Stumped trying to run numbered multi-page PDF on NCR

PGraphics

Member
Ricoh c7100 / Fiery Command Station 6 / FS150 Pro

*Preface that I'm relatively new to operating a digital press, coming from a design position.

I have a 200-page PDF, sequentially numbered in reverse order, to print 200 sets of NCR forms. Obviously I need the same page/number to print multiple times in a row for each color in the NCR set, but our Fiery software does not appear to support carbonless sets directly and I cannot figure out how we've made this work in the past. Per one suggestion I tried e.g. running it as 2 copies uncollated for 2-part NCR, but it still gave me a different page/number on each sheet rather than repeating.

We have done this exact job many times before, but lost our previous operator, so I have no idea how he ran it unfortunately.
 
Wow.
Not knowing what they did is painful.
Without knowing what software options you have it is hard to help . . .
I do this for funsies and have many ways to achieve it based on available software.
:)
There is your first task.
Catalog and Understand your tools.
 
Wow.
Not knowing what they did is painful.
Without knowing what software options you have it is hard to help . . .
I do this for funsies and have many ways to achieve it based on available software.
:)
There is your first task.
Catalog and Understand your tools.
Original is an Indesign file + a linked .csv with the numbering sequence, using the data merge panel to create the 200 page PDF. I just updated the number sequence in the .csv and exported a PDF that matched our output file from the previous order. Everything else appears to have been done in Fiery on the Ricoh. (See top of original post for the version #s.)
 
Here's a method I've used before since you have the InDesign file:
  1. Duplicate the page in your InDesign file (Both pages should have the merge field as well.)
  2. When you export to PDF, it will make pg 1&2 both numbered 1001, then page 3&4, will be 1002, and so forth (you'll have a 400 pg pdf instead of 200 pgs)
  3. Now you can just print as normal instead of messing with the Fiery settings.
 
Last edited:
Here's a method I've used before since you have the InDesign file:
  1. Duplicate the page in your InDesign file (Both pages should have the merge field as well.)
  2. When you export to PDF, it will make pg 1&2 both numbered 1001, then page 3&4, will be 1002, and so forth (you'll have a 400 pg pdf instead of 200 pgs)
  3. Now you can just print as normal instead of messing with the Fiery settings.
And this is an example of understanding your tools.
Nice solution with the tools at hand.
Always YMMV.
 
Lots of options for this but at this point I would just modify the csv file - first cell =1 second cell =1 third cell =1 then on to your next number repeating it 3 times since it's a 3 part form.
I use Fusion Pro for this because I'm too cheap to print anything 1 up that can be printed 2 up.
 
I also do as doubling up like in above posts but something useful to some might (I use xerox fiery so may not have on other systems) be the use of define record length under VDP tool and page range under media tab.
1, create as above double record (or even 3 for triplicate).
2, define record length as two (in this case).
3, page range as page one tray x (say one) which has top sheet in, page two range as say tray x (say tray 2) which has bottom sheet in.

Hey presto printing and self collating so don't have to have precollated stock or collate afterwards.
 
For an update, I did get it sorted. Setting number of copies to the # of NCR sheets then running uncollated worked out when told to print (it did NOT work when I chose Proof Print initially for whatever reason). I already had the numbered file in reverse order, but you can swap the order in Fiery if needed anyway.

For a bonus, these were run 2-up, which caused the issue that it would be two stacks with the numbers mixed between them. This was resolved under Impose by choosing Gangup - Unique - Collate cut. This gave me one stack of e.g. 1-100 and second stack of 101-200. Good to go!
 
Here's a method I've used before since you have the InDesign file:
  1. Duplicate the page in your InDesign file (Both pages should have the merge field as well.)
  2. When you export to PDF, it will make pg 1&2 both numbered 1001, then page 3&4, will be 1002, and so forth (you'll have a 400 pg pdf instead of 200 pgs)
  3. Now you can just print as normal instead of messing with the Fiery settings.
I've always done it this way. I page for each copy in the set. This also allows you to easily make copy changes between sheets (Customer Copy, File Copy, etc.) and add knock out screens etc.
 
We normally use the "Group" feature on our Fiery to accomplish this. If you have a 3-part NCR, you can print 3 copies using "Group" and it will print 3 copies of each page of the PDF in order.
 
We use Number Press 8 to number everything, including 3NCR. It was very inexpensive and you just set up the numbering import a pdf of the background image and it generates a PDF of the entire file for printing. We use it for receipt books, half sheet 2NCR and many other forms. We have two licenses and all of our forms and backgrounds on shared network for both to access.
 

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We normally use the "Group" feature on our Fiery to accomplish this. If you have a 3-part NCR, you can print 3 copies using "Group" and it will print 3 copies of each page of the PDF in order.
I have not heard of this on a Fiery can you elaborate more on how you use it?
 
Just print the number of copies equal to the number of NCR parts and Group the output. Almost too easy.
 
Ricoh c7100 / Fiery Command Station 6 / FS150 Pro

*Preface that I'm relatively new to operating a digital press, coming from a design position.

I have a 200-page PDF, sequentially numbered in reverse order, to print 200 sets of NCR forms. Obviously I need the same page/number to print multiple times in a row for each color in the NCR set, but our Fiery software does not appear to support carbonless sets directly and I cannot figure out how we've made this work in the past. Per one suggestion I tried e.g. running it as 2 copies uncollated for 2-part NCR, but it still gave me a different page/number on each sheet rather than repeating.

We have done this exact job many times before, but lost our previous operator, so I have no idea how he ran it unfortunately.
Each "sequential number" in the sequence is a "page", therefore, a page#; the 2-part, 3-part, (whatever) is the "#of copies" ...
Then, set "collate > OFF" ...
Each "page" gets x amount of copies (2-part, 3-part, etc), then the next page (uncollated) gets printed & stacked ...
Ascending/descending depends on how Prepress "numbered" the data merge ...
 

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