When you go to define a plate template, you should load a press that is already defined (see Sheetfed Press Editor , Web Press Editor and Digital Press Editor ). You will find the presses in the "Machines" tab using the "Jobs & Resources > Resources & Machines" menu.
"Group" and "Name"
Displays the group where the plate template will be saved. Give the plate template a name. The name of the plate template is important especially for JDF import because the folders set for the import are scanned in the order in the list for plate templates matching the data in the JDF. In this process, the system looks for the name of the plate template and for the press set in the plate template (for more details, see JDF Import ).
"Press"
•Click the folder button beside this box to load a press. You set up this press beforehand in the "Machines" tab in the "Jobs & Resources > Resources & Machines" menu. If this is not the case, you can also load a standard press included in the shipment.
•"Width", "Height": The height and width are already defined as parameters and are automatically set when you load the press. You can, however, change the parameters in this box.
To be able to follow the definitions below, bear in mind the press parameters that you defined in "Machines".
Some of the following parameters are computed from the press data.
"Max. Paper Width"
Max. paper width = plate width - (2 x print margin)
"Max. Paper Height"
In the definition of the max. paper height, it is assumed that the end of paper is the same as the end of print (related to the plate start).
The following is applicable for the max. paper height:
Max. paper height = end of paper - baseline
"Baseline"
Baseline = Lead edge of print - gripper margin
When calculating the end of paper, remember that the "Tail Edge of Print" value refers to the end of the plate. This means that the end of paper is calculated as follows:
End of paper = Plate height - tail edge of print
To summarize, the max. paper height is defined as follows:
Max. paper height = Plate height - tail edge of print - lead edge of print + gripper margin
"Gripper Margin"
This value is already defined as a machine parameter and is automatically set when you load the press. You can, however, change it in this box.
"X Offset"
Horizontal offset of the paper in relation to the plate.
"When changed"
"Use max. paper size when changed": In the "Plates" step, the "Replace currently selected plate template..." function makes it easy for you to change a plate template.
Normally, the paper definition from the job has priority during a plate change. This means that the outer dimensions set in the job for the paper are kept, even if the plate template has different dimensions. When this option is enabled, the performance just described changes, and the data from the "new" plate template overwrite the paper size set in the job.
For output, you can now set suitable output parameter sets for different usages.
"Printing Unit"
Choose the output parameter set you want for plate output. All colors set to "Printing Unit" in the "Job > Colors" step will be printed accordingly.
"Coating Unit"
If "Coating Unit" is set as the usage in the "Job > Colors" step, the selected output parameter set will be used as well as the dimension in "Flexo Plate".
The selected output parameter set is set by default for output of the job.
"Width", "Height"
Size of the imaging window
"Width": Slow scan direction
"Height": Fast scan direction
"Offset X" "Y"
The origin of the imaging window ("X", "Y") is at the bottom left.
Note: If you want your output to be centered, make sure that the imaging window is centered with regard to the plate template. Set the position of the imaging window with X, Y values.
A mixture of flexo plates and offset plates with different sizes can be found on presses with one or more varnishing units. The Prinect Signa Station could not handle different sizes in one job. This is where you set the dimensions and position of the plates.
Parameters for Ganging Optimization
You can define some of the optimization and cost data directly in the resources. You can then either apply these data to the job or you can set job-specific data. More details are to be found in "Geometry" tab, "Placement" tab and "Cost" tab.
For a product code search in sheet optimization with segments, the segment template group for the product code search is set by default in this section.