Rampage and Getting Started with JDF

[cblacker]

I'm a longtime Rampage user but haven't yet ventured into JDF. Everything that I read about the subject seems just like a lot of people talking at the same time and its hard to make out what's actually being said. I haven't found anything that presents the issue in a straight line. You know, start here, do this, then this, etc. I understand the basic idea but I'm not sure how to get started and what steps to take in what order.

Does anyone have any suggestions about where to go to get help getting started using JDF with Rampage 10.5 and Preps?

 

[almaink]

Re: Rampage and Getting Started with JDF

Not that I use JDF, but this video explained it to me better than any other.
http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/?id=vid0212

 

[johnny_jay]

Re: Rampage and Getting Started with JDF

Rampage has some info online

http://www.rampageinc.com/downloads.htm

We also caught a webex yesterday and they showed in V11 of RamPage you can use Preps right inside of RamPage. It looked pretty sweet.

 

[[email protected]]

Re: Rampage and Getting Started with JDF

Clarke,

We had a Rampage trainer in for one day to get us jump started with JDF. We are moving more and more of our regular work to it.

Basically you make a generic imposition job which is placed on the que. When the pages come in they automatically fill the imposition slots, even automatically rotating themselves correctly. No fpos need to be made. The imposition can then be released. The impositions can be used over and over as they are generic.

It is a great time saver for rush jobs or jobs that come in weekly. Imposition is eliminated after the initial template is made.

Connie

 

[jbbbarr]

Re: Rampage and Getting Started with JDF

I have been using jdf for about 6 months now and would never go back. Even with the custom impos I still use it, it is one less step loading the pages into preps. The biggest advantage from my perspective is on the common layout jobs, ie; 4, 8 16 32 48 64 and all of the page counts in between, I have templates generated and just pick the one that fits the requested new job and simply register it to the new job. Very little touching preps, except on custom layouts, and even then the advantage is that when the sigs become full they auto. start the proofing process without me having to remember to let them go manually. It took me a bit of adjustment, but I find the benefits of this automation, priceless.

 

[jimcooperuk]

Re: Rampage and Getting Started with JDF

JDF PREPs RAMPAGE GUIDE

I've developed some straight forward instructions on creating JDF with Preps and rampage.
Its a 700k pdf which I can email to you, should be all you need

Jim

[email protected]

 

[cblacker]

Re: Rampage and Getting Started with JDF

My major stumbling block is that we're feeding five different presses and my master Preps templates folder contains nearly 1500 templates. The thought of remaking these (even one at a time) is rather intimidating, especially since two of these presses can use the same templates but have different setback and punch locations, thus requiring different templates for each of these two presses. I have yet to be entirely convinced that JDF actually simplifies my life and saves any time as applied to Preps and my specific workflow.

It seems as though our planners never set things up the same way twice, their sheet sizes change constantly. As Preps imposition is concerned it seems that JDF is geared to those shops that tend to print using a reasonable number of standard impositions and sheet sizes.

I continue to work on this but I'm unconvinced that the standard Preps workflow isn't faster. Now if you bring something like Metrix into the mix this picture changes quickly. We're looking at this solution now. JDF is clearly the future but just how to implement it remains unclear.

 

[cblacker]

Re: Rampage and Getting Started with JDF

Thanks for the PDF. I'm going to test it today. I'm still unsure that it can be efficient in my specific situation (see my response to John Barr for more on that).

 

[johnny_jay]

Re: Rampage and Getting Started with JDF

We are also looking into implementing JDF into our Rampage Preps workflow. We have a similar problem as Clarke, we have multiple presses and seldom have the same set up twice in a day.

I see JDF having the potential to create g the JDF from Preps when we receive a job ticket and no files, then when the files are ripped, they will be imposed. This will allow us to build the sigs at times when there may not be as much to do.