“Did You Know” – Tips & Tricks for Prinect Users: Creating a Booklet Proof

In an earlier blog, we looked at how we can connect Prinect with other systems or proofers. For this entry, we’ll explore an often-overlooked proofing feature called “Booklet Proof,” which was developed for smaller imposition proofs like flyers and magazines and comes standard with any Prinect Production Manager system. Once rules are set up, Booklet Proof can save your Prepress Operators time when creating imposition proofs and eliminates the need for you to purchase an expensive double-sided proofer.

How does Booklet Proof work?

Instead of folding down and trimming spreads like you would with a printed proof, in “Booklet Spread,” the spreads are digitally trimmed out based on the rules set up in the workflow. This means there isn’t a chance that the booklet imposition could be different from the final output. Please note – in most cases, the booklet proof is only meant to verify the layout, and a separate proof may still be required for color.

Let’s look at a typical configuration for the Booklet Proof sequence in our workflow. Below is an overview of the sequence. The output format I have chosen for this example is ripped PDF. This creates a very safe output to send to a proofing device as it is rasterized, and therefore, nothing can be misinterpreted by the output device it is being sent to.

1) When making a booklet proof, the first step we will look at is “Marks Replacement.”

This allows you to draw boxes to rule up the pages and the bleed so that they can be seen more easily on the proof. We want to ensure that we set these marks as black as to not confuse the customer into thinking there is color in the job.

2) “Imposition” is the most important step:

PDF Output lets you control how the pdf is generated – whether you want the entire imposition to be broken into a booklet as one file or as fronts and backs. This allows you to accommodate different output devices’ expectations of an input file.

To the right of the PDF Output drop down, you can pick whether you want a booklet, Double Pages, or some other decomposition of the imposition. Folding Sheets, for example, let’s you do a scaled down proof of the imposition layout.

Clip to guides whether the pages are sent with their trim or are clipped. You can also specify how much past the trim size should be sent. This is guided by how large the proofer is and whether you want to see the bleed or not.

Target size is a very convenient feature. Here, you can set the exact size of the stock for the proofer you are outputting to, so it selects the correct output tray. You can then use “Adjustment” to make sure your output front and back is centered within that area, especially if the proofer RIP lacks this feature. In the example below, I am requesting that the booklet be output on a 13×19 area with no scaling – only aligning to the center of that area. If the centered output of the proofer is slightly off, you can compensate with “Offset.”

3) “Layout Preparation” lets you control the orientation and allows you to add a slugline if extra information is needed on the proof to identify it. It is very helpful if many booklet proofs for different jobs are being output on the proofer at the same time.

4) “Rendering” allows you to control the resolution of the output and things like which tray to select. These options change based on whether your proofer is integrated with Production Manager or whether we are just outputting to a hot folder of a RIP.

You can also choose whether dielines are sent and whether a Transparent Separation – like a varnish created with Coating Editor – is sent to the proofer or not. Color Management can also be activated here if needed.

5) “Destination” allows you to define where the output data should be written. It does not necessarily need to be sent to an output device. It can be written to a local file that can be opened in Acrobat and evaluated there.

Until now, I have shown you the Booklet Proof output “under the hood.” Once it is setup for the operator, generating a Booklet Proof is as simple as dragging and dropping it onto the output sequence. Booklet Proof is a small but very powerful part of Prinect Production Manager. It is intelligent and understands the imposition and allows you to easily produce proofs on very inexpensive output devices.

Booklet Proof is just another way that Heidelberg Production Manager takes a complex step in prepress production, simplifies it, and makes it into something that can save you money and increase your accuracy. For most work, there is no need then for expensive double-sided proofers. This can be sent to very inexpensive proofers or viewed in Acrobat, and all based on the imposition being used for production.

If you have any questions or would like more information on “Booklet Proof” or Prinect Production Manager, contact your local Prinect Representative or fill out the form below.