Imposition in Switch

[JimmyHartington]

I would like the forums suggestions for software to do imposition in Switch.

My requirements are for offset-printing + label-printing where it would mostly be step and repeat.
No need for "AI" to help position items of irregular shape.

I am looking at callas PDFToolbox and Quite Hot Imposing.
But maybe I am overlooking other software.

[jan_suhr]

The ones you suggest can do regular imposing and I the suggest pdfToolbox if you don't have it already. It cost about the same as Quite if you use the PitStop server upgrade price.

None of them can do irregular shape in an optimized way and will use the trimbox for the layout.

A more proper one with great integration with Switch is then Ultimate Impostrip that can do both the tasks you're asking for.
Integration is done with an app.

[magnussandstrom]

I've been trying to find the best "do-it-all" imposition solution for years now. I'm still looking..

We've been trying out Impostrip, but stopped using it because of bad interface, clunky integration with Switch and plenty of bugs. Also been evaluating Phoenix but I'm not totally sold yet.

For now we are using a mix of Griffin, Apogee Prepress (driven by XMLs from Switch) and Automation Engine to cover our needs.

The "simpler" products like Quite Impose and similar are often missing dynamic properties like proper print marks handling, margins for different machines and other smart variabels, and you'll end up with a huge number of semi-static templates and/or hotfolders.

Maybe we should use ChatGPT and build our own Impositioning app that fullfills all the needs of a modern printer...

[mkayyyy]

Maybe we should use ChatGPT and build our own Impositioning app that fullfills all the needs of a modern printer...

I like that idea, an open source imposition application

[tdeschampsBluewest]

Long time user of Quite Hot Imposing, and it can cover every needs except ganging, and complex shapes (even if you could, but with a lot of tricks).

Integration with variable is not that easy, but we are actually working for an app to facilitate integration, and we could land you a beta if you want (You will need a scripting module though).

Buuuut... behind a ugly interface, and some learning curve to understand some odd thing about it, quite is the most reliable and fastest imposition tool i ever met, by a huge, huge, huge margin.

We had a total revamp of a workflow for a customer few year ago with another software imposition which i will not disclose (it have been quoted in this topic by someone else) and data is pretty straightforward : For 4500 imposition/gang a day for photobook, we get from 25h of imposition (yeah, one hour of production lost each day! ) to 2h30.

[jan_suhr]

I've been trying to find the best "do-it-all" imposition solution for years now. I'm still looking..

We've been trying out Impostrip, but stopped using it because of bad interface, clunky integration with Switch and plenty of bugs. Also been evaluating Phoenix but I'm not totally sold yet.

For now we are using a mix of Griffin, Apogee Prepress (driven by XMLs from Switch) and Automation Engine to cover our needs.

The "simpler" products like Quite Impose and similar are often missing dynamic properties like proper print marks handling, margins for different machines and other smart variabels, and you'll end up with a huge number of semi-static templates and/or hotfolders.

Maybe we should use ChatGPT and build our own Impositioning app that fullfills all the needs of a modern printer...

The problems you had with Impostrip is solved now in the later versions

[JimmyHartington]

Thanks for all the answers.

I am talking with my reseller InProduction to find a solution.

[magnussandstrom]

Buuuut... behind a ugly interface, and some learning curve to understand some odd thing about it, quite is the most reliable and fastest imposition tool i ever met, by a huge, huge, huge margin.

Great input, we might give Quite Hot Imposing a try in the future.. We have need to send variables from Switch like: sheet size, imposition type, margins, simplex/duplex, specific marks, creeping etc. Is that be possible?

[magnussandstrom]

I am talking with my reseller InProduction to find a solution.

Keep us updated

[tdeschampsBluewest]

Buuuut... behind a ugly interface, and some learning curve to understand some odd thing about it, quite is the most reliable and fastest imposition tool i ever met, by a huge, huge, huge margin.

Great input, we might give Quite Hot Imposing a try in the future.. We have need to send variables from Switch like: sheet size, imposition type, margins, simplex/duplex, specific marks, creeping etc. Is that be possible?

Yep! You could send everything in variable.

The problem i have with vast majority of "template" software, is that if you move one dimension, either on the sheet/file/gutters/margins... you'll need a new template/hotfolder, and that's a nightmare to maintain in the long run.


Quite work with script, as Pitstop action script, which are exportable in XML.

With createLog app, you can create it on the fly, Then, you'll just need to know where to change variable in it (and that's the tricky part/learning curve). And everything must be in "point".


Example below for an N-up :

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<QUITEXML xmlns="http://www.quite.com/general/ns/quitexml/">
    <ITEMS>
        <DICT N='0'>
            <ITEMS>
                <A N='Category'>OneCommand_V1</A>
                <A N='Command'>Nup</A>
                <DICT N='Params'>
                    <ITEMS>
                        <F N='BMgn'>28.3465</F>
                        <F N='CropDist'>10.0000</F>
                        <F N='CropLength'>20.0000</F>
                        <B N='CropMarks'>1</B>
                        <A N='CropStyle'>Corners</A>
                        <F N='CropWidth'>0.3000</F>
                        <A N='DoScaling'>ToFit</A>
                        <A N='DoubleSideMode'>None</A>
                        <B N='EvenMirrorHorizontal'>0</B>
                        <B N='EvenMirrorVertical'>0</B>
                        <I N='FitAcross'>2</I>
                        <I N='FitDown'>2</I>
                        <F N='FixedScale'>0.7000</F>
                        <B N='Frames'>0</B>
                        <S N='HSpace'>28.3465 </S>
                        <F N='LMgn'>28.3465</F>
                        <B N='NewDoc'>1</B>
                        <DICT N='Page'>
                            <ITEMS>
                                <F N='Height'>1275.5906</F>
                                <A N='Type'>Blank</A>
                                <F N='Width'>907.0866</F>
                            </ITEMS>
                        </DICT>

                        <A N='PageOrientation'>Tall</A>
                        <I N='PosX'>1064</I>
                        <I N='PosY'>456</I>
                        <F N='RMgn'>28.3465</F>
                        <A N='SheetAlign'>C</A>
                        <B N='SheetAlignIndependent'>0</B>
                        <DICT N='Source'>
                            <ITEMS>
                                <A N='SourceType'>CurrentAVDoc</A>
                            </ITEMS>
                        </DICT>
                        <F N='TMgn'>28.3465</F>
                        <B N='Trim'>0</B>
                        <I N='UIVer'>2</I>
                        <B N='UseMgn'>1</B>
                        <B N='UseScale'>0</B>
                        <S N='VSpace'>28.3465 </S>
                    </ITEMS>
                </DICT>
                <I N='Version'>1</I>
            </ITEMS>
        </DICT>
        <A N='Category'>CommandList_V1</A>
        <B N='DoPrompt'>0</B>
        <S N='Requires'>qi2base</S>
        <A N='UIMode'>None</A>
    </ITEMS>
</QUITEXML>

That's why we are working on a better app, allowing to build/execute this xml flawlessly and easily.

[magnussandstrom]

That's why we are working on a better app, allowing to build/execute this xml flawlessly and easily.

Interesting, I will have a look at this once the new app is out.

[rhd_ole]

Phoenix will be extreme overkill for the impostion you are doing. We use for all our Wide Format, and for any of our die-cut print jobs.

As others suggested, Quiet or Impostrip. I started using Impostrip last year when we got our HP A2200 PageWide Roll to Roll. I'll be honest, I didn't like it at first, but with the super simple impositions we do for the digital roll work it's been better than Phoenix.

The interface does lack, and same within Switch so we don't use any apps in Switch for Impostrop.

We just push xmls or in another flow I wrote a script that reads the location of the various hotfolders, I them grouped by Roll With, then Cut & Stack, Step & Repeat or Bookwork, from there it lists the hotfolders that match the selections and selected the required imposition tempelate.

For example I could have a variable 8.5x11 letter running on 18" roll, I'd select 18"/Cut and Stack/2up Portrait
For Mailing jobs we split by mailing try and apply the correct finishing marks for try offset and eject and end of job and then autoprocess the impostion to the HP DFE via JDF and so on. I also created a checkpoint for jobs we do not autoprocess out that has the simplex/duplex, qty, side a over b, or side b over a, if it's collated etc. Works great!

Screenshot 2024-09-04 at 6.28.58 AM copy.jpg (115.37 KiB) Viewed 20703 times

[Egon]

Okay this thread could get really interesting since we all run into the same problem, namely:

• Grifin has a few missing features that Phoenix or the standalone Griffin Auto has

• but Phoenix is ​​an Overkill for what we do!

The annoying thing I find is that it seems that Enfocus doesn't really listen to its users/customers. If you read the forum a bit you will see that users often struggle with this. Enfocus should pick this up and add a few small features without undermining Phoenix's market value. (I believe Phoenix is ​​intended for a very small market share anyway.) Because you already had to buy a Pitstop Server, Pitstop Pro, Switch and Griffin, not a cheap software package...