Prepressforums.com

sauce · #1 (**permalink**) 08-13-2007, 08:34 AM

Hey guys, anyone know of an imposing app that will do this?

I have a 12x18 sheet that I need to gang up 4x6 postcards on. If I step-and-repeat then vertically I get 4-up, and horizontally I also get 4-up. If I was able to do it both horizontal AND vertical, I would get maximum coverage for 6-up. With PLENTY of room for registration marks. This turns a 1000 from 250 impressions (4-up) to 166 impressions (6-up). What a difference!

I have tried:
Quite Imposing Plus
ARTS Crackerjack
Creo workstation software

I've done it using Quite Imposing Plus, using a really annoying 10 step process. I only do it when I have to which really annoys the management. If you do something once, you gotta do it all the time.

Heres an illustration of what I'm trying to achieve.

almaink · #2 (**permalink**) 08-13-2007, 09:18 AM

Do it by hand in a page-layout app. Indy is wonderful for doing this.

sauce · #3 (**permalink**) 08-13-2007, 10:27 AM

Not interested in doing it by hand. I'd rather run it 4-up if I have to do that.

jimking · #4 (**permalink**) 08-13-2007, 10:54 AM

You should utilize as much of the sheet as possible, so, you should step it six out. Never used the above mentioned impose software but I've used Preps and Signastation but they don't come cheap. If you want to avoid spending several thousand dollars, almaink is correct in advising InDesign for this small job because its easy, fast and stable. Just got to know some basic math and try to give the vertical and horizontal cards some common cuts for the bindery.

born2print · #5 (**permalink**) 08-13-2007, 11:20 AM

Preps can handle this, what "creo workstation software" do you refer to?

DCurry · #6 (**permalink**) 08-13-2007, 03:33 PM

Yeah, Preps ain't cheap but it is handy.

If you are worried about errors when stepping it out by hand in InDesign, you can always take the original and make a PDF, then place the PDF in InDesign and step it off. That way your original remains 1-up so if you need to edit it, you just have to edit it once and remake a PDF.

sauce · #7 (**permalink**) 08-13-2007, 06:50 PM

I've obtained a copy of Preps but I don't know how to use it. Looking for an alternative.

The Creo RIP software.. whatever its called. The machine runs WinXP with this app and theres basic tools for imposition.

Doing it manually in InDesign seems like a really annoying way to do it. I wish there was an automatic way.

seetomtype · #8 (**permalink**) 08-13-2007, 09:41 PM

There's been some pretty good advice given to you to accomplish what
you're looking to do. It sounds like you have the tools to get it done, but
they're annoying to you, or the management. Perhaps you should just hire
somebody to do it for you. It'll be less expensive than imposition software,
and less trouble than doing it yourself.

almaink · #9 (**permalink**) 08-14-2007, 09:13 AM

"Doing it manually in InDesign seems like a really annoying way to do it."
Prepress is annoying in general thats why we get the big bucks! Not...
Not hard to do BTW if you get used to using step and repeat and download a marks script from Adobe Studio. Remember U can step guides in Indy.

oxburger · #10 (**permalink**) 08-14-2007, 10:13 AM

I agree with doing it in InDesign. It seems to me that you could simply make the postcard one up, create the pdf with bleed incorporated into it (6.25x4.25) then make an impostion in InDesign with 6 picture boxes and all required marks. By having this "template" in InDesign, you could use it again and again for each job or use it to gang different jobs together. All you'd have to do is bring in the pdf for each postcard as an "image". Nothing wrong with using InDesign. I'd have no problems imposing in it if it were the easiest and cheapest solution.