User Manual

Setting up External Systems

Updated on

In this article, you will learn

  • how to set up Measurement Devices,
  • how to set up Cutter Devices, and
  • how to set up the File Management.

1. Introduction

Once installation and licensing are complete, it is possible to carry out preparatory steps in the Workflow. These include connecting external systems such as Measurement Devices, Cutter Devices, or release systems.

2. Setting up Measurement Devices

To perform a Color Setup or to measure color values, a Measurement Device must be available, the latest drivers must be installed, and the Measurement Device must be connected either to the network or directly to the workstation on which the application is installed.

To set up a Measurement Device, four steps have to be completed:

  1. In the Workflow, navigate to Administration > Measurement Devices and select the Measurement Devices option.
  2. Create a new Measurement Device in the Devices settings area.
  3. Create one or more configurations for the selected Measurement Device in the Configurations settings area or change the configuration that was created automatically by the system.
  4. Set the desired value for each parameter in the Parameters settings area.

To create a Measurement Device – for example, a Barbieri Spectro Pad that should be accessible via Wi-Fi – proceed as follows:

  1. In the header of the Devices settings area, click + New [1].

Figure 1: The Devices settings area

  1. In the Add Measurement Device dialog, select the desired Measurement Device from the list under Device Type [2]. The list shows all Measurement Devices available in the application. If you cannot find your Measurement Device in the list, this means that it's currently not possible to control the device.

Figure 2: The parameters of the Add Measurement Device dialog

Depending on the selected Measurement Device, the dialog's display changes slightly. To set up the Barbieri Spectro Pad Measurement Device, the following information has to be selected or entered:

  • Name [3] –  the name of the Measurement Device is automatically suggested. However, you can overwrite or edit the name. Use a name that is as unique as possible if you want to create several Measurement Devices of the same type.
  • Serial number [4] – enter the correct serial number of the Measurement Device. The serial number is transferred to the measurement data so that it is always possible to trace which Measurement Device was used to generate the measurement data.
  • Connection [5] – select the intended connection for controlling the Measurement Device. Depending on the device type, you can choose between Serial, Ethernet, USB, or Wifi.
  • IP [6] – the IP input field is available if the WiFi or Ethernet connection has been selected. Enter the IP address of the Measurement Device.

2.1. Creating a Configuration

Once you have created your Measurement Device, one or more configurations are created. The created configurations automatically contain parameters that are frequently used in practice. The user is enabled to delete or edit the default configuration at any time.

To create a new or user-defined configuration, proceed as follows:

  1. First, select the desired Measurement Device in the Measurement Devices.
  2. In the Configuration settings area, click on + New [7].

Figure 3: The Configurations settings area

  1. The Add Parameter Set dialog opens.
  2. Enter the Name [8] for the configuration.
  3. Select the desired default configuration [10].
  4. Optionally, add a comment [9].
  5. Save your configuration. The dialog will then close.

Figure 4: The Add Parameter Set dialog

2.2. Adjusting Parameters

To adjust parameters, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the desired entry in the Parameter Set settings area.
  2. Now click on Edit [11] in the Parameters settings area.

Figure 5: The settings area Parameters

  1. This opens the Edit Parameters dialog. Change the desired parameters – these may vary slightly and offer different options depending on the Measurement Device – then click Save [12].

Figure 6: The Edit Parameters dialog

3. Setting Up Cutter Devices

In final production, cutter devices from various vendors are used to bring printed products into their final form. It may happen that individual Print Items are imposed in production for substrate-friendly output. It is then possible to transfer the cutting paths resulting from the Imposition from the application to the Cutter Device.

To set up a Cutter Device, you have to perform the following four steps:

  1. In Administration > Cutter Devices select Cutter Devices.
  2. In the settings area Devices create a Cutter Device.
  3. Create one or more configurations for the selected Cutter Device in the settings area Configurations. It is also possible to change the configuration that was automatically created by the system.
  4. Set the desired values for each parameter in the Parameters settings area.

To create Cutter Devices that transfer cut data directly to the Cutter Device, proceed as follows:

  1. In the header bar of the Devices settings area, click + Add [13].

Figure 7: The Devices settings area

  1. The Add Cutter Device dialog opens.
  2. First, select the desired Cutter Device from the list in Device Type [14].

Figure 8: The Add Cutter Device dialog

  1. Depending on the selected Device Type [14], the display may change slightly. In the case of a Zund Cutter Device, the following parameters have to be selected:
    • The Name [15] of the Cutter Device is generated automatically. However, you can overwrite and edit the name at any time. Assigning a meaningful name is particularly important when using several systems from the same Vendor in production.
    • Optionally, enter the Serial Number [16] of the Cutter Device to uniquely identify the device.
    • The Destination [17] input field is only displayed when cut data can be transferred directly to the Cutter Device. Here, you can specify where the cut data should be stored so that the Cutter Device can process this data.
    • Activate the option Allow bi-directional communication for Cutter Devices [18] when information from the Cutter Device should be transferred to the application. This allows the Cutter Device to communicate with the Workflow.
    • Activate the option Allow to fetch status from multiple IP addresses [19] if information from different installations of the Cutter Device software should be transferred. This allows additional IP addresses to be set up for querying information.
  2. Click Save to complete the creation of the Cutter Device.
  3. After saving, Parameter Sets typically used in practice are automatically generated depending on the Cutter Device.

3.1. Creating a Parameter Set

When you have created the Cutter Device, one or more Parameter Sets with Parameters that are frequently used in practice are created automatically. The default configuration can be deleted or edited by the user at any time.

To create your own configuration, e.g., with mirrored cut data, proceed as follows:

  1. In the Configurations settings area, click on +New [20].

Figure 9: The Parameter Set settings area with the automatically created Parameter Sets for a Zund Cutter Device

  1. The dialog Add Parameter Set opens.
  2. Enter the Name [21] for this configuration. The name should be meaningful so that the user can quickly make a decision when selecting the Cutter Device.
  3. Optionally, add a Comment [22].
  4. An existing Parameter Set [23] has to be selected as the basis for the configuration.
  5. Click Save [24] to save the Parameter Set. The dialog will then close.

Figure 10: The Create Configuration dialog with the Name, Comment, and Mode entered

3.2. Adjusting Parameters

To adjust a parameter in a configuration, proceed as follows:

  1. In the Parameter Set settings area, select the desired Parameter Set [25] in which the parameters should be changed.
  2. Click on Edit [26].

Figure 11: The settings area Parameters

  1. Now change all the parameters that need to be edited and then click on Save [27].

Figure 12: The Edit Parameters dialog

3.3. Assigning Tools

To ensure that the correct tool is used for cutting, finally store the Spot Colors for the respective tool. To do this, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Tools [29] settings area.
  2. Then select the Tool [28]. The mappings to Technical Colors already stored in the system are displayed.
  3. If you want to assign additional or different Technical Colors to the tool, click on Edit [30] and add the mapping in the dialog that opens.

Figure 13: The Tools settings area

"Cutter Materials" and "Status Query IPs"

These two setting areas are only available in certain cases. "Cutter Materials" are present in the application when material specifications are provided for selection by the Cutter Device itself. "Status Query IPs" are available when the option "Allow to fetch status from multiple IP addresses" was enabled beforehand.

4. Setting Up the File Management

The application has to transfer both print data and cut data to external systems located on the network. In order for the application to access File Management on the network, you'll have to set it up first.

There are three steps to setting up an approval:

  1. In the application, navigate to Administration > File Management and select File Management.
  2. First, create the Host (target system).
  3. Select the desired File Management for the Host.

Figure 14: Display of the fully configured path to the available File Management on the target system

4.1. Setting Up the Host

To create the host for the desired output folder or printer, proceed as follows:

  1. In the Hosts settings area, click + Add [31] (Figure 14).
  2. The Add Host dialog opens. Enter all the required data here.

Figure 15: The Add Host dialog with the available input fields

The following information has to be entered:

  • Name [32] – assign a meaningful name to the host (e.g., printer type, printer name, or IP address).
  • Type [33] – select the purpose of the File Management. The following entries are available:
    • Cutter
    • Hotfolder
    • Other Servers
    • PDF Printer/Output
    • Printer
    • Q-Points
    • Third-party Printer
    • Third-party Printer (Print Factory)
    • Vanguard Printer
    • VDP Image
  • Host [34] –  enter the IP address of the target system in this field (e.g., the IP address of the printer workstation).
  • Domain – if the external system or the user to be used is located in a domain, you will have to specify the domain. This input field is optional.
  • User [35] – enter the SMB user name here.
  • Password [36] – enter the password associated with the user. The password can be temporarily displayed by clicking on the icon [37].
  1. Clicking on Save saves the configuration for the host. The configured host is then available for selection in the list in the Hosts settings area.

Figure 16: The Host settings area

  1. When all data has been entered and saved correctly, a green symbol [38] appears on the right-hand side of the entry, indicating that this host is accessible. When moving your cursor over the green symbol, a tooltip will display information about when this host was last checked for accessibility by the system. In addition, the user account and the used IP address are displayed below.
  2. If the data has not been entered correctly, a red symbol [39] appears on the right side of the entry. In this case, you will have to perform troubleshooting.
  3. The endpoint for the host has now been successfully created.

4.2. Selecting the Share

Once the desired target system has been created in the Host settings area and all entered data (host, user name, password) has been checked for accuracy, Approvals can be selected on the target system. Approvals are usually directories in the file system of the target system.

To select an approval on the target system, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the previously created host in the Host settings area.
  2. Click + New in the Approvals settings area.
  3. The dialog for navigating the directory tree of the target system opens.
  4. To open a directory, click on the arrow [40], which will turn downwards and display all subdirectories.
  5. Select the desired target directory – in our example, it is A_Hotfolder_PDF_out [41] and click Apply [42]. If none of the listed target directories meet your requirements, you first have to create the desired folder locally on the target system. You cannot create a new directory on the target system from within the application!

Figure 17: The dialog for navigating the directory tree of the target system

  1. When the Share has been saved successfully, a green icon [45] will appear on the right side of the Share. When hovering the cursor over the green icon, a tooltip indicates when the system was last checked for its availability. When this icon turns red, the Share has to be checked again.
  2. For the created Share, the amount of currently available Disk Space [43] on the target system is displayed.
  3. Select the previously created Share. Details about the Share are displayed on the right in the Path Details [44] area. The Share has now been successfully set up, and the Workflow has immediate access to this directory.

Figure 18: The Shares and Path Details settings areas when a Share is selected.

4.3. Checking the Network's Data Throughput

It is not necessary to refer to any additional tools to check the data throughput between the workstation and the target directory, as this option is available directly in the application. To do this, proceed as follows:

  1. Select a target system in the Host settings area.
  2. Select a destination directory in the Shares settings area.
  3. If there is an active connection, this is indicated by the green icon [47].
  4. The icon Check Data Throughput [46] is located in front of the green icon.
  5. Clicking on the icon displays the network connection speed.

Figure 19: The Shares settings area after activating the icon for checking the data throughput

Article update: Workflow 1.22.0 – 02/2026

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Application overview 1
Setting Up the System 2
Creating Color Profiles 1
Quick Print Data Output 2
Preparing Print Data 2
Storing and Managing Files 3
Creating Production Jobs 4
Create Imposition 1

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