User Manual

Creating a Production Configuration

Updated on

In this article, you will learn

  • where to find the function for adding a new Production Configuration, and
  • how to proceed when creating a Production Configuration.

1. General

A Production Configuration contains all operations required for a process step, added in the sequence necessary to achieve the desired outcome. Creating a Production Configuration only takes a few steps:

  1. First, navigate to the Automation > Production Configurations menu.
  2. Create a new Production Configuration by clicking Add [1].  

Figure 1: The Production Configurations area

  1. In the Add Production Configuration dialog that opens, assign a Name to the configuration and add the required operations in the desired sequence.
  2. In the final step, define the parameters for each individual operation.
  3. Once all operations have been configured, click Save.

1.1. Available "Operations"

Operations are the basis of a Production Configuration. Depending on the license, the following operations are available to users, which are organized into different groups:

  • Operation "Check-in Artwork and Normalize" – this operation checks and normalizes print data uploaded to the workflow. Depending on the selected Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template, the print file is available in the $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW application as a print item with either the status Normalized or the status Data Check.

Operations for Print Items

  • Operation "Apply Fixup Chain" – this operation processes a print item based on the selected Fixup Chain. After the operation has been executed, the print item is checked again against the underlying Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template. The print item can therefore also have either status Normalized or the status Data Check.
  • Operation "Apply Fixups" – this operation processes a print item based on the Fixups added to the operation. After the operation has been executed, the print item is checked again against the underlying Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template. The print item can therefore have either the status Normalized or the status Data Check.
  • Operation "Impose Print Item" – this operation embeds the print item into an Imposition based on the selected Impose Mode and Impose Template. The Impose Sheet Size can be defined in terms of Substrate Type as well as Width and Height. It is also possible to modify the print item after processing. The modification applies to the handling of the number of copies and the Print Item Name.
  • Operation "Prepare Print Item for Shape Nesting" – this operation creates a shape-nesting path for the print item, based on the selected Technical Spot Color. The path is then used as the basis for shape nesting.
  • Operation "Split Print Item" – this operation converts a multipage print item into a single print item or splits it into individual pages, depending on the selected rule.
  • Operation "Update Print Item Details" – this operation updates the print item with additional metadata based on the selected options and can also change the status of the print item.

Operations for Checks

  • Operation "Check Print Item and Apply Fixup Chain" – when processing print items, it may be necessary to check the print data and then apply Fixups based on the data check results. This operation performs exactly this task. Print items can be checked based on defined criteria in the structure of the print file and, depending on the result, automatically processed using the selected Fixup Chain or assigned to an action.
  • Operation "Check Print Item and Apply Fixups" – when processing print items, it may be necessary to check the print data and then apply Fixups depending on the data check results. This operation performs exactly this task. Print items can be checked based on defined criteria in the structure of the print file and, depending on the result, automatically processed using the Fixups added to the operation or assigned to an action.
  • Operation "Check Print Item and forward to" – when processing print items, it may be necessary to check the print data and then continue processing it depending on the data check results. This operation performs exactly this task. Print items can be checked based on defined criteria in the structure of the print file and, depending on the result, automatically forwarded to another Production Configuration. This allows multiple Production Configurations to be chained sequentially based on specific parameters.
  • Operation "Check Print Item Status" – this operation allows you to check the status of a print item. If the status does not match the configured status, you can define which responsible persons should be notified and in what form.

Operations for Impose

  • Operation "Create Impose" – this operation is used to impose one or more print items together on a predefined imposition area. The resulting imposition is then converted into a production job. Therefore, the subsequent Create Production Job from Imposition operation must be selected.
  • Operation "Create Impose with Auto Nesting" – this operation allows the processing method known as Auto Nesting for Hotfolders to also be used via a Production Configuration. The operation provides all the functionality of the Create Impose operation with the selected Impose Mode Nesting. Depending on the license, the Optimization option can also be used. The resulting imposition is then converted into a production job. Therefore, the subsequent Create Production Job from Imposition operation must also be selected for this operation.

Operations for Production Jobs

  • Operation "Create Production Job" – this operation can be used to create one or more production jobs based on the selected Output Options. Optionally, an imposition can also be created based on the selected Impose Mode and Impose Template.
  • Operation "Create Production Job for Tracks" – this operation allows the tracks (lanes) configured for the printer to be transferred separately with print data in a defined order. The number of tracks for the printer can be defined, allowing the total print width to be divided across these lanes. You can also specify how many files are to be used per track and define the print sequence by entering sequence numbers for each track.
  • Operation "Create Production Job from Imposition" – this operation can be used to transfer an imposition created using the Create Impose operation and create a production job based on the selected Output Options.

Operations for Output

  • Operation "Send to Printer" – this operation can be used to transfer a production job to the printer. Depending on the output method, either a rendering job is initiated or only a PDF is exported.

Operations for Export

  • Operation "Export Imposition Report" – this operation can be used to create a summary for impositions to speed up the finishing process during packaging. Imposition reports can be automatically exported to a local folder, from where they can be retrieved or automatically printed on photocopiers.
  • Operation "Export Ink Consumption Report" – this operation can be used to create a summary of the ink costs associated with print data, making it easier to estimate the actual costs. Ink Consumption Reports can be automatically exported to a local folder, from where they can be retrieved or automatically printed on photocopiers.
  • Operation "Export Mounting Instruction" – this operation can be used to create mounting instructions for a previously created tiling, providing the people involved with instructions for applying the lanes in the correct order. The mounting instructions can be automatically exported to a local folder, from where they can be retrieved or automatically printed on photocopiers.
  • Operation "Export Print Item" – this operation can be used to export a file to a destination for documentation purposes or for transfer to downstream systems. Before exporting, the print item can be modified by applying a Fixup. Print items can be automatically exported to a local folder using a predefined, dynamically generated folder structure.
  • Operation "Export Spot Color Report" – this operation can be used to create a summary of the Spot Colors used in a file for documentation purposes. Spot Color Reports can be automatically generated for individual print items and exported to a local folder, from where they can be retrieved or automatically printed on photocopiers.

1.2. Prerequisites

To successfully create and save functional Production Configurations, you must first meet certain prerequisites in the $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW application. If you can confidently answer "Yes" to all of the following questions, you can start creating a Production Configuration:

  • Have I created and thoroughly tested all Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates required for my planned Production Configurations?
  • Have I created all Technical Colors that I intend to use in production as system-wide defined Spot Colors with the corresponding Processing Steps?
  • Have I saved all combinations of parameters used in Fixups as Fixup Templates?
  • Have I created and thoroughly tested all Fixup Chains required for my planned Production Configurations?
  • Have I configured the default settings for Generating Approval Reports under Administration > Settings > Reports?
  • Have I configured the settings for online approval of Approval Projects under Administration > Settings > Reports?
  • Have I created and thoroughly tested all Impose Templates required for the planned nesting layouts for the respective Impose Mode?
  • Have I created and thoroughly tested all User-defined Fields that are to be used for Production Variables?
  • Have I linked all Production Variables to the corresponding User-defined Fields?
  • Have I saved all required variations of output options as Output Templates in the application?

2. Creating a Production Configuration

By clicking the Add button [1] (Figure 1) in the action bar, you can create a new Production Configuration. In the Add Production Configuration dialog, you must add the individual operations required to produce the desired product.

To create a Production Configuration for producing a poster, proceed as follows:

  1. Navigate to Automation > Production Configurations.
  2. Click Add [1] (Figure 1).
  3. The Add Production Configuration dialog opens with the General tab [2] selected.
  4. Enter the Name [3] of the Production Configuration. When choosing the name, make sure it is unique so that you can easily identify the purpose of the Production Configuration at any time.
  5. Optionally, enter a Comment [4].

Figure 2: The General tab in the Add Production Configuration dialog

  1. Select the Operations tab [5] to configure the operations for the product to be created.
  2. Click Add Operation [6] to add the operations that the print item should pass through when creating the product. If the operations are arranged in an invalid order, they are highlighted in red.

Figure 3: The Operations tab in the Add Production Configuration dialog

  1. First, add the Check-in Artwork and Normalize operation.
  2. Under Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template [7], select the Check-in Preflight Template previously created for the desired product.
  3. Optionally, in the Name field [8], add the placeholders you want to use for dynamically generating the print item name in the $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW application. The default template ${factory_job.file_ref.plain_name} uses the file name of the print file (without the file extension) as the print item name.

Figure 4: The Operations tab of the Add Production Configuration dialog with the Check-in Artwork and Normalize operation

  1. Next, add the Check Print Item Status operation to determine whether the print file has successfully completed the normalization process.
  2. In the Print Item Status field [9], select the status that indicates that the print file has been normalized. The Normalized status is a good starting point for this purpose.
  3. Under the Send Notification option [10], specify the method to be used to notify you if the status check fails. You can choose to receive notifications by e-mail or as a notification for the user in the Notification Center of the $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW application.

Figure 5: The Operations tab in the Add Production Configuration dialog with the Check Print Item Status operation

  1. Next, add the Apply Fixup Chain operation to add the required production bleed and the dieline for the poster.
  2. Under Fixup Chain [11], select the Fixup Chain previously created for poster production.

Figure 6: The Operations tab in the Add Production Configuration dialog with the Apply Fixup Chain operation

  1. Next, add the Create Production Job operation to achieve the final objective – creating imposed posters on a defined print sheet.
  2. In the Job Name field [12], add the placeholders you want to use for dynamically generating the name of the production job.
  3. Then select the desired Impose Mode [14] and the previously created Impose Template [15].
  4. Complete the configuration by selecting a previously created Output Template from the Template [13] drop-down menu. If you want to temporarily override parts of the Output Template, click Edit [16] and make the desired changes in the dialog that opens.

Figure 7: The Operations tab in the Add Production Configuration dialog with the Create Production Job operation

  1. The production configuration is now fully configured and can be saved by clicking Save [17].

Article Update: $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW 2.3.0 – 09/2026

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Next Article Processing Print Items as Bundles

Automating Print Data Processes

Quick Print – Sending Print Data to the Printer 3
Batch Processing – Quickly Processing Print Data 2
Hotfolder – Processing Print Data from Monitored Directories 2
Working with Production Configurations 3
Operations - Technical Description 18

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