VDP on a Konica C8000 using Fiery Command Workstation 5

[PaulK]

I am hoping someone can help answer a question for me. I have a VDP job that I am trying to print using Fiery Command Workstation 5. Here is my problem:

When I take the pdf, import it into the Fiery and go to >Job Properties, >VDP, I select "Create FreeForm Master". This is the common background pdf file the job uses, spot colors, transparency, etc. For this very reason, we want to uses the "Adobe Print Engine Prefferred" setting in the top left of the Job Properties window. In effect, the Adobe setting RIP's the job with much better color consistency and visual output.

The problem, is that if I select the Adobe setting and click print to make the FreeForm Master, it processes, goes into the "Printed" que, and when I right-click on it, and go back to Job Properties, the Adobe setting box is unchecked. It is as if it will simply not create a FreeForm Master using the Adobe RIP settings. In fact, even if I take the VDP PDF file, using the FreeForm master, and select the Adobe RIP setting, it will print it using the Fiery RIP settings, and do the exact same thing.

Has anyone had a similar issue where the Adobe RIP setting is checked when you go to print a VDP file, and between clicking print, the file printing, and the job going into the printed que it by it's own accord unchecks the Adobe RIP and prints and rips the file using the Fiery RIP?

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

Set up a Hot Folder for one time use? A quick work around that may work.

 

[PaulK]

Set up a Hot Folder how? In Command Workstation?

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

Well, it is an additional piece of software that you can buy with your Fiery. It interfaces with CWS, but is not CWS.

Edit: Got distracted and posted too early. This statement is only relevant if you have Hot Folders. If you don't already use it, but still have it, this may be a bit too much to handle for your first job type setup. Check your manuals for use. HF can handle all sorts of file formats.

 

[[email protected]]

If you haven't already you might try posting your question at fieryforums.efi.com

 

[cyanman]

I don't know this for a fact, but this is my thought process here -

FreeForm predates the PDF print engine by more than a decade so it was conceived and written when there was no thought of the PDF print engine. It almost surely leverages PostScript code for the storage of the background form and the overlay of your variable content. This being the case, my expectation would be that the job must RIP using PS which would be incompatible with the PDF RIP selection. It would be nice if you got a message of the conflict rather than just ignoring your selections, but that would not really change the resulting output.

 

[PaulK]

Update:

Long strory short, we had to MacGyver the files to make them work. We had Konica scheduled to come in and upgrade us to the newest version of Command Workstation anyway and the hope was that with the new software upgrade this might resolve the issue, however after the upgrade, the exact same thing happened. We sent the files to Konica and even had them follow our steps exactly and they had the same result. There was nothing wrong with the files themselves.

Lesson learned and filed for future use: If you are imposing a job in the Fiery imposer and want to rip it using
the Adobe PDF Print Engine, lets say for color reasons (like I did), it will print fine. However, if you want to take that same PDF and impose it and use it to merge in anyway to a VDP job using the FreeForm Master, it will not work and will default to the Fiery rip. FYI.

 

[dpolglaze]

Right on CYANMAN...sounds perfectly logical! I just had something similar relating to outdated Adobe code on a Creo. The "Optimize PDF" setting made a lot of PDFs fail in the PrintQ--Creo escalated it to Adobe. Anyway, regarding Paul's post and the Fiery CWS and FreeForm issue: Depending on the Fiery model, the system has hot folders built in---there should be an icon for it on the desktop where CWS is installed. EFI has great online tools for teaching yourself most anything--in case you've never dug into their site.

BIGGEST THINGS I want to add here are this: 1) Acrobat Professional has a feature to let you add a static background (or overlay master) in case you ever need a faster work-around. 2) Get the "FAST" Fiery support program. It's only $360/year and you get direct phone and email access to Fiery specialists and lots of specialized training. You can buy this from EFI even if you're a KM customer. Tell your dealer or KM rep to contact his/her area's EFI rep for info on this. Might have to bug them about it. No, I don't work for EFI I was a systems and support analyst and trainer for a KM dealer and I had several customer's buy this and they loved it!

Happy Printing,
Dwight