In this article, you will learn
- which prerequisites are required for this Fixup, and
- how to apply this Fixup.
1. Introduction
The Fixup Day and Night Output is available in the Workflow. The purpose of this Fixup is to prepare Articles or Print Items for Day and Night output by adding a white channel and optionally reducing the opacity of the image.
2. General
The Fixup Day and Night Output can be used to create a one or two-sided Print Item for output on the front and back of a transparent substrate. The Print Item can also be prepared for Day and Night output using this Fixup.
You can find this Fixup on the tab Data Preparation of an Article, Order or Production Job by:
- entering the name of the Fixup in the area Filter,
- activating the option LFP in the area Category,
- activating the option Add in the area Action,
- activating the option Spot Color in the area Property.
3. Description
Use this Fixup to prepare a file for day-and-night output by adding a white channel. Optionally, the opacity of the image can also be reduced.
3.1. Prerequisites and Functionality
For the Fixup to perform as intended, no special requirements must be met. The only rule that applies is that if the file is single-sided at the beginning, the same image will be used on the reverse side. However, if the file consists of two pages, the second page is used for the image on the back, while the image on the first page remains on the front.
Various options are available in the dialog for each mode. Each mode is described in detail below.
3.1.1. Mode "Color | White | Color"
If the mode Color | White | Color is selected, a one-sided Print Item becomes a two-sided Print Item with the same Print Item on both sides. On the first page, the Print Item is retained unchanged. On the second side, the same image is created with a white separation. In addition, the opacity of the image can be reduced as desired.
If this mode is used for a two-page document, a white separation is also created for the second page of the file. The opacity, e.g., coverage of the image on the second page can also be reduced in this case.
Figure 1: The tab Basic Settings and tab Advanced of the Fixup dialog Day and Night Output with selected mode Color | White | Color
When the mode Color | White | Color is selected, the following options are available:
Basic Settings
- PageBox [1] – select the box for which the white separation should be created from the dropdown menu. The following options are available:
- ImageBox – the white separation is created for the ImageBox. Therefore, make sure that the ImageBox has been placed on the desired PageBox.
- ImageBox +Bleed – the white separation is created for the ImageBox + Bleed. The expected Bleed is used for the Bleed. Make sure that the expected Bleed matches the actual Bleed.
- Coverage [2] – the opacity of the image on the back can be reduced by changing the slider or entering the percentage values.
Advanced
- Layer Name [3] – enter the name of the layer on which the white separation should be created. If you do not want to create a separate layer, remove the name from the input field. For Variable Content [5], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the layer name should be taken.
- Conformity of the processing steps according to ISO 19593-1 [4] – White separations should be created by default according to ISO 19593-1 on the layer White in the group White of the type White. Further information on the ISO standard can be found in the description Processing Steps ISO 15931-1.
3.1.2. Mode "Color | White | White | Color"
If the mode Color | White | White | Color is selected, a two-sided Print Item is created from a single-sided Print Item, with the same Print Item on both sides. In this mode, the user can decide whether a white separation should be created for the front, the reverse or both sides. An offset and the desired color tone can be selected for the white separation. The opacity, e.g., coverage of the second image can also be reduced.
If this mode is used for a two-sided document, also select for which side a white separation should be created. It is also possible to reduce opacity of the image on the second page.
Figure 2: The tab Basic Settings and tab Advanced of the Fixup dialog Day and Night Output with the selected mode Color | White | White | Color
If the mode Color | White | White | Color is selected, the following options are available:
Basic Settings
- PageBox [5] – select the box for which the white separation is to be created from the drop-down menu. The following options are available:
- ImageBox – the white separation is created for the ImageBox. Therefore, make sure that the ImageBox has been placed on the desired PageBox.
- ImageBox + Bleed – the white separation is created for the ImageBox + Bleed. The expected Bleed is used for the Bleed. Make sure that the expected Bleed matches the actual Bleed.
- Add White to [6] – select in the selection menu on which pages a white channel should be added. The following options are available:
- Frontside – the white channel should be added to the front side.
- Backside – the white channel should be added to the back.
- Front and Backside – the white channel should be added to the front and back.
- Spot Color [7] – select the Spot Color that should be used for the separation in the output from the drop-down menu. All system-wide defined Spot Colors that have been saved as a white separation are available.
- Offset [8] – enter the desired offset of the white area to the selected PageBox here. For Variable Content [11], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the offset should be retrieved.
- Tint Value [9] – the tint value of the Spot Color can be reduced by changing the slider or entering the percentage values.
- Coverage [10] – the coverage, e.g., opacity of the image on the second page can be reduced by changing the slider or entering the percentage values.
Advanced
- Layer name [12] – enter the name of the layer on which the white separation is to be created. If you do not want to create a separate layer, you must remove the name from the input field. For Variable Content [14] , select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the layer name should be retrieved.
- Conformity of processing steps according to ISO 19593-1 [15] – white separations should be created by default according to ISO 19593-1 on the layer White in the group White of the type White. Further information on the ISO standard can be found in the description Processing Steps ISO 15931-1.
3.1.3. Mode "Custom"
In theory, the mode Custom functions similarly to the mode Color | White | White | Color, but it provides additional options. For example, the user can rotate the image on the backside and, if desired, choose not to create a white separation and instead print color on color.
Figure 3: The tab Basic Settings and tab Advanced of the Fixup dialog Day and Night Output with the mode Custom selected
If the mode Custom is selected, the following options are available:
Basic Settings
- PageBox [14] – select the box for which the white separation should be created from the drop-down menu. The following options are available:
- ImageBox - the white separation is created for the ImageBox. Therefore, make sure that the ImageBox has been placed on the desired PageBox.
- ImageBox + Bleed - the white separation is created for the ImageBox + Bleed. The expected Bleed is used for the Bleed. Make sure that the expected Bleed matches the actual Bleed.
- Add White Channel [15] – activate this option if you want to add a white channel for the selected page.
- Add White to [16] – select the pages on which a white channel should be added from the drop-down menu. The following options are available:
- Frontside – the white channel is added to the frontside.
- Backside – the white channel is added to the backside.
- Front and Backside – the white channel is added to the front and backside.
- Spot Color [17] – select the Spot Color that should be used for the separation in the output from the drop-down menu. All system-wide defined Spot Colors that have been saved as a white separation are available.
- Offset [18] – enter the desired offset of the white area to the selected PageBox here. For Variable Content [23], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the offset should be retrieved.
- Tint Value [19] – the tone value of the Spot Color can be reduced by changing the slider or entering the percentage values.
- Coverage [20] – the opacity of the backside image can be reduced by adjusting the slider or entering the percentage values.
- Rotation [21] – select the rotation for the backside image here. Choose between 0 and 180.
- Mirror [22] – use the drop-down menu to select whether and how the backside image should be mirrored. The following options are available:
- No – the backside image is not mirrored
- Horizontal – the image on the backside is mirrored horizontally (from left to right).
- Vertical – the backside image is mirrored vertically (from top to bottom).
Advanced
- Layer Name [24] – enter the name of the layer on which the white separation should be created here. If you do not want to create a separate layer, remove the name from the input field. For Variable Content [26], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the layer name should be retrieved.
- Conformity of processing steps according to ISO 19593-1 [25] – White separations should be created by default according to ISO 19593-1 on the layer White in the group White of the type White. Further information on the ISO standard can be found in the description Processing Steps ISO 15931-1.
3.2. Before/After
To experiment with this function, refer to the sample file "Sample_Day and Night Output.pdf". The Print Item that should be prepared for a Day and Night Output. The mode Color | White | Color is used for this.
After application, the file "Sample_Day and Night Output_End.pdf" is generated. Here, the single-page Print Items became a double-page PDF, where an additional white channel was added to the backside. The values from Figure 1 were used for this.
Figure 4: Left: Original file; Right: Edited file in which a Day and Night Output has been created
Article update: Workflow 1.20.1 – 09/2025