Tilia Phoenix Integration - Gang Module
Overview
The printIQ Gang Module allows an operator to filter jobs by a combination of status, stock and finishing options.
The filtered jobs can be exported as a batch to import into Tilia Phoenix imposition software.
Here the user can create multiple gang layouts for import back into printIQ.
The gang jobs will contain all the individual jobs and list them as ‘child’ jobs of the ganged ‘parent’ job.
The ‘Parent’ job will be viewable on the printIQ ‘All Jobs’ and ‘Production’ boards and be available for time logging to be printed, cut and laminated
as a parent before splitting into the original child jobs for individual finishing (not related to the gang).
Requirements:
- IQfurther - Gang Module
- Tilia Phoenix is to be installed on a server Print IQ can talk to.
- QuoteArtwork stored locally where Phoenix can access
*(Tilia requires a UNC path EG C:\ or a mapped drive to access artwork)
Only flat products are supported. Phoenix must be run in ‘manual mode’ (not automate) for this solution to work.
Workflow
The following is based on flat sheet printing (roll stocks can also be used in the gang workflow)
Export from printIQ
When you have a long list of jobs in printIQ, you can use the ‘Imposition Board’ to filter down to common factors
such as the job status and paper stock. Jobs will be listed under the ‘JOBS” tab.
Here we filter to jobs on a status of ‘Imposition Ready’:
And filter to the stock option of ‘18pt C2S’ by selecting the filter:
We will include all finishing operations configured as ‘GANGING OPERATIONS’.
In this example it is all laminating options including ‘no laminate’:
This gives us a list of 27 jobs:
Click the master checkbox to select all the jobs shows:
Click the ‘Export Jobs’ button
A screen will drop showing a list of all selected jobs.
From the ‘Export’ dropdown, select ‘Tilia Phoenix (CSV)’ option:
At the bottom of the screen, click the ‘Save & Export’ button:
This will create a ‘Batch’ containing all the exported jobs and download a csv file for import into Phoenix.
Open the csv file and save it into a file location for importing:
Back on the Imposition board the jobs will move from the ‘JOBS’ tab to the ‘BATCHES’ tab.
The batch will be assigned a unique batch number:
From this board section you can access options to ‘Release Batch’ (this will cancel the batch and place the jobs back onto the ‘JOBS’ tab)
‘Download File’ (to download the csv again if needed):
Click the ‘+’ button to drop a list of all jobs contained in the batch:
Impose in Tilia Phoenix
Within Phoenix, create a ‘New Project’:
Name the project.
We recommend naming as per the printIQ generated batch number.
The ‘Filename’ and ‘Project Name’ fields are required fields for the workflow and must be filled out as these are used in the naming scheme when importing back into printIQ:
Once the project is created select ‘Import Products’:
Select the printIQ generated csv file to import:
Based on your Phoenix configured import pre-sets, import the products:
Some custom csv field mappings may be needed depending on requirements:
All products and their artwork will be imported and listed in Phoenix
Using the ‘Imposition AI’ ‘Plan’ option, based on your configured profile, Phoenix will impose all jobs into layouts:
Select a layout option to apply to the project.
The results below show Phoenix has compiled the 27 jobs into 5 layouts over a mix of digital and offset presses:
You can cycle through the layouts to see a visual of each imposition:
Once you are happy with the impositions, the imposed pdf files need to be generated.
Select ‘Export for Printing’ and ‘Imposed PDF’ option:
Based on your setting, export the pdf files to your default folder location:
Next export a JSON file for import back into printIQ.
Based on your setting, export the JSON file to your default folder location:
Import Tilia file into printIQ
Back in printIQ, from the Imposition Board, go to the ‘GANGED JOBS’ tab. Click the ‘Import’ button:
Navigate to the folder containing the JSON file and import it:
*NOTE: If any layouts were ‘removed’ in Phoenix, on import back into printIQ,
the jobs not included in the JSON will be released from the batch and placed back into the jobs list for ganging at a later stage.
A dropdown will show displaying a list of all gang runs that will be generates along with the jobs attached to each gang.
Click ‘Create’ to confirm:
Once the gang runs are generated, you will see a confirmation. Click ‘Finish Batch’:
This will update to show confirmation the process was successful:
The Imposition Board will now show a list of the gang runs:
Click the ‘+’ button to see a dropdown of jobs contained in the individual gang:
On the ‘All Jobs’ board, the gang job will show at the top with all currently linked ‘child’ jobs displayed below in blue:
To attach the imposed pdf file to the gang run, inside each gang, select the ‘Artwork’ option:
From the ‘Print Ready PDF’ option, click into the selection field:
Navigate to the folder you exported the imposed pdf files to and based on the job title, you can select the correct file to upload:
The uploaded artwork will show:
The imposed pdf file will also display in the gang jobs details page:
While the gang is still active, the Pre-Production and Production boards will only display the ‘gang’ job:
Once all operations on a gang run are completed,
a prompt will show notifying you the child jobs will be released from the gang for any further finishing:
Part 2.
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