To manually add a Production Job to the list of Production Jobs, proceed as follows:

1. Navigate to Production Jobs > Production Jobs.
2. Click + Add [1] to create a new Production Job.

Figure 1: The List of all Production Jobs

3. This opens the dialog "Add Production Job". The dialog is divided into two main tabs – Production Job and Print Item. In the tab Production Job, there are three additional subtabs – General [4], Advanced [3] and User-defined Fields [5].
4. In the tab Production Job > General [4], enter the information – Job Name, Ext. ID, Comment, Production Date, Time and Shipping Date – for the Production Job and select an Output Template [6] at the bottom area. This Template covers all Production Parameters.

Figure 2: The tab Production Job > General of the dialog Add Production Job

5. Optionally, in the tab Advanced [3], specify values for the Lead In/Out, the Start and End value as well as the Number of Print Jobs to be generated for Variable Data Jobs.
6. Optionally, in the tab User-defined Fields [5], enter the desired values for the available input fields. These are only available if user-defined fields for the area Production Job have been created in the system.
7. Next, select the tab Print Item [2] and add the print data and enter the necessary information – expected Width, Height and Number of Pages as well as the Copies and Information to the Print Item. For roll printers, you can also specify the Winding Type. User-defined fields can aso be filled for Print Items.
8. Once all information has been entered and the desired files have been added, click Save. The upload and creation process will start. After it is complete, you will be notified that the Production Job is available for further use.

To create a Production Job from already uploaded Print Items or Articles, proceed as follows:

1. Navigate either to the menu item Articles > Articles or Orders > Print Items. In both cases, the list of Print Items/Articles will be displayed.
2. Select the desired Articles/Print Items from the list.
3. In the menu bar, click the button Additional Functions [7] and select the option Create Production Job [8].

Figure 3: The Additional Functions of the menu item Article

4. The dialog "Create Production Job" opens. In the tab Production Job > General [10], enter the information for the Production Job – Job Name, Ext. ID, Comment, Production Date, Time und Shipping Date – for the Production Job and select an Output Template [12] at the bottom area, which covers all Production Parameters.
5. If you want to create a separate Production Job for each Print Item, you have to enable the option Create separate Production Jobs [11].
6. In the tab Articles/Print Items [9], enter the number of copies for the selected Articles/Print Items, if this has not already been correctly transferred from the Job or Article.
7. Create the Production Job(s) by clicking Save.

Figure 4: The dialog Create Production Job

To create a Production Job from already existing Orders, proceed as follows:

1. Navigate to menu item Orders > Orders. The list of all Orders will be displayed.
2. Select the desired Order and open the detail view by clicking on the title.
3. To create a Production Job for the entire Order, click the button Additional Functions [13] and select the option Create Production Job [14].
4. If a Production Job should only be created for the selection Order Item, click the button Additional Functions [15] at the corresponding level and select the option Create Production Job.

Figure 5: Excerpt from the Detail View of an Order

5. The dialog "Create Production Job" opens. In the tab Produktion Job > General [17], enter the information – Job Name, Ext. ID, Comment, Production Date, Time and Shipping Date – for the Production Job and select an Output Template [18] in the lower section to define all Production Parameteres.
6. Then specify the number of copies for the Print Items in the tab Print Item [16], if this information was not already transferred correctly from the Job.
7. Create the Production Job(s) by clicking Save.

Figure 6: The dialog Add Production Job for Orders

Production Configurations, which can be created under Automation > Production Configurations, represent the process descriptions within the Workflow that define the processing steps a Print Item must undergo. Production Configurations are used in the context of Batch Processing, Hotfolder, or when creating Automation Jobs, in order to automate production as much as possible and eliminate repetitive manual tasks for users.

To describe the processs within a Production Configuration, Operations are used, each representing a specific subprocess. The Operations Create Production Job, Create Production Job for Tracks, and Create Production Job from Imposition represent the process steps through which a Production Job can be created.

To create a Production Configuration using the Operation Create Production Job, proceed as follows:

1. Navigate to Automation > Production Configurations.
2. Click Add to create a new Production Configuration.
3. In the tab General [20], enter a Name and optionally a Comment for the Production Configuration.
4. Switch to the tab Operations [19] and add the desired Operations in the required sequence by clicking the icon [21].
5. Add the Operation Create Production Job [22].
5. Within this Operation, enter the Production Job information – Job Name, Ext. ID, Comment, Production Date, Time and Shipping Date – and select and Output Template [23], in the lower section to cover all Production Parameters.
6. If an Imposition is to be created in addition, define the desired Impose Parameters [24].
7. Complete the process of creating a Production Configuration by clicking Save [25]. The Production Configuration is now available for use in Batch Processing, Hotfolder, and when creating Automation Jobs.

Figure 7: The tab Operations in the dialog Add Production Configuration

To create a Production Job using Quick Print, proceed as follows:

1. Navigate to the menu Automation > Quick Print.
2. In the section Upload Files, select the desired Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template [26] to be used for uploading the files and normalizing the print data.
3. In the settings area Upload Files [27], add the desired print files and specify the number of copies, the file name and the Scale Factor to be applied. Ussing Global Changes [28], these settings can be applied collectively to all Print Items.
4. Click the Operation Production Job [31]. This displays the settings area Production Job Parameters.
5. In the settings area Production Job Parameters [32], enter the available parameters for the Production Job. The following parameters can be defined:
   • Job Name – enter the desired name for the Production Job.
   • Comment – enter additional comments for the Production Job.
   • Grouping Options – specify how Print Items should be grouped during processing.
   • Output Settings – select a Template or defne the output settings manually.
6. To create the Production Job, click Create Production Job [29]. If you also click Send to Printer [30], a Production Job will first be created and the RIP process will automatically be started.
7. The upload and creation process begins immediately. Once the process is complete, yu will be notified that the Production Job is available for further use.  

Figure 8: The menu item Quick Print

In addition to the Processing Modes Process Files and Process ZIP Files, the Mode Process Job Ticket is available to the user when setting up a Hotfolder. With the correct configuration, a Production Job can also be created via a Job Ticket.

A detailed description of creating a Production Job using an XML Job Ticket can be found in the article Hotfolder XML-Jobticket.

The use of the Processing Mode Process Job Ticket requires a purchased license. The parameters that need to be addresses are documented in the user manual under Hotfolder – Processing XML Job Tickets.

Production Jobs can also be created directly from the leading system – ERP or MIS. Using REST calls, a Production Job can either be created directly with all Print Items, output parameters, and Impose Mode with an Impose Template, or by passing Articles/Print Items from an existing Job.

The use of the REST interface requires a purchased license. The available commands are documented in the user manual under REST API Documentation – Workflow.

Production Jobs can also be created using the free Switch Connector Smart Factory – Produce Submit, which is available in the Enfocus Switch Connector Store.

The use of the Switch Connector Smart Factory – Produce Submit is subject to certain conditions within the application license.