Pitstop Action Help - Adding stroke to TRIM BOX

[maxwinkler]

I'm newer to these forums, been using Pitstop for a few years, looking for a way to automate a task.
Currently using Acrobat X and Pitstop 10, update 3.

We receive PDFs on our FTP from our online-ordering store.
These PDFs are sometimes 3.5"x2", sometimes they are 8.5"x11" - it all depends on the item.
These PDFs are then run through an old script that takes an EPS (saved out from the PDFs), puts them into Quark, fits to the trim size, adds a stroke to the TRIM SIZE and prints out a laser.

I'm looking for a way to automate Pitstop to take a PDF, add a .5pt stroke to the TRIM BOX, save it and print it.

Any ideas on how to automate stroking just the TRIM BOX?

Thank you in advance.

 

[prepressdork]

Here are the action list steps:

Select all
Add background (to the trim box coloring it with a spot color)
Select all
Select fill color (the spot color you selected for the Add background step)
Change fill to Off and stroke to On
Change stroke color (to whatever color you want)
Change line weight to (desired line weight)

That should do it,
pd

 

[maxwinkler]

Thanks PD,

I'm with you for the most part, but my action list does not have "Select fill color" or "Change stroke color" - possible this is in a newer version of Pitstop?

 

[prepressdork]

I am using version 12 but version 10 should have those functions. What's your email address? I'll email you the action list.

Thanks,
pd

 

[CruzinCooler]

Thank you, This came in handy just today.

 

[prepressdork]

Glad to help!

 

[abc]

Maybe also add 'Change object order to front' at the end. That way the stroke will be the uppermost object and then not hidden by anything like a full bleed image.

 

[CruzinCooler]

Very good idea.

 

[abc]

I have my moments, particularly unusual in this case as it's a friday and the sun is out in Gent.

 

[crudos]

Here are the action list steps:

Select all
Add background (to the trim box coloring it with a spot color)
Select all
Select fill color (the spot color you selected for the Add background step)
Change fill to Off and stroke to On
Change stroke color (to whatever color you want)
Change line weight to (desired line weight)

That should do it,
pd

Can someone please email this action to me? Thanks.

 

[abc]

If you have the latest version 12 update 3 it's added as a default in the Action List library

 

[crudos]

If you have the latest version 12 update 3 it's added as a default in the Action List library

Still on version 11, update 2.

 

[abc]

It's possible it might work if alll of the component Actions work, if you follow the steps above you will be able to find out.

mail me at [email protected] if you need any help.

 

[crudos]

Thanks for the help, got it to work finally.

 

[phrogs]

I am extremely new to this. I am needing to set the above mentioned stroke to overprint. We set a cyan 'dieline' at the edge of all of our print jobs so the customer sees the edge of the piece, but the dieline spot color falls out in apogee, so it needs to overprint on items with bleed.
I've tried adding 'select stroke' and then 'change overprint mode'. This does nothing.
I also tried adding it under the 'change stroke color'.
I found an 'overprint black text' action and when I open it up it has something called 'Set Stroke to overprint,' but I can't find it to add in the Action List editor for my action.
my current list goes:
select all
add background
select fill color
change fill to off and stroke to on
change stroke color
change overprint mode to OP...
change line weight
change object order to front
assign objects to layer with name
check if object is set to overprint
I only have the trial right now, so I don't know if that has some limited capabilities. My company is leaning towards getting the upgraded version, but they are deciding if they want to go server based with it or just individual licenses. Previously we only used the bare bones of this program and I've been asked to dig into it with the upgraded trial.
This seems like it is fairly basic and should be simple. I'm probably making it harder than it is.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[kyle]

You also need "Set Stroke overprint to on," which will appear as "Change overprint" initially when searching for it. The overprint mode is another property, and is usually best set to mode 1. If you change "select fill color" to "Select last added objects," you can avoid any existing objects getting caught in the net.

 

[abc]

phrogs

Drop me an email at [email protected]. I can help you out with this and also give you some information on free training webinars we hold every month.
We have a PitStop user group on Linkedin with over 12 hours of previous sessions. We did a couple of sessions that might be directly interesting for you on Action Lists and also getting started with PitStop.

 

[phrogs]

Thank you guys so much! I will try this out as soon as I get a break from our regular jobs. abc, I will email you. I would like to go through some of those sessions.