Prepressforums.com

Rosey · #1 (**permalink**) 10-11-2005, 10:04 AM

We have been running without preps template manager for just over a year but we may have the opportunity to purchase it shortly. Can anyone offer some advice as to whether or not it is worth it and why?

CitrusZ28 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-11-2005, 11:44 AM

We've been running ApogeeX for almost 1 year now without the template manager, and quite frankly, I don't see a need for it. Sure, you may have to write more pjtf's out of Preps, but is it really worht the $10,000 or so for the template manager?

posterized_child · #3 (**permalink**) 10-11-2005, 12:43 PM

What it the Template Manager exactly? We've been running various revisions of Preps 4 for ages. I havn't encountered that term before. Is it a newer option for Preps 5?

CitrusZ28 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-13-2005, 09:26 AM

The Preps template manager is a plug-in for use in ApogeeX. It makes it possible to work with preps templates within ApogeeX, you would not use it within Preps.

baggie · #5 (**permalink**) 10-17-2005, 02:08 AM

Having Preps Template Manager (PTM) simply allows more flexibility and speeds up changes to impositons on jobs that are 'in progress'. Without PTM you might create e.g. an 8pp section and then create several preps 'jobs' that use this multiple times: one for a 16pp job, another for 24pp, another for 32pp etc. These then need to be exported from Preps as PJTF files for use within ApogeeX. If the job changes during production e.g. what was a 24pp job now becomes 32pp then you can simply select another PJTF (if you have one) in ApogeeX. If you don't have one then you have to go back to preps and start another 'job'.
By having PTM you miss out the Preps 'job' and 'PJTF' stages - you can 'see' all your preps templates within ApogeeX and make your selection in the Impose TP in the production plan. This makes changes easier and also there are less actual files for you to deal with.
Whether it's worth it depends on the type of work you are doing. If you tend to work with a few standard impositions only then it won't save you much time - but if you use different impositions all the time then it will be more useful.
Baggie