Nexus PDF workflow with Preps

[pcmodem]

Is anyone out there using Preps with the Nexus PDF workflow?

I am curious how you print from Preps, ie JDF out, and what you do with your JDFMarksFlats folder.

Thanks in advance

 

[PrepressDan]

Yes, JDF out. What we do is we print the JDF or Save the JDF to our job folder. This creates the marks folder there and puts that URL into the JDF. Then we drop the JDF to a hot folder and nexus knows where to get the pages and marks from. Works great.

 

[pcmodem]

When I have the following setup and I print Sig 1 to be plated on the 29. Then I print Sig 2 for the 40 inch. The marks for Sig 2 overwrite the Sig 1 marks.
Sig 1 Work and Turn 19" x 25" prints on the 29 inch Press
Sig 2 Sheetwise 23" x 35" prints on the 40 inch Press

How do you handle this?

 

[couriergraphics]

We print jobs with multiple forms & presses. The jdf marks folder is in the same directory as the preps job and contain all the marks for all the forms. I have a 22 form job going right now & it all works fine.

 

[pcmodem]

When you have to reprint one of the forms. What happens to the marks?

 

[couriergraphics]

We just reprint the jdf and all is good.

 

[pcmodem]

When you say you reprint the JDF. Are you reprinting from Preps or are you just taking the jdf and putting it into a Hot Folder again?

 

[couriergraphics]

If the layout or template is changed you must reprint the JDF. If just a pdf page changes there is no need to print the jdf.

 

[pcmodem]

Perhaps our setup in Preps and Nexus isn't correct. Right now with our Raster Page workflow. We have a different Preps Device for each Device we are going to. ie: the GTO, 29 inch press, 40 inch press, 41 inch press. Then in Nexus we also have workflows for each press.

How is your Preps and Nexus setup so you only have to use 1 JDF file?

 

[couriergraphics]

If we have multiple forms on DIFFERENT presses we would print a jdf for each press.

 

[Joe]

Perhaps our setup in Preps and Nexus isn't correct. Right now with our Raster Page workflow. We have a different Preps Device for each Device we are going to. ie: the GTO, 29 inch press, 40 inch press, 41 inch press. Then in Nexus we also have workflows for each press.

How is your Preps and Nexus setup so you only have to use 1 JDF file?

The only option I ever found was to give the JDF a different name when printing the second time or putting it into a different folder.

 

[pcmodem]

Joe,

Does the Marks file get the same name as the JDF file? I am not at work right now or I would test it.

Is Prinergy's setup with Preps, similar to Nexus and have these same issues?

My thoughts on PDF workflows and JDF at this point:
It was so much easier to just print to an Appletalk printer when we were using a raster(CT/LW) workflow with a low-res eps placed in Preps.

 

[Joe]

I think so but it's been a while since I've used it but I'm pretty sure if you save the JDF with the same name and overwrite the original JDF it will overwrite the marks file.

Prinergy is different altogether. You make the original imposition plan. If you need to change pages out you just replace them in the pageset (think run list), they get updated automatically in the imposition plan and then you just re-output the sig you need. If you change a template you just update the imposition plan by using the original ".job", ".pjtf", or ".jdf" that was created originally and then output the needed sig. We don't actually use Preps for imposing though. Prinergy has a "Signature selection tool" that is used to select the Preps template and then Prinergy does the best. Preps can still be used if a user prefers but doesn't have to be.