Selecting DeviceN Pitstop Action

[pabney]

I have a customer sending me imposed files with marks. Normally I would be apposed to this, but they are doing all the cutting and folding, so I need to use their layout. The problem is the marks are coming in as DeviceN (SPOT + process colors) with varying number of components. I need an action to select the marks and change the color so they do not trap in the rip, but I can't see a way to select them. Any ideas?

Thanks
paul

 

[Tim-Ellis]

Can you select them by region and / or stroke weight?

 

[pabney]

Region is out, as the files come in imposed sheet size, so the marks move based on trim size. Stroke weight might be an idea. Thanks

 

[prepressdork]

If you are able to click one of the individual marks, you should be able to use the "Change Specific Color" global change:

1. Edit the "Change Specific Color" global change.
2. With one of the marks selected, under the REMAP section, click the Eye Dropper button and choose "Grab Stroke (or Fill) Color".
3. Now, using the Pitstop Inspector, manually change the stroke or fill of the mark to the color you want it to be.
4. Back in the Global Change editor window, under the TO section, click the Eye Dropper button and choose "Grab Stroke (or Fill) Color".
5. Save and Run the global change.

You mentioned that you had marks with varying components so you may need repeat steps 1,2, and 5 above for each variant of the mark color you want to change.

You also mentioned that you can't see a way to select them. Does this mean you can't actually click the marks?

Does this help?
pd

 

[prepressdork]

There is also a "Select DeviceN with attributes" action list command. Adding that plus a change color action list command may also achieve the desired result.

pd

 

[pabney]

Thanks everyone, I did find a way to select the marks and change them to All color. However, I basically traded one issue for another. So maybe I am trying to fix the wrong thing. So let me explain what is going on and maybe someone out there can say "It would be easier if you would just do this."

We are getting files from the customer as imposed press sheet size pdf files, that are generated out of Esko Automation Engine 14, complete with trim/fold marks for there workflow.
Files are Black and X number of PMS colors. The marks are defined as DeviceN (SPOT + process colors)

If I rip (Fuji XMF) the files as they are, all the marks trap. Black is normal and the spot colors shrink. This makes registration difficult.
If I select the marks, and change them to Registration color, the the rip does not trap them, but I end up with CMYK + Spot plates. I know I can just turn the CMY plates off in XMF and all is good. But, as always, I am striving for the most complete automated solution.

Any ideas?

 

[Joe]

What are the percentage values in the original. Seeing as how they are marks they should all be 100% and I would think trapping would ignore them. (Not an XMF user here but I know Prinergy does not trap them)

 

[pabney]

They are 100% of all the colors. But as far as XMF is concerned they are not marks. They are just a page element. So it sees that 100% Black is on top of the other colors, so it chokes the colors underneath. I can't just turn this feature off, as I need it on for black text elsewhere on the page.

 

[abc]

Hi Paul
Can you post a pdf with just one set of trim marks please?

 

[pabney]

ABC,
Thanks for the interest, but I did finally figure out rip settings that would work late last night. I am good to go.

 

[abc]

Perfect