1. Welcome Koen Van de Poel Chairman Origination&Prepress WG @ CIP4 Technology Staff @ Agfa Tutorial Foster City 2007-10-07 Prepress and Gray boxes

2. Today’s Agenda Creating the Ticket Gray Boxes Stripping Output: Proofs, Plates, Ink key settings ICS Press<>Prepress

3. Position Print Manufacturing Customer

4. Estimating Production Planning Production Controller Prepress Controller Press Controller TrappingImageSetting ProoferA PlateSetterB MIS SW Device Controller HW Device Legend

5. Creating the Ticket

6. Known at Creation Info available when MIS creates prod. ticket administrative and job info product nodes (part structure) and layout: binds info to sheets Imposition?, number of pages number of colors for each sheet side processes: gray boxes

7. Missing Some info is often missing when the job is created because: Content (PDF) arrives later PDF is needed to extract Spot color names Number of content pages for Cover often doesn't match description: 2 pages are combined in one

8. Introduction to Prepress

9. Steps in Prepress Creative part Prepress preparation (page level) –preparing content files ready to RIP obtaining content files –preparing imposition Production prepress (sheet level) –RIP –Proofs –Plate making and Preview for ink key

10. Workflow PrePressPreparation Gray box ImpositionPreparation Gray box Plate Making Gray box

11. Prepress Preparation Goal: no errors or interactions in prepress production part (except mapping colors) Steps for content (not in order) –obtaining content files (Asset Transfer) –conversion from native to standard formats –trapping –creating production quality standard formats –preflighting / fixing files –page proofs / approvals

12. Imposition Preparation Activities needed to create a description of where the pages and marks need to go on the sheet resulting in the Layout

13. Production prepress Controlled environment –nearly fixed processing times –few operator interventions/errors if well prepared –scheduling possible for plate making Includes Imposition Proof –often needed before starting plate making –internal or external (takes extra time) approval

14. Parts Brochure BodyCover Black&White Color 16 pp 2x 8 pp Product Process Prepress

15. Building a Workflow

16. Gray Boxes Easy way to let MIS define what prepress should do –PrePressPreparation, ImpositionPrepreparation –PlateMaking, xxProofing MIS provides –input : available job info, more or less detailed –output: detailed info (sheet structure, plates, components) Prepress operator (or defaults) will fill in remaining details

17. Drawing

18. PrePressPreparation Gray Box

19. In/Out PrePressPreparation In –indication of nr of pages can be different from what prepress needs Out –populated RunList

20. Snippet Node …>

21. Snippet Input RunList

22. ImpositionPreparation Gray Box

23. In/Out ImpositionPreparation In –Stripping resources –If not available, operator intervention Out –Completed Layout –References to Marks

24. Stripping High-level imposition related information from MIS to Prepress avoids redoing imposition 3 times: –Estimating –Production planning –Prepress allows bi-directional communication: prepress updating imposition info

25. Sample: Stripping Sheet 0 1 0.5 0 0.5 1 Pages / Cells BinderySignature

26. FoldCatalog Describes how the sheet will be folded Needed for Pagination CIP4 spec has Fold Catalog list

27. Stripping details Depending on MIS and prepress capa. –Rich Stripping info All gutters/margins specified Gripper / color bar / no image area specified –Shallow Stripping info FoldCatalog / NumberUp ‘Cut’ boxes or just nr of boxes

28. Snippet ImpoPrep Imposition: folder with 6 pages folded using F6-1, WorkAndTurn

29. Snippet Layout

30. PlateMaking Gray Box

31. In/Out Platemaking

32. In –Media (plate) –Colors –RunLists document (content) marks –Layout Out –Ink key setting preview (PPF or PNG) –ExposedMedia (plate)

33. Snippet PlateMaking … … … …

34. Proofing Variations Hard copy or soft proof Page or Imposition Content <> Contract proof May include Approval

35. Interoperability Conformance Specs

36. Summary Specifies a subset that MIS MUST generate Specifies a subset that Prepress MUST consume or report back Updated to JDF 1.3 and released summer ‘07 Certification procedure end ‘07 Samples at JDF Samples folder

37. ICS details MISPRE Level 1: MIS 2 Prepress –basic jobs MISPRE Level 2 –more complex (stripping, versioning) PRECP: Prepress to Conventional Printing –Nearly ready, not much changed Future: Link to (hybrid) digital printing

38. References JDF 1.3 spec MIS-Prepress ICS 1.3 MIS-Prepress Samples on CIP4 site –Minimal, (Proof)PlateMaking –Complex (multi part, ConvPrint) Proofing Application note

39. Prepress is not a press

40. Prepress is not a press! Objects –Press @ sheet level –Prepress @ job parts (cover, body) for pagination Media: paper <> plate –Plates consumption not tightly tracked (waste) –Limited plate variations, usually tied to Press –Plate pairing: combining planned plates Device –Platesetter and proofer linked to plate size –Platesetter + processing often unattended

41. Prepress operators One prepress operator handles multiple jobs simultaneously; no detailed tracking Sometimes separate operator PDF preparation Duration: may take several days (waiting for content) May start on job before JobID assigned May make job modifications

42. Thanks for Listening