dpolglaze
Registered Users
A mainstay for commercial mail and print shops are variable, multiple-stock jobs for statements and other transactional work.
Automatic and data-driven variable tray-switching with digital presses in a Postscript (PS) workflow is a key requirement for high-volume shops. With the right RIP, tray assignments, engine settings and PS media commands in the output file, the engine will automatically switch to a full tray of a particular stock when the previous one for that stock goes empty. This method also reduces errors and waste, and is of the highest efficiency. In getting this to work properly you have to travel the entire workflow from the variable data printing (VDP) layout software to the paper settings at the print engine.
One recent example of a custom-developed solution involved a popular VDP program and its inability to create the proper PS commands needed for this work. The customer took a KM1250 with a Creo RIP on trial with a second machine to be delivered in 30 days if the trial went well. The KM1250 has five large-capacity feed trays. This customer has about 100 small HP printers--each with two small feed trays--and they were running their multi-stock jobs on these and hand-collating. Since the customer's VDP software could not produce the proper PS commands for this work, which would enable them to auto-switch through the five large trays on the 1250, I had a major challenge on my hands.
I coordinated communication between the software and Creo engineering groups, and supplied the files and information they needed to work on a solution. The software company was unwilling to make any changes that would enable it to produce the required PS media commands.
Realizing they would not budge on this, I went forward with an idea for a different process that was already brewing. Creo had made a suggestion and I asked them to create a custom driver (PPD) for me. Due to a well-managed relationship, they did this within two days of the request. The PPD; however, contained only a basic set of media types and needed more to make the solution complete and fully flexible. I then edited the code in the PPD and added the additional media commands the customer needed. This was the key element in the solution, but a new PS output process from the VDP software was also needed.
The final process design, configuration and testing was done at the customer site. I then demonstrated the solution and showed that the auto-switching worked perfectly with all of the automation and flexibility they needed. They signed the deal that same day.
I then wrote up a process document and trained the programmers and operators on it. I also wrote up instructions and showed the programmers how to edit the PPD code in case they ever wanted to make additional edits or additions.
Automatic and data-driven variable tray-switching with digital presses in a Postscript (PS) workflow is a key requirement for high-volume shops. With the right RIP, tray assignments, engine settings and PS media commands in the output file, the engine will automatically switch to a full tray of a particular stock when the previous one for that stock goes empty. This method also reduces errors and waste, and is of the highest efficiency. In getting this to work properly you have to travel the entire workflow from the variable data printing (VDP) layout software to the paper settings at the print engine.
One recent example of a custom-developed solution involved a popular VDP program and its inability to create the proper PS commands needed for this work. The customer took a KM1250 with a Creo RIP on trial with a second machine to be delivered in 30 days if the trial went well. The KM1250 has five large-capacity feed trays. This customer has about 100 small HP printers--each with two small feed trays--and they were running their multi-stock jobs on these and hand-collating. Since the customer's VDP software could not produce the proper PS commands for this work, which would enable them to auto-switch through the five large trays on the 1250, I had a major challenge on my hands.
I coordinated communication between the software and Creo engineering groups, and supplied the files and information they needed to work on a solution. The software company was unwilling to make any changes that would enable it to produce the required PS media commands.
Realizing they would not budge on this, I went forward with an idea for a different process that was already brewing. Creo had made a suggestion and I asked them to create a custom driver (PPD) for me. Due to a well-managed relationship, they did this within two days of the request. The PPD; however, contained only a basic set of media types and needed more to make the solution complete and fully flexible. I then edited the code in the PPD and added the additional media commands the customer needed. This was the key element in the solution, but a new PS output process from the VDP software was also needed.
The final process design, configuration and testing was done at the customer site. I then demonstrated the solution and showed that the auto-switching worked perfectly with all of the automation and flexibility they needed. They signed the deal that same day.
I then wrote up a process document and trained the programmers and operators on it. I also wrote up instructions and showed the programmers how to edit the PPD code in case they ever wanted to make additional edits or additions.
