Layout Software

[prepressdork]

Hi all,

If software (used only by job planners) existed solely for the purpose of generating paper layouts (to show prepress folks how to impose a job), what features would you want to see? Be as detailed as possible.

Thanks,
pd

 

[SoggyWinter]

explain bleeds and identify bleed issues. Bonus points for AI fixing of bleeds to that could handle vectors and bitmaps appropriately, and be smart enough to not mirror text into bleeds.

 

[prepressdork]

Hi SoggyWinter,

My apologies for the confusion. What I am asking is, if you had an APP that you could open and with a few pieces of information, generate a layout that would show prepress how to impose the job you planned, what features would you want to see in it?

Best regards,
pd

 

[abc]

Who imposes manually anymore?

 

[gregbatch]

Are we talking manual imposition? I could have used that 30 years ago when stripping book signatures.

 

[prepressdork]

I guess I am still not explaining well enough about what I am asking so again, I apologize for any confusion. What I am asking is NOT about how someone actually imposes a job using whatever software they have. My question is about how a job planner (or similar position) shows a prepress person HOW a job is to be imposed using whatever software they have.

Attached is an example of a layout. As you can see, it was mostly drawn by hand. What if an app could generate the attached sample layout (drawn electronically of course) for you with just a few pieces of information (such as sheet size, trim size, head direction, gutters, margins, etc.)? If such an app existed, what sorts of features would you want to see in it?

Hopefully, this clears things up
pd

 

[TJPrinter]

I guess I am still not explaining well enough about what I am asking so again, I apologize for any confusion. What I am asking is NOT about how someone actually imposes a job using whatever software they have. My question is about how a job planner (or similar position) shows a prepress person HOW a job is to be imposed using whatever software they have.

Attached is an example of a layout. As you can see, it was mostly drawn by hand. What if an app could generate the attached sample layout (drawn electronically of course) for you with just a few pieces of information (such as sheet size, trim size, head direction, gutters, margins, etc.)? If such an app existed, what sorts of features would you want to see in it?

Hopefully, this clears things up
pd

I was a bit confused but this makes it clear. Your sketch looks just like the document preview in the Duplo job creator. Overall document size is missing from the Duplo preview.

 

[abc]

It's not clear to me what problem you are trying to solve with this?
Is this step needed in a modern workflow?

Ideally an imposition layout is driven automatically by an upstream system such as an MIS via JDF/XML or similar.
What benefit does this extra step add?

Or is this aimed at a different market, it's not really clear why it would be necessary to me?
I mean even job tickets are best delivered now electronically, why would you want a piece of paper?

 

[prepressdork]

@abc - not everyone has a modern workflow which provides JDF/XML capabilities. For those who don't have such workflows, my idea doesn't add a step but rather speeds up the step of drawing layouts by hand.

pd

 

[abc]

Ok understood, good luck.

 

[gregbatch]

@abc - not everyone has a modern workflow which provides JDF/XML capabilities. For those who don't have such workflows, my idea doesn't add a step but rather speeds up the step of drawing layouts by hand.

pd

Perhaps you could speed things up more by creating plug-ins for various imposition systems that would create the profile (for those that can import a profile) and eliminate the need for manual entry?

 

[Magnus]

To me it sounds like you are trying to create a "faster horse" decades after the car was invented.

 

[jwheeler]

@prepressdork I think HiFlow already has this and is offering for free in this post: https://printplanet.com/threads/new-free-design-imposition-app-released-by-hiflow.293944/

 

[prepressdork]

Oh well I guess. It was a thought.