In this article, you will learn
- which prerequisites must be met for this Fixup, and
- how to apply this Fixup.
1. Introduction
The $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW application provides the Create a Knockout Rectangle Fixup. The purpose of this Fixup is to create a non-printing rectangle based on a defined starting point.
2. General
The Create a Knockout a Rectangle Fixup can be used to create a non-printing rectangle by specifying the starting point, as well as the height and width of the rectangle. This Fixup can be used, for example, to create a background area for a barcode or QR code, or to create an unprinted area.
You can find the Fixup in the Data Preparation tab of an Article, Order or Production Job by:
- entering the name of the Fixup in the Filter area,
- enabling the Object option in the Category area,
- enabling the Create option in the Action area,
- enabling the Spot Color option in the Property area.
3. Description
This Fixup creates a knockout rectangle. The non-printing rectangle can be positioned by specifying its height and width, as well as the X and Y coordinates of its starting point. By default, the starting point (0/0) of the rectangle is located at the bottom-left corner of the TrimBox. By entering negative values, the rectangle can be positioned outside the TrimBox, for example, to account for an existing Bleed.
3.1. Prerequisites and Functionality
For the Fixup to work as intended, no special conditions need to be met.
Figure 1: The dialog of the Create a Knockout Rectangle Fixup
The following options are available for the Create a Knockout Rectangle Fixup:
- X-Origin [1] – enter the starting point of the X-axis for the knockout rectangle. Entering "-" values moves the rectangle to the left and therefore outside the TrimBox. For the Variable Content [5], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the X-Origin should be retrieved.
- Y-Origin [2] – enter the starting point of the Y-axis for the knockout rectangle. Entering "-" values moves the rectangle downward and therefore outside the TrimBox. For the Variable Content [6], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the Y-Origin should be retrieved.
- Width [3] – enter the width of the knockout rectangle. For the Variable Content [7], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the width should be retrieved.
- Height [4] – enter the height of the knockout rectangle. For the Variable Content [8], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the height should be retrieved.
3.2. Before/After
To experiment with this function, you can use the sample file "Sample_Knockout_Rectangle.pdf". The sample file has a size of 75 x 155 mm and a Bleed of 3 mm. The barcode should have a size of 10 x 35 mm with an appropriate quiet zone.
After applying the Fixup, the resulting file is "Sample_Knockout_Rectangle_End.pdf". The knockout rectangle has been positioned as described. The values shown in Figure 1 were used for this purpose.
Figure 2: Left: Original file; Right: Modified file with a knockout rectangle where a barcode is to be placed later
Artikel Update: $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW 2.3.0 – 09/2026