How do you send dies to vendors?

[Jnsic]

Does this work when you're using FPO's?

 

[Hopkins Printing]

I go into the final layout file (InDesign, Quark) and export an EPS of just the die line (usually on a separate layer from the artwork). I open the EPS in Illustrator and "clean up" the die so it's perfect for our vendors needs. I then re-save that EPS and email it to our vendor along with PO and any other pertinent information. Been doing it for years.

Cheers,
Jon Morgan
Hopkins Printing

 

[Jnsic]

It doesn't work if you go the FPO Route in 10.6. If I have to send a die in imposition, I just use the actual file, either PDF or EPS in the Preps runlist. print it seperately as an eps and then open it up in Illustrator. save it as an EPS or PDF , depending on what the vendor requires.

 

[heffinchester]

Hi Appstro,

I have been a Rampage user for many years but find it easier to avoid Rampage for the die portion. My method is as follows:
1. Export die only eps from layout program
2. Place eps file into Preps and select same template I used for press
3. Print the file from Preps as if I am going to register the resulting EPS file to Rampage.
4. Open this EPS in Illustrator and delete what I do not need.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

 

[Criminy]

Late to the conversation, but may I offer what method worked for me?

In my last shop, we did the following:

1. Created a duplicate Preps template of the sheet to be die cut, minus all but center, register and crop marks (for some reason, other marks generate error messages down the pike).

2. Create a pdf file of the dielines from the page layout program (presumably on it's own layer).

3. Create a Preps job for PDF-PDF output. Load pages, your dieline template, and place all files into the run list as needed.

4. Print a PDF File from Preps.

5. Open the PDF file in Illustrator (any version), delete stray marks, rules, etc.

6. Change all stroke colors to REGISTRATION and add a stroke to the final page size, which should be visible in wireframe mode. This is a helpful feature for the die maker's reference.

7. Save as an Illustrator 10 EPS file and as a PDF file for emailing.

This method was tried and true, but I'm sure there's easier ways of accomplishing the same results, if not better. It's just how we were able to generate imposed die files for output.

My NEW shop handles things a bit differently, but since I'm new here and we haven't produced a die recently, I have yet to learn their way!

 

[Leinie]

Does opening a ripped (Rampage) .PS file in Illustrator, and placing it into a layout (sized and positioned for a board size for a particular die cutter, but not messing with the dielines themselves, other than placing them in position in the Illustrator layout) have any effect at all on how the CAD system interprets the numbers? Does the thickness of the stroke in Illustrator cause the CAD system to offset the dieline (we've been using half-point strokes for dielines, but wonder if a quarter-point would be any different?)

The problem that we keep having is everything is "mathematically correct" (EXACTLY as Preps has imposed the layout), but sometimes the finished die will come back and be a couple of points off from one end of the die to the other. We specialize in paper swatchbooks, and the fit of the dies is critical (as there is little tolerance for ink to hang out over a score). We haven't been able to get to the bottom of this, although we've basically ruled out any problems on press.

Most of the time, these are straight horizontal or vertical lines. We don't always have time to wait for a press sheet before ordering the die (although that is our preferred method, of course, to send the sheet to the diemaker so they can confirm the fit of the die). We used to run a paper proof on our Epson 10000, and then a mylar proof of the dieline (although that is a whole new problem, because due to some change in the manufacture of the mylar, it always ends up coming out smaller than the paper proof). So now we've resorted to a paper-to-paper comparison, laid on a light table, to confirm that the die fits. In a perfect world, we could just go ahead and send the dieline to the diemaker without going through all of this (because we know everything is correct by the numbers), but our diecutting operator insists on viewing the dieline before we proceed with ordering the die.

 

[Criminy]

Good question, Leinie. Is it possible your die maker is not delivering a spec product? If your presses have been ruled out as a contributing factor, I would have to think the problem lies with your die maker. Or...

I think placing the die lines manually into Illustrator may introduce a potential threat to the accuracy of the overall die. The imposed pdf die files I generate from preps have proven to be very reliable for my (old) die maker. Our point size was also .5, and the stroke lines were always centered. Like you, we ran low-res paper proofs to check over our high-res proofs, and sometimes we needed them to be able to see where to trim out our low-res proofs!

FWIW, I'm using Prinergy now, but I've used Nexus in the past, as well as Rampage. I'm just a little rusty on the Rampage system, so I'm afraid I cannot be of more help.