Preps 5.3.3 - Marks

[irreality]

So Im new to the whole Preps Scene, and I am finding it very frustrating. This is not the most user friendly piece of software that I have ever used.

My Question is in relation to marks - Or smartmarks ... or whatever kind of mark i will be needing. OK, I know how to make custom marks, easy peasy - however my requirements need these marks to be aligned to some pages on the sheet ... but not others. Now, Smartmarks will place a mark on every single page. (which I dont want), and I understand that It is allocated via page number. However, I need these page numbers to be legit since i will be placing the pages in EVO.

As far as I can tell there is no way to remove an INDIVIDUAL smartmark. (not so smart now are we) as they are all grouped together. I need to know if it is possible to remove an individual mark......

If not, the only way I see that I can go forward with the marks that I want. Is to create a template with the page numbers that dont correspond (however positioning the marks on the pages that I want)... Then Outputting this "template" to a PDF/EPS format. Removing the marks that I want or dont want, as well as the pageholders that are in place. Then Reimporting this whole sheet back into PREPS as one big mark. and VOILA my marks are where they need to be.

OH and another question. I am having an issue with the marks on the sheet, being knocked out by page bleed... or something... Im not sure exactly what it is that is knocking them out. I selected the bring to front option on the marks... but it still gets knocked out.... any ideas...

And One last one for good luck. If in my "BIG MARK" I specify white areas.... will these be honoured as I go through the steps. I am looking to knock out some areas for diecutting purposes....

Help Is greatly appreciated......

Thanks in Advance..

 

[CTPGal]

Try Static Marks

Try Static Marks

You can use the static marks feature. You can place these at any X and Y coordinates you specify. You can control the length of them, which would be the height measurement or width measurement depending on if its a vertical or horizontal mark you are adding. If you need to add multiple marks you can add them as needed providing you figure the X and Y coordinates out, which if you work off center is pretty easy. There is also a step and repeat function that can be handy. If you don't want them to knockout, under "mark color" choose 100% all separations, and I always use "bring to front, as in pages with bleed, you want the marks to be on top so they will always print. Hope this helps.

Also, if you add a vertical or horizontal mark you can copy and paste, and use the click and drag feature to put the marks where you want them. Sometimes I'll drag it near where I want it and fine tune it the the x and y coordinates.

 

[Glenn McDowall]

Select the pages you need to add marks to.

Template>Modify Template Page>Add Crop Marks

often its best here, to not select add to outside only.

Now hide your Pages and you should be able to click drag (over the whole mark) to select all the marks that you don't want and hit the delete key.

Sometimes Smart Marks just won't do.

I really miss Signastation's ability to Select and Offset Marks in any direction.

 

[Al Ferrari]

" I know how to make custom marks, easy peasy"

In what application are you making your marks; what file format are you saving them in; are they set to overprint in the creating application?

"As far as I can tell there is no way to remove an INDIVIDUAL smartmark."

Are you adding them individually, of importing them?

Are you using Preps as a stand alone application, or as part of a larger work flow? How have you determined that the problems you are having are from Preps and not from an application downstream? Is this for pdf or postscript jobs? Have you tried output from Preps to pdf or postscript file for viewing in Acrobat (after distilling, in the case of postscript)?

Al

Edit below:

"the only way I see that I can go forward with the marks that I want. Is to create a template with the page numbers that dont correspond (however positioning the marks on the pages that I want)... Then Outputting this "template" to a PDF/EPS format. Removing the marks that I want or dont want, as well as the pageholders that are in place. Then Reimporting this whole sheet back into PREPS as one big mark. and VOILA my marks are where they need to be."

Consider adding your custom marks to these individual pages before bringing them into Preps for imposing. You might even use a separate Preps job for that with a single page template.

 

[irreality]

" I know how to make custom marks, easy peasy"

In what application are you making your marks; what file format are you saving them in; are they set to overprint in the creating application?

** I am making the marks in Illy and saving as EPS and REFINED to PDF from prinergy (PDF is needed for prinergy from what i hear). My problem lays with the marks getting "knocked out" from impeding pages - Im not sure if there is a way to fix this easily **

"As far as I can tell there is no way to remove an INDIVIDUAL smartmark."

Are you adding them individually, of importing them?

** I am Unsure of the question - I go "add smartmark>custom marks" and attach to pages - This is where the problem lies im sure - What i need is similar to a checkmark (for diecutting) and using smartmarks it attaches to every page ---- but i dont need every page - more like every third page **

Are you using Preps as a stand alone application, or as part of a larger work flow? How have you determined that the problems you are having are from Preps and not from an application downstream? Is this for pdf or postscript jobs? Have you tried output from Preps to pdf or postscript file for viewing in Acrobat (after distilling, in the case of postscript)?

**I am using preps as an imposition template in Prinergy Evo, yes I have output from preps as a PDF - this is how i know the problem exists (see quote #1 for issue with pages knocking out marks)**

"the only way I see that I can go forward with the marks that I want. Is to create a template with the page numbers that dont correspond (however positioning the marks on the pages that I want)... Then Outputting this "template" to a PDF/EPS format. Removing the marks that I want or dont want, as well as the pageholders that are in place. Then Reimporting this whole sheet back into PREPS as one big mark. and VOILA my marks are where they need to be."

Consider adding your custom marks to these individual pages before bringing them into Preps for imposing. You might even use a separate Preps job for that with a single page template.

**Adding marks to pages before output is not an option, this would definitely make things 100% more complicated, and difficult to edit if need be.**

 

[Glenn McDowall]

Sorry I didn't read your post properly, and assumed you wanted trim marks.
This would be so easy with Signastation, again I'm not being helpful am I.

Would it be possible to Create a separate Smart Mark relative to the sheet/imposition for each page position, then group them in a folder (Finder) that way you can add them in one go but still delete them separately.

 

[rotarypower3]

From another forum...

If you are using Smart Crop marks and want to delete some but not all, hold the option key and select the marks you want to delete.

...

 

[pcmodem]

If this is a mark for die cutting or something specific for certain pages. You could use independent pages. Place an independent page on top of the page where you want your mark. Place the mark as a page in your run list. This is a digital way to do double burning.

 

[irreality]

From another forum...




...

this does not work - Holding down option - It works for crop marks only from what i see.

 

[irreality]

If this is a mark for die cutting or something specific for certain pages. You could use independent pages. Place an independent page on top of the page where you want your mark. Place the mark as a page in your run list. This is a digital way to do double burning.

My pages are being inserted in the EVO system - Preps is only being used as a template maker. and If i need to insert a page for each set of marks.... I can see the problems already.

 

[Al Ferrari]

Why not use the page range option to add the mark only to the desired pages? See attached.

 

[irreality]

Yeah that wont work either, because the pages need to be assigned to the correct page number --- so when I bring in pages in evo, I dont have to jump all over the place...

to make a long story short.... I did just what I said I was going to do ... create one big mark via illustrator and place it on top of everything else.... Seems to do just what i wanted....

I feel that Preps is not very user freindly for this sort of application, If i was using dynastrip I wouldnt of had these issues. But Alas .... this is what corporate wants... this is what corporate gets.

 

[Glenn McDowall]

Did your white boxes knock-out OK?

 

[pcmodem]

Instead of using Smart Marks. Why not just use Static Marks. Smart marks are meant to be dynamic but from what I can tell, what you are wanting is marks to be in specific spots. This is what Static marks are for. Instead of selecting Smart Marks, use the menu option Marks.

 

[irreality]

White boxes knocked out perfectly !!!.....

I am using my one large mark as a Static mark, However placing each mark individually would require alot of math when placing each piece, as you cannot place a static mark attached to a single page. So the way I did it was more usefull.

 

[pcmodem]

You can also click and drag Static marks to get them close. Sometimes close is good enough, depending on what you are doing.

Didn't you have to do the same math when you created the marks in Illustrator?

 

[irreality]

No the same math doesnt apply in illustrator... since I can specify my zero point at anywhere on the screen. ie, one of the pages.

 

[omepheus]

filename mark

filename mark

Hi! I need to put the documents name on paper on each plate. The only solution i found was custom text mark, but to use that i need to modify the template each time, and that is time consuming. Is there an automatic mark that can write my imposed filename? Thanks!
I have Preps 5.1.5

 

[pcmodem]

I am not at work but there is a variable text which you can apply. It is similar to the $Sig $Side $Color

 

[omepheus]

thanks, i found it in the book. is $jobname