Old-style imposition - building blocks
In the following sections we will explain how the individual configuration ranges and all the parameters work. After that we will show how to proceed with setting up a new imposition using one of the examples supplied.
Sheet definition (Sheet Setup)
A sheet definition (Sheet Setup) comprises a PDF file with optional templates (Sheet Template) and a template definition (Sheet Template Con-figuration), which determines all the slots available on each individual template.
Name of a template layout
The configuration files file extension has to be ".sheetconfig" and the content has to start with the reserved word "NAME" followed by a <Tab> and a Name. In this file the sheet definition name is in UTF-8 code. (As long as only standard letters from A to Z and a to z without umlauts or accents, and numbers and simple signs such as period, comma, hyphen or under-score are used in names, ASCII corresponds to UTF-8 code: if you wish to use names with umlauts or signs from non-Western languages – such as Russian or Japanese – these will have to be saved in UTF-8. Some text edi-tors – e.g. BBEdit 7 in Mac – have special save options for this).
- Note: UTF-8 encoding ensures that even names containing special characters (ä, ö, u, ß, …) or non-Western languages can be processed.
Under this name the sheet definition can be selected in the Desktop ver-sion of pdfToolbox in the "Impose" action dialog.
The configuration files file extension has to be ".sheetconfig" and the content has to start with the reserved word "NAME" followed by a <TAB> and a Name. Many customers miss this TAB and use SPACE instead which will never work.
Template sheet
The SheetTemplate PDF file is an optional PDF file whose filename has to be the same as the filename of the sheetconfig (e.g. "880x630, 8up A4.sheetconfig.pdf"). During the imposition process the PDF pages from this file are inserted as a background in the PDF document to be imposed. The pages to be imposed are then positioned against this background. In the process the complete page contents of the template are transferred. In this way all static elements like crop marks and print control strips are per-fectly positioned on the final imposition sheet.
At the same time, care should be taken with this file that the page size – as MediaBox (and if explicitly defined: CropBox) – corresponds to the sheet format.
The geometry of the individual slots on the template is determined in the sheetconfig file independently from this PDF file.
The template file can contain one or more templates (each PDF page in a template file constitutes a separate template). During the imposition pro-cess, the sheets are inserted sequentially into the target document accord-ing to the instructions in the imposition runlist.
If there are no more template pages in the template file, each page will be used in sequence during the imposition process, starting again from the first page if no pages are left but a new template is needed. Optionally, each page of the template can be used directly. If the template file only contains one template (i.e. a PDF page), the same template will be used over and over again.
If a SheetTemplate PDF exists, no SHEET entries are allowed in the ".sheetconfig"-file.
If no template PDF is available, the sheet size has to be defined using the following syntax:
SHEET <left_bottom_x> <left_bottom_y> <right_top_x> <right_top_y>TotalPagesMultipleOf is optional and used for rounding up the number of pages to the next value which can be devided by TotalPagesMultipleOf. See the .runlist-section of this manual for a detailed example.
Further information about using template pages is explained during the definition of a runlist.
Template configuration (*.sheetconfig)
The details regarding the placing of the pages to be imposed on the tem-plate are in the SheetTemplateConfig.dat file. Here the individual slots are defined together with further information about their desired positioning. Every slot definition has to start with the reserved word "SLOT" followed by the following parameter:
Slot Name
Allows to define a name for this slot for easier understanding and read-ability.
Slot ID
Clear and unmistakable ID of a slot on a sheetpage (integer); valid values: 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. It is not necessary to number all of the slots although we recommend doing so for reasons of clarity.
Sheet ID
Page number of the templates in the template file, for which the slot is intended (integer): valid values: 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., whereby only the number 1 is valid in a one page template, and only 1 and 2, etc. in a two-page template file.
Trim Box left
Margin (Offset) of the left edge of the slot relative to the left edge of the MediaBox of the template (value and unit of measurement; acceptable units of measurement: mm, pt, cm, '); valid values e.g.: 12cm, 20.5pt, 3cm, 7.5'.
Trim Box bottom
Margin (Offset) of the bottom edge of the slot relative to the bottom edge (of the MediaBox) of the sheet (value and unit of measurement; accept-able units of measurement: mm, pt, cm, '); valid values: 12cm, 20.5pt, 3cm, 7.5'.
Trim Box width
Slot width (value and unit of measurement; acceptable units of measure-ment: mm, pt, cm, '); valid values: 12cm, 20.5pt, 3cm, 7.5' etc.
Trim Box height
Slot height (value and unit of measurement; acceptable units of measure-ment: mm, pt, cm, '); valid values: 12cm, 20.5pt, 3cm, 7.5' etc.
Bleed Offset left
Allowance (Offset) to the left edge of the page position for additional bleed (value and unit of measurement; acceptable units of measurement: mm, pt, cm, '); valid values: 12cm, 20.5pt, 3cm, 7.5', etc.
Bleed Offset bottom
Allowance (Offset) to the lower edge of the page position for additional bleed (value and unit of measurement; acceptable units of measurement: mm, pt, cm, '); valid values: 12cm, 20.5pt, 3cm, 7.5', etc.
Bleed Offset right
Allowance (Offset) to the right edge of the page position for additional bleed (value and unit of measurement; acceptable units of measurement: mm, pt, cm, '); valid values: 12cm, 20.5pt, 3cm, 7.5', etc.
Bleed Offset top
Allowance (Offset) to the upper edge of the page position for additional bleed (value and unit of measurement; acceptable units of measurement: mm, pt, cm, '); valid values: 12cm, 20.5pt, 3cm, 7.5', etc.
Scale X
Horizontal scaling factor; values greater than zero affect the correspond-ing scaling of the page to be positioned on the sheet in a horizontal direc-tion; a zero value ensures that the page to be positioned is fitted onto the sheet horizontally; a value of minus one ensures that the same scaling fac-tor is used as for the vertical scaling.
Valid values (each applicable to horizontal scaling):
| 100 |
equals 100%, or unscaled positioning |
| 25 |
equals 25%, or reduce to one quarter of size |
| 270 |
equals 270%, or enlarge by 2.7 |
| etc. |
| 0 |
scale so that the page fits horizontally into the slot’s Trim Box, i.e. scale to the Trim Box width |
| -1 |
use the same scaling factor as for the vertical scaling if -1 has been entered as a value for Scale Y, the page will be scaled proportionally so that it fits horizontally and vertically into the slot’s TrimBox |
Scale Y
Vertical scaling factor; values greater than zero affect the corresponding scaling of the page to be positioned on the sheet in a vertical direction; a zero value ensures that the page to be positioned is fitted onto the sheet vertically; a value of minus one ensures that the same scaling factor is used as for the horizontal scaling.
Valid values (each applicable to vertical scaling):
| 100 |
equals 100%, or unscaled positioning |
| 25 |
equals 25%, or reduce to one quarter of size |
| 270 |
equals 270%, or enlarge by 2.7 |
| etc. |
|
0 |
scale so that the page fits vertically into the slot’s TrimBox, i.e. scale to Trim Box height |
|
-1 |
use the same scaling factor as for the horizontal scaling if the value -1 has also been entered for Scale X, the page is scaled pro-portionally in a horizontal and verti-cal direction so that it fits the slot’s TrimBox |
Rotation
Page rotates anti-clockwise (value, basic unit of measurement: degrees). The only approved values are: 0, 90, 180, 270.
Placement
The only approved values are:
|
LB |
align left bottom |
|
LC |
align left center |
|
LT |
align left top |
|
CT |
align center top |
|
RT |
align right top |
|
RC |
align right center |
|
RB |
align right bottom |
|
CB |
align center bottom |
|
CC |
align center, i.e. both vertically and horizontally |
- Note: The entry for the placing of the page to be positioned is relative to the slot, which in turn is defined by the TrimBox specifications.
- Note: If a slot is used for PlaceText, this text cannot be set to be right aligned by using Placement due to technical restrictions. Text will always start at the point defined by Placement, respecting orientation given by Rotation.
Binding Margin
Binding Margin defines the edge on which the creep should be equalized. Possible values are:
|
N |
none |
|
L |
left |
|
R |
right |
|
T |
top |
|
B |
bottom |
|
L0 |
left, without increase of the BleedBox |
|
R0 |
right, without increase of the BleedBox |
|
T0 |
top, without increase of the BleedBox |
|
B0 |
bottom, without increase of the BleedBox |
- Note: Additionally you need to set ShinglingOffset in the runlist for defining the paper thickness ( "0mm" by default which means no binding margin).
Cropmark Style Left Bottom
Define the style of the cropmark placed in the lower left corner.
Possible values:
|
N |
none (default) |
|
L |
left |
|
R |
right |
|
T |
top |
|
B |
bottom |
|
LT |
left top |
|
RT |
right top |
|
LB |
left bottom |
|
RB |
right bottom |
Cropmark Style Right Bottom
Define the style of the cropmark placed in the lower right corner.
Possible values:
see " Cropmark Style Left Bottom ".
Cropmark Style Right Top
Define the style of the cropmark placed in the upper right corner.
Possible values:
see " Cropmark Style Left Bottom ".
Cropmark Style Left Top
Define the style of the cropmark placed in the upper left corner.
Possible values:
see " Cropmark Style Left Bottom ".
Clip mode
Usually imposed pages are cropped according to their TrimBox plus bleed as set up in the slot.
Sometimes it is needed that the imposed page is clipped at the slot boundaries instead.
| P |
Positioned page (default) |
| S |
Slot |
Slot as isolated transparency group
This option allow to create a slot as a non-isolated transparency group.
| I |
Isolated (Default) |
| N |
Not isolated |
Comment (# sign)
After the # sign, it is possible to enter a comment.
Pagesize Filter
The PAGESSIZE_FILTER entry is used for filtering the display of sheet con-figurations in the callas pdfToolbox GUI. It has no effect on the imposition process. A sheet configuration is only displayed in the "Sheet configuration" pop-up menu if the PAGESIZE_FILTER matches the selected "Page size" pop-up in the 'Impose' single action window. If IGNORE_ORIENTATION is either one of "YES", "ANY", "TRUE", "*" the page orientation is ignored, otherwise the page size orientation is regarded.
PAGESIZE_FILTER <width of n-ups> <height of n-ups> <allowed widht-tolerance of n-up> <allowed height-tolerance of n-up> <ignore_orientation>The file format of a template configuration file
The file is saved and read in ASCII format. Columns are separated from each other using the <TAB> (Tabulator) key.
Empty lines are ignored. Lines which start with a # sign are interpreted as comments and as such are similarly disregarded.