The PS Separation Workflows profile will enforce appropriate settings for PS separation workflow systems.
• JDF to RIP/Image setting devices is recommended when the JDF
imposition file is sent directly to the RIP. You may output a conventional JDF layout with a PDF marks file (see section 7.2.6), or
to output a JDF Imposed flats layout.
• JDF to MIS/Workflow Controller is recommended when the JDF output file is reused by the MIS or workflow controller. This selection
is available only if a JDF file was imported for the job creation.
When choosing this option, DynaStrip’s imposition data will be
integrated in the original JDF file and the job status will be
updated for the MIS or Workflow controller usage.
You can configure JDF output by clicking on the JDF Options button
The Pages will be editable check box is available only when the PDF
format is selected. When selected, the resulting PDF imposition will
be optimized to facilitate last-minute corrections (see section 7.2.2).
When the Include ArtBox, TrimBox and BleedBox checkbox is
selected, DynaStrip will add this information to the PDF files upon
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PDF, JDF and PJTF output. By default, only the MediaBox is added to
PDF, PJTF and JDF files at ouput. Users who integrate with a workflow that supports ArtBox, MediaBox, BleedBox, and TrimBox values
should check this box.
In DynaStrip, PPD files are optional. These files are created by vendors to describe the entire set of features and capabilities available
for their PostScript printers. They contain the PostScript code (commands) used to invoke features for the print job. They can be used
as a reference to suggest, for example, the maximum imaging area
values of the output device, or to change output features (such as
mirror printing, etc.). To activate a PPD, click on the PPD file button
and select the file on your hard disk.
Mac OS X
The PPD's are usually placed in System:Library:Printers:PPDs.
Windows
The PPDs are usually placed in the C:\Windows\System or C:\Windows\System32 directory.
You can remove the selection by clicking on Clear PPD.
In the Configuration drop down menu,
• Use PostScript (PS) if you work in a PostScript environment. PS
Older RIPs might be necessary with older devices for the correct
ripping of the file. When writing a PostScript file, the option determines whether the imaging area is defined before (PS Default) or
after the prolog (PS Older RIPs).
• For PDF or PJTF output formats, selections are available for PDF 1.3
to 1.7. The selected PDF version number will be reflected in PDF
imposition files in order to comply with output device’s specifications.
• For JDF formats, selections are available for PS, EPS and PDF 1.3 to
1.7.
Output name ID is an optional field that can be used to identify the
output device in the output file names (maximum of 8 characters).
This variable can be used to sort imposition files when printing to
multiple devices. Note: The <outdev> variable must be part of the
output name definiton (see section 6.1.5).
Destination
Mac OS X
Folder will send the files to a specific folder. Click on the Browse button to select it. (If you leave the directory box blank, the output
files will be placed in the last used folder.)
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Printer will send the imposition directly to the selected output
device through the network. In OS X environment, a temporary PostScript file is created on the workstation for each sheet, and these
files are automatically sent to the device once completed. The workstation should have enough available disk space to handle these
temporary output files. Notice that the Printer destination can not
be used with formats such as PDF and PJTF.
Windows
Folder will send the files to a specific folder. Click on the Browse button to select it. (If you leave the directory box blank, the output
files will be placed in the last used folder.)
Printer will send the imposition directly to the selected output
device, through the network. There is no file involved with the
Printer destination, only direct PostScript code sent to the device.
This destination can not be used with formats such as PDF and PJTF,
as they need to build a file.
Default Image Area
Click on this button to open the Image Area window.
You have to enter the default height and width of the imaging area
of your output device. In order for DynaStrip to function properly, it
is important not to exceed the maximum values.
These fields are mandatory for the Output Device definition.
You can select the imaging area values from the PPD information
(the PPD must first be selected in the main Output Device window).
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Tiling
Click on this button to open the Tiling window.
If the function is selected, DynaStrip will send tiles to the output
device. The tiling will apply only if the imaging device is of a smaller
format than your sheet and if tiling breaks have been defined in the
layout (see section 4.9).
You can indicate the overlap value in the corresponding field. The
overlap will appear on both adjacent tiles and any object in that
space will be displayed.
Tiling mark size and position can be customized. The offset value
will be applied to the tiling mark on its axis. This can be useful to
avoid the mark being hidden behind the pages.
Tiling marks (selected by default in the Printable Objects menu) will
be displayed at both ends of the tiling breaks and will have the same
width than the overlap (they will be invisible if there is no overlap).
Tiling Mark
Flat Position
Click on this button to open the Flat Position window.
You can enter the adjustment for the entire sheet or for each tile.
DynaStrip can break the plates into a maximum of four tiles for
printing, each tile having its own adjustments.
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You can choose to place the image horizontally at the Left, the Center, or the Right of the imaging area, and enter an Horizontal offset
to further modify this position (you can enter negative values).
You can choose to place the image vertically at the Bottom, the Center, or the Top of the imaging area, and enter an Vertical offset to
further modify this position (you can enter negative values).
You can select May rotate 90 degrees to fit, so that the image may
automatically rotate to best fit the imaging area.
If you select Rotate 180 degrees, the image will be rotated upside
down.
All these adjustments can be useful for punch control or to compensate for any discrepancies in horizontal or vertical alignment.
A rotation with any angle and adjustments for the back of the sheet
only are also available in the Special Features menu below.
Flat Grouping
Click on this button to open the Flat Grouping window.
Group colors will produce files containing all the colors (instead of
producing one file per color). This function is useful, for example, if
you have a large plotter to offer color proofs to your customers.
Group tiles will produce files containing all tiles (instead of producing one file per tile).
Group sides will produce files containing both sides (instead of producing one file per side). This function is useful for digital or directto-press printing.
Group pagination sequences will produce files for each pagination
sequence provided that the sequence contains full sheets. If not, the
output files will be divided into the smallest possible group of pagination sequences.
Group all will produce one file containing all the sheets, colors, tiles,
and sides (instead of producing separate files). This can be helpful
for duplex printing.
You can also select a combination of the Group colors, Group tiles, or
Group sides options.
The output file name can be edited to reflect the grouping (see section 6.1.5).
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Special Features
Click on this button to open the Special Features window.
Set Resolution can instruct the output device to print with a given
resolution in special cases. Normally, this value should be set to
zero.
Correction Angle gives a rotation to the press sheet to compensate
for any discrepancies or to prevent ghosting. The angle can be set
for any of the 6 ink units, when printing in separated colors.
A drop-down list allows to select the ink units on which the correction angles will be applied at output. If the output is composite, the
angle applied on the first ink unit will be applied to all.
Use PlateColor comment will add the necessary “PlateColor” comments in the output PostScript files to ensure the correct color separation. This option should be used when imposing low-resolution
PCC PageFlow files.
Ignore source PlateColor will ignore the PlateColor comments of the
source files. In most cases, if this option is selected, the Use
PlateColor comment option should also be used. (Necessary if you
output to an Agfa PrintDrive server.)
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Apply user-defined screening for composite PostScript output will activate the screening parameters defined in the color table, if any (see
section 5.2.1).
Use setCMYKcolor for composite marks will enforce the use of the
“setCMYKcolor” PostScript command for the separation of composite
marks. This option can be used for a few ripping systems that do not
support the standard “setSeparation” command.
Adjustments to Back Flats enables you to give a different angle and
offset for the back of the sheet. You can enter negative values.
The Angle for the back is added to the Correction Angle, if any,
already given for the sheet.
The Horizontal offset and Vertical offset for the back of the sheet are
added to those given in the Flat Position menu, if any.
PPD Features. For this section to be activated, a PPD file must first be
identified in the main Output Device window. DynaStrip does not use
all the default PPD options but only those appearing in the bottom
list of the Special Features window. To activate a particular feature,
select it in the Feature drop down menu, select the Option you want
to attribute to this feature, then click on Add to merge your selections into the list.
You can deactivate the feature by selecting it in the list and clicking
on Remove. You can have up to 10 active features in the list.
Only the features indicated in the ppd features.txt file will be
available in DynaStrip. This file is located in DynaStrip’s Output
Formats folder and already contains the most commonly found features. However, it is possible to edit the file if necessary, using a
simple text editor to add any of your own PPD features. The name of
the feature must be the exact PostScript command name found in the
PPD (also a text file). Find out the exact feature name in your PPD
file, copy it, then paste it (on a separate line) into the ppd features.txt file. Save the file. The feature should now appear in the Feature drop menu.
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Example: You just added the RIP resolution to the ppd feature.txt
file and want to change its value using DynaStrip’s PPD Features
menu. Open the Output Device window.
First click on the PPD file button and select your PPD file.
Then, click on the Special features button. Your PPD features should
now be available in the Feature drop menu. Select the resolution feature (the exact name can vary), and choose one of the available
options in the Option drop menu (for example, 1200 dpi). Click on
Add to merge these selections into the list. You can add more features in the list if needed.
6.1.3 Plate Setups
Using Plate Setups
Plates can be combined with output devices for increased output
capabilities. It is especially useful if you go direct to plate, but you
can use it for film imaging as well.
You can define all your devices and all your plates, and then combine any plate with any device. For each combination (for example,
you can output the mock of a plate to a plotter for proofing), DynaStrip will use the correct set of adjustments so the components adapt
to each other.
The plate selected in the Plate Setups window is displayed according
to scale on the light table. It appears as a margin around the sheet
(provided that the sheet is smaller than the plate). Objects can be
placed in the plate area but are always attached to the sheet. Their
position is saved in relation to the sheet border (and not the sheet
center) so they keep the same offset from the sheet should the sheet
size be edited.
When using the plate option, you may want to consider the Sheet
object as the paper size.
Sheet
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Plate
The plate itself is not an object. It is totally independent from the
sheet and is not saved with the sheet templates. However, the setup
number (from 1 to 200) is part of the sheet definition and is saved
with the sheet template. By default, the setup 1 is linked to all new
sheets. The output device or the plate can thus be changed at the
last moment in setup 1 (for example, to adapt to the equipment
availability).
Any sheet or sheet side in the job can also be assigned a different
setup number (for example a half-sheet to be sent to a smaller
device). You can assign another setup to a new sheet in the Sheet
Definition window (see section 2.1.1), while an existing sheet can be
modified using the Edit icon.
Plate Setups window
Ensure that Use plate setups is selected in the Preferences menu (see
section 1.1.7). In the Output Parameters window, click on the Plate
Setups button to open the Plate Setups window.
The Plate Setups window can also be accessed with the Plate Setups
icon in the horizontal Functions toolbar (provided that the option is
selected in the Preferences).
An Output Device must be selected in the first drop down menu.
Click on the Definitions button to add an output device or to edit its
parameters (see section 6.1.2).
The Plate is not mandatory. If no plate is selected, only the Output
Device settings will be used. Click on the Definitions button to add a
plate or to edit its parameters (see section 6.1.4).
A specific output device selection is reserved for page adjustments.
It will be used each time a page or a mark is printed from the Page
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Adjustment window (see section 6.2). Click on the Definitions button
to add an output device or to edit its parameters (see section 6.1.2).
If Same as setup 1 is selected in the drop down menu, the page
adjustment will always print to the output device selected for setup
1.
The selection of More plate setups (if needed) gives access to 200
output setups (output device settings combined with specific plate
settings) simultaneously. All selected output devices must however
share the same output format (PS, PDF, etc.).
You can rename the setups to your convenience. The new name will
be reflected in the Sheet Definition window.
6.1.4 Plate Definition
The Plate Definition window contains the following parameters.
Identification
The first drop down menu is a name list of the plates already available. You can choose one from the list.
To add a new one, click on the New button. Enter a name for the
plate and click on OK.
You can also Delete any selected plate.
Plate size
Enter the width and height of the plate.
The Sheet position button opens a menu where you can place and
offset the sheet on the plate horizontally and vertically.
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Mirror on back
Check this option if the back of the sheet must reflect the plate offset. At output, this offset will also be reflected.
When used with device...
Specific settings are needed to fit a particular plate to a particular
output device. Instead of creating a different output device for each
particular plate (or vice versa), DynaStrip will build a database of the
adjustment settings and automatically apply the corresponding
adjustments each time the same combination Output Device / Plate is
made.
If you select another Output Device or another Plate, the adjustment
settings for the new combination will apply, provided that they were
previously defined.
Although these adjustments are created through the Plate Setup
window, they are independent from the plate itself. The information
appearing in the lower part of the Plate Definition window depends
on the selected Output Device.
For each combination, the database comprises the following settings.
The PPD file is optional. To use a PPD file, click on the PPD file button. DynaStrip will offer you to use the same PPD as the output
device. Click Yes if you want to use the same. To use another one,
click No, browse and select another PPD on the disk. Clear PPD will
remove the selection.
PPD features that are selected in the Plate Definition will be added to
those selected for the Output Device, or override the settings if the
features are the same. You can use the features of the selected PPD
provided that the feature name exists in the ppd features.txt file (see
section 6.1.2).
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Adjustment on the x axis and Adjustment on the y axis are horizontal
and vertical adjustments of the plate in the output device image
area. They are cumulative with the values entered in the Flat Position menu of the Output Device Definition, if any.
The Default image area of the selected output device will be used.
You can also click on Image area and enter values to enforce a
smaller image area (for example, to avoid media spoil). Warning: If
the plate image area is larger than the output device image area, an
error is likely to occur.
6.1.5 Output File Names
DynaStrip automatically attributes output file names that reflect the
job name, sheet number, side, color, etc.
The default format:
<jobname>_<version>S<sheetrank><side><tile>_<color>.<ext>
will result in this sample name:
MyJob_S00001F_325.ps (in this example, <version> <tile> and
<color> variables do not apply and are skipped in the sample file
name).
You can also use a definition interface to customize how imposition
files are named when sent to a hot folder or to a print queue. When
you customize an output file name’s structure, it becomes the
default structure for new jobs.
Warning: It is very important to note that if you do not place variables in the structure, the info will not be part of the name and
problems can occur. For example, a separated job sent without a
<color> variable in the name structure will write all separations to
the same file, overwriting the previous instance of the file.
Output Name Definition
To access the definition interface, click on the Customize output
name button in the Output Parameters window.
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The current format and a sample output name built using the current name structure is displayed in the lower part of the interface
and the expected maximum length is shown.
You can select any variable in the list and click on Add to insert it in
the format field. You can also type text between the variables. A
short description of each variable is readily available in the list but
you can further customize most of them by clicking on Edit (see
below).
You can always revert to the default definition by clicking on the
Revert to default button. This will also clear any change made to the
variable parameters.
Windows
Warning: When customizing output file names, you should take into
account any restriction of your network servers. Characters such as
slashes (\ or /) should be avoided since they can interfere with path
names.
Warning: For Acrobat to open automatically when prevewing in PDF
format, you need to leave the <ext> variable in the output name.
Variable parameters
Some variables can be tailored for more specific behaviors. The variable parameters are saved for the current job and are used as default
values for future jobs.
In order to define a variable behavior, select the variable in the list
and click Edit.
The following table explains each variable and how it can be customized.
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This variable will be replaced by the name of each color.
<color>
•The maximum length is the maximum number of digits the variable will occupy in the file name.
•Pad with: You can fill empty digit positions with zeros, underscores, etc. to reach the maximum length.
To shorten the color names if they exceed the maximum length,
you can choose between the following options:
•Cut off first characters
•Cut off last characters (not recommended if you use Pantone colors)
•Use a prefix followed by CMYK abbreviations for process colors, or
the color layer numbers, as defined in the Color Order window, for
other colors.
•Attempt to use only the numeric value found in the name if any
(the value will usually correspond to the Pantone number).
•You can also use a text to identify Grouped or Composite Colors
(for example “All”, indicating that all colors are included in the
file).
This variable will be replaced by the file name of the source document. If many documents are found in the imposed file, the name
of the first document found in the list will be used.
<docname>
•The maximum length is the maximum number of digits the variable will occupy in the file name. The default is 12.
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This variable will be replaced by the extension of the format used
by the current output device. The standard extensions are used by
defauit but they can also be customized for each format supported
by DynaStrip.
A point will be automatically inserted before the extension name,
as shown in the sample.
<ext>
This variable will be replaced by the identification of the first pagination sequence found in the imposed file.
<firstpaginseq>
This variable will be replaced by the folder name of the source document. If many documents are found in the imposed file, the name
of the folder of the first document found in the list will be used.
<foldername>
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This variable will be replaced by the job’s name.
<jobname>
•The maximum length is the maximum number of digits the variable will occupy in the file name. If the length of the job’s name
exceeds this maximum, the last characters will be cut off.
•Pad with: You can fill empty digit positions with zeros, underscores, etc. to reach the maximum length. The padding will be
added at the end of the name.
This variable will be replaced by the lowest page number found in
the layout of the imposed file.
<lowestpagenb>
This variable will be replaced by the output device’s Output name
ID, as defined in the Output Device Definition window (see section
6.1.2). This variable is especially useful for the sorting of imposition files to be sent to different devices.
<outdev>
added at the end of the ID.
This variable will be replaced by the output date.
<outputdate>
Three formats are possible:
•yymmdd
•mmddyy
•ddmmyy
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This variable will be replaced by the output time.
<outputtime>
Two formats are possible:
•hhmmss
•hhmm
This variable will be replaced by the rank of each sheet.
<sheetrank>
inserted at the beginning of the sheet rank value.
•You can define the text to write when multiple sheets are grouped
(instead of the sheet rank number).
This variable will be replaced by the side(s) of each flat.
<side>
•Text for Front: the default is F.
•Text for Back: the default is B.
•You can also define the text to write when multiple sides are
grouped.
This variable will be replaced by the tile number or letter if tiling is
applied in the job.
<tile>
•You can use a prefix for tile.
•Tiles can be identified with numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) or letters (A, B, C,
D).
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<version>
(optional module)
This variable will be replaced by the two digit output code for each
version, as defined in the Version Manager window (see section
3.5.3)
6.1.6 JDF Options
The JDF Options button is located in the Output Device Definition
window (see section 6.1.2). It is enabled only when a JDF format
(JDF to RIP/Image setting device or JDF to MIS/Workflow Controller)
is selected in the Format menu.
In the JDF Version scroll-down menu, select the most recent JDF version that is supported by your workflow system (1.2 or 1.3).
In the Target drop-menu, select the type of device to which the JDF
files will be sent.
• ICS-Compliant RIP should be selected if the RIP supports the LayCrImp ICS related to the JDF version previously chosen (this selection should be preferred).
• ICS-Non compliant RIP should be selected if the RIP is older and
does not support the LayCrImp ICS.
• ICS-compliant image setting device will produce a JDF Processgroup
including Imposition, RIPing and ImageSetting.
• Rampage® will add custom JDF tags to integrate with the modules
Deimpose and AutoGuides of the Rampage workflow system.
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For more information on Interoperability Conformance Specifications
(ICS) defined by CIP4, visit www.cip4.org.
Contents
The Contents section allows selecting basic options for the JDF files
to output.
Detailed layouts for source pages will produce a JDF file with layout
information for page positioning, as well as a PDF marks file. This
option must be selected for all JDF workflows where the RIP will execute the imposition process (source page placement). Notice that
the availability of the Detailed Layout for source pages will depend
on the selection made in the Configuration drop-menu from the
Ouput Device Definition dialogue.
The Imposed flats approach will produce a basic JDF file that references imposed flats to be positioned by the RIP. Imposed surfaces
can be in PS, EPS or PDF formats.
The box Include parameters for cutting and folding is enabled for
both approaches to insert cutting and folding information for postpress processes in the JDF file. When selected:
• The JDF file will include pre-cutting information, along with the
trim size for each page, as a separate cut block.
• The JDF folding catalog number will be included in the file. Folding information is only supported if you used JDF import to create
your job (see section 1.3.3).
Document Files /
Imposed Files
In the Document Files/Imposed Files section, select how you wish to
transfer the source document files (or imposed flats if this approach
is selected). These options are enabled only if source documents are
placed in the imposition index.
• Include in MIME package, will group all document files (or imposed
flats if this approach is selected) into one bundle to ease the
transmission to a hot folder or via HTTP. DynaStrip will output a
single file containing the JDF and all referred files as attachments.
The MIME file is saved in the destination folder.
• Reference from actual location will produce file paths for document
files that are relative to DynaStrip’s workstation location. Reference from actual location will be available only when Detailed layout has been selected in the Contents drop-menu.
• Copy to folder will copy document files (or imposed flats if this
approach is selected) to a selected folder. This folder must be
defined by browsing on the network.
• Copy to subfolder will copy document files (or imposed flats if this
approach is selected) to a subfolder. This subfolder can be
renamed (the default name is SourceDocuments). The subfolder
will be created in the destination folder defined in the Output
Device Definition dialogue.
When activated, Tag document files as “Disposable” will add a disposition tag in the JDF output file.
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Marks File
In this section, select the way you wish to transfer the PDF Marks
file. These options are not enabled if the Imposed flats approach is
selected as no marks files will be produced.
• Include in MIME package, will group all marks files into one bundle
to ease the transmission to a hot folder or via HTTP. DynaStrip will
output a single file containing the JDF and all referred files as
attachments. The MIME file is saved in the destination folder.
• Copy to folder will copy marks files to a selected folder. This folder
must be defined by browsing on the network.
• Copy to subfolder will copy marks files to a subfolder. This subfolder can be renamed (the default name is MarksFile). The subfolder will be created in the destination folder defined in the
Output Device Definition dialogue.
Activate the box Tag marks file as “Disposable” to add a disposition
tag in the JDF output file.
6.1.7 HTTP Options
This dialogue is available only if the Send files via HTTP option is
selected in the Output Device Definition window.
The Host Name must contain the entire HTTP address syntax (ex.
http:\\<server name>\<share name>\<file path>). The Port Number
is the number attributed to the TCP port which allows DynaStrip to
connect to the server. The Port Number should be 80.
The Send files via HTTP option allows the user to transfer job files
(JMF, JDF, Source documents and PDF marks file) through the HTTP
protocol to a specific host using MIME encoding. When this option is
selected, click on the HTTP Options button to further define the output (see section 6.1.7).
A log is generated by DynaStrip as soon as the output is launched. It
keeps track of the status of the operation. Once the files have
reached their destination, a JMF message will be returned to DynaStrip to confirm reception or to signal an error. The content of the
message will be displayed in the same log window.
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This log disappears once the output is completed. You may therefore
wish to save the log data in a text file. To activate this option, click
on the Write output in a log file checkbox. This will unblock the
Browse button. Click on it to locate the path of the folder in which
you wish to save the log file and name the file. The .txt extension
will be added automatically.
The source documents can be included or referenced. Activating the
Included radio button implies that the source documents will be
encoded directly into the job file. Activating the Referenced radio
button implies that one of the 2 file paths will be used to define the
location of the source documents (see section 6.1.6).
Important: When sending files via an HTTP protocol, a destination
folder must be defined in the Output Parameters Definition window
(see section 6.1.1). Output files are saved in this folder before being
transmitted.
6.2 Page Adjustments
Manual adjustments are necessary when the printing options
selected for the creation of the PS document file (paper size, orientation, center page, etc.) interfere with the normal positioning of
DynaStrip pages.
With DynaStrip, it is easy to adjust pages. Just print out a test comprised of one even-numbered page and one odd-numbered page.
If you use Plate setups, a specific output device can be defined for
page and mark adjustments (see section 6.1.3).
Click on the Output icon, then on the Page/Mark Adjustment button.
The Page Adjustment window will open.
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6.2.1 Automatic Page/Mark Adjustment (Center image)
The Center image for all pages and Center image for this mark options
are useful for applications which are followed by an asterisk (*) in
the application filter list (see section 3.3.2). Provided that the pages
are centered in their imaging space in the document file, this option
automatically centers them within DynaStrip’s layout.
Instead of being centered, some PostScript files (i.e. QuarkXPress®)
will be aligned on the page’s lower left cut marks. These applications
are followed by a plus (+) sign in the application filter list. Therefore, if the document page size is different than the layout page
size, a slight manual page adjustment may be required.
These two types of adjustments are cumulative.
6.2.2 Manual Page Adjustment
Page adjustments need to be carried out in every application and file
where varied page formats exist.
Even and odd numbered pages can be controlled separately, as each
adjustment may be different.
Specify the document list and enter the page number you would like
to use for a test. Click on Load.
Choose if the page adjustment will apply to:
- Page: only this specific page will be adjusted. DynaStrip will
memorize and apply this page adjustment individually.
- File: will adjust the pages found in the same document file.
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- Application: will adjust the pages found in the job that use the
same application filter.
- All: will adjust all the pages in the job.
You also have to choose if the adjustment will apply to:
- Odd and even: will adjust all the pages (odd and even).
- Same as page: if the page is odd, will adjust all odd pages. If the
page is even, will adjust all even pages.
Make sure that the values for horizontal and vertical adjustments are
at 0, then click on Print page. DynaStrip will prompt you to choose a
color layer for the adjustment. (If you send the page adjustment to a
folder instead of directly to the printer, the files will bear the identification Odd.ps or Even.ps.)
If you work with PDF pages and use the PDF output format (see section 6.1.2), a Preview button is available below the Print button.
your page adjustment.
As shown in the following example, DynaStrip prints a small ruler on
all four edges of the page (paper size permitting) making your job
easier. If the imaging area of your output device is too small to display all four edges, a single corner (lower left) is displayed.
In this example, the ruler shows a horizontal distance of 82 points
and a vertical distance of 42 points between the bounding box of the
page and the bounding box of DynaStrip’s layout.
To make a proper page adjustment, we must compensate with a
value of - 82 points in the horizontal field (to move the page to the
left) and a value of - 42 points in the vertical field (to move the page
down). Enter these values and click on Save.
Note: The adjustment value required for a page in mirror printing
(see section 3.2.1) must be inversed since the zero point of a mirror
page is flipped to the lower-right corner.
If the image is not displayed inside the rulers, the image is probably
placed in a larger bounding box (see section 6.2.4).
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6.2.3 Imported Mark Adjustment
Before adjusting the mark (for color bars, etc.), it must first be
defined in the Image Linker menu (see section 4.5.1). The mark
doesn’t need to be placed on the sheet. (It is recommended to use
the DCS format for your custom images to avoid the manual image
adjustments.)
The imported mark adjustment follows the same procedure as the
page adjustment (see section 6.2). Choose the image in the drop
down menu and click on Print mark. DynaStrip will prompt you to
choose a color layer for the adjustment. (If you send the mark
adjustment to a folder instead of directly to the printer, the files will
bear the identification Adj.ps.).
If you work with PDF images and use the PDF output format (see section 6.1.2), a Preview button is available below the Print button.
your image adjustment.
The image adjustment for an imported mark will be saved automatically for all future jobs.
6.2.4 Small pages
If you have to impose very small pages or images, they may not
appear between the page adjustment rulers upon printing your test
pages.
Some applications will center a page with respect to paper size when
creating PostScript files. Others will place it in the upper-left corner.
To check your page position, you can send your PostScript file
directly to the printer and calculate the adjustment according to the
position of the object on the page.
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Position of customer’s PostScript
page (upper-left corner)
Position necessary in order
to be imposed with DynaStrip
(lower-left corner)
The final adjustment can be made with the small rulers.
6.3 Other Adjustments
6.3.1 Creep Adjustment for a Signature
This function (also called shingling) allows compensating for the
apparent push out movement of pages on folded signatures, especially in saddle-stitched publications where each successive signature is folded and placed inside the previous one.
To compensate for this push out movement, each page is printed
with a slightly different offset, closer or farther from the spine.
DynaStrip automatically calculates the adjustment for every page,
based on the values entered in the Pagination Sequence Definition
dialogue (see section 3.2.2), no matter if the spine is vertical or horizontal. A positive value will compensate by moving the image outward and a negative value will move the image inward.
In the layout, an arrow indicates the creep direction for each page.
If the Start value in the Creep section of the Pagination Sequence
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Definition window is set, a double arrow will be displayed on the
pages.
Creep vs. binding
Maximum
Creep
There are two (2) ways that can be used to determine creep value:
1. Enter the Paper Thickness and let DynaStrip calculate it automatically.
2. Manually fold a single booklet with the same kind of paper that
will be used in the final product, take the actual measurement
and enter it in the Maximum creep field.
Supplementary information
The maximum creep can also be calculated by multiplying the paper
thickness by the quantity of pages in the section, then by dividing
the result by 4. The formula always remains the same, but the section of the book that needs to be used to determine the page quantity will change according to the type of binding used.
Example: With a Saddle-Stitched signature the maximum creep
value should be calculated for the entire book. The creep will be
based on the total number of folds effectively found in the book. A
40 pages saddle-stitched booklet printed on a 0.01" thick paper will
need a 0.1" creep adjustment.
Paper thickness x Page Quantity ÷ 4 = Maximum creep
0.01"
x
40
÷4 =
0.1"
Parameters available
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Creep can be adjusted either with a maximum creep value or paper
thickness, the direction of creep and its start value. Finally, you can
set DynaStrip to adjust creep vertically (for calendar jobs).
Choosing Push in (-) results in the movement of the page images
inward toward the spine, with the largest shift on the innermost
pages.
Push out (+) will move the page images outward toward the edge,
with the largest shift on the outermost pages.
Push in (-)
Start value
Push out (+)
Combined Push in / positive Start value effect
The optional Start value works as an offset from which creep will be
computed. It specifies an amount that the pages are to be shifted
prior to DynaStrip’s automatic adjustment for creep (leave this value
set to zero for basic creep compensation).
The Start value will initially move all page images by the same
amount. A positive value will shift images towards the edge and a
negative value will shift pages towards the spine.
The Start value and the basic creep value fields are cumulative. To
obtain a bi-directional creep adjustment, apply a positive Start value
to shift all pages outwards, then apply a Push in creep that equals
twice the Start value.
Example:To obtain a bi-directional adjustment of 0.1“, use a Start
value of 0.1“ and a Push in value of 0.2“. The outermost pages that
are the less affected using a Push in value will result in a 0.1“ creep
adjustment (0.1“ - 0“), and the innermost pages that are the most
affected using a Push in value will end up with a -0.1“ creep adjustment (0.1“ - 0.2“).
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Paper
Printed image
Before adjustment
Static page marks
Start value of +0.1”
applied to all images
Push-in value
max. 0.2” applied
An option in the Pagination Sequence dialogue allows the page
marks and page trims outline to follow the creep adjustment or to
remain static (see section 3.2.2). The current default behaviour of
DynaStrip is to move the marks with the creep adjustment. The user
will have to check the option Static Page Marks to let the marks
position unchanged.
The following illustration shows the behaviour of the page marks at
the output when they move with the creep.
If the sheets must be cut in sections using these page marks before
folding, this will result in a misalignment of the pages for the folding process. As we can see in the following figure, to the left, it is
not possible to align the center properly to fold them together due
to their different sizes.
When marks move with creep
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When marks remain static
Spine fold
Folding machine guide
Spine fold
Folding machine guide
On the other hand, if the page marks remain static it will give the
needed information to execute a first cut on the sheet before the
folding. This way the folding machine can assemble and fold the
booklet on the spine properly as shown to the right in the above figure.
The option will be applied to all signatures related to the pagination
sequence.
6.3.2 Prevent Creep Adjustment for a Page
The creep adjustment is calculated globally for the entire signature.
You might want to prevent the creep adjustment on particular pages,
for example to adjust a spread on two facing pages (crossover).
In Page Mode or Signature Mode, select the Prevent Creep icon and
click on the page on which you want to remove the creep adjustment. A red bar appears on the inner edge of the page, indicating
that the creep adjustment will not be made for this page.
To remove the red bar and return to normal creep adjustment, select
the Prevent Creep icon and click on the page again.
You can also prevent the creep adjustment on a selection of pages
(front and back). In Page Mode, select the pages so they are highlighted in red and click on the Prevent Creep icon. The function will
apply on both sides of the pages.
To remove the red bars and return to normal creep adjustment, select
the pages and click on the Prevent Creep icon.
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6.3.3 Bottling and Fanning Templates
Bottling and/or fanning values applied to signature pages with the
Move Offset action (see section 2.3.7) and the Rotate Offset action
(see section 2.3.10) can be saved as a template and applied later to
any other signature having the same structure (columns and rows).
To save a template, go to Signature mode, select the Save Offset Template icon and click on the signature from which you want to save
the values. DynaStrip will offer you to save bottling (rotation) and/
or fanning (shifting) values. The anchor point selected for the page
rotation will also be saved.
The template file will have the extension .btf.
To load a template, go to Signature mode. Select the Load Offset Template icon and click on the signature to which you want to apply the
template, then select the template file. DynaStrip will offer you to
import bottling (rotation) and/or fanning (shifting) values.
Bottling and/or fanning values can also be part of a text file and
loaded at output time (see section 6.3.4).
6.3.4 Automatic Offset Reading from a File
Possible applications
DynaStrip permits you to load at once page offsets (movement, scale
and rotation), even for each individual colors (in Separation mode
only). There are lots of variations and uses one can find for this feature such as:
• non-linear web growth,
• two-way creep (horizontal and vertical),
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193
• fanning and bottling,
• compensation for any press discrepancies.
Since this feature reads simple text files, the values could be generated from an in-house application.
Note: The values are read only at output time and the offsets are not
displayed on the design window. Still, a message will warn the operator whenever such a file is detected, updated and/or applied.
Text file creation
The text file must bear the name <job name> (coladj).txt and must
be saved in the job folder. For example, an offset file for a job called
MyJob would be named MyJob (coladj).txt.
Each page adjustment must be typed on a separate line. Parameters
are separated with comas and appear in the following order:
• Document list number.
• Color name. In composite jobs, the color attribute is no used and
can be omitted by simply leaving it blank (,,).
• Page number. Not all pages need to be listed, if they don't need
to be adjusted. Still, in a separation job, all colors of a page must
be specified if the page is to be moved on all its colors.
• Horizontal offset (in points).
• Vertical offset (in points).
• Horizontal scale (decimal value).
• Vertical scale (decimal value).
• Anchor point number (from 0 to 8, as shown in the image
below). This parameter is required only if a rotation offset is
defined.
• Rotation offset (in degrees). This parameter is optional. A positive value rotates the page counterclockwise and a negative value
rotates the page clockwise.
Anchor point numbers
Front
Back
0 1 2
2 1 0
3 4 5
5 4 3
6 7 8
8 7 6
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Adjustments given in the file are cumulative with those already set
in DynaStrip layout, except for the bottling value. In this case, the
adjustment given in the text file will override other values given in
the interface (unless the value in the file is set to 0).
The file must be deleted or renamed in order to cancel all adjustments.
6.4 Troubleshooting
The majority of DynaStrip errors are documented by precise and selfexplanatory error messages. Many error types are due to a relocation
of a file or a folder, or to a network connexion problem. Below are
some common problems with their possible cause and correction.
Layout-related problems
Possible causes
Corrections
The “Pagination
sequence” option of the
“Copy sheet” function is
grayed out.
The sheet template is not ready
for the automatic calculation.
Ensure that:
•There is only one sheet in the
job.
•There is only one signature on
the sheet.
•The signature has page numbers.
•A pagination sequence is
linked to the signature and its
definition includes the total
number of pages.
A sheet template causes a
DSIL error when loaded.
The template was made with a
full version and it is loaded into
a demo version.
The demo version is encoded
and not compatible with registered versions. Redo the sheet
template using the same version
of DynaStrip.
A custom pagination is
not calculated correctly
by DynaStrip.
The pagination sequence and
folding template do not match
with DynaStrip algorithms.
Paginate manually and use the
“Creep only” binding type. The
pages will not be renumbered
and the creep correction will be
made based on the page numbers.
The message “Not all
pages can be assigned
automatically to a signature ” occurs when applying the pagination.
The total number of pages in
the pagination sequence definition is not a multiple of the
number of pages in the signature (or half signature).
Change the number of pages in
the pagination sequence definition. (You can add blank pages
in the imposition index.)
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Layout-related problems
Possible causes
Corrections
My imported mark displays with a red X on the
layout.
The image is not available in the
library.
Open the Imported Mark Definition window. The name of the
image will be listed with an
asterisk in the Image drop down
menu. Select it and re-link the
file by clicking on New.
Index-related problems
Possible causes
Corrections
The message “Unable to
automatically assign filter
to all documents in the
list” occurs.
The filter can not be properly
detected by the filter advisor.
Select a filter manually.
The pages are not found
during indexation (error
NPF).
DynaStrip cannot find the number of pages in the PS files since
the document file is not page
independent.
Redo the PS file using “Page
Independence” or “Optimize for
portability” in the printer setup
(PostScript options).
The wrong filter has been
applied.
Try the filter advisor by selecting DETECT in the filter list, or
apply another parent filter manually.
The appropriate filter is not
present in your folder.
Go to the “Updates & Filters”
section of Dynagram web site to
download the latest filters.
If the above corrections do not
resolve the problem, contact
Dynagram support.
The message “Unable to
read the source file’s
header” occurs during the
page adjustment.
The color selected for the
adjustment does not exist in the
test page.
Select another color or do the
page adjustment using another
test page.
Output-related problems
Possible causes
Corrections
The job does not output,
or the sheets output as
thumbnails.
The “Configuration” in the
“Output Device” window is not
appropriate. (This configuration
determines if the imaging area
is defined before or after the
prolog in the output PS file.)
In the “Output Device” window,
select the alternate Configuration (Default or Older RIPs).
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Possible causes
Corrections
A job ticket is not produced.
All the pages are not paginated.
Paginate all the pages before the
creation of the jt.
Only the layout prints.
The document files are not present.
Create the imposition index for
the job.
The “Page” object type was not
selected in the “Printable
Objects” list.
Select the “Page” object type in
the list.
“Layout only” is checked in the
“Output Parameters” window.
Unselect “Layout only”.
The pages were placed on different sheet layers or on inexisting
color layers.
Edit the pages to place them on
the appropriate layers, and
select these layers for printing.
The object type was not selected
in the “Printable Objects” list.
Select the object type in the
list.
The object was placed on sheet
layers or on color layers not
selected for output.
Edit the object to place it on the
appropriate layers, and select
these layers for printing.
The color was not selected in
the color list for printing.
Select the color in the “Output
Parameters” window.
The color was matched to
another one (and does not
appear in the color list for
printing).
Unmatch the color in the “Color
Table” window.
The “center image” option is not
selected in the “Page adjustment” menu.
Select the “center image”
option.
The PS file was not made correctly with the center image
option (available in certain
applications).
Redo the PS file or do a manual
page adjustment.
The pages are rotated
with 90 degrees.
A landscape image was printed
on a landscape paper format
(certain applications will force
the paper orientation).
Redo the PS file using a larger
paper size and the portrait orientation.
Tiling does not work.
There is no tiling break on the
layout.
Add tiling breaks on the sheet
layout.
Tiling is not selected in the
“Output Device” window.
Select “Allow Tiling” in the
“Output Device” window.
An object does not print.
A color flat does not
print.
The page is not centered.
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Possible causes
Corrections
Tiles are not selected for printing in the “Output Parameters”
window.
Select the tiles to print in the
“Output Parameters” window.
Tiles are not placed correctly on the film.
Tiling breaks do not fit the
media size.
Move the tiling breaks on the
layout or adjust each tile position in the “Flat Position” menu
in the “Output Device” window.
The gripper is not wide
enough.
The layout was not designed
adequately for the output
device.
Move up the signature on the
sheet, or give a vertical offset to
the sheet in the “Flat Position”
menu in the “Output Device”
window.
7th Chapter
Imposition Styles,
Workflow Integration,
Job Ticket Flow
7.1 Imposition Styles
7.1.1 Step & Repeat Signatures
Step & Repeat jobs can be done much faster using the Signature Definition window, instead of adding and positioning individual pages
one by one.
Step & Repeat properties
in the Signature Definition
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In the Signature Definition window, complete the following fields for
Step & Repeat properties:
• Step & Repeat: Enter the pagination number for the front and for
the back. If you have only one page in the job, use page number 1.
• Display Page Marks in all Gutters : Activating this function will
display all page marks in the gutters.
• Page cache: If this function is activated, forms will be used for ripping, which means that the same Step & Repeat page will be RIPed
only once during output. The size of the PostScript output file will
also be significantly reduced. This option is not supported by all
applications and RIPs.
• The Maximum format button will suggest a way to place the maximum number of pages on the sheet, based on the page size and
the space between rows and columns. (If one of these values is
changed, click again to recalculate.)
If there is no back page, choose Single Side Visibility in the Signature
Definition and place the signature only on the front of the sheet.
You can rotate pages on the sheet or create a second Step & Repeat
signature with the same pagination number to fill in your press
sheet.
Step & Repeat job (same job placed on the sheet using two signatures)
7.1.2 Ganging of Jobs
In DynaStrip, you can gang completely different jobs, with any style
of imposition, on the same press sheets. This can be done very easily
with the following features:
• Mixing of PostScript files from different applications and platforms for indexing (see section 3.3).
• Multiple page, signature and even sheet formats in the same
job.
• Multiple pagination sequences (Saddle-Stitched, Perfect Bound,
Step & Repeat) in the same job (see section 3.2.2).
• Automatic calculation of pages for all jobs at once (see section
3.2.3).
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• Multiple document lists which allow the pagination of each job
from page 1, each sequence being displayed in its own color (see
section 3.3.5).
• Color Match which redirects the same color, having different
names, to the same plate for printing (see section 5.2.2).
• Slug lines that can be linked to signatures (and not only to
sheets) for accurate identification of jobs (see section 4.7.2).
• Sheet layers that allow the distribution of jobs to their own specific layer for selective viewing and printing (see section 5.1).
Ganging of signatures (with different document lists)
Ganging of Step & Repeat jobs
First Step & Repeat job
(front only)
Second Step & Repeat job
(front only)
7.1.3 Nesting of Pages
Because of DynaStrip’s page placing flexibility, you can easily manage packaging jobs, provided that the application files are correctly
made and have a transparent background, when necessary. (Most of
the time, EPS and DCS files have a transparent background.)
DynaStrip’s following features will be helpful for easy nesting:
• Multiple page formats in the same job.
• Step & Repeat option or Signature Definition to position pages
(unselect the automatic Page Marks option to avoid unexpected
marks and place them manually, in Page Mode).
• Allow page overlap to prevent the cropping of the pages if using
image nesting in signatures (see section 6.1.1).
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• Flexible placement and rotation of the pages using the Move
icon (you can use negative distance values for easy overlapping
of pages) (see section 2.3.5 and 2.3.8).
• Anamorphic scaling of pages (with different horizontal and vertical percentage), which is useful in flexography (see section
2.3.1).
• Sheet layers for page superimposing (see section 5.1).
• Raster Mode (depending on your workflow) to preview your pages
directly within DynaStrip layout (see section 3.4).
Nesting of pages in two superimposed Step & Repeat signatures
7.1.4 Multi-Web Printing
Printing on multi-web presses requires a special pagination since two
or more printed sheets are folded together at the final assembly.
DynaStrip offers three different methods for the pagination of multiweb jobs.
• The first method of automatic multi-web pagination is recommended for standard jobs, for example two- or three-web signatures repeated throughout the job.
• The second method, mostly recommended for newspaper printers,
provides an algorithm to automatically paginate saddle-stitched
jobs with any number of partial webs at any position (web side
and sheet rank).
• The third method paginates stacked multi-web templates. It is
convenient when assembling irregular booklets, for example, a
double-web, a web-and-a-half, a triple-web, etc. When all pre-pag-
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inated templates are stacked on the light table, the pagination is
then incremented for the entire job.
Automatic Pagination
The multi-web function in the Pagination Sequence Definition dialogue (see section 3.2.2) ensures the automatic calculation of multiweb pagination for all the sheets.
Multi-web function
Play button for
animated preview
DynaStrip supports printing for any number of webs. When creating
your pagination sequence, simply enter the required number of
webs. The number of pages is also required.
For double-web, different automatic modes are available in the drop
down menu. You can have an animated preview for each mode by
clicking on the Play button.
• Sheet on sheet (default): A signature is placed on top of another
and both are folded together.
• Cut in half, left on right: The signature is cut in half, the part
including the first column (left-most or lowest) is placed on top of
the other half and then both are folded together.
• Cut in half, right on left: The signature is cut in half, the part
including the last column (right-most or highest) is placed on top
of the other half and then both are folded together.
• Cut in half, bottom on top: The signature is cut in half, the part
including the first row (lowest or left-most) is placed on top of the
other half and then both are folded together.
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• Cut in half, top on bottom: The signature is cut in half, the part
including the last row (highest or right-most) is placed on top of
the other half and then both are folded together.
For any other mode than the default sheet on sheet, you must define
page numbers as if each half had its own folding template.
Example Create a folding template for a 4 x 2 signature for doubleweb, using the Cut in half, left on right, mode.
The layout will be:
When all signatures in the sequence are properly prepared, you are
ready to apply an automatic pagination.
The page increment option of the Copy Sheet menu can be used to
paginate imposition jobs with custom or irregular folding patterns
DynaStrip also offers complete and flexible slug lines for signature
identification (see section 4.7.2).
Partial-Web Algorithm
This method allows the user to automatically paginate an entire
multi-web job with any number of sheets, any number of partial
webs and any configuration (half-web, quarter-web, etc.) by using
the same single sheet template and same plate size.
In order for the partial-web algorithm to correctly paginate the job,
all sheets must have the same signature structure (same number of
rows and columns) with “used” and “unused” pages for the creation
of partial webs.
This method is mostly used by newspaper printers where all the
sheets and partial sheets are stacked and folded together. It is sometimes called multi-web saddle-stitched.
Automatically paginated partial-web templates can also be used as
multi-sheet templates in future jobs (see Stacking Multi-Web Templates below).
To paginate a job using the partial-web algorithm, follow these
steps:
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• In the Pagination Sequence Definition window, select SaddleStitched binding and Partial Web from the Multi-web scroll down
menu (the First page and Creep values may be modified as well).
• Build the entire layout on the light table by copying the same
basic sheet template as many times as required to cover the entire
job.
• Remove “unused” pages on partial-web sheets by paginating them
as “0” on both the front and back sides. Only pages on the partialweb side must remain paginated. (You can apply the same page
number “0” to a selection of pages. In Page Mode, Command + drag
to select the pages. When pages are highlighted in red, click on
the Page numbers icon. Enter the page number “0” for the front
and back and click on OK.)
• Finally, click on the Apply Pagination Sequence(s) icon to paginate
the entire job. DynaStrip’s algorithm will paginate by skipping
empty pages on partial-web sheets.
Complete Web
Half Web
Half Web
Complete Web
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Note: The first sheet of each booklet will be used as a master for the
folding pattern, therefore, it must remain complete with all page
numbers.
Stacking Multi-web
Templates
This method allows the user to stack any combination of multi-web
booklets that were saved as multi-sheet templates.
Each template that is loaded in DynaStrip forms a pre-paginated
booklet. When assembled in the job, the booklet folding will not be
modified but page numbers will be incremented according to the
booklet’s rank in the job.
To paginate a job containing multi-web booklets, follow these steps:
• Booklets must first be paginated and saved as multi-sheet templates (see section 2.1.9). You may use the Saddle-stitched partialweb algorithm described above to calculate the initial booklet pagination.
• In a new job, list all the templates to be imported in the Import
sheet dialogue (see section 2.1.10). If you have 5 booklets in the
job, you should have 5 entries in the list. Click OK.
• For each imported template, the Pagination Sequence Attribution
window will open. Select the Link signatures to different pagination sequences option.
• This will, in turn, open the Signature Found window. Assign each
template (and all signatures it contains) to a different pagination
sequence (template 1 to sequence 1, template 2 to sequence 2,
etc.). When all the templates are attributed, the resulting job will
be displayed in the design window.
• The last step is to go to the Pagination Sequence Definition window and define Creep Only binding for each pagination sequence
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and activate the Continue numbering from previous sequence radio
button. (To access additional pagination sequences, click on the
More sequences check box at the bottom-left of the Job Definition
dialogue).
• Once this is complete, return to the design window and click on
the Apply Pagination icon. The entire job will be paginated automatically.
Multi-Sheet Template 1
Sheets 1, 2, 3 & 4
Pagination Sequence 1
Sheets 5, 6 & 7
Sheets 8 & 9
7.2 Workflow Integration
DynaStrip easily adapts to most workflows whether they use EPS, ICF,
JDF, PDF, PJTF or PS formats. Among other systems, DynaStrip integrates with:
- ApogeeX by AGFA
- Brisque® by Creo
- Celebrant® by Fujifilm
- Crescendo® by ArtQuest
- Nexus® by Artwork Systems
- Odystar® by Artwork Systems
- PageFlow® by Artwork Systems
- PrePage-it® by Polkadots
- Prinergy® by Creo
- Rampage® by Rampage Systems
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- Twist & Swing® by Dalim
- Xenith® by Xitron
Technical specification sheets for easy integration with these workflow systems are available for download on Dynagram web site
(www.dynagram.com/workflow).
7.2.1 Generic PS workflow
The color-separated PostScript workflow is the most traditional environment for electronic imposition. Most of DynaStrip functionnalities are supported in this environment.
DynaStrip accepts PS files from almost any application and platform.
New filters can be issued upon request. To know more about PS files
and application filters, see section 3.3.1.
To output PS files, select PS format in the Output Device window (see
section 6.1.2).
7.2.2 Generic PDF workflow
DynaStrip accepts PDF (or PDF/IT) files in and creates PDF files out
without converting to PostScript at any time during the process. If
you are imposing composite PDF files in & out, the color separation
must be made during the ripping process, if necessary.
PDF files can be displayed directly in the layout using Raster Mode
function (see section 3.4.2).
DynaStrip supports PDF 1.3 trap network annotations used by
Adobe® Extreme® PDF Trapper technology.
DynaStrip also supports pre-separated PDF documents in & out,
both in editable and non-editable mode. Select Separations color
environment instead of Composite, so the number of pages and the
color names are detected by the PDFIn/Out filter. Separated PDF
imposition files include labels for flat identification when read in
Acrobat®.
Imposition Index and
Color Management
• All the job components must be in PDF format, including images
(color bars, etc.).
• PDF files must not be encrypted (using Document Security option
in Acrobat®).
• You can build the document list and use the Filter Advisor as
usual. The special PDFIn/Out application filter can detect the
color components within the pages and images, so the colors can
be identified and applied to other objects created in DynaStrip.
• The colors found in PDF files (pages or imported marks) can be
matched as long as they are in a compatible PDF color environment (see section 5.2.6).
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• In PDF composite environment, text tags variables <compcolor>
and <compcolorlist> can be used to identify color components
after in-RIP separation (see section 7.2.3).
• You can use the color layers feature to place DynaStrip marks on a
specific color (see section 5.3.1). For example, you may want to
place a collating mark on the black layer only to prevent ink
build-up.
• For each file, the PDFIn/Out filter also recognizes the PDF version
or flavour (1.3, 1.6, PDF/X, etc.). The information is displayed in
the Document List window once the files are indexed.
• PDF pages are normally centered, but any page adjustment can be
made the same way as if using PostScript files. Acrobat® can be
launched from DynaStrip to view the adjustment file (see section
6.2.2).
• LZW compression for line arts and text will not be supported if the
PDF page has more than one content (and thus needs to be
uncompressed).
Output
• Select PDF format in the Output Device window (see section 6.1.2).
• The Pages will be editable check box of the Output Device window
allows to create PDF imposition output files that are optimized for
editing. This means that instead of keeping the pages as the
smallest object in the signature, DynaStrip will parcel out and distribute the objects contained in all the pages onto the same level,
in order to facilitate their selection for last-minute corrections.
Using this option, the file size may be slightly bigger. Some PDF
files will not stand this parceling out and the imposition will not
open in Acrobat®. In such cases, simply deselect the option.
• The memory reserved for the decompression during output can be
defined in the Preferences menu (see section 1.1.7).
• The Configuration menu of the Output Device window offers the
ability to output a variety of PDF versions in order to comply with
PDF output devices’ requirements.
• The resulting PDF file(s) can be previewed by launching Acrobat®
(Preview button). The Preview uses the same selections as the regular output, but activates the Group All option, so all the flats are
seen in the same pdf file as consecutive pages. It is possible to
print from Acrobat® since the output device and plate definition
adjustments are reflected in the preview file.
• PDF images (color bars, etc.) should not be modified on the PDF
imposition, due to the repetition capability of the Imported mark
object.
• PDF/IT imposition files should not be subsequently modified
before going to the output device. The PDF/IT format is used in
ArtQuest workflows in order to render the document files more
predictable. When using the PDF/IT format, you may want to
increase the decompression memory in the Preferences menu (see
section 1.1.7).
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7.2.3 Typical Composite EPS Workflow:
Rampage® ROOM by Rampage Systems
Note: This workflow system is used as an illustration only. For more
details, or to get information about any other specific system, refer
to product integration sheets at www.dynagram.com/workflow.
In the Rampage® workflow, the files are pre-RIPed and the low-resolution FPO’s files are used for the imposition. The high resolution
files are swapped later in the flow.
.
Generic schema of a pre-ripping workflow
imposition
using
low-res files
EPS
Preflight
PS
RIP
PDF
Trapping
low-res files
+
hi-res files
SERVER
Hi-res
swap
Output
Layout
• You can preview your FPO’s files directly within DynaStrip layout,
using the Raster Mode with LZW decompression option (see section
3.4). If the FPO pages were rasterized in landscape orientation and
your imposition plan is portrait oriented, the images will not display correctly. To get a correct preview, check that the Rampage®
format is selected in the Output Device window (this prevents the
rotation of the pages), and apply a 90 degree rotation to the
sheet using the Rotate icon (in Sheet mode). Rotate back the layout in portrait orientation for output.
Color Management
• The Composite environment option (in the Job Definition window)
must be selected. It forces the marks, text tags and other objects
created by DynaStrip to output as real composite objects (see section 1.2.1).
• A special application filter can detect the color components
within the composite pages so the colors can be identified and
applied to other objects created in DynaStrip.
DynaStrip also features two special text tag variables to display the
proper color names in the text tags (see section 4.7.8). You can
choose one of them depending on your own needs. These variables
can only be understood by a RIP level 2 or higher.
• <compcolor>: The text tag will create only one field for all the
colors found in the job. After the color separation, the color name
will be correctly displayed in this field, on its own plate. However,
if the sheet must be previewed in composite mode, all the color
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names will be displayed on top of each other and will be difficult
to read.
magenta:
MAGENTA
composite:
MAGENTA
YELLOW
BLACK
CYAN
• <compcolorlist>: The text tag will create one field for each color
found in the job. After the color separation, the color name will be
correctly displayed on its own field and on its own plate, whereas
the other color fields will create blank spaces in the text tag. If
the sheet is previewed in composite mode, all the color names will
be listed in their own respective field.
Output
magenta:
MAGENTA
composite: CYAN
MAGENTA
YELLOW
BLACK
• The EPS format option (in the Output Device window) allows to
send the sheets as EPS files (see section 6.1.2). For Rampage system, it is important to select Rampage® format in the Output
Device window, instead of EPS. This option prevents the rotation
of the pages, should the plate rotate to best fit the media during
output. (In Rampage workflow, the orientation of the pre-RIPed
pages must not change. The pages must always be RIPed with the
final output orientation.)
.
Orientation of
the RIPed pages
Output -90°
DynaStrip layout (only the layout rotates)
• Choose Default as the Configuration.
Restrictions
• Page rotation, other than 90° or 180°, should not be used.
• Anamorphic scaling (page or plate) is not supported.
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7.2.4 Typical Separated EPS Workflow:
PageFlow® / Nexus® by Artwork Systems
In Artwork Systems PageFlow®, the files are pre-RIPed and the resulting low-resolution link files are used for the imposition. The high
resolution files are swapped later in the flow. Nexus® is the second
generation of PageFlow® system.
Layout
• You can preview your EPS link files (Windows 8 or 24 bit) directly
within DynaStrip layout, using the Raster Mode function (see section 3.4).
.
Link file preview
using Raster Mode
Color Management
• In the Job Definition window, always choose the Separations color
environment, even if the link files are composite. This will ensure
the correct color detection in the files.
• A special filter will find the number of pages and the color names
in the job.
• Images used as Imported marks should be color separated (PS or
DCS2 format).
• You can use the Color variable to identify the plate colors within
text tags.
Output
• When creating an output device, select the PageFlow®/Nexus® format. This profile will automatically override any settings for the
following options, in order to ensure the creation of compliant
output files:
- It will output in PostScript format.
- It will enforce Default as the Configuration.
- It will group colors for output (Group colors option in the Flat
Grouping menu).
- It will enforce the Use PlateColor comment option (Special Features menu).
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- It will enforce the Ignore source PlateColor comment option
(Special Features menu).
- It will also use shorter names in the files (internal names only).
• The workflow line screen, resolution, dot shape, etc. can be controlled in the Special Features menu using PPD Features (see section 6.1.2).
.
7.2.5 Typical PJTF Workflow:
Prinergy® by Creo
to product integration sheets at www.dynagram.com.
For each job, Prinergy® workflow only needs an imposition plan (in
PDF and job ticket formats) that will be merged with the PDF document files later in the job process.
In DynaStrip, the procedure for the creation of this imposition layout is the same as for standard PostScript imposition. However, since
the imposition layout is created in parallel, without the support of
the document files, you must ensure that the imposition plan perfectly matches the actual job contents.
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(Adaptated from a Prinergy® schema)
Layout
• The sheet size must be equal to the output device’s imaging area.
• The job layout must be complete with all the necessary sheets,
and all the pages must be paginated.
• Use only one signature per sheet. However, sheets can be merged
later in Prinergy® flow.
Color Management
• In the Job Definition window, choose the Composite color environment.
• The document files are not indexed within DynaStrip. The total
number of pages in the layout must correspond to the actual number of pages in the document files.
• Imported marks (color bar, etc.) must be in PDF format.
• Linear marks, register marks, collating marks, and text tags can be
placed on single or all color components, using color layers (see
section 5.3.1).
• You can manually build the color table to ensure the correct color
separation for these marks. The color name entered in the color
table must be the exact color name used by Prinergy®.
Output
• Select PJTF in the Output Device window.
• Choose PDF1.3, PDF1.4 or PDF1.5 as the Configuration and select
your Prinergy destination folder.
• Instead of using the Image Area field, DynaStrip will automatically
use the sheet size. (The sheet size must always be equal to the
imaging area.)
• For each job, DynaStrip will output:
- One job ticket file (extension .jt).
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- One PDF file containing all imposition marks and imported
marks.
Restrictions
• Tiling and distance tags are not supported.
• Plate Setups are available. Different plate definitions can be used
simultaneously, but the output device must be common to all
active plate setups, in order to produce only one job ticket file.
• Automatic offset reading from a file (see section 6.3.4) can be used
except for scaling values, since non-linear web growth is not supported by Prinergy®.
7.2.6 Typical JDF Workflow
Note: The following workflow system is used as an illustration only.
For more details, or to get information about any other specific system, refer to product integration sheets on www.dynagram.com.
Layout
JDF impositions can be populated or not with document files. DynaStrip’s flexible architecture allows for the creation of an entirely to
scale imposition mold, as well as a color table, without using dummy
pages or file placeholders.
• The imposition plan should perfectly match the actual job contents.
• The sheet (or plate) size must be equal to the output device’s
imaging area.
Color Management
• Choose the Composite color environment.
• When populated with single-page PDF documents, DynaStrip can
read source file names to automatically build the imposition index
• In populated jobs, you can also benefit from DynaStrip’s directlayout PDF preview using the Raster Mode function. PDF pages
(not thumbnails) are displayed in the layout, allowing for accurate
proofing when zooming in at any percentage (see section 3.4.2).
• Imported marks (color bar, etc.) must be in PDF format.
• Linear marks, register marks, collating marks and text tags can be
placed on single or all color components, using color layers.
• You can manually build the color table to ensure the correct color
separation for these marks. The color name entered in the color
table must be the exact color name used by the workflow.
Output
• In the Output Device window, select the format JDF to RIP/Image
setting devices.
• Click on the JDF Options button to define JDF settings (see section
6.1.6).
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- Select the JDF version (most likely JDF 1.2) and ICS compliance
level (most likely ICS-Compliant RIP) to adapt to your workflow
system.
- Choose Detailed layouts for source pages.
- Other settings may vary depending on your worfklow system.
- Close the dialogue.
• Choose the Configuration (PDF version), and select your destination folder.
• Instead of using the Image Area field, DynaStrip will automatically
use the sheet size (or the plate size if plate setups are used.)
• For each job, DynaStrip will output two files at once: one JDF file
and one PDF file. The JDF file includes the imposition mold. The
PDF file contains all imposition marks, as well as imported PDF
marks.
7.2.7 Typical ICF Workflow:
Brisque® by Creo
Brisque® system for AIX first rasterizes the document files into CT/
LW pages. Each page has its own folder which contains the CT and LW
files for each color. DynaStrip reads the page folders in order to find
the number of pages in the job. There is no document file involved in
the imposition process. The positioning of the pages is controlled by
the ICF (Imposition Control File) that is created by DynaStrip during
output.
Layout
• The sheet size must be equal to the output device’s imaging area.
• Use only one signature per sheet.
• A pagination sequence must be attached to the signature and
must indicate the number of pages in the job. The pagination
sequence None should be avoided.
• EPS composite imported marks can be used. The rasterized version
of the marks, in LW format must have the same name and be
placed in the Markers folder on the Brisque® DFE. This folder must
also be identified in DynaStrip’s Preferences menu (see section
1.1.7).
• DynaStrip’s register marks can be defined as usual but will print as
squares instead of circles.
• Collating marks can be fully customized but will use Brisque®
default font format (6pt). Before you can use DynaStrip collating
marks, the EPS image files in the DynaStrip:BrisqueMarks folder
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must be ripped and placed in the Markers:Plate folder on the Brisque® DFE.
• The number of text tags per sheet is restricted and may depend on
the available memory. The text tags will output with a fixed font
size.
• In the text tags, the Brisque® variables $Color, $Date, and $ScitexName are supported. Simply type them in the text field of the Text
Tag Definition window (see section 4.7.1).
Color Management
• In the Job Definition window, choose the Composite color environment.
• Make sure that ICF (Brisque®) is selected in the Output Device Definition window. This will enable the use of folders in the document
list.
• Instead of adding the files into the document list, simply select
the job folder. DynaStrip’s special filter will detect all the page
sub-directories and will automatically fill up the document list.
• If the job is spread in many different folders, you can drag & drop
a selection of folders from the Finder into the document list.
• In most cases, the color table is useless.
Output
• When creating an output profile, select ICF (Brisque®) in the Output Device Definition window.
• Choose Default as the Configuration and select your destination
folder on the DFE.
• The pages are usually centered. You can still adjust a page manually by first disabling the Center image option. In the page adjustment file, the page will display in the upper-left corner of the
imaging area. The manual adjustment can be made as usual by giving vertical and horizontal offset values (see section 6.2).
• For each job, DynaStrip will output one Imposition Control File
(extension .icf).
• Plate Setups are available. Different plate definitions can be used
simultaneously, but the output device must be common to all
active plate setups, in order to produce only one ICF file.
Restrictions
The following DynaStrip’s features should not be used with Brisque®
system:
- density bar,
- distance tag,
- tiling,
- sheet layers,
- anamorphic scaling of any kind,
- plate scaling or rotation,
- mark rotation.
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7.2.8 Typical Workflow Using Job Ticket Flow Module:
Odystar® by Artwork Systems
Odystar is a PDF workflow solution running on OS X that offers a
range of prepress tools, including an automated imposition component that uses DynaStrip’s Job Ticket Flow module (see section 7.3).
The Job Ticket Flow Manager monitors incoming Odystar job tickets
and triggers the imposition engine to produce PDF imposition files
that are forwarded to the workflow.
7.3 Job Ticket Flow
7.3.1 Overview
Job Ticket Flow is a XML job ticket module* that adapts to thirdparty workflow systems for the automation of imposition tasks.
The client interface that generates the job ticket is part of the workflow system. DynaStrip’s Job Ticket Flow Manager presents a console
interface that links the workflow to DynaStrip, which is used in the
background as an imposition engine.
When the Job Ticket Flow Manager is activated, it looks for incoming
job tickets in a hot folder, reads instructions in XML format and triggers DynaStrip to automatically impose and output the job without
* Job Ticket Flow is a dongle-protected optional module. Please contact Dynagram
Sales for more information about this product.
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user intervention. DynaStrip can work from sheet templates wich
will be copied to create all the sheets required for the specific job, or
from job templates that already have the required amount of sheets.
Below is the typical dataflow:
• Source documents are placed in a job folder.
• DynaStrip job or sheet templates and output parameters files are
made available in their respective location.
• The Job Ticket Flow Manager is placed in a waiting status for
incoming files.
• The job ticket file generated by the workflow is saved into the job
hot folder. It mainly identifies all job components, in XML format:
- source documents,
- page adjustment values (optional)
- imposition job or sheet template (DynaStrip working files or JDF
formats),
- if a sheet template is used, other information for job assembly
such as number of pages, binding type, creep value, etc.
- output device file,
- plate definition file (optional),
- destination folder.
• The Job Ticket Flow Manager reads the job ticket and launches DynaStrip engine.
• In the background, DynaStrip indexes source documents (detects
pages, and map colors), builds the imposition structure, and sends
resulting imposition files to the specified destination.
• The Job Ticket Flow Manager console reports the progress status
and displays any error message.
7.3.2 Job Ticket Flow Manager interface
Click on the Job Ticket Flow icon of the Functions toolbar to open the
Job Ticket Flow Manager. You can also select Run Job Ticket Flow from
the Tools menu.
If you are using DynaStrip in an automated job ticket environment,
you may wish to open Job Ticket Flow Manager each time DynaStrip
application is launched. To do so, select Run Job Ticket Flow at
startup from the Tools menu and define all the preferences. If the
folder locations are not defined, the Job Ticket Flow Manager will
remain on hold. DynaStrip’s main interface remains available at any
time by closing the Job Ticket Flow Manager.
Preferences
Before using the Job Ticket Flow module, you must define general
preferences. Click on the Preferences button to open the Job Ticket
Flow Preferences window.
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Browse and select the default locations for the job ticket hot folder
(i.e. where the XML file will be saved) and for temporary work files.
These temporary job files, including the document list, can be reopened afterwards in DynaStrip’s main window.
Output devices and Plate definitions are located in their default DynaStrip folders (Output devices and Plate setups). Other paths for job
or sheet templates and output destination must be defined in the
XML file.
The After processing... options allow the user to delete and/or move
the XML file to the output folder and/or to delete the temporary job
work files.
Note: You may not wish to delete the temoporary job work files if
you must correct or output the document manually.
Click OK to return to the Manager window.
Console
Select Run (or click on the icon) to get the green light and place Job
Ticket Flow in a waiting status for incoming job tickets in the hot
folder. XML files can also be dragged and dropped on the console to
start the imposition.
Once the job is processed, imposition files are saved in the destination folder. The job ticket is deleted or moved to the destination
folder according to the selected preference.
The console reports the job progress status. Should an error occur, it
will be displayed in the log window and the job ticket file will
remain in the hot folder. The log file is also saved in DynaStrip’s
folder.
Automatic
Color Matching
When selected in the DynaStrip Preferences window, this option
ensures that the colors in the color table are matched to the colors
in the imported mark (see section 1.1.7).
The resulting imported mark will contain as many colors as matched
in the color table. However, if the imported mark contains more colors than the job requires, the excess colors will remain empty.
In the Job Ticket Flow mode, the color match is applied at every output. This means that old matches are replaced.
8th Chapter:
DynaStream
About DynaStream,
Job Preparation
DynaStream Configuration
Naming convention method,
List in text file method
8.1 About DynaStream
DynaStream is mandatory for printing applications such as newspapers or magazines, where document files arrive in any order and at
different times. It can also be very useful for better third-party
workflow integration.
With DynaStream, the jobs are being built up as usual, but instead of
waiting for all document files to be ready to create a document list,
manually merge the pages in the sheet layout, and then send the job
to the output device, DynaStream automatically creates the imposition index for the job and initiates output actions.
It is possible to exit the automatic process and return to normal output mode at any time.
Note that DynaStream is a feature that is available only if you have
the required dongle activation key. (see section 1.1.10).
DynaStream offers two automation methods. The first one uses a
naming convention, the second one uses a list in a text file.
The first method (see section 8.4) uses the source document file
names. When the files are placed in the hot folder, DynaStream automatically indexes the files, matches the file names with page numbers in the signature and outputs the job. When creating the
document files, the operator (or the workflow system) must include
the page numbers in the names, according to the convention
described in section 8.4.
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The second method (see section 8.5) can be used when the file
names and number of pages are known. A simple text file must be
created to list the job’s document files. When the document files are
placed in the hot folder, DynaStream reads the text file to automatically assign the pages and output the job.
8.2 Job Preparation
Before entering the DynaStream module, it is important to ensure
that all job components are prepared for this automatic process.
There are general types of configurations to do for all jobs and there
are other more specific issues such as page adjustment that should
be considered only when needed.
8.2.1 General configurations
Hot Folders
Hot folders are files repository folders that trigger an action as soon
as a file is dropped in it. Any folder with any name can be used as a
hot folder. One hot folder must be created for each active list of documents. Most of the time, only one document list is necessary for a
job. The hot folder will then be identified in the DynaStream Parameters window.
When a job is finished, you can re-use the same folder for the next
one.
Color Table
The color table normally requires an operator’s decision when colors
not present in the color table are detected during the addition of
source documents. Therefore, proper selections in the Preferences
must be made to obtain the complete automation of the DynaStream
process.
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The option circled in red in the previous illustration should be
checked if a complete automation is desired:
• Add all colors automatically to the color table: When this option is
activated (checked), all detected colors are automatically added to
the color table. Thus the application does not need to ask the
operator’s decision when they are detected in a document.
If the user already knows the colors that are going to be present in
the documents, an alternate solution would be to simply add those
colors manually in the color table before using DynaStream. However, if other unexpected colors are detected, a window will pop up
to ask the operator what to do with the new color.
Job Layout
The DynaStream module requires a job that is completely done
except for the addition of source documents. The job must be opened
and the pagination must be calculated.
Output Parameter Profile
The Output Parameters window will not appear during the automatic
process. You must then ensure that the output parameters, including
the selection of sheets and the output device are correctly defined
prior to entering the DynaStream mode (see section 6.1.1).
The Flat Grouping option of the Output Device window will be taken
into account during the automatic process. For example, you can
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choose to output the sheet only once both sides are completed, by
selecting Group sides.
The configurations we have just explained must be done for all jobs.
So if a job has no specific need for page adjustment or outputting
even if a page is missing, the user can now skip to section 8.3 to
continue with DynaStream configurations.
8.2.2 Specific configurations
Page Adjustment
Page adjustments (see section 6.2) are usually done after the documents have been inserted in a job so the user can have visual clues
to help figure out if the adjustments are correct. However, in the
context of DynaStream, this adjustment must be done before the
documents are inserted in the job. If you already know the adjustment value(s) and you don’t have to print or preview test pages, you
can apply the value(s) in the page adjustment window without using
any source document. During the process, the adjustment will be
applied to the one or many pages, according to the selected parameters.
Ignore Page
You may want to output a sheet even if a page is missing, for example if you want to paste an advertisement page by manual stripping.
In Page Mode or in Signature Mode, select the Ignore Page icon and
click on the page that you want to ignore. A red X will appear in the
page. You can also apply the action to a selection of pages.
In the DynaStream Status window, the ignored page will not be displayed in the Imposition index section. When all the pages in the
sheet will be assigned except the missing page, the sheet will be
sent.
If the “missing” page is effectively placed in the hot folder, the red X
will have no effect and the page will be printed.
If you use the naming convention method, the file name should
always match with the document contents, otherwise, an error
will occur.
Example: If page 1 is ignored (red X) and your document file only
includes pages 2 to 12, this file must be named 2-12 (and not 1-12).
If page 1 is ignored (red X) and your document file includes pages 1
to 12, the file must be named 1-12. In this case, page 1 will be
printed because it is not missing.
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8.3 DynaStream Configuration
Once the job is correctly prepared with complete layout, output
parameters, color configuration and hot folder (see section 8.2),
click on the DynaStream icon in the horizontal toolbar. The DynaStream Parameters window will open.
Hot folders
You must first identify a hot folder for each document list found in
the job. Most of the job have only one document list.
Double-click on the List 1 item and browse throughout your network
to open the directory that will be defined as the hot folder. The
folder and its path will appear beside the list. You can also drag and
drop a folder on the list name.
If you have more than one document list in the job, define their own
hot folder the same way. For more information concerning multiple
document lists, see section 3.3.5.
Default Application Filter
Choose the default application filter in the pop-up menu.
If you select Look for valid filter when default fails, DynaStream will
first try to index the files with the chosen application filter. If a file
is not recognized, DynaStream will automatically identify and assign
the application in which the file was created (see section 3.3.2).
If you select no default application filter and leave DETECT, a filter
will be automatically detected.
DynaStream Options
There are a number of options the user might want to take regarding
the files deposited in the hot folder once the job is completed. To
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see and select those options, click on the Options command button
to open the DynaStream Options window.
The DynaStream Options dialog allows deleting or moving the input
source document files to another location (specified by the user).
These actions will be performed according to the occurence type:
• When the entire job is output
• When a document list is output.
These are the files located in all the document hot folders of the current job specified in DynaStream. The selections made in this window will be kept only for the current job. When starting a new job,
the selection is reset to the top option (Leave source files...).
Only the files used to create the current job will be removed or
deleted after the processing and the printing of all flats specified in
the output device. For instance, if someone drops by error a file in
one of the hot folders, which does not belong to the current job, this
file will not be moved or deleted. Click on OK or Cancel to close the
window and return to the DynaStream Parameters window. If you
click on OK, the choices made will be kept, but if you click on Cancel, the choices will remain as they were when the window was
opened.
After the source files are deleted or moved to another folder, DynaStream will automatically clear the document list and imposition
index. It will also remove all colors from the color table so that DynaStream is ready to receive new files in the hot folder.
Document Page
Assignment Method
Select and define one page assignment method:
• Naming Convention (see section 8.4).
• Listed in text file (see section 8.5).
These two methods are described in details in the following two sections.
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227
8.4 Naming convention method
The page assignment using naming convention requires that the
document files must be correctly named and put in a job’s hot folder.
So there are a few basic steps to take to prepare to use DynaStream.
In the DynaStream Parameters window, select Naming Convention as
the document page assignment method.
You must then define the naming convention, using three parameters: a reference, an offset, and a length (number of characters to
read). This convention defines the place, in the file names, where
the page numbers are inserted so they can be read by DynaStream
and matched to the imposition layout.
• The Reference is a marker or a flag in the name. You can choose to
put the reference:
- From the beginning of file name.
- Before the first period found in the name.
- After the last period (instead of the PS, PRN or PDF extensions).
This is the default convention.
- Before the end of file.
• The Character offset is the number of characters that the marker
will be moved from his starting point. If the marker is placed From
the beginning or After the last period, the offset will be made to
the right. If the marker is placed Before the first period or From the
end, the offset will be made to the left. If the offset is made to the
left, it is important to ensure that the page numbers have the
same number of characters (by inserting zeros before, if necessary).
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User’s Guide
• Characters read is the number of characters (length) in the name
that will be used for the page numbers. In all cases, DynaStream
will stop reading when it reaches the end of the name.
Example 1: You choose a reference (flag) After the last period, with
an Offset of two (2) characters and with the maximum possible
Length (number of characters to read).
Reference = After the last period
Offset = 2
Chapter.One.ps12-102
Chapter.Two.ps130-198
Chapter.Three.ps199-235
Length = 256
Example 2: You choose a reference Before the first period, with an
Offset of 7 characters and a Length of 4 characters.
Reference = Before the first period
Offset = 7
BRT0099A34.ps
BRT0100F57.ps
BRT0101R90.ps
Length = 4
The numbering capabilities are not restricted to single pages. If the
files contain multiple pages that must be used, it is necessary to use
the following syntax:
You can use the -, & and R characters. For example:
• 1 = page 1 only
• 5-10= pages 5 to 10
• 3&7&11 = pages 3, 7, and 11
R1-8 = the page(s) found in the document will be repeated to fill in
pages 1 to 8 in the signature (if there are only 4 pages in the document, they will be repeated twice in the signature). The R character
can be placed before or after the page numbers.
The source files must follow the configuration that is chosen in DynaStream parameters. Here are two examples of single page file names
for a 16 pages magazine prepared with the following configuration:
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229
Reference: Before the first period, Offset: 3 and Characters read: 3
Using the same name prefix in all files makes it easier to classify
your files, but it is not a necessity for proper functioning of DynaStream. As long as the numbering follows the chosen convention,
DynaStream will automatically do the imposition.
For instance, if a 16 pages magazine was provided in groups of four
pages, they could be configured as follows:
Reference: Before the first period, Offset: 7 and Characters read: 7
An example of valid file names are shown to the left.
Click on Ready. The DynaStream Status window opens.
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8.4.1 DynaStream Status
When the DynaStream Status window is opened, the following information is displayed:
• In the upper-right section, a list of the imposition plan pages, in
numerical order, except the ignored pages (see section 8.2.2).
• In the lower section, the sheets to output, which means all the
sheets selected in the Output Parameters window, except the sheet
sides with a Prevent Output status (displayed in black in the layout) (see section 2.1.8).
Simply select Run or click on the red light. The light will become
green, indicating that DynaStream is starting the automatic process
of indexation, page assignment, and output (provided that the files
are correctly named and placed in the job’s hot folder).
By enabling the document page preview (Raster Mode function) you
can watch the automated imposition process with page thumbnails
popping up in the layout in real time (see section 3.4).
You can monitor the following steps:
• The assigned page numbers appear with an asterisk in the Imposition index section.
• When a sheet side is sent, the mention Sent is displayed in the
Output section.
• Any error messages, for all document lists, are displayed in the
Source documents section.
You can hold the automatic process by selecting Hold or by clicking
on the green light, which will become red.
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231
In the Imposition index section, you can display, for the selected
document list:
- All the pages
- Only the missing pages
- Only the filled pages (marked with an asterisk *)
- You can also check what the document file source is for any
assigned page (with an asterisk). Select the page in the list,
then click on the Source button. A window will display the corresponding document name and page number.
You can display, in the Output section:
- All the sheets in the job
- Only the sheets that have not been sent yet (Unsent)
- Only the sheet that have already been sent (Sent)
- Only error messages, if any (Error)
- The Send again button allows you to send again any sheet side.
Select the flat and click on the Send again button (this will
remove the Sent status).
The Clear DynaStream information button will clear this window and
also the information in the Source Documents and Imposition Index
window. A dialogue box will ask you to confirm. Answer Yes to clear
the window.
The Close button cancels the process and returns to the DynaStream
Parameters window.
8.5 List in text file method
The page-assignment from a list in a text file method can be used
when the number of pages and the document names are known. The
files can have any name and must be placed in the job’s hot folder.
(see section 8.2.1)
8.5.1 Creation of List File
The list file is a simple text file (ASCII) which follows a specific format. It can be saved in any folder and have any name.
The following image is a typical example of a group of source files
with its corresponding list in a text file:
The format of a typical line in the list file must be as follows:
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• Document list,File,Pages,Application filter (optional)
Document list: the document list's number where the document must
be applied (usually document list 1).
File: The full name and extension of the document.
Page(s): The page number(s) to be assigned. You can use the -, &
and R characters. For example:
• 1 = page 1 only
• 5-10= pages 5 to 10
• 3&7&11 = pages 3, 7, and 11
document, they will be repeated twice in the signature).
Application filter : (Optional) The filter's file name without the .daf
extension. This file name can be found in DynaStrip:Filter folder.
The application filter name can be omitted in the list file if the Look
for valid filter option is selected in the DynaStream Parameters window.
Since the text file includes specific information regarding the documents pagination, the order in which these documents are listed in
the text file is of no consequence.
Once the list text file is ready, the user can select Listed in text file
as the document page assignment method in the DynaStream Parameters window. Click on the File button and browse to select the text
file that contains the list of documents.
Click on Ready. The DynaStream Status window will open.
8.5.2 DynaStream Status
The monitoring of the automatic process (in DynaStream Status window) can be done the same way as for the method using the naming
convention method (see section 8.4.1).
Index
A
actions toolbar 3
add see under each object
adjustment see under page or image
anchor points 21
assistant 8, 10
automatic color match 7
automatic color matching 151
composite-PDF 151
creating imported mark 152
display 151
separated PDF 151
separated PS 151
B
binding 64
blank page 79
bleed
overlapping 159
bleed marks see page marks
bottling 55
template 192
bounding box 183
C
collating mark 103
add and place a 106
assign collating index 108
definition 104
edit a 107
move a 107
remove a 107
rotate a 107
color bar 108
color environment 12
color layers 153
duplicate objects 154
place objects on 153
print 155
view 154
vs sheet layers 142
color table 143
color match 146
different colors on same
plate 147
order of colors 148
PDF files 150
imported marks 149
output file names 148
preparation 144
come & go 64
composite files 210
coordinates 21
distance 22
X and Y 21
creep 65
adjustment 187
direction 187
push in 65
push out 65
using maximum value 65
using paper thickness 65
creep only 64
pagination 68
first page number 69
from previous sequence 69
leave as is 68
crossover 191
cursor position menu 5
custom mark see linear mark
cut & stack 64
D
Default 8
definition see under each object
density bar 113
add a 115
definition 114
edit a 116
move a 116
remove a 116
digital printing 167
direct-to-press printing 167
display automatic color
matching 147
distance coordinates see coordinates
distance tag 126
add and place a 128
definition 127
edit a 128
move a 129
remove a 128
rotate a 129
document list 73
automation 81
naming convention 82
change on a selection of
pages 62
multiple 81
dongle activation 10
DTP 170
dynamic templates 70
DynaMo 17
DynaStream 221
color table 222
creation of list file 231
ignore page 224
job layout 223
job preparation 227, 231
output parameters 223
page adjustment 224
E
edit see under each object
EPS 210
composite EPS workflow 210
output 163
separated EPS workflow 212
export job layout 14
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extension names
13
F
fanning 53
template 192
file 13
format 13
filters 72
assign 74
fold
asymmetric 48
symmetric 48
fold marks
edit in gutter dialog
folding template 62
fonts 72
functions toolbar 3
48
G
ganging of jobs 200
ghosting 168
grid unit 7
gripper 44
gutter 43
display page marks in 200
modify a 48
modify by moving pages 49
modify using dialog 48
total width 48
H
help 8, 10
HTTP options
host name 182
included source
documents 183
log 182
port number 182
referenced source
documents 183
I
icons 3
with red triangle 3
image 108
image linker 111
image preview 84
Import 59
import job layout 14
imported mark 108
add and place 112
adjustment 186
automatic 184
definition 109
edit 112
image linker 109
move 113
remove 112
rotate 113
imposition index 77
add with options
replace existing pages
imposition index mode 80
index 77
interface 1
DynaMo 17
DynaStream 221
main window 1
79
J
JDF 163
JDF data 14
layout Information 15
paper profile definition 16
print production data 15
sheet definition 29
JDF Import 59
JDF output 180
MIME encoding 181
send files via HTTP
options 182
version 180
job 11
name 12
new 11
save 13
Job Definition 11
job layout (import/export) 14
Job Ticket Flow 218
automatic color match 220
console 220
interface 219
preferences 219
jobs 200
ganging of 200
L
layers see sheet layers or color layers
Layout Reflow 69
libraries 9
library see under each object definition
light table 1
linear mark 95
definition 96
edit a 98
move a 98
attached to a signature 99
on the sheet 98
place a 97
attached to a signature 98
on the sheet 97
remove a 98
rotate a 99
link all signatures to pagination
sequence 35
link signatures to different
sequences 35
signature found dialog 35
low-resolution 84
LZW decompression 85
M
mark length 48
mark sets 130
cumulative 139
measure units 6
MIME encoding 181
mirror page 51
mock 158
move see under each object
multi-web 202
multi-web printing 202
automatic pagination 203
partial-web algorithm 204
stacking templates 206
N
naming of output files
nesting 201
notes 12
174
O
object libraries 9
object mode palette 3
object modes 4
objects toolbar 3
offset see under each object
open job 12
OPI 72
Index
options 8
output 157
file name definition 174
JDF 180
maximum format 25
output device definition 162
parameters 157
P
packaging 201
page 50
add and place a 51
adjustments 183
automatic 184
for small pages 186
manual 184
anchor points 21
definition 50
edit a 52
ignore (DynaStream version
only) 224
move a 53
independently from the
signature 53
with its marks 53
without its marks 54
overlap 201
remove a 53
rotate a 55
using the Move icon 56
with its marks 56
without its marks 56
page marks 93
add 94
definition 93
edit 95
remove 95
pagination
apply to entire job 66
folding template 61
import a manual
pagination 62
fronts and backs 68
fronts only 67
manual 61
on a selection of pages 62
page by page 61
sequence 63
steps for 61
pagination sequence
attribution 35
pagination sequence linkage 68
paper profile 15
PDF 208
annotations 208
in & out 208
raster mode 85
understanding document
files 72
version (input) 209
version (output) 164
PDF Trapper 208
PDF/IT 208
PDF/X 209
perfect bound 64
PJTF 163
place see under each object
placing objects (principles
for) 21
plate definition 172
plate setup
sheet definition 29
plate setups 170
PPD’s 164
preferences 6
Preps® templates 36
press device 15
PressWise® templates 37
folders 6, 8
previewing low-res files 84
print production data
paper profile 15
press device 15
printing type 15
PrintDrive 168
printing 157
adjustments to back 169
correction angle 168
destination path 164
image area 165
set resolution 168
tiles 166
use platecolor comment 168
printing type 15
PS 208
generic workflow 208
understanding PS files 72
R
raster mode 84
read from template(s)
Reflow layout 69
register mark 100
definition 100
edit a 102
move a 102
35
•
235
place a 101
remove a 102
remove see under each object
resolution 168
revert 13
rotate see under each object
rotation increments 7
run list 77
S
saddle-stitched 64
save 13
save a copy 13
selection of objects 5
sheet 25
add a 29
anchor points 21
copy a 31
definition 25
edit a 30
front/back in mirror
position 21
identification 2
insert a 30
layers 141
place objects on 141
print 142
view 142
list 1
maximum size 25
prevent output 33
remove a 30
rotate a 31
selection 31
template 34
import 36
cross-platform 36
DynaStrip 36
DynaStrip DOS 36
Preps® 36
PressWise® 36
import more than once 36
import once 35
load a 34
save a 33
work styles 26
sheet definition
advanced options 28
parameters 26
sheets
view a selection of 1
shingling 187
side guide image
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User’s Guide
importing 26
side guides 26
images 26
signature 42
add and place a 44
anchor points 21
center 44
definition 42
edit a 45
modify a gutter 48
move a 47
page definition 44
page mark definition 44
place using a distance line 44
place using coordinates 45
remove a 46
rotate a 47
signature found
same sequence for all signatures in the template 35
slug lines 118
source document list 73
document info 76
source documents
window 73
Step & Repeat 199
T
template 33
folding 61
create manually 62
import a manual
pagination 62
sheet 33
load a 34
save a 33
text tag 116
add and place 118
attached to a sheet 119
attached to a signature or a
page 119
definition 117
description of variables 121
edit a 119
move a 120
remove a 120
rotate a 120
slug lines 118
tiling 129
break 129, 130
add a 130
move a 130
remove a 130
marks 166
output 166
tile adjustments 166
tool tips 3
toolbars 3
trim marks see page marks
troubleshooting 194
variables (text tags) 121
Versioning 86
concepts 87
Version Manager 89
view see under each object
W
web growth 161
work & tumble 27
work & turn 27, 33
work styles 26
perfecting 27
sheetwise 27
simplex 27
work & tumble 27
work & turn 27
workflow integration 207
Brisque® 216
Nexus® 212
Odystar® 218
Prinergy® 213
RAMpage® 210
wrong reading 51
U
Undo / Redo 5
units of measure 6
preference 7
show fraction 7
V
variables (output file
names) 175
X
X and Y coordinates 21
XML job ticket 218
Z
zero point 21
zoom 5

English - Dynagram

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