"Digital Printing" option

This step lets you set up the settings for digital printing.

"Paper and page settings" tab

In the "Paper" list box you can select which paper will be used for printing. The paper you select defines the maximum size of the sheet layout. The "Width" and "Height" boxes show the pre-defined dimensions of the paper.

Note: The "Digital Printing" step is correctly configured only when suitable printing material dimensions are entered in the "Width" and "Height" boxes. The dimensions are specified by selecting the printing material. The printing material sheets shown in the layout area of the "Digital Printing" step (see "Digital Printing" Step) display in the orientation that they are oriented on the printing press, as seen when standing in front of the press. Then the sheets run through the printing press from right to left. Accordingly, the "Width" value refers to the dimension of the paper in the direction of travel and the "Height" value to the dimension of the paper perpendicular to the direction of travel.

"Use Printing Material from Layout" option

When you enable this option, the printing material or paper that is set for the sheet layout is used for digital printing. This requires that the printing material concerned is available on the press.

"Layout settings" Tab

In this tab, you define how the sheet layout (that was created on Prinect Signa Station, for example) will be handled during digital printing. These parameters affect the output depending on the layout properties. For example, if no template is defined or if the template has the same properties as the layout sheet, the outputs are not different if you select "Sheet" or "Template" in the "Output of" list box.

"Remove" group

All marks that may be defined in the sheet layout for output are removed if "Remove all Marks" is enabled.

"Output" Group

"Output of" option

This option lets you define how the layout will be output:

•Pages:

All the pages placed on the layout will be output as single pages. This option makes it possible, for example, to load layouts defined for offset printing to a digital printing workflow, with the dig­ital press acting as a page proofer.

•Sheets:

If you enable this option, your digital printing will contain "entire sheets", i.e. not only will they have the pages but also their parameters such as marks, etc. All the fronts and backs are also contained in the output, for example, there may be 8 pages in an 4up layout.

•Template

If a template (e.g. for offset printing) is defined in the layout, the whole template is output on the digital press. As a result of this, a digital press can be used as an imposition proofer.

"Split into" option

This option lets you split the printable area into single pages or double pages. In this case, you can extend the bleed if required.

•Single Pages

All the pages defined in the layout are output as single pages, i.e. a page is placed on each dig­ital printing sheet. For example, you can check the reader's spread as the single page outputs are generated and sorted after they are arranged in the sheet layout.

•Double Pages

The pages in digital printing will automatically be imposed as double pages if you select this option.

Example: You edited a 16-page A4 layout, for example, and will output it double-sided as A3. After output, you want the document to be folded and stacked so that you have a brochure, for example, as an advance copy, where front and back are assigned correctly.

Note: If "Split into Double Pages" is enabled in the PagePrint sequence, you can specify a page or sheet range for an ImposedPrint output to Versafire EP/EV digital presses or as a generic PDF if the layout is to be printed as a single-page or double-page booklet(Booklet). For example, in a 32-page booklet, you can print just the page range 3 - 30 (body).

"Extend Bleed by" parameter

This lets you extend the bleed defined in the layout (in mm) if necessary to customize the bleed to digital printing.

"Include Print Margin" parameter

This lets you extend the print margin defined in the layout (in mm) to customize the margin to the properties of the digital press.

"If paper too small"  group

This is where you set what will happen if the paper size used for digital printing is too small for output of the layout.

•Cancel

Digital printing will be aborted.

•Trim

The layout will be cropped to fit centered on the paper used. Everything that juts beyond the paper size will not be printed.

•Zoom Out

The layout will be scaled down to the paper size used, taking into account the page proportions.

"Color Settings" tab

The color settings available in this tab are the same as those in the "Digital Printing" step. See Color Settings for Digital Printing.

"Print and finishing settings" tab

In this tab you can define settings for digital printing and finishing. The available parameters depend on the connected digital press and the available finishing options.

Setup of digital presses with a Digital Print Connector

If you have devices with a "Digital Print Connector" connection, e.g. when connecting third-party presses (Ricoh, HP Indigo, Xerox, Nexpress, Canon), the setup for finishing is basically just the selec­tion of a predefined output configuration of the press and finisher, e.g. "HP Indigo". Output configu­rations are defined through "virtual printers". They are set up at the "digital front end" of the press and stored there.

The "User-defined" option must not be enabled in this operating mode. You can select the output configuration you want from the list box. This configuration displays as a symbol matching your selec­tion.

User-defined setup

Enable the "User-defined" option if you use a Heidelberg digital press and cannot or do not want to use a predefined output configuration. The view then changes and you see boxes for the setup of the finishing options.

Output Delivery

This is where you select how the printed sheets will be output. The following options are given:

•Face Up

•Face Up - Reverse Order

The order of the pages is reversed, i.e. the last page is output first.

•Face Down

•Face Down - Reverse Order

The order of the pages is reversed, i.e. the last page is output first.

Sort

When this function is enabled, pages are sorted by copies. This means that all the pages of the first copy are output first, then all the pages of the second copy, etc.

When this function is disabled, all the first pages of a production run are output first, then all the second pages, etc.

Screening

This is where you can select the screening process. The processes listed for selection depend on the screens available at the press.

Insert

By selecting an insert, you can set that an insert will be used after every printed copy. You select the tray in which the inserts are loaded in the list box.

Image Shift

This is where you can manually enter offset values for the image for front and back. These settings let you make sure that the press sheets always match the dimensions set in the sheet layout when output.

Finishing

At the bottom of the screen the connected digital press is represented symbolically and, just next to it, a finisher.

Since different finishers are available for the Heidelberg Versafire or Linoprint C models, you can use the arrows to select the finisher available in your configuration. Depending on which finisher is selected, the associated setting elements are displayed.

"Fold" option

You can set the folding method for the folding unit. The following folding methods can be available:

•Off

•Z-fold in half

This option allows the sheets to be folded in a Z-fold.

Example: An A3 page is to be inserted in landscape in a portrait A4 brochure so that it closes in the folded position with the A4 pages.

•Booklet

This option allows the sheets to be folded in a brochure fold.

"Folding Sequence" option

Here you can specify whether the folding is carried out inwards or outwards.

"Cover" option

This option lets you set that each copy is output with a cover.

"Punching" option

If available, you can activate a punching device. The following punching configurations are possible:

•Off

•2 hole punching, left

•4 hole punching, left

•2 hole punching, right

•4 hole punching, right

•2 hole punching, top

•4 hole punching, top

Note: The positions of the punch holes refer to the orientation of the pages as they are shown in the preview area.

"Stitching" option

This is where you can select stitching. The following options are available:

•Off

•Top left vertical

•Top left diagonal

•Top left horizontal

•Top right vertical

•Top right diagonal

•Top right horizontal

•2 left

•2 right

•2 top

•2 in center

"Output Tray" option

You can choose one of the available output trays in this box:

•System default

•Finisher shift tray

•Finisher upper tray

"Shift Mode" option

Here you can configure the offset stacking of printed sheets. The following options are given:

•Off

•Per job

After each completed print job the following job is stored offset.

•Per set and job

After every printed copy and/or after each stack of single copies, and after each completed print job, the following copy and/or the following job is stored offset.

Points to note when digital presses are connected only via a Data Terminal

Digital presses with "Data Terminal" as the connection type do not display in ImposedPrint sequences. These devices are designed as a "virtual representation" of a real machine only for book­ing production data (PDC) and cannot be driven by an ImposedPrint sequence for printing.