VDP on Konica-Minolta 1050s and 6500

[gerrye]

I use uDirect/InDesign to produce variable data print pieces. For black only we print on two KM 1050s, for color a KM 6500.

The 1050s do not have a RIP, we normally print using the PCL driver from Acrobat. We have found that large jobs choke the 1050s and they lock up. I've discovered if we use the postscript driver with the setting "clear memory after printing page" they work just fine.
Has anyone experienced similar issues or know of solutions that we can try/explore?

The 6500 has a Fiery RIP and we have the VDP add-on. The printer works very well with the exception of drop-shadow text from InDesign and, of course, Quark. Though the files can be quite large and take time to process. I have output the print files both as PDFs and PPML.
Are there some settings I can use to reduce the file size for the PPML files?
I have not had any success using freeform master for anything besides the very basic job. Are there any tricks to get freeform to work with more complex print jobs?

Does anyone have any suggestions for learning more about these machines/software or ideas/solutions to these and similar problems.

Thanks much for your time,

Gerry

+The struggle continues...+

[Harvey Hirsch]

We also experienced the same drop shadow problem. It is a software solution. Call your KM service people and get the software person to walk you through. Make sure that you save the artwork as CMYK instead of RGB. That may also help.

[GraphicGuru]

I too have the 1050 and 6500 plus one more the 5500.

1050 no rip
6500 & 5500 has Creo Rip.

We use Fusion Pro to make the variable data merge and it has an output option that gives milti-file vps. What that does is gives a postscript to the rip that is for the shell or background - non variable portion. It puts all the necessary files into a folder and I move them over the network to the rip. I do not know about the Firey rip and weather or not it has the option to import, but that is what the Creo has and we just import the .vps file and everything gets processed in under 15 minutes. The rip processes the static info once and references it for when the variable gets processed for each page. I assume that PPML does something si9milar.

As for the 1050 we also use FusionPro to do the variable info and then Print from it to a PDF to then open in Acrobat to print to the device. We also have had the choking happen at the 1050. Since it has no external rip it must use it's internal hard drive to process the PDF. If the pdf is larger than 2000 pages the rip fails. Try printing just 2000 page chuncks to the device and see if that helps. I have not used the clear memory part by printing to it. How does that work anyways?

As for FusionPro it is a fairly inexpensive program that has many various capabilities that we haven't even been able to get to as the customer needs to be aware of how to give us their data or set it up to begin with. Along with the types of imagery that can be used with this program... It also has an extra imposition program.

We also have seen the drop shadow or other similar new "Effects" that Indesign can do go wrong at the rip. One way to make sure this is not a problem is to make some kind of gtraphic from the Indesign File.

OK so how to do that? I usually export a PDF/X-1A pdf then place the exported PDF into indesign again - then make a template for the variable data do the merge and send to the device using methods mentioned above.

Other ways: export an eps open in photoshop and save as flattened tiff - use the tiff for placing into indesign and set up variable data template etc...

Whatever the case may be for transparancy issues - a user must somehow make the file flattened so that there is no active "effects" in the file. This usually makes the drop shadow work and it is a RIP issue. I would not hope too much on these rips getting better (correct software updates) real quick so start making your files flat before doing the variable data part.

Hope this helps? Let me know.

[Mark]

I'm making vps (Single and then multiple pg) from FusionPro and sending them over to the Creo controller, and importing but all I get is blank pages. WTF? I linked the apr to the folder but still blanks.
Is there a trick?

[Mark]

Forgot to mention KM6500 with Creo IC-304 rip v.2

[Gbane]

Have either of you looked at DesignMerge? There are several advantages to plug-in technology in the VDP space. The most important advantage is that the DesignMerge software can utilize the two most powerful and popular composition engines in the world, QuarkXPress and Adobe InDesign. All of the composition features that you have grown accustomed to are fully supported by DesignMerge. Every aspect of the composition process, including kerning and letterspacing, hyphenation and justification, runarounds, multi-page composition, styling, tables, etc. are all available for you to use. You just take an existing document, and use DesignMerge to "Make It Variable". Your variable output will look just like you did File/Print for each individual data record. DesignMerge can also emit all of the popular variable streams in a very efficient manner, PPML, VPS, VIPP and PostScript.

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[Mark]

Disclosure: I work for Meadows/DesignMerge

No sh*t, really?

[Gbane]

I would not want anyone to think I was trying to dupe them with a fake posting!

[Mark]

looks too expensive.

[Gbane]

Hi Mark,

DesignMerge is not an expensive product, if you would like more information on DesignMerge, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.

Greg Bane

gbane@meadowsps.com