Tabular Step and Repeat

With this node you can steps and repeats labels, flexible packaging or any PDF design in such a way that the complete printing substrate is covered and mass production is feasible and profitable.

It has the following configuration options:
  • Input File: here you can define the input file. Select the pencil to open Expression Builder.

Plate

  • Width: here you can define a custom plate width.
  • Height: here you can define a custom plate height.

Paper

  • Width: here you can define a custom paper width.
  • Height: here you can define a custom paper height.
  • Reference Point: with the reference point you can define the position of the paper on the plate, taking the horizontal and/or vertical paper offset values into account. The horizontal and vertical paper offset values can be defined in the fields Horizontal Offset and Vertical Offset.
  • Horizontal Offset: here you can define the horizontal offset that is taken into account when selecting a reference point for placing the paper on the plate.
  • Vertical Offset: here you can define the vertical offset that is taken into account when selecting a reference point for placing the paper on the plate.

Step And Repeat

  • Reference Point: with the reference point you can define the position of the complete repetition on the paper, taking the horizontal and/or vertical offset values into account. The horizontal and vertical paper offset values can be defined in the fields Horizontal Offset and Vertical Offset.
  • Horizontal Offset: here you can define the horizontal offset when defining a reference point for the repetition on the paper.
  • Vertical Offset: here you can define the vertical offset when defining a reference point for the repetition on the paper.
  • Make Placeholder: if you select this checkbox, an empty placeholder will be created so that the step and repeat file can already be created, even though the PDF or AI file is not available yet.

Repetition

  • Page Number: in case a multipage PDF is loaded as a station, by default the first page is selected. To change this, you can define a different page by entering a page number.
  • Trim Path: here you can define the area of the station that will be used to create the repetition.
  • Orientation: here you can define the orientation of the station (up, down, left, right).
  • Horizontal Count: here you can specify the number of horizontal stations.
  • Vertical Count: here you can specify the number of vertical stations.
  • Horizontal Offset: here you can specify the horizontal position of a repetition block according to the previously defined one.
  • Vertical Offset: here you can specify the vertical position of a repetition block according to the previously defined one.
  • Horizontal Gap: here you can specify the horizontal white gap between the stations of a step and repeat block.
  • Vertical Gap: here you can specify the vertical white gap between the stations of a step and repeat block.
Paper
  • Direction: here you can define the staggering direction. Options:
    • No staggering
    • Vertical staggering
    • Horizontal staggering
  • Vertical/Horizontal offset (depending of vertical/horizontal staggering): here you can define the vertical/horizontal staggering distance, which will move columns upwards or downwards/left or right within a step and repeat block.
  • Vertical/Horizontal Offset As Percentage (depending of vertical/horizontal staggering): additionally, the Vertical stagger offset as a percentage input field will be updated with the distance in percentages. Negative values result in downwards/leftwards movements.
  • Restart After: if you select this checkbox, staggering will be restarted after the defined amount of columns/rows. If you leave this checkbox unselected, each column/row will be shifted accordingly to the previous column/row.
  • Add Extra Station To … columns/rows (depending of vertical/horizontal staggering)
    • Odd: if you select this option, an extra label will be added to the odd column/row.
    • Even: if you select this option, an extra label will be added to the even column/row.
  • Include partial one ups: if you select this checkbox, partial labels will be added to the Step and Repeat to avoid ink coverage instabilities. Partial labels will not get a station number.
  • Head Turn: here you can define the rotation of the labels.
Station numbers
  • Generate Station Numbers: if you select this checkbox, station numbers will be generated, which means that a unique number is placed on every station of a step and repeat block. This allows to easily recognize an error on a specific station of a printed step and repeat.
  • Prefix: here you can define a prefix to the station numbers.
  • Style: here you can define whether the station numbers should be written as numbers or letters.
  • Numbering Origin: here you can define where the numbering should start.
  • Flow: here you can define in which direction the numbering should go.
Bleed
  • Bleed: here you can define the amount of bleed that should be added to the step and repeat.
  • Get bleed distance from station: if you select this checkbox, the bleed distance as defined in the station will be taken which will overwrite the value set in the Bleed input field.
  • Mode: here you can select the bleed mode. Options:
    • Center bleed between adjacent stations: if you select this option, the bleed for the selected step and repeat block will be calculated taking the entire step and repeat into account.
    • Ignore surrounding blocks when calculating bleed: if you select this option, the surrounding blocks will be ignored when calculating bleed.
  • Left bleed limit for this block: here you can specify a left bleed limit. This value must be smaller than or equal then the bleed value.
  • Right bleed limit for this block: here you can specify a right bleed limit. This value must be smaller than or equal then the bleed value.
  • Top bleed limit for this block: here you can specify a top bleed limit. This value must be smaller than or equal then the bleed value.
  • Bottom bleed limit for this block: here you can specify a bottom bleed limit. This value must be smaller than or equal then the bleed value.
Note: The bleed value will not be added to the vertical and horizontal step of the Repetition parameters. Consequently, bleed in between labels will not be visible if there are no gaps defined.

  • Seamless: if you select one of the Seamless options, seamless step and repeats for cylinders will be created.
    • Horizontal Seamless: if you select the Horizontal Seamless option, the horizontal paper size will be filled with as much labels as possible, equally dividing the white spaces between the labels.
    • Vertical Seamless: if you select the Vertical Seamless option, the vertical paper size will be filled with as much labels as possible, equally dividing the white spaces between the labels.
  • OneUp File List: here you can define a variable defining extra 1up files that should go to subsequent blocks. The variable consist of a JSON formatted list.
  • OneUp File List Parameters: here you can define a variable corresponding to each 1up defined in the above file list. The variable consists of a JSON list of parameter objects. Each item corresponds to an item at the same position in the above OneUp File List.

    Example of a workflow that will create an multi block Tabular Step And Repeat job

    The workflow consists of 4 nodes:
    1. Start From Kiosk
    2. Script: this node will setup the variables theFileSet and theFileParams to be used by the next Tabular Step and Repeat node. The script contents are as follows: 
      var theFile1 = "cloudflow://PP_FILE_STORE/CFTest/TabSnR/A.pdf";
var theFile2 = "cloudflow://PP_FILE_STORE/CFTest/TabSnR/B.pdf";
var theFiles = [theFile1, theFile2];
var theParams = [ {"VCount":3}, {"Orientation":"left", "VCount":2} ];
setResults({
  variables:{
    theFileSet:theFiles,
    theFileParams:theParams
    }
  }
);
    3. Tabular Step and Repeat: this node will do the actual work if the needed parameters are configured this way:
      1. Input File: the incoming file which was submitted to the workflow
      2. OneUp File List: variable theFileSet
      3. OneUp File List Parameters: variable theFileParams
    4. End

    The result will be a step and repeat file containing 3 blocks:

    1. A first block with a Step and Repeat defined in the UI parameters of the Tabular Step and Repeat node. The 1up file is the incoming file which was submitted to the workflow.
    2. A second block with a Step and Repeat done on file A.pdf. In this block the parameters are the same as in the first block except the Vertical Repeat count is set to 3.
    3. A third block with a Step and Repeat done on file B.pdf. In this block the parameters are copied from the second block, with an extra override of two values: VCount" (vertical count) set to 2 and Orientation set to left.
  • Start Applying Variables From First Block: if you select this checkbox, the variables defined in OneUp File List and OneUp File List Parameters will be applied from the first block.
  • Output: here you can select the output type. Options:
    • Postfix: if you select this option, you can define a postfix that will be added to the newly generated file. The new file will be placed on the same location as the original file.
    • Custom: if you select this option, you can specify a path where the new file will be placed and a postfix that will be added to the new file. Select the pencil to open Expression Builder.
Note: PACKZ can be used to inspect the result and make changes if necessary. See the PACKZ Reference Manual for more information.