pdfToolBox allows visually inspect pdf files

Visually inspect PDF files

One of the biggest strengths of pdfToolbox is its ability to preflight PDF documents and return a detailed list of errors and warnings about a PDF file. But in some cases “good” or “not good” simply isn’t a detailed enough answer. In such cases pdfToolbox (and pdfaPilot) provide the visualizer to visually inspect a PDF file.

Ink coverage

Perhaps the best example of cases where the visualizer proves its worth is when a preflight check tells you that a PDF document uses too much ink.

The ink coverage mode of the visualizer overlays the PDF document with a gray mask and highlights any area of the file that goes over a certain threshold with bright colors: yellow for small overruns, progressing to red and purple for serious overruns. This gives you an immediate view on how serious the ink coverage problem is and can help you decide whether the file could still be printed or not.

Figure 1: visualizer showing ink coverage for a PDF document

Separations

In cases where you doubt whether a file will separate correctly, or you simply want to examine the ink mix or overprint of certain elements the visualizer comes in handy as well. It provides a number of different separation preview modes to view single separations, just the process separations, just the spot color separations and more.

When previewing separations, pdfToolbox here also shows the total ink amount (in percentage of the surface of the trimbox and in square cm) for separations. This information could of course be used in cost calculations.

Figure 2: visualizer showing the cyan separation only

Safety zone

While pdfToolbox and pdfaPilot provide a preflight check to detect whether objects have enough bleed, this again is an area where visual inspection can often decide more accurately whether a document is in fact good for print or not.

The visualizer has a “safety zone” mode in which it highlights either the page border or the bleed area. These tools can help greatly to help judge a particular PDF document.

Figure 3: visualizer previewing the bleed area

Please contact sales@compose.com.hk if you have any query on the product. 

Express Tag Engine 3

Database Verification and Job Submission

Variable data for hang tag production are usually saved in CSV or TXT format. Depending on the incoming source, it is often that the database is incomplete. It may have duplicated rows, empty fields, incorrect spelling and incorrect barcode format. Those errors need to be picked up by operator traditionally. Giving an example order with 45 hang tags, each tag has 7 variable data fields, there are 315 items need to be checked. It is a very time consuming and easy to have human errors. If an error is overlooked, it could result with a very serious problem because it will take time and money to reprint, refinish, and repack the tag. It may even need to re-ship the tags to customer again!

Order Express, an application that comes with the Express TagEngine, provides solution to overcome this problem. By Order Express, operator can find out duplicated rows to ignore one row or combine them as one record; able to find empty fields to let operator to input correct data, to spell check from a self-defined dictionary and verify barcode format. After this verification, data is confirmed as correct which minimizes the chance of reproduction due to data error.

Color code and product size are two most often appear variable fields in tags. Each color code or product size may be represented by a pantone color in the product. In addition, same color code tags are usually packed together. In Order Express, you can specify how tags should be grouped for production and pack. It saves cost on printing as well as time on packing.

Job submission to Express TagEngine is done in Order Express, which provides the easiest and most straight forward method to submit a job for production.

If you want to know more about this exciting product, please get in touch with sales@compose.com.hk or call +852 281142278 for detail.

Express Tag Engine 4

Variable Data Generation and Tags Imposition

Traditionally, Hang Tag printers generate variable data file manually. They may generate barcodes by one software and import them to a graphics design software to generate the variable data file. This can be a very time consuming process and may need content proofing. Compose provides variable data solution to serves this purpose. With the software, operator can import a PDF or a raster file as template, you can define the properties of variable texts, images, and barcodes, import the database file in CSV or TXT, variable data file can then be generated. The variable components and their properties can be saved into a file and reused in next order. Express TagEngine gives the freedom to customer to use their existing method to generate variable data as long as the variable data file is in PDF and each file or page is a record.

Creating imposition layout and calculating print run used to be a complicated process in hang tag printing. It is because each tag type contains different size information and print quantity. Operators will first judge by experience on how to group different tag type onto a plate and then calculate or estimate which tag type should step and repeat onto the plate. Calculation is done by experience which not only cost intensive labor but also lack of flexibility to adapt the print requirements.

Express TagEngine break through this situation by using a few intelligent and sophisticated imposition algorithms which are tailor designed to adapt the complication on hang tag printing. A self-defined parameter to specify the number of solutions to be proposed and then ordered according to the cost of production. The most important fact is this solution proposal can be achieved in a very short time. It is estimated that will save over 95% of time on imposition.

If you want to know more about this exciting product, please get in touch with sales@compose.com.hk or call +852 281142278 for detail.